Claims
- 1. A method of making a key including a head portion containing an ornamental element, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a key; providing a mounting surface for the ornamental element on a portion of the key; positioning the ornamental element on the mounting surface; and placing a material over the portion of the key and a first portion of the ornamental element to secure the ornamental element to the key and to leave exposed a second portion of the ornamental element.
- 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein placing a material over the portion of the key includes molding the material over the portion of the key and the first portion of the ornamental element.
- 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein molding the material over the first portion of the ornamental element includes covering a portion of a peripheral edge of the ornamental element.
- 4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising covering a center portion of the ornamental element during the step of molding the material, whereby only a peripheral edge of the ornamental element is covered by the material.
- 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein placing a material over the portion of the key includes covering a peripheral edge of the ornamental element.
- 6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising securing the ornamental element to the mounting surface by trapping a portion of the peripheral edge of the element between the mounting surface and the material.
- 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the material is plastic.
- 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:
the material is a first material; the mounting surface is a surface of a second material; and placing the material over the portion of the key includes placing the first material over a portion of the second material.
- 9. A method of making a key having a head, the method comprising:
fabricating a key blade; positioning an ornamental element in a position with respect to the key blade; covering a first portion of the ornamental element with a portion of the head of the key after positioning the ornamental element in a position with respect to the key blade; securing the ornamental element in the position by covering the first portion of the ornamental element with the portion of the head; and leaving a second portion of the ornamental element exposed.
- 10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising forming the head on the key blade.
- 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein forming the head on the key blade includes molding a material onto the key blade, the head at least partially defined by the material.
- 12. The method according to claim 9, wherein covering a first portion of the ornamental element with a portion of the head includes molding a material over the first portion of the ornamental element.
- 13. The method according to claim 11, wherein covering the first portion of the ornamental element includes molding the material over at least a portion of a periphery of the ornamental element.
- 14. The method according to claim 9, wherein covering the first portion of the ornamental element with a portion of the head includes covering at least a portion of a peripheral edge of the element with a portion of the head.
- 15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising trapping at least a portion of a peripheral edge of the ornamental element between the key blade and the key head.
- 16. A method of making a key including a head portion containing an ornamental element, the method comprising:
providing a key blade; positioning the ornamental element in a location with respect to the key blade; covering a portion of the key blade with a material to at least partially define the head portion; covering a first portion of the ornamental element with the material; leaving a second portion of the ornamental element visible; and securing the ornamental element to the key blade by covering the first portion of the ornamental element with the material.
- 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein covering a first portion of the ornamental element with the material includes covering a peripheral edge of the ornamental element with the material.
- 18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising trapping a peripheral edge of the ornamental element between the material and the key blade.
- 19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising leaving the second portion of the ornamental exposed and visible.
- 20. The method according to claim 16, wherein covering the portion of the key blade and covering the first portion of the element comprise molding the material over the portion of the key blade and molding the material over the first portion of the ornamental element, respectively.
- 21. A key, comprising:
a key blade; a head portion; a partially exposed ornamental element; and a material molded over the head portion of the key and a first portion of the ornamental element, securing the ornamental element with respect to the head portion of the key and leaving a second portion of the ornamental element exposed.
- 22. The key according to claim 21, wherein the first portion of the ornamental element is at least a portion of a periphery of the ornamental element.
- 23. The key according to claim 21, wherein the material is a plastic material.
- 24. The key according to claim 21, further comprising a mounting surface located on the head portion of the key, the ornamental element coupled to the mounting surface.
- 25. The key according to claim 24, wherein:
the ornamental element further comprises one of a recess and a projection; and the mounting surface includes another of the recess and the projection, the projection being received in the recess.
- 26. The key according to claim 21, wherein the head portion of the key is part of the key blade.
- 27. The key according to claim 26, wherein:
the material is a first material; and the head portion of the key is at least partially defined by a second material coupled to the key blade.
- 28. A key, comprising:
a key blade having a heel end; a material on the heel end of the key blade, the material having a solid state and a liquid state, the material applied over the heel end of the key blade in the liquid state; and a partially visible ornamental element positioned within the material and secured to the key blade by the material in the solid state, the material covering a first portion of the ornamental element and leaving a second portion of the ornamental element visible for display.
- 29. The key according to claim 28, wherein the material is plastic.
- 30. The key according to claim 28, wherein the material is molded onto heel end of the key.
- 31. The key according to claim 28, wherein the first portion of the ornamental element is at least a portion of a periphery of the ornamental element.
- 32. The key according to claim 28, wherein the material traps the first portion of the ornamental element between the material and the heel end to secure the ornamental element in place with respect to the key blade.
- 33. A key having a head portion containing an ornamental element made according to the method of:
positioning the ornamental element with respect to a blade of the key; covering a portion of the key blade with a material to at least partially define the head portion; covering a first portion of the ornamental element with the material; leaving a second portion of the ornamental element visible; and securing the ornamental element to the key blade by covering the first portion of the ornamental element.
- 34. The key made according to the method claimed in claim 33, wherein covering a first portion of the ornamental element includes covering at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the ornamental element with the material.
- 35. The key made according to the method claimed in claim 33, further comprising trapping a peripheral edge of the ornamental element between the material and the key blade.
- 36. The key made according to the method claimed in claim 33, further comprising leaving the second portion of the ornamental element exposed.
- 37. The key made according to the method claimed in claim 33, wherein covering a portion of the key blade with the material and covering the first portion of the ornamental element with the material comprise molding the material over the portion of the key blade to at least partially define the head portion of the key and molding the material over the first portion of the ornamental element, respectively.
- 38. A key, comprising:
a key blade; an ornamental element molded in position with respect to the key blade by a material molded over a first portion of the ornamental element, a second portion of the ornamental element being exposed and visible.
- 39. A method of making a key, comprising:
providing a key blade having a first end and a second end opposite the first end; positioning an ornamental element in a location with respect to the key blade; molding a material over a first portion of the ornamental element to secure the ornamental element on the second end of the key blade; and leaving exposed and visible a second portion of the ornamental element.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/713,886 filed on Nov. 15, 2000, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09713886 |
Nov 2000 |
US |
Child |
10342126 |
Jan 2003 |
US |