Receptacles – Sectional – Electrical housing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-23
2002-05-07
Moy, Joseph M. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Sectional
Electrical housing
C220S062140, C220S062220
Reexamination Certificate
active
06382448
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a housing case for apparatus such as communication apparatus and electric apparatus having an opaque ornamental layer on the surface of housing case and a method of making thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, with the spread of portable telephone, a housing case forming the exterior view of portable telephone has been provided with varied indications of functions together with the diversification of function, and with varied ornamental patterns for distinguishing products manufactured by individual companies from products manufactured by other companies.
As methods of decorating housing cases with ornamental pattern, there are a method in which ornamental pattern is printed on the flat surface of three-dimensionally formed housing case by hot stamping, a method in which a housing case is insert-formed with a plate having a preprinted ornamental pattern and a method in which air spray coating is made on three-dimensionally formed housing case.
In each of the above-mentioned methods for decorating housing cases with ornamental pattern, it is needed to provide a housing case with a transparent display window for seeing liquid crystal display device mounted within the housing case. Therefore, in order to provide a housing case with the display window, a transparent plastic cover with a window hole made separately from a body of housing case is put in the body of housing case.
However, in the above-mentioned method of making of housing case, there is a problem that since the process of putting a transparent plastic cover with a window hole made separately from a body of housing case in the body of housing case is needed, much labor is required for making a housing case by labor needed for the process of putting a transparent plastic cover with a window hole made separately from a body of housing case in the body of housing case, and so the production cost of housing case is as high as ever.
It is thought that after a housing case is formed of transparent synthetic resin, and a part of the housing case corresponding to a display window is masked, opaque ornamental coating is made on the surface of housing case except an area corresponding to the display window by air spray coating. However, this method is not a practical method considering the masking of an area corresponding to the display window.
Further, a housing case is provided with push-buttons for dialing and various functions, which are made as parts separate from a body of housing case and set in button holes formed in the body of housing case.
However, in this case, there is a problem that since a process of putting push-buttons in a body of housing case is needed, much labor is required for making a housing case by labor needed for the process of putting push-buttons in a body of housing case, and so the production cost of housing case is as high as ever.
Further, there is a case where small-sized electric apparatus and communication apparatus, for example portable telephone carried in a pocket or a bag is failed, and strike another articles in a pocket by accident, so that printing layer on the housing case peels off and a cut is made on the surface of housing case.
For this reason, it is needed to apply hard coating layer having higher hardness than resin forming a body of housing case on the surface of housing case. The work of applying the hard coating layer on the surface of housing case is generally made by a method which comprises forming the hard coating layer on a formed housing case by air spray coating.
However, the above-mentioned process of applying the hard coating layer on the surface of housing case is a process independent from the forming of housing case. Further, after the hard coating layer on the surface of housing case, it is needed to dry the hard coating layer, and so the process of applying the hard coating layer on the surface of housing case is generally troublesome and requires much time.
Further, as another method for forming the hard coating layer on a formed housing case, there is a method by insert-forming, in which a high-hardness sheet forming the hard coating layer is put in a mold and resin is injected into the mold, by which a housing case can be formed with the hard coating layer on the surface of housing case. However, since high-hardness sheet is inferior in the workability. When deep-drawing of the high-hardness sheet is made so as to largely deform the high-hardness sheet, there is a case where fine cracks are generated and wrinkles are formed in edge portions in which the high-hardness sheet is largely deformed, so that the beauty of housing case is injured.
As further another method for forming the hard coating layer on the surface of housing case, what is called an in-mold-printing method is thought in which a hard coating layer film comprised of a continuous film, printing layer made on the continuous film and hard coating layer applied on the continuous film having the printing layer is put in a mold, synthetic resin is injected, by which decorated formed product is continuously manufactured. However, in order to make the deep-drawing of high-hardness sheet, the hardness of hard coating layer is restricted so that the required hardness of the front of housing case can be obtained.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a housing case in which the work of decorating the surface of housing case and the work of forming a display window can be made at the same time when forming a body of housing case by a method of insert-forming so that a housing case can be made at high efficiency of production.
It is a second object of the present invention to a method of making of housing case in which the work of decorating the surface of housing case and the work of forming a display window can be made at the same time when forming a body of housing case by a method of insert-forming so that a housing case can be made at high efficiency of production.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a housing case in which the work of decorating the surface of housing case, the work of forming a display window and the work of forming push buttons can be made at the same time when forming a body of housing case by a method of insert-forming so that a housing case can be made at high efficiency of production.
It is a fourth object of the present invention to provide a method of making of housing case in which the work of decorating the surface of housing case, the work of forming a display window and the work of forming push buttons can be made at the same time when forming a body of housing case by a method of insert-forming so that a housing case can be made at high efficiency of production.
It is a fifth object of the present invention to provide a housing case in which hard coating layer is preformed on synthetic resin sheet used in insert-forming, by which a housing case covered with hard coating layer can be formed by a simpler production process, wherein influence exerted on hard coating layer when deep-drawing is made to synthetic resin sheet is particularly lessened, and a housing case having sharp edges and good quality of forming can be obtained.
It is a sixth object of the present invention to provide a method of making of a housing case in which hard coating layer is preformed on synthetic resin sheet used in insert-forming, by which a housing case covered with hard coating layer can be formed by a simpler production process, wherein influence exerted on hard coating layer when deep-drawing is made to synthetic resin sheet is particularly lessened, and a housing case having sharp edges and good quality of forming can be obtained.
It is a seventh object of the present invention to provide a housing case in which a body of housing case and a display window can be formed at the same time and continuously, wherein forming of body of housing case into three-dimensional shape can be easily made and enough strengt
Hibi Takehisa
Ishikawa Tatsuo
Kizawa Ichiro
Yuhara Yukitomo
Moy Joseph M.
Yoshida Kogyo Co., Ltd.
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