Case for portable equipment

• US 7,050,292 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Mitsuru, Shimura, Tokio
• Primary Examiner(s): Datskovskiy, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/682,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20040090737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679, 361/683, 361/752, 361/800, 361/816, 361/818, 174/35.R, 174/35.GC, 174/35.MS, 200/5.A, 200/512, 200/517, 200/341, 200/302.1, 200293-298, 428/344, 428/411.1, 428/421, 428/432, 264/298, 264/299, 264/300, 264/319, 264/331.11, 427/248.1, 427/490, 427/497, 219/518, 219/519
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0239 Electronic boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00968 shape of the data carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making

Abstract

A case of a portable equipment for communication to an external system comprises a body portion and an operation portion acting as a function member. At least a portion of the case is provided with a decorative film having a resin film having transparency and a print layer printed on a back surface of the resin film in a predetermined pattern, and a resin base member formed on a back surface of the decorative film so as to contact the print layer. The front surface of the decorative layer is exposed as a most outside surface of the case.

Claims

1. A case of a portable equipment for communication to an external system comprising:

a body portion; and

an operation portion acting as a function member, wherein at least a portion of the body portion and the operation portion is provided with;

a decorative film having a resin film having transparency and a print layer printed on a back surface of the resin film in a predetermined pattern; and

a base member resin portion formed on a back surface of the decorative film so as to contact the print layer, and a decorative layer having a front surface exposed as a most outside surface of the case,

wherein the front surface of the decorative film is provided with a marked portion formed as a protruded or recessed portion.

2. The case of the portable equipment according to claim 1, wherein said resin film has a front surface on which a transparent protection film is formed.

3. The case of a portable equipment according to claim 1, wherein said print layer is formed of a material containing a metallic component.

4. The case of a portable equipment according to claim 1, wherein said body portion has an inner hollow structure in which an antenna element for transmission is disposed.

5. The case of a portable equipment according to claim 1, wherein said operation portion includes knob pieces for inputting operation modes and said knob pieces have front surfaces covered by the decorative film.

6. The case of a portable equipment according to claim 5, wherein the print layer of the decorative film has a portion which covers the knob pieces and to which patterns representing contents of functions are printed.

7. The case of a portable equipment according to claim 1, wherein said body portion and said operation portion are covered integrally by the decorative film.

8. The case of a portable equipment according to claim 1, wherein said body portion and said operation portion are covered by independent decorative films, respectively.

10. The case of a portable equipment according to claim 1, wherein said body portion comprises two half portions having an inner hollow portion when assembled and said operation portion is formed to one of the two half portions.

9. A case of a portable equipment for communication to an external system comprising:

a body portion; and

an operation portion acting as a function member, wherein at least a portion of the body portion and the operation portion is provided with;

a decorative film having a resin film having transparency and a print layer printed on a back surface of the resin film in a predetermined pattern; and

a base member resin portion formed on a back surface of the decorative film so as to contact the print layer, and a decorative layer having a front surface exposed as a most outside surface of the case,

wherein said decorative film has an end portion intruding into the base member resin portion.

11. A case of a portable equipment for communication to an external system comprising:

a body portion having an inner hollow structure in which an antenna element is disposed for communication to the external system; and

an operation portion acting as a function member having a surface on which knob pieces for inputting operation modes are formed,

wherein at least a portion of the body portion and the operation portion is provided with;

a decorative film having a resin film having a front surface on which a transparent protection film is formed and a print layer printed on a back surface of the resin film in a predetermined pattern, said print layer containing a metallic component; and

a base member resin portion formed on a back surface of the decorative film so as to contact the print layer, and said transparent protection film is disposed as a most outside surface of the case,

wherein the front surface of the decorative film is provided with a marked portion formed as a protruded or recessed portion.

12. The case of a portable equipment according to claim 11, wherein said body portion comprises two half portions having an inner hollow portion when assembled and said operation portion is formed to one of the two half portions.

13. A case of a portable equipment for communication to an external system comprising:

a body portion having an inner hollow structure in which an antenna element is disposed for communication to the external system; and

an operation portion acting as a function member having a surface on which knob pieces for inputting operation modes are formed,

wherein at least a portion of the body portion and the operation portion is provided with;

a decorative film having a resin film having a front surface on which a transparent protection film is formed and a print layer printed on a back surface of the resin film in a predetermined pattern, said print layer containing a metallic component; and

a base member resin portion formed on a back surface of the decorative film so as to contact the print layer, and said transparent protection film is disposed as a most outside surface of the case, and

wherein said decorative film has an end portion intruding into the base member resin portion.