Hybrid button

• US 20080060925A1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Moolsintong, Pinida Jan, Weber, Douglas J., Zadesky, Stephen P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,795,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/341
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/705 characterised by construction, mounting or arrangement of operating parts, e.g. push-buttons or keys
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2025/045 having a rotating dial around the operating member for additional switching functions
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2025/048 having a separate central push, slide or tumbler button which is not integral with the operating part that surrounds it
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/048 Insertion moulding
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/018 Musical instrument
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2233/072 Locating pins
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2233/078 One degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making

Abstract

A hybrid button according to the invention is provided. In one embodiment, the button can be implemented in an electronic device such as a media player. The button can include a metal or other non-plastic portion having a reverse flange and a plastic portion including anti-rotation legs. The legs can prevent rotation at least in part because they are retained by another structure. The plastic portion can be injection-molded onto the reverse flange of the metal or non-plastic portion. As such, the reverse flange fixes the position of the plastic portion with respect to the metal portion. Finally, the metal portion can include an actuator nub that actuates a switch when the button is depressed.

Claims

1. A button comprising:

a non-plastic portion comprising a reverse flange; and

a plastic portion comprising anti-rotation legs that prevent rotation of the button, the plastic portion being injection-molded onto the reverse flange wherein the reverse flange fixes the position of the plastic portion with respect to the non-plastic portion.

2. The button of claim 1, the plastic portion comprising a flange that is adapted to interlock with a surface, the interlocking that prevents movement of the button along a longitudinal axis of the button.

3. The button of claim 1, the non-plastic portion comprising a centrally-located nub on the underside of the non-plastic portion, the centrally-located nub for actuating a dome switch.

4. The button of claim 1, the non-plastic portion further adapted to comprise an annulus, the annulus comprising a thickness along a longitudinal axis of between about 0.3 millimeters and about 0.5 millimeters.

5. The button of claim 1, the non-plastic portion further comprising an annulus along a longitudinal axis of the button of less than about 0.5 millimeters.

6. The button of claim 1, the non-plastic portion being formed on a computer-numeric controlled lathe.

7. A method of manufacturing a button, the method comprising:

forming a metal portion of the button using a computer-numeric controlled lathe, the button comprising a reverse flange; and

injection-molding a plastic portion of the button onto the metal portion, the injection-molding comprising injection-molding the plastic portion into the reverse flange, the injection-molding comprising further comprising fixing the position of at least a portion of the plastic portion with respect to the metal portion.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising anodizing the metal portion following the forming of the metal portion and prior to the injection-molding of the plastic portion.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising lathing the metal portion of the button to a thickness of less than 0.4 millimeters.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising forming a dome switch actuating nub on the underside of the metal portion of the button.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising fixing the location of the plastic portion along a longitudinal axis of the button.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising the fixing the location of the button along a rotational axis.

13. A button comprising:

a metal upper portion comprising a reverse flange, the metal upper portion comprising an annulus, the annulus comprising a thickness along a longitudinal axis of between 0.3 millimeters and 0.4 millimeters; and

a plastic lower portion, a portion of the plastic lower portion being injection-molded onto the reverse flange wherein the reverse flange fixes the position of the plastic lower portion with respect to the metal upper portion.

14. The button of claim 13, the lower plastic portion that comprises a flange that is adapted to interlock with a surface, the interlocking that prevents upward movement of the button along a longitudinal axis of the button.

15. The button of claim 13, the metal upper portion comprising a centrally-located nub on the underside of the metal upper portion, the centrally-located nub for actuating a dome switch.

16. The button of claim 13, the plastic lower portion comprising anti rotation legs that are adapted to prevent rotation of the button.

17. A method of manufacturing a button, the method comprising:

lathing a metal central portion of the button, the button comprising a reverse flange;

anodizing the metal central portion following the lathing of the metal portion; and

following the anodizing, injection-molding a plastic annular portion of the button onto the metal central portion of the lathe, the injection-molding comprising fixing the position of the plastic annular portion with respect to the metal central portion by injection-molding at least a portion of the annular portion into the reverse flange.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising lathing the metal central portion of the button wherein the metal central portion comprises at least one annulus having a thickness of less than 0.4 millimeters.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising forming a dome-switch actuator nub on the underside of the metal central portion of the button.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising forming a flange in the plastic annular portion, said flange used for fixing the location of the plastic annular portion along a longitudinal axis of the button.

21. A button comprising:

a portion made from a first material comprising a reverse flange; and

a portion made from a second material, the second material being different from the first material, the portion made from the second material comprising anti-rotation legs that prevent rotation of the button, the portion made from the second material being injection-molded onto the reverse flange wherein the reverse flange fixes the position of the portion made from the first material with respect to the portion made from the second material.

22. The button of claim 21, the portion made from the second material comprising a flange that is adapted to interlock with a surface, the interlocking that prevents movement of the button along a longitudinal axis of the button.

23. The button of claim 21, the portion made from the first material comprising a centrally-located nub on the underside of the portion made from the first material, the centrally-located nub for actuating a dome switch.

24. The button of claim 21, the portion made from the first material further adapted to comprise an annulus, the annulus comprising a thickness along a longitudinal axis of between about 0.3 millimeters and about 0.5 millimeters.

25. The button of claim 21, the portion made from the first material further comprising an annulus along a longitudinal axis of the button of less than about 0.5 millimeters.

26. The button of claim 21, the portion made from the first material being formed on a computer-numeric controlled lathe.

27. An electronic device comprising:

a base plate comprising a plurality of apertures;

a flexible printed circuit board that is adapted to receive user stimulus and transmit user commands to a microprocessor in response to the stimulus; and

a button comprising;

a metal upper portion comprising a reverse flange;

a lower plastic portion comprising anti-rotation legs that prevent rotation of the button, the anti-rotation legs that are retained by the apertures, the lower plastic portion being injection-molded onto the reverse flange wherein the reverse flange fixes the position of the plastic lower portion with respect to the upper metal portion; and

an actuator nub that actuates a switch on the flexible printed circuit when the button is depressed.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising lathing the metal central portion of the button wherein the metal central portion comprises at least one annulus having a thickness of less than 0.4 millimeters.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising forming a flange in the plastic annular portion, said flange used for fixing the location of the plastic annular portion along a longitudinal axis of the button.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising incorporating the button in a portable media player.

31. The method of claim 27 further comprising incorporating the button in a handheld media player.

33. The method of claim 30 further comprising lathing the metal central portion of the button wherein the metal central portion comprises at least one annulus having a thickness of less than 0.4 millimeters.

34. The method of claim 30 further comprising forming a flange in the plastic annular portion, said flange used for fixing the location of the plastic annular portion along a longitudinal axis of the button.

32. An electronic device comprising:

a base plate comprising a plurality of apertures;

a flexible printed circuit board that is adapted to receive user stimulus and transmit user commands to a microprocessor in response to the stimulus; and

a metal button comprising;

a concave face; and

an underside, the underside comprising a actuator nub that actuates a switch on the flexible printed circuit when the button is depressed and flexible printed circuit board relief that allows at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board to traverse the boundary of the underside of the metal button.

35. The method of claim 32 further comprising incorporating the button in a portable media player.

36. The method of claim 32 further comprising incorporating the button in a handheld media player.