Symbol button for vehicle and manufacturing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12145298-B2
Application number	US-202217945246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2022
Priority date	Dec 7, 2018
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

A manufacturing method of a symbol button for a vehicle includes: preparing a button body comprising a side portion, a top portion formed of a polymer material on which a metal is able to be plated; forming an electrically conductive layer on an outside of the button body using a conductive polymer material; forming a plating shielding layer in a form of a symbol using a material on which a metal is not able to be plated on the electrically conductive layer; and performing metal plating on the outside of the button body having the plating shielding layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A manufacturing method of a symbol button for a vehicle, comprising:
preparing a button body comprising a top portion and a side portion, wherein the top portion is formed of a polymer material that is metal-platable
forming an electrically conductive layer on an outer surface of the button body using a conductive polymer material;
forming, over the electrically conductive layer, a plating shielding layer in a form of a symbol using a plating shielding composition that is not metal-platable, wherein the plating shielding layer covers at least a portion of the electrically conductive layer; and
performing metal plating to form a metallic layer on the outer surface of the button body:
wherein preparing a button body further comprises manufacturing the button body by a double injection method through which the side portion and the top portion are made of different materials from each other; and
wherein the side portion is made of a material that is not metal-platable.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein, when forming an electrically conductive layer, the electrically conductive layer is formed in a form of the symbol that includes at least a line forming a closed loop shape such that the outside surface comprises an inside region located inside the closed loop and an outside region located outside the closed loop.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein, when forming a plating shielding layer, the plating shielding layer is formed in the same symbol shape comprising at least a line forming a closed loop that overlaps the closed loop of the electrically conductive layer, wherein the at least a line of the plating shielding layer has a width equal to or less than the width of the at least a line of the electrically conductive layer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein when performing metal plating, a metal plating layer is formed on the inside region and the outside region.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming an electrically conductive layer comprises printing the electrically conductive polymer material on the outer surface of the button body.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming a plating shielding layer comprises printing the plating shielding composition on the electrically conductive layer.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plating shielding composition comprises a PVC resin having a molecular weight of 20,000 to 30,000 Mw.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plating shielding composition comprises a PVC resin, a solvent, and an antistatic agent, and wherein the plating shielding composition comprises 3 to 7% by weight of a solvent based on 100% by weight of the composition.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein metal plating is performed by a wet electroplating method.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Jung Woo Chul
• Yoon Sung Ho
• Seo Jae Sik
• Lee Choon Soo

Classifications

• H01H9/182

  Illumination of the symbols or distinguishing marks (H01H9/181 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29D19/04

  by cutting, milling, turning, stamping, or perforating moulded parts; Surface treatment of buttons · CPC title

• B29L2019/00

  Buttons or semi-finished parts of buttons {for haberdashery (push-buttons B29L2031/46)} · CPC title

• B29K2027/06

  PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride · CPC title

• B29C2045/0079

  applying a coating or covering · CPC title