• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    The present invention relates to a protective sheath that provides protection and energy management for receiving a sensitive or brittle member or device. The sheath comprises at least one rigid structural component 10 and at least one soft surface component 20, from which at least one rib 21, 22 becomes a rigid structural component and penetrates the energy upon receiving the member or device. Provide management. The soft surface and rib material may be a low modulus plastic material, such as a thermoplastic elastomer, and may optionally be insulated with a blowing agent to provide other softness for soft surface effects and / or energy management needs within the through ribs. Thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) are particularly suitable thermoplastics. It has been found that the protective sheath can be configured to use a soft part that provides a generally continuous liquid and dust intrusion seal for any movable or removable structural part. Preferably, the through ribs and the soft surface are molded on the first part using a two shot molding, insert molding or overmolding process.
    公开号:KR20040011547A
    申请号:KR10-2003-7016736
    申请日:2002-06-04
    公开日:2004-02-05
    发明作者:클리어맨로버트제이.；허스마이클이.；웬즐제프리디.；랭메이드죠셉에이.；플래빈프랭크제이.；호글랜드메리엠.
    申请人:다우 글로벌 테크놀로지스 인크.；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    Sheath with penetrating shock absorbing rib {ENCLOSURE WITH PASS-THROUGH SHOCK-ABSORBING RIBS}
    [2] Portable electronic devices and similar types of personal devices such as mobile phones, pagers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), game consoles, electronic music players, voice recorders, global positioning systems (GPS), digital or conventional film cameras, etc. It became ordinary. Such personal devices are useful in all aspects of life, including personal and / or professional activities. In most environments and especially in industrial and / or outdoor environments, this type of device is subjected to rough handling, accidental impact from falling or hitting, or exposed to liquids, dust, food, oil, moisture and other contaminants. Thus, in order to continue to operate properly in this environment, this type of device provides impact resistance to protect sensitive internal components and particularly sensitive electronics, but provides a hermetic seal against liquids or other contaminants (preferably both). Provide a protective jacket).
    [1] The present invention relates to a protective sheath using a unique support structure for energy management and sheath reliability that penetrates a rigid structural component and is preferably based on an integral low modulus rib of one or more soft touch surface components. It is about. These ribs may use common soft part materials that provide a means for energy management and may advantageously also provide a sheath seal. The invention also relates to a method of making a protective sheath, preferably comprising an integral low modulus rib that penetrates a rigid structural part and consists of one or more soft surface parts capable of providing a seal to the sheath.
    [10] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the rigid section 10 and the low modulus (soft) section 20 of the bottom piece of the protective sheath.
    [11] 2 is a perspective view of the bottom piece of the shell 30 with the rigid section 10 and the low modulus section 20 together.
    [12] Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the arrangement of the shell bottom 30, the shell top 40 and the optional hinged protective window 60 with the optional PDA device 50 to be protected and housed when the entire device is assembled.
    [3] The so-called coupling of soft elements to the surface of these devices is known and offers a range of aesthetic, ergonomic and performance advantages for the device and its use. For example, reference may be made to US Pat. No. 5,563,674, which describes soft "ergonomic" problems, particularly slip resistant properties (e.g., to prevent falling of the camera). Similarly, British Patent No. 2,348,391 also shows soft properties and methods of soft molding in the apparatus.
    [4] At the same time, there is great interest in making such a device as compact as possible and getting the maximum number of functions with minimal volume. The prior art has attempted to solve this problem in several ways. In general, with regard to energy management associated with impact or toughness, small portable electronics such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and laptop computers using touch screens or displays are damaged or broken due to dropped or unintentional misuse. Very sensitive to The problem is further complicated by the fact that these devices are small, portable, configured for use anywhere, expensive and brittle. Usually a "strong" sheath provides energy management by packaging the device in a large, thick box and by using shock absorbing inserts or mounts. See, for example, US Pat. No. 6,144,552 and German Publication No. 19830264. The size and user problems associated with this type of package often hinder its use.
    [5] In addition, if the opening, closure and / or movable member of the skin is configured to be resealable against liquid, dust, etc., the parts are generally sealed with one or more gaskets made of foam or deformable material. However, it is known that these gaskets leak not only by differential temperature expansion / contraction but also by exposure to time and environmental pollution. In addition, the gaskets require additional assembly usage and operational steps to add or mount the gaskets themselves, and are not always effective if not properly attached and mounted after each opening / closing. U. S. Patent No. 5,373, 458 describes that an overmolded rim of elastic material can provide a sheath with a sealing and tactile surface, but only limited impact resistance is provided and other elastic gasket pieces are required. It can be seen that.
