Integrally molded remote entry transmitter

• US 6,433,728 B1
• Filed: 01/22/1999
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation EEDS and Interiors Incorporated (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lear Automotive Dearborn, Incorporated (Lear Corporation)
• Inventors: Krupp, Eric, Nantz, John, McConnell, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Albert K.
• Application Number:
  US09/235,701
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 341/173, 341/176, 455/347, 361/792, 361/794, 361/795, 428/300.1, 428/209, 343/895, 343/702
• US Class Current: 341/176
• 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 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, wherein said housing having a side wall, and said antenna being integrally formed on an inner portion of said side wall.

2. A housing as recited in claim 1, wherein said main circuit is also molded onto said housing along with said antenna.

3. 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, wherein said antenna is integrally formed on a separate circuit board which is attached to said main circuit.