IN-MOLDED RESISTIVE AND SHIELDING ELEMENTS

• US 20090108985A1
• Filed: 08/14/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E2IP Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ink-Logix, LLC
• Inventors: Haag, Ronald H., Boddie, William W. JR., Engel, Jeffrey R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,198,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 338/248
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14237 the inserts being deformed or preformed outside the mould or mould cavity
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14639 for obtaining an insulating effect, e.g. for electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0011 Electromagnetic wave shielding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/466 Keypads, keytops
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 11/04 of switch contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96019 using conductive paint
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960785 with illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96079 using a single or more light guides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0092 comprising electro-conductive pigments, e.g. paint, ink, tampon printing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49082 Resistor making

Abstract

An article of manufacture having an in-molded resistive and/or shielding element and method of making the same are shown and described. In one disclosed method, a resistive and/or shielding element is printed on a film. The film is formed to a desired shape and put in an injection mold. A molten plastic material is introduced into the injection mold to form a rigid structure that retains the film.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture having at least one of an in-molded resistive element and an in-molded shielding element, comprising:

a film having a front surface and a back surface and at least one of the in-molded resistive element and the in-molded shielding element printed on the front or back surface; and

a plastic support structure, wherein the front or back surface of the film faces the plastic support structure, and the film is secured to the plastic support structure.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the front or back surface of the film is exposed.

3. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the front or back surface of the film is coated with a dielectric layer.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the in-molded resistive element and the in-molded shielding element is not exposed.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the in-molded resistive element and the in-molded shielding element is exposed.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the film is in-between a front surface and a back surface of the plastic support structure.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein at least one of the front surface and the back surface of the film are secured to at least one of a front surface and a back surface of the plastic support structure.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 1, further comprising at least one connector electrically connected to the at least one of the in-molded resistive element and the in-molded shielding element, wherein a portion of the at least one connector projects away from the plastic support structure.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 1, comprising at least one connector molded into the plastic support structure and electrically connected to the at least one of the in-molded resistive element and the in-molded shielding element.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 1, further comprising indicia related to a function of the article of manufacture, wherein the indicia is painted on one surface of the plastic support structure and is visible on the other side of the plastic support structure.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the at least one shielding element is formed to block radiated emissions.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the at least one shielding element is formed to allow radiated emissions to be emitted from predetermined areas of the film.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the at least one resistive element is formed to provide a voltage drop in a circuit.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the at least one resistive element is formed to create an antenna.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the article of manufacture has a plurality of surfaces, the surfaces being at least one of a flat surface and a curved surface.

16. A method of making an article of manufacture having at least one of an in-molded resistive element an in-molded shielding element, comprising:

providing a film having a front surface and a back surface;

applying the at least one of the resistive element and the shielding element on the front or back surface of the film;

forming the film into a desired shape, thereby creating a formed film;

providing an injection mold having an interior;

inserting the formed film in the injection mold; and

flowing molten plastic into the injection mold to create a plastic support structure attached to the film, thereby creating the article.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein in the inserting step, the at least one of the resistive element and the shielding element is not in contact with a surface of the mold.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein in the inserting step, the film is inserted such that the at least one of the resistive element and the shielding element faces into the interior of the injection mold.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein in the inserting step, the film is inserted such that the at least one of the resistive element and the shielding element faces away from the interior of the injection mold.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein in the inserting step, the film is inserted in-between a top of the injection mold and a bottom of the injection mold.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

coating the front or back surface of the film with a dielectric layer.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the applying includes applying a conductive adhesive as a layer on the film using at least one of:

a hand application, an automated robot, and a printer.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the injection mold comprises a first mold half that is mateable with a second mold half, the step of inserting the formed film in an injection mold comprises inserting the formed film in the first mold half, and the method further comprises disposing at least one connector in the second mold half and mating the first mold half and the second mold half before the step of flowing molten plastic into the injection mold.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of forming the film into a desired shape comprises vacuum thermoforming.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of forming the film into a desired shape comprises high pressure forming.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of flowing molten plastic into the mold causes molten plastic to flow against at least one of the front surface and the back surface of the film.

27. The method of claim 16, further comprising removing the article from the mold, wherein at least a portion of the front surface of the film is exposed.

28. The method of claim 16, further comprising removing the article from the mold, wherein the at least one of the resistive element and the shielding element is not exposed.

29. The method of claim 16, further comprising removing the article from the mold, wherein the at least one of the resistive element and the shielding element is exposed.

30. The method of claim 16, further comprising removing the article from the mold, wherein the at least one of the resistive element and the shielding element faces the plastic support structure.

31. The method of claim 16, further comprising printing graphic indicia on one surface of the plastic support structure, wherein the graphic indicia are visible on the other surface of the plastic support structure.

32. The method of claim 16, wherein the article of manufacture has a plurality of surfaces, the surfaces being at least one of a flat surface and a curved surface.

33. An electromagnetic shield, comprising:

a film having a conductive ink shielding layer printed on a surface of said film; and

a plastic support structure, wherein the film is secured to the plastic support structure.

34. The electromagnetic shield of claim 33, the surface of said film having an A-surface and a B-surface, wherein at least one of the A-surface and the B-surface of the film is secured to at least one of an A-surface and a B-surface of the plastic support structure.

35. The electromagnetic shield of claim 33, wherein said film is in-between a top of the plastic support structure and a bottom of the plastic support structure.

36. The electromagnetic shield of claim 33, wherein the film is secure to the plastic support structure to form a three dimensional object having a plurality of surfaces, the surfaces being at least one of a flat surface and a curved surface.

37. A resistive element, comprising:

a film having a conductive ink resistive layer printed on a surface of said film; and

a plastic support structure, wherein the film is secured to the plastic support structure.

38. The resistive element of claim 37, the surface of said film having an A-surface and a B-surface, wherein at least one of the A-surface and the B-surface of the film is secured to at least one of an A-surface and a B-surface of the plastic support structure.

39. The resistive element of claim 37, wherein said film is in-between a top of the plastic support structure and a bottom of the plastic support structure.

40. The resistive element of claim 37, wherein the film is secured to the plastic support structure to form a three dimensional object having a plurality of surfaces, the surfaces being at least one of a flat surface and a curved surface.