    [6] Accordingly, there is a need for a protective sheath that has the advantages of soft surface materials that are desirable for ergonomics and aesthetics that provide highly effective and multi-directional penetrating energy management ribs as well as effective liquid and dust sealing. Combinations of these properties are preferably provided at the same time. In addition, it is desirable that the number of parts, assembly steps and costs be reduced.
    [7] Accordingly, in accordance with the present invention there is provided a protective sheath providing protection and energy management for receiving sensitive or brittle members or devices, the sheath comprising at least one rigid structural component and at least one soft surface component, One or more low modulus ribs configured to properly position or seat the member or device, wherein the ribs are soft surface parts and penetrate the rigid structural parts to provide protection and energy management when the member or device is received. Preferably the soft surface part comprises a surface layer covering at least a portion of one or more rigid structural parts, more preferably the surface layer section of the soft part has a thickness of 0.05 to 5 mm.
    [8] In another embodiment, the protective sheath provides (a) an opening for receiving or removing the protectively housed device upon opening, and (b) preventing substantially continuous liquid and dust intrusion provided by the soft component upon closure. It has a movable structural component that provides a seal. It is also known that the soft part is advantageously made from a low modulus plastic material, preferably a thermoplastic elastomer.
    [9] It also includes at least one rigid structural component and at least one soft surface component, and has one or more low modulus ribs for positioning and seating the member or device to be received, wherein the rib is a soft surface component and the rigid structural component is A method of making a protective sheath adapted to penetrate is provided, comprising (a) first molding a rigid part, and (b) attaching a through rib and a soft surface on the first part. Preferably, the through ribs and the soft surface are formed from step (a) by forming the through ribs and the soft surface on the first part using a two shot molding, insert molding or overmolding process.
    [13] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the rigid section 10 and the low modulus (soft) section 20 of the bottom piece of the protective sheath, wherein the low modulus ribs 21, 22 are very thin and flat and the rigid sections 11 and 12 respectively. It provides energy management that penetrates slots in the interior and is tailored to devices housed within electronic components or enclosures.
    [14] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom surface of the shell 30 having a rigid section 10 and a low modulus section 20, with the low modulus ribs 21, 22 protruding through the rigid section and holding the electronic device or member to be protected. It is positioned to receive and mount.
    [15] Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the arrangement of the shell bottom 30, the shell top 40 and the optional hinged protective window 60 with the optional PDA device 50 to be protected and housed when the entire device is assembled. In addition, it can be seen that rigid and low modulus soft materials within the envelope top 40 are used to provide impact resistant ribs to provide the desired location and mounting of the electronic device.
    [16] As noted above, one embodiment of the present invention is a protective sheath having one or more thin low modulus ribs, the ribs preferably being soft surface parts and receiving sensitive or brittle members or devices through rigid structural parts. To provide protection and energy management. It also relates to a method for making this type of protective sheath, which preferably has a molding or overmolding process by two shots providing through ribs and a soft surface.
    [17] In one embodiment, the present invention is a protective sheath that preferably uses a unique support structure for energy management and sheath reliability based on thin, low modulus ribs that are soft surface parts and penetrate the rigid structural parts. This concept is preferably formed by two shots (or overmolding or inserting) in conjunction with a suitable configuration that can form these “penetrating” ribs in a soft step (generally a second shot in molding by two shots). Surface soft material) together with equivalent molding techniques such as molding. These ribs are configured to provide dynamic energy absorption in a very small space while providing the exact contours needed to properly position and mount valuable and brittle electronic components or standalone electronic devices. Many advantages are gained in the manufacture of devices with thin multiple low modulus ribs molded integrally with a sheath made of high modulus material to provide impact energy absorption and packaging reliability with a minimum sheath size or large size. The sheath is used to receive fragile electronic members, parts or insert independent devices, and is used to prevent failure or breakage due to falling or other misuse.
