Co-extruded materials and methods

• US 8,820,133 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Weber, Douglas, Matsuyuki, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): TOLAN, EDWARD THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US12/241,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20090197059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• Field of Search: 72/46, 72/47, 722/531, 722/54, 722/55, 722/58, 264/148, 264/173.15, 264/173.16, 264/210.2, 264/75, 264/132, 264/171.26, 264/177.11, 264/211.11, 428/67, 419/3, 419/5, 156/244.18
• US Class Current: 72/258
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 23/22 Making metal-coated products; Making products from two or more metals
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 11/08 for reshaping the surface, e.g. smoothing, roughening, corrugating, making screw-threads
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 3/2636 using means for co-extruding different materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2793/0027 Cutting off
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2793/0063 Cutting longitudinally
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/001 Combinations of extrusion moulding with other shaping operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0022 combined with cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0023 combined with printing or marking
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/08 flexible, e.g. films
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/175 comprising a multi-coloured single component, e.g. striated, marbled or wood-like patterned
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential

Abstract

Co-extruded materials and methods for forming co-extruded materials that include images are disclosed. The method may include co-extruding two materials together to form a co-extruded workpiece. The first material may be a base material and the second material may be a graphic material used to form one or more images in a cross-section of the workpiece. One or more cross sectional parts that include the one or more images may then be generated by cutting, slicing or otherwise forming cross-sectional parts from the workpiece.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a user input device for an electronic device, the user input device having a symbol embedded within a surrounding material, the method comprising:

simultaneously extruding a first ceramic material through a main opening of a die and a second ceramic material through an inner opening of the die, the main opening and inner opening arranged so that the first and second ceramic materials merge and fuse together during the extruding forming an elongated workpiece, wherein the main opening defines an outer shape of the elongated workpiece and the inner opening defines an outer shape of the symbol; and

forming the user input device by cutting a cross-sectional slice from the elongated workpiece, the cross-sectional slice having the first ceramic material and the second ceramic material, wherein the first ceramic material corresponds to the surrounding material and the second ceramic material corresponds to the symbol of the user input device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

feeding the first ceramic material to the main opening of the die from a first extruder and feeding the second ceramic material to the inner opening of the die from a second extruder.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

shaping the cross-sectional slice to have a substantially flat surface and opposing substantially dome-shaped surface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the symbol comprises at least one logo, icon, or graphic representation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the symbol comprises at least one text character.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first ceramic material and the ceramic second material comprise a zirconia ceramic material.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a shape of the main opening is different than a shape of the inner opening.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising grinding the cross-sectional slice.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising tumbling the cross-sectional slice removing burrs or micro-cracking.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the die includes multiple inner openings, wherein at least two of the inner openings have different shapes.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein forming a cross-sectional slice comprises cutting a dome-shaped surface on the cross-sectional slice.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the cross-sectional slice for use as a visible element of an input device associated with a media player.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuration the cross-sectional slice for use as a visible element of an input device associated with a phone.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input device comprises two or more symbols, wherein each symbol corresponds to an inner opening of the die.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the elongated workpiece has a substantially cylindrical shape and the cross-sectional slice has a substantially circular shape.

16. A method of manufacturing a user input device for an electronic device, the user input device having a figure embedded within a surrounding material, the method comprising:

concurrently extruding a first ceramic material and a second ceramic material through a common die, the first ceramic material extruded through a first opening of the die and the second ceramic material extruded through a second opening of the die;

forming a cylindrical workpiece by allowing the first ceramic material and second ceramic material to fuse together during the extruding, wherein the first opening defines an outer shape of the cylindrical workpiece and the second opening defines an outer shape of the figure; and

forming the user input device by cutting orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical workpiece forming a cross-sectional slice having the first ceramic material and the second ceramic material, wherein the first ceramic material corresponds to the surrounding material and the second ceramic material corresponds to the figure of the user input device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

feeding the first ceramic material through the first opening via a first extruder, and

feeding the second ceramic material through the second opening via a second extruder.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first ceramic material has a different color than the second ceramic material.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the figure has a shape of at least one logo, icon, or graphic representation.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the die includes multiple second openings.