Marking of fabric carrying case for a portable electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10220602-B2
Application number	US-201615266927-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2016
Priority date	Mar 29, 2011
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

Techniques or processes for providing markings on fabric articles are disclosed. In one embodiment, the articles may be fabric carrying cases for electronic devices. For example, a fabric carrying case for a particular electronic may include a fabric base layer and a plurality of thick films coupled to the fabric base layer, wherein the plurality of thick films may comprise a top thick film and an underlying thick film. Regions of the top thick film may be selectively etched through, for selectively exposing the underlying thick film. The selectively etched regions may be arranged for marking of textual or graphical indicia on the fabric carrying case for the portable electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming and marking a fabric article, the method comprising:
coupling an adhesive layer to a fabric base layer;
after coupling the adhesive layer, curing the adhesive layer;
after curing the adhesive layer, coupling a first polymer-based film to the adhesive layer, wherein the first polymer-based film has a first color;
after coupling the first polymer-based film, curing the first polymer-based film;
after curing the first polymer-based film, coupling a second polymer-based film to the first polymer-based film, wherein the second polymer-based film has a second color that is different than the first color; and
etching regions of the second polymer-based film to selectively expose the underlying first polymer-based film through the regions of the second polymer-based film.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein selectively etching regions of the second polymer-based film comprises laser ablating regions of the second film.

3. The method defined in claim 2 wherein laser ablating regions of the second polymer-based film comprises laser ablating the regions using a visible laser.

4. The method defined in claim 2 wherein laser ablating regions of the second polymer-based film comprises laser ablating the regions using an ultraviolet laser.

5. The method defined in claim 2 wherein laser ablating regions of the second polymer-based film comprises raster scanning the second film.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein selectively etching regions of the second polymer-based film comprises arranging the etched regions of the second film in a halftone pattern.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein both the first and the second polymer-based films are non-fibrous.

8. The method defined in claim 1 wherein both the first and the second polymer-based films comprise polyurethane.

9. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the second polymer-based film has a thickness between 10 and 50 microns.

10. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the fabric article is a carrying case for a portable electronic device.

11. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the fabric base layer comprises a knit backing of nylon fibers.

12. A method of forming and marking a fabric case for an electronic device, the method comprising:
coupling an adhesive layer to a fabric base layer;
after coupling the adhesive layer, curing the adhesive layer;
coupling a first film to the adhesive layer;
curing the first film;
after curing the first film, coupling a second film to the first film; and
after coupling the second film, etching regions of the second film to selectively expose the underlying first film through the regions of the second film, wherein the etched regions are arranged to form textual or graphical indicia on the fabric case.

13. The method defined in claim 12 wherein the first film and the second film comprise first and second polymer-based films.

14. The method defined in claim 13 wherein the first polymer-based film has a first color and the second polymer-based film has a second color.

15. The method defined in claim 12 wherein etching regions of the second film comprises laser ablating regions of the second film.

16. A method for forming and marking an article from a fabric base layer, the method comprising:
coupling a plurality of films to the fabric base layer with adhesive, wherein the plurality of films includes at least a top film and an underlying film, and wherein the adhesive and the underlying film are cured prior to application of the top film; and
after curing the adhesive and the underlying film and applying the top film, removing regions of the top film to expose the underlying film through the regions of the top film.

17. The method defined in claim 16 wherein removing regions of the top film comprises laser ablating regions of the top film.

18. The method defined in claim 17 wherein laser ablating regions of the top film comprises using a visible laser to laser ablate the regions.

19. The method defined in claim 16 wherein the article is a carrying case for a portable electronic device.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Nashner Michael S

Classifications

• B44C1/228

  by laser radiation · CPC title

• D06H1/00

  Marking textile materials; Marking in combination with metering or inspecting · CPC title

• B32B38/10 Primary

  Removing layers, or parts of layers, mechanically or chemically · CPC title

• B32B7/12

  using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties · CPC title

• Y10T428/24331

  including nonapertured component · CPC title