Symbol button for vehicle and manufacturing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023001610-A1
Application number	US-202217945246-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 15, 2022
Priority date	Dec 7, 2018
Publication date	Jan 5, 2023
Grant date	—

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

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.

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 preparing a button body further comprises:
manufacturing the button body by a single injection method through which the side portion and the top portion is made of a same material; and forming a plating preventing portion at a lower end of the side portion, wherein the plating preventing portion is made of a material that is not metal-platable.

6 . The method of claim 1 , 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; wherein the side portion is made of a material that is not metal-platable.

7 . 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.

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

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the plating shielding composition comprises a PVC resin having a molecular weight of 20,000 to 30,000 Mw.

10 . The method of claim 8 , 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.

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

12 .- 20 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H01H2229/002

  Screen printing · CPC title

• C09D127/06 Primary

  Homopolymers or copolymers of vinyl chloride · CPC title

• H01H13/02 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• B29D19/04

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

• C23C18/1653

  Two or more layers with at least one layer obtained by electroless plating and one layer obtained by electroplating · CPC title