    [18] Using precisely constructed and positioned ribs molded from a low modulus material integrated within a high modulus rigid sheath provides a "hybrid" type structure that provides robustness, energy management and packaging reliability. High modulus materials provide toughness for rough use and low modulus "ribs" provide energy management. These ribs are preferably shaped as “through protrusions” that penetrate through hole-shaped portions in high modulus or rigid parts, and are packages such as round holes, square holes, thin slits or “S”, “X”, “T” Form a complex shape such as "O", "V" or star shape. Rib configuration and optimization is a function of the mass to be protected, the material coefficient and the length and thickness of the rib. The actual rib structure may be selected and configured for any combination that supports, positions, charges, insulates, and supports the device being received. Ribbed construction is simple, compact, user-friendly and durable, providing very effective energy management in a very small space. In the preferred two shot injection molding process, the entire manufacturing operation can be carried out in a single machine and under overall and precise geometry control. This increases the overall reliability of the designer's ability to package and “fit” energy management ribs as needed, thereby enabling extreme accuracy in shape manufacturing. It is also possible to configure the high modulus rigid component to have a support or foundation element located at or near the through hole for overmolding comparable to the through low modulus material to provide optimized and complete energy management support for the enclosure. .
    [19] In a preferred embodiment, the surface component of the soft material is used to simultaneously provide surface soft effects, a certain level of energy management and impact resistance in the ribs through the rigid component. Another highly desirable feature of the soft surface with through ribs or protrusions is located in the required position to protect and provide the working energy to a device, contained within the envelope itself, such as a latching mechanism, or to a button, key, latch or switch on a sealed mechanism. Ability to be configured with sufficient bending properties. The outer or outer face (directly opposite the rib or protrusion on the inner face) is an active button or key that allows the rib or protrusion on the bottom face to actuate the device contained within the fully enclosed sheath or sealed envelope latching mechanism. Can be effective. In another preferred embodiment, the soft material used in the surface soft part is sealed between the adjacent movable or removable shell portions all by a suitable partial configuration and a molding technique that ensures that constant and sufficient contact is accomplished to seal all joints. It is used to provide. In this way, the sealing surface may be a conventional flat straight (ie linear) or any kind of shape or meandering which is very difficult or impossible with separate gasket pieces, but the device, battery or peripheral device in which the access is housed. It may be required to accommodate special sealing features at various locations that may be necessary for insertion or removal of the attachment port or for aesthetic reasons.
    [20] The energy management ribs and / or soft surfaces may be made from any low modulus plastic material, including suitable thermoplastics such as thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic elastomer vulcanizates, thermoplastic silicone vulcanizates or thermoset resins, and any of the above materials The silver may optionally be foamed to provide further softness for soft surface effects and / or energy management needs within the through ribs. Particularly suitable thermoplastic elastomers are thermoplastic polyurethane polymers (TPUs), preferably injection moldable TPUs such as Pelethane 2102-75A supplied by Dow Chemical Company. Another suitable material is a thermoset polyurethane foam that can provide sufficient surface skin. Still other suitable materials include other thermoplastic elastomers (TPE's) such as polyolefin TPE, styrene ethylene / butylene-styrene (SEBS) block copolymers. Suitable thermoplastic elastomers are described, for example, in the Textbook of Polymer Science (1993) of Billmeyer, F., published by Interscience Publishing, New York City, NY, and New York City, NY. Kirk-Othmer's Fourth Edition of Science Technology (1993), published by John Wiley & Sons.
    [21] If a soft surface layer is used, the thickness for this layer is typically on the order of 0.05 to 5 mm, preferably at least 0.5 mm, and up to 25 mm thick soft surface layers can be used if the material is foamed.
    [22] The preferred embodiment utilizes injection molding by two shots for the most effective part production, and therefore the rib material needs to be thermoplastic and sufficiently compatible with the shell material to achieve the required adhesion. Other processes known in the molding industry can be used for the desired combination of through ribs and selective soft and provide a sealing effect. Typically such other processes may also be used with non-thermoplastics.
    [23] Thin rib energy management configurations use thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) in thicknesses ranging from 0.75 to 1.5 mm. (Thickness and rib shape are important in energy absorbing capacity and vary as needed.) These ribs are molded integrally with the high strength PC housing through thin slits fabricated in the polycarbonate (PC) housing in the first step of molding fixation. . Using two-stage injection molding, immediately after the PC, the TPU material is injected into a mold providing a modified shape, thereby creating a new feature in the existing part, this time in the second material, the TPU. The ability to mold these two different but compatible materials together in the same molding machine together provides an accurate packaged assembly with very reasonable values. This precise forming manufacturing is the basis of package reliability.
