Integrally molded remote entry transmitter

• US 20020154050A1
• Filed: 06/20/2002
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lear Automotive Dearborn, Incorporated (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lear Automotive Dearborn, Incorporated (Lear Corporation)
• Inventors: Krupp, Eric, McConnell, John E., Nantz, John
• Application Number:
  US10/176,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20020154050A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/173
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00944 Details of construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3241 particular used in keyless entry systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/034 Portable transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0284 Details of three-dimensional rigid printed circuit boards H05K1/119 takes precedence; shaping of the substrate H05K3/0014
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/182 characterised by the patterning method

Abstract

Remote entry transmitters are formed to have a housing element made by a two-shot molding technique. A plateable and a non-plateable plastic are molded in the two-shot molding technique. Circuit trace material is then plated onto the plateable material. This results in a reduction in the number of separate parts for the transmitter. In addition, the antenna is positioned to be non-parallel to the main circuit board. This results in packaging efficiencies and improvements. Preferably, the antenna may be plated onto an inner side wall of the housing when the two-shot molding technique occurs. Alternatively, the antenna may be provided as a separate board.

Claims

1. A method of forming a remote entry transmitter comprising:

1) providing a housing by utilizing a molding technique molding a non-plateable and a plateable plastic together;

2) then plating conductive material on the plateable areas to form circuit traces; and

3) inserting circuit elements into said housing for communicating with said circuit traces, said circuit elements including a transmitter for a remote entry system.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said non-plateable materials also form a decorative outer surface for said remote entry transmitter.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said housing element is a cover of a remote entry transmitter.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein an antenna is inserted into said remote entry transmitter, said antenna being disposed at a non-parallel angle relative to said circuit traces.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4, wherein said antenna is plated on plateable plastic during the plating of the conductive material as set forth in step 2.

6. A remote entry transmitter housing comprising:

a housing;

a battery and a transmitter for transmitting a signal, and received in said housing, a main circuit being disposed generally in a first plane, and an antenna communicating with said transmitter, said antenna being disposed generally non-parallel to said plane of said main circuit.

7. A housing as recited in claim 6, wherein said housing having a side wall, and said antenna being disposed on an inner portion of said side wall.

8. A housing as recited in claim 7, wherein said antenna is molded onto an inner side of said sidewall.

9. A housing as recited in claim 8, wherein said main circuit is also molded onto said housing along with said antenna.

10. A housing as recited in claim 6, wherein said antenna is included on a separate circuit board which is attached to said main circuit.

15. A housing as set forth in claim 10, wherein an antenna is connected to said circuit board as a separate board, and said separate board being positioned to be non-parallel to a plane of said circuit.

11. A remote entry transmitter housing comprising:

a first and second housing member, with one of said first and second housing members being formed of a two-shot molding technique, such that circuit traces within said remote entry transmitter are formed by plating onto a plateable plastic deposited into said housing by said two-shot molding technique.

12. A housing as set forth in claim 11, wherein a decorative outer surface of said at least one housing is formed by non-plateable plastic during the two-shot molding technique.

13. A housing as set forth in claim 11, wherein said one housing has an inner side wall, and an antenna for said transmitter is adhered to said inner side wall.

14. A housing as recited in claim 13, wherein said antenna is molded onto said inner side wall along with the remainder of said circuit during said two-shot molding technique.