Masking using in-mold decoration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016264342-A1
Application number	US-201615064828-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 9, 2016
Priority date	Mar 9, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Among other things, one or more systems and/or methods of forming a device housing, such as a hygiene device housing of a hygiene device, are described herein. An in-mold decoration (IMD), comprising an adhesive layer between an outer layer (e.g., a sacrificial layer) and an aesthetic layer (e.g., a layer comprising color, a design, a logo, a shielding material, etc.) is formed. A device housing is formed to comprise the IMD, such as through a molding process. A metallic layer is deposited over the device housing. The device housing is exposed to an energy emission to disrupt the adhesive layer, such as to remove a bonding property of the adhesive layer. The disruption of the adhesive layer may remove the outer layer and a portion of the metallic layer overlaying the outer layer, thus exposing the aesthetic layer such as a design of the aesthetic layer for the hygiene device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of hygiene device housing formation, comprising:
forming a device housing comprising a shaped in-mold decoration (IMD), the shaped IMD comprising an adhesive layer between an outer layer and an aesthetic layer of the shaped IMD; depositing a metallic layer over the device housing; and exposing the device housing to an energy emission to disrupt the adhesive layer to remove the outer layer exposing the aesthetic layer.

2 . The method of claim 1 , the forming comprising:
placing the shaped IMD within a mold; and injecting a device housing material into the mold around the shaped IMD.

3 . The method of claim 1 , the forming comprising:
forming the aesthetic layer; forming the adhesive layer over the aesthetic layer; and forming the outer layer over the adhesive layer, the adhesive layer comprising a bond between the aesthetic layer and the outer layer.

4 . The method of claim 1 , comprising shaping an IMD to form the shaped IMD.

5 . The method of claim 4 , the shaping comprising cutting the IMD.

6 . The method of claim 1 , the depositing comprising utilizing physical vapor deposition (PVD) to deposit the metallic layer.

7 . The method of claim 1 , the depositing comprising depositing an alloy compound as the metallic layer.

8 . The method of claim 1 , the depositing comprising using vacuum metal deposition to deposit the metallic layer.

9 . The method of claim 1 , the exposing the device housing comprising exposing the device housing to at least one of:
ultra violet light; electromagnetic radiation; an electromagnetic field; or thermal energy.

10 . The method of claim 1 , comprising applying a clear coat to the device housing.

11 . The method of claim 10 , comprising curing the clear coat utilizing ultra violet light.

12 . The method of claim 1 , comprising forming a strip of a composite material on an edge of the shaped IMD.

13 . A method of forming a hygiene device housing, comprising:
shaping an in-mold decoration (IMD) to form a shaped IMD; forming a device housing comprising the shaped IMD, the shaped IMD comprising an adhesive layer between an outer layer and an aesthetic layer of the shaped IMD; depositing a metallic layer over the device housing; and exposing the device housing to an energy emission to disrupt the adhesive layer to remove the outer layer exposing the aesthetic layer and to form the hygiene device housing.

14 . The method of claim 13 , the forming comprising:
forming the aesthetic layer; forming the adhesive layer over the aesthetic layer; and forming the outer layer over the adhesive layer, the adhesive layer comprising a bond between the aesthetic layer and the outer layer.

15 . The method of claim 13 , the aesthetic layer comprising at least one of a transparent layer, a graphics layer, a logo layer, a text layer, a colored layer, or a shielding layer.

16 . The method of claim 13 , forming comprising:
placing the shaped IMD within a mold; and injecting a device housing material into the mold around the shaped IMD.

17 . The method of claim 13 , the depositing comprising using physical vapor deposition (PVD) to deposit the metallic layer.

18 . The method of claim 13 , the depositing comprising depositing an alloy compound as the metallic layer.

19 . The method of claim 13 , the depositing comprising using vacuum metal deposition to deposit the metallic layer.

20 . A hygiene device comprising:
a hygiene device housing comprising:
an aesthetic layer comprising at least one of a transparent layer, a graphics layer, a logo layer, a text layer, a colored layer, or a shielding layer; and
a metallic layer formed over a first portion of the hygiene device housing, the first portion not comprising the aesthetic layer, the metallic layer comprising a first top surface along a first side of the hygiene device housing, the aesthetic layer comprising a second top surface along the first side, the first top surface having a first distance from a second side of the hygiene device housing, the second top surface having a second distance from the second side, the first side opposite the second side, the first distance greater than the second distance.

Assignees

• Gojo Ind Inc

Inventors

• Buell Shelby Jay

Classifications

• B65D83/00 Primary

  Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents (dispensing means incorporated in closures B65D47/00) · CPC title

• C23C16/44

  characterised by the method of coating (C23C16/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C14/20

  on organic substrates · CPC title

• C23C14/5873

  Removal of material · CPC title

• C23C28/00 Primary

  Coating for obtaining at least two superposed coatings either by methods not provided for in a single one of groups C23C2/00 - C23C26/00 or by combinations of methods provided for in subclasses C23C and C25C or C25D · CPC title