    [24] Rigid materials include a wide range of engineering plastic resins, including styrene polymers, copolymers such as polystyrene and ABS, polycarbonates such as CALIBER 401-18 polycarbonate (PC), high flow toughness materials made by Dow Chemical Company, and nylon molding resins. Can be selected from. In addition, non-thermoplastic plastics such as magnesium can be used in the proper selection and configuration of manufacturing techniques.
    [25] The TPU and PC resins described above are good examples of low modulus and rigid materials that provide a good balance of certain material properties. The two materials used in this example case represent a very large array of options for the materials. In addition, other thermoplastics choices and combinations of rigid and low modulus materials can provide similar structures. It should be chosen to provide any combination of workability, modulus, strength, stiffness and compatibility. Preferably in the preferred process according to the invention the material can be injection molded in the same injection molding machine, preferably in a two shot molding process or in an overmolding process. In addition, non-thermoplastics such as magnesium can be used in the proper selection and configuration of manufacturing techniques.
    权利要求:
    Claims (8)
    [1" claim-type="Currently amended] A protective sheath that provides protection and energy management for storing sensitive or fragile members or devices,
    One or more rigid structural components,
    One or more soft surface components,
    One or more low modulus ribs configured to properly position or seat the member or device to be received,
    Wherein said ribs are soft surface parts and penetrate the rigid structural parts to provide energy management during member or device receipt.
    [2" claim-type="Currently amended] The protective sheath of claim 1, wherein the soft surface part comprises a surface layer covering at least a portion of the one or more rigid structural parts.
    [3" claim-type="Currently amended] The protective sheath of claim 1, wherein the surface layer section of the soft part has a thickness of 0.05 to 5 mm.
    [4" claim-type="Currently amended] The method of claim 1, which (a) provides an opening for receiving or removing a protectively housed device upon opening, and (b) provides a generally continuous liquid and dust intrusion seal provided by the soft component upon closure. A protective envelope, comprising: a movable structural component.
    [5" claim-type="Currently amended] The protective sheath of claim 1 wherein the soft component is provided from a low modulus plastic material.
    [6" claim-type="Currently amended] 6. The protective sheath of claim 5 wherein the soft part plastic material is a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer, a thermoplastic silicone vulcanizate or a thermoplastic polyurethane.
    [7" claim-type="Currently amended] At least one rigid structural component and at least one soft surface component, and having at least one low modulus rib for positioning and seating the housed member or device, the rib being a soft surface component and penetrating the rigid structural component Is a method of making a protective sheath,
    (a) first forming a rigid part,
    (b) then attaching the through ribs and the soft surface on the first part.
    [8" claim-type="Currently amended] The process of claim 7 wherein the through ribs and soft surface are passed from step (a) to forming through ribs and soft surfaces on the first part using a two shot molding, insert molding or overmolding process. Characterized in that it is molded.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    EP1405155A1|2004-04-07|
    ES2248557T3|2006-03-16|
    BR0211007A|2004-08-10|
    HK1065378A1|2006-08-04|
    CN1254729C|2006-05-03|
    TW529325B|2003-04-21|
    AT310987T|2005-12-15|
    EP1405155B1|2005-11-23|
    JP2004535670A|2004-11-25|
    DE60207568D1|2005-12-29|
    US20020195909A1|2002-12-26|
    WO2003001355A1|2003-01-03|
    CN1520539A|2004-08-11|
    DE60207568T2|2006-08-17|
    US6719381B2|2004-04-13|
    引用文献:
    公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题
    法律状态:
    2001-06-23|Priority to US30057901P
    2001-06-23|Priority to US60/300,579
    2002-06-04|Application filed by 다우 글로벌 테크놀로지스 인크.
    2002-06-04|Priority to PCT/US2002/017719
    2004-02-05|Publication of KR20040011547A
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    US30057901P| true| 2001-06-23|2001-06-23|
    US60/300,579|2001-06-23|
    PCT/US2002/017719|WO2003001355A1|2001-06-23|2002-06-04|Enclosure with pass-through shock-absorbing ribs|
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