Method for molding a cable structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9640967-B2
Application number	US-201314059238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2013
Priority date	Jan 25, 2010
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A headset can include a cable structure connecting non-cable components such as jacks and headphones. The cable structure can be constructed using a molding process. Different approaches can be used to ensure that a conductor bundle extending through the cable structure remains centered within the cable structure during the molding process. A movable tube can be placed in the mold such that the conductor bundle is retained within the tube. As material is injected into the mold and reaches the tube, the tube can be displaced and progressively removed from the mold. Alternatively, the movable tube can be constructed such that the tube may combine with injected material to form a shell of the cable structure. Gates from which material is provided in the mold can be positioned and controlled to facilitate the injection of material in the mold while maintaining the centered position of the conductor bundle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for molding a cable structure, the method comprising:
providing a length of a conductor bundle along a length of a mold, the mold comprising a center line;
placing a first centering element of a plurality of centering elements at a first position about a periphery of the conductor bundle in a cross-section of the length of the conductor bundle, the cross-section being perpendicular to the center line;
placing a second centering element of the plurality of centering elements at a second position about the periphery of the conductor bundle in the cross-section; and
injecting material into the mold, wherein the plurality of centering elements is configured to center the cross-section of the conductor bundle on the center line of the mold during the injecting, and wherein at least one of the first centering element and the second centering element is configured to move along the length of the conductor bundle during the injecting.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the placing the first centering element comprises placing the first centering element in contact with a first portion of the conductor bundle.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the placing the second centering element comprises placing the second centering element in contact with a second portion of the conductor bundle.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first portion of the conductor bundle and the second portion of the conductor bundle are spaced between 60° and 180° apart about the periphery of the conductor bundle in the cross-section.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first centering element is configured to move along the length of the conductor bundle during the injecting, and wherein the second centering element is configured to move away from the conductor bundle during the injecting.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first centering element comprises a material front of the material from a gate.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second centering element comprises one of a removable pin and another material front of the material from another gate.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first centering element comprises a removable pin.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second centering element comprises a material front of the material from a gate.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first centering element is a first portion of a tube;
the second centering element is a second portion of the tube; and
the tube at least partially disappears upon contact with the material injected into the mold.

11. A method for molding a cable structure, the method comprising:
providing a conductor bundle in a mold;
placing a first centering element of a plurality of centering elements in contact with a first portion of the conductor bundle about a periphery of the conductor bundle in a cross-section of the conductor bundle;
placing a second centering element of a plurality of centering elements in contact with a second portion of the conductor bundle about the periphery of the conductor bundle in the cross-section of the conductor bundle; and
injecting material into the mold, wherein the plurality of centering elements centers the conductor bundle within the mold during the injecting, and wherein at least a portion of the second centering element disappears upon contact with the material injected into the mold.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the mold comprises a center line; and
the cross-section of the conductor bundle is perpendicular to the center line.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein a portion of the first centering element is in contact with the first portion of the conductor bundle before the injecting.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the portion of the first centering element comprises a surface that is shaped to match the shape of the first portion of the conductor bundle.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the portion of the first centering element comprises a surface that is shaped to match the shape of a portion of an exterior surface of the cable structure.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein a portion of the first centering element moves away from the conductor bundle during the injecting.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein a portion of the first centering element disappears upon contact with the material injected into the mold.

18. A method for molding a cable structure, the method comprising:
providing a conductor bundle in a mold;
placing a first centering element of a plurality of centering elements in a first position about a periphery of the conductor bundle in a cross-section of the conductor bundle;
placing a second centering element of the plurality of centering elements in a second position about the periphery of the conductor bundle in the cross-section of the conductor bundle; and
once the first centering element and the second centering element are placed, injecting material into the mold, wherein the plurality of centering elements centers the conductor bundle within the mold during the injecting, and wherein at least a portion of the second centering element is configured to move along the length of the conductor bundle during the injecting.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein a portion of the first centering element moves outwardly away from the conductor bundle during the injecting.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising controlling an action of the first centering element independently of an action of the second centering element during the injecting.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first centering element is a first portion of a tube;
the second centering element is a second portion of the tube; and
the tube surrounds the periphery of the conductor bundle in the cross-section of the length of the conductor bundle upon contact with the material injected into the mold.

22. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling an action of the first centering element independently of an action of the second centering element during the injecting.

23. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the first centering element is a first portion of a tube;
the second centering element is a second portion of the tube; and
the tube surrounds the periphery of the conductor bundle in the cross-section of the length of the conductor bundle upon contact with the material injected into the mold.

24. The method of claim 11 , wherein the portion of the second centering element comprises a centering element material that at least one of:
dissolves when the centering element material contacts the material injected into the mold;
vaporizes when the centering element material contacts the material injected into the mold; and
mingles when the centering element material contacts the material injected into the mold.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein:
the first centering element is a first portion of a tube;
the second centering element is a second portion of the tube; and
the tube surrounds the periphery of the conductor bundle in the cross-section of the length of the conductor bundle upon contact with the material injected into the mold.

26. The method of claim 18 , wherein:
the first centering element is a first portion of a tube;
the second centering element is a second portion of the tube; and
once the first centering element and the second centering element are placed, the tube surrounds the p

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Aase Jonathan S
• Frazier Cameron P
• Thomas John E

Classifications

• B29C2043/3665

  cores or inserts, e.g. pins, mandrels, sliders · CPC title

• B29K2705/00

  Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts · CPC title

• B29C43/18

  incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles {(B29C43/206 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B29C39/42 Primary

  Casting under special conditions, e.g. vacuum · CPC title

• B29C33/10

  with incorporated venting means · CPC title