Method of fabricating an elastomeric keypad
First Claim
1. A method of fabricating an elastomeric keypad having a hard key cap on an elastomeric key, comprising the steps of:
- providing a film having a key cap graphic portion provided thereon, and also having a non-graphic portion;
placing the film onto a first plate of a multi-plate molding tool, the first plate having a portion representative of the elastomeric key, and the film arranged so that the key cap graphic portion is aligned with said portion;
mounting a second plate of the multi-plate molding tool onto the first plate, such that the first and second plates co-operate to excise the key cap graphic portion from the non-graphic portion;
mounting a third plate of the multi-plate molding tool onto the second plate to form an assembled multi-plate tool having a cavity defining the elastomeric keypad;
filling the cavity with an elastomeric material and curing the elastomeric material to form an elastomeric keypad having an integral key cap; and
opening the assembled multi-plate tool, removing the formed elastomeric keypad having an integral key cap, and removing the excised non-graphic portion from the multi-plate molding tool.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of fabricating an elastomeric keypad having a hard key cap over the elastomeric key. A sheet (50) containing a key cap (24) with graphics (26) is placed onto a first plate (52) of a molding tool (54). A second plate (58) is then attached to the first plate, covering the graphic film. The first plate and the second plate interact in a manner such that the key cap containing the graphic is excised out of the film and retained in the molding tool assembly. The waste material (60) surrounding the key cap is displaced away from its original position. A third plate (64) is then attached to the assembled first and second plates. The assembled molding tool creates a cavity (66) that is representative of the keypad assembly, and an elastomeric material is molded into that cavity. Afar the elastomeric material (12) solidifies, the tool is opened, the molded keypad assembly (10) containing the integrally attached rigid key caps is removed.
96 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method of fabricating an elastomeric keypad having a hard key cap on an elastomeric key, comprising the steps of:
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providing a film having a key cap graphic portion provided thereon, and also having a non-graphic portion; placing the film onto a first plate of a multi-plate molding tool, the first plate having a portion representative of the elastomeric key, and the film arranged so that the key cap graphic portion is aligned with said portion; mounting a second plate of the multi-plate molding tool onto the first plate, such that the first and second plates co-operate to excise the key cap graphic portion from the non-graphic portion; mounting a third plate of the multi-plate molding tool onto the second plate to form an assembled multi-plate tool having a cavity defining the elastomeric keypad; filling the cavity with an elastomeric material and curing the elastomeric material to form an elastomeric keypad having an integral key cap; and opening the assembled multi-plate tool, removing the formed elastomeric keypad having an integral key cap, and removing the excised non-graphic portion from the multi-plate molding tool. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of fabricating an elastomeric keypad having plastic key caps on elastomeric keys, comprising the steps of:
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providing a plastic film having convex key caps formed therein, the convex key caps each having a graphic printed thereon, and the plastic film having a web connecting the convex key caps; providing a multi-plate molding tool having a first plate, a second plate and a third plate, the first plate having a first surface containing recesses representative of the elastomeric keys; placing the plastic film onto the first plate such that the convex key caps are situated in the recesses and the web is situated above the first surface; mounting the second plate onto the first plate such that the first and second plate cooperate to excise the convex key caps from the plastic film and to displace the web toward the first surface; after the step of mounting the second plate, mounting the third plate onto the second plate to form an assembled multi-plate molding tool having a cavitydefining the elastomeric keypad; filling the cavity with an elastomeric material and curing the elastomeric material to form an elastomeric keypad having the convex key caps integrally attached to the elastomeric keys; and after the step of molding, opening the assembled multi-plate molding tool, removing the elastomeric keypad, and removing the displaced web from the multi-plate molding tool. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A method of fabricating an elastomeric keypad having plastic caps on elastomeric keys, comprising the steps of:
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providing a planar plastic film having an array of graphics printed thereon and having plastic caps molded onto the plastic film such that the caps are intimately attached to the planar plastic film and are situated on the graphics, and the planar plastic film having a web portion connecting the graphics; providing a multi-plate molding tool having a first plate, a second plate and a third plate, the first plate having a first surface containing recesses representative of the elastomeric keys; placing the planar plastic film onto the first plate such that the plastic caps are situated in the recesses and the web portion is situated on the first surface; after the step of placing, mounting the second plate and the third plate onto the first plate to form an assembled multi-plate molding tool having a cavity defining the elastomeric keypad; molding an elastomeric material into the cavity and solidifying the elastomeric material to form an elastomeric keypad having the plastic caps and associated graphics integrally attached to the elastomeric keys; and after the step of molding, removing the third plate from the multi-plate molding tool and ejecting the molded keypad with the integrally molded plastic caps from the tool, the first and second plates cooperating to retain the web portion from the molded keypad and integrally molded plastic caps; opening the assembled multi-plate molding tool and removing the web portion from the multi-plate molding tool.
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Specification