Patent Application
20070102098
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shell manufacturing method, and more particularly to a method for making or manufacturing outer housings or shells for cushioning and protecting electric products.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical electrical products or devices, such as portable or mobile phones, personal digital assistants, electric game cards, electric mice, monitors, electric digital panels, portable computers, personal computers, or the like comprise an outer housing or shell which is normally made of plastic materials and formed by such as molding or mold-injection processes, and for allowing the outer housings or shells to be manufactured in great speed and in mass production.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,227 to Möoster et al. discloses one of the typical methods for manufacturing mobile communication devices, and also comprising one or more housing members that are normally manufactured or made of plastic materials and formed by such as molding or mold-injection processes.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2002/0085709 A1 to Hsu discloses another typical cover for mobile or portable phones, and also comprising one or more housing members that are normally manufactured or made of plastic materials and formed by such as molding or mold-injection processes, and comprising a number of catches for securing the housing members together.
However, the outer housings or shells are normally made of plastic materials which may not be used to suitably absorb or dissipate shocks and vibrations; i.e., the electric parts or elements received within the outer housings or shells may not be suitably cushioned or protected by the outer housings or shells.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional methods for manufacturing outer housings or shells for electric products or mobile communication devices.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a method for making or manufacturing outer housings or shells which may be provided or used for cushioning and protecting the electric products or mobile communication devices.
The other objective of the present invention is to provide a method for making or manufacturing outer housings or shells which may further include natural fibers or wood chips or recycled cut off materials or waste plastic materials or particles engaged or embedded into the cushioning layer for economizing purposes, and for reducing pollution problems.
The further objective of the present invention is to provide a method for making or manufacturing outer housings or shells which may further include anti-static electricity material or electric conductive materials engaged or embedded into the cushioning layer.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing outer housings or shells for electric products or mobile communication devices, the method comprising providing a base layer having a pattern provided thereon and having an inner peripheral portion formed therein, attaching a cushioning layer in the inner peripheral portion of the base layer to form a housing member of a shell, and removing burrs from the housing member to form a smooth outer peripheral surface or outer contour.
An anti-static electricity material and/or natural fibers and/or wood chips and/or recycled cut off materials or waste plastic materials or particles and/or electric conductive materials may further be provided and engaged or embedded into the cushioning layer.
A cover layer may further be provided and applied onto the base layer, the cover layer is preferably made of transparent or semi-transparent materials for allowing the pattern on the base layer to be seen.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the drawings, and initially to
The shell 10 may comprise one or more housing members 11, 12 to be secured together with such as fasteners or latches (not shown), adhesive materials, or by welding processes, and each having a chamber 13 formed therein (
The housing members 11, 12 of the shell 10 each may further include an anti-corrosive and/or anti-abrasive outer or cover layer 16 applied or attached onto the outer peripheral portion of the inner or base layer 15, best shown in
The inner or base layer 15 may be anchored or positioned or retained within the mold device 30 with such as a vacuuming process, for forming a space within the mold device 30 and for allowing the material to be filled or introduced or injected into the mold cavity 31 of the mold device 30, in order to form the outer or cover layer 16 on the inner or base layer 15. The housing members 11, 12 of the shell 10 may then be further engaged into another mold device 40 as shown in
A foamable material or cushioning material or synthetic material may then be filled or introduced or injected into the mold cavity 41 of the mold device 40, in order to form a cushioning layer 18 in the inner peripheral portion of either or both of the housing members 11, 12 of the shell 10. The foamable material or cushioning material or synthetic material may include a suitable softness or resilience or the like for absorbing or dissipating the shocks and vibrations that may be applied to the housing members 11, 12 of the shell 10, and thus for suitably cushioning or protecting the electric parts or elements (not shown) received within the outer shell 10.
The foamable material or cushioning material or synthetic material may also attached or secured onto the housing members 11, 12 by the heat in such as the hot-pressing process or the molding or mold-injection processes. A trimming or finishing process may further be required or may be selectively provided to remove the burrs that may be formed on the outer peripheral portion of thus formed or molded housing members 11, 12 of the shell 10, for forming a smooth and/or shiny outer peripheral surface or contour for the housing members 11, 12 of the shell 10. Each of the electric products 1-6 may include two or more shells 10 having different colors or decorative patterns formed on the outer peripheral portion thereof for allowing the shells 10 to be changed from each other.
It is to be noted that an additional leather or cloth layer may further be provided and attached or secured onto either the inner portion or the outer portion of the housing members 11, 12 of the shell 10 during the molding processes for forming a different outer peripheral surface. Wood chips or natural fibers or other recycled cut off materials or waste plastic materials or particles, and/or anti-static electricity or electric conductive materials may further be provided and engaged or embedded into the foamable material or cushioning material or synthetic material for forming the cushioning layer 18 of the housing members 11, 12 of the shell 10.
In operation, as shown in
Accordingly, the method in accordance with the present invention may be provided for making or manufacturing outer housings or shells which may be provided or used for cushioning and protecting the electric products or mobile communication devices.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
