Integrally molded remote entry transmitter

Abstract

Remote entry transmitters are formed to have a housing element made by a two-shot molding technique. A plateable and a non-plateable plastic are molded in the two-shot molding technique. Circuit trace material is then plated onto the plateable material. This results in a reduction in the number of separate parts for the transmitter. In addition, the antenna is positioned to be non-parallel to the main circuit board. This results in packaging efficiencies and improvements. Preferably, the antenna may be plated onto an inner side wall of the housing when the two-shot molding technique occurs. Alternatively, the antenna may be provided as a separate board.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of forming a remote entry transmitter comprising: 
 1) providing a housing by utilizing a molding technique molding a non-plateable and a plateable plastic together;    2) then plating conductive material on the plateable areas to form circuit traces; and    3) inserting circuit elements into said housing for communicating with said circuit traces, said circuit elements including a transmitter for a remote entry system.    
     
     
         2 . A method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said non-plateable materials also form a decorative outer surface for said remote entry transmitter.  
     
     
         3 . A method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said housing element is a cover of a remote entry transmitter.  
     
     
         4 . A method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein an antenna is inserted into said remote entry transmitter, said antenna being disposed at a non-parallel angle relative to said circuit traces.  
     
     
         5 . A method as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein said antenna is plated on plateable plastic during the plating of the conductive material as set forth in step 2.  
     
     
         6 . A remote entry transmitter housing comprising: 
 a housing;    a battery and a transmitter for transmitting a signal, and received in said housing, a main circuit being disposed generally in a first plane, and an antenna communicating with said transmitter, said antenna being disposed generally non-parallel to said plane of said main circuit.    
     
     
         7 . A housing as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said housing having a side wall, and said antenna being disposed on an inner portion of said side wall.  
     
     
         8 . A housing as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said antenna is molded onto an inner side of said sidewall.  
     
     
         9 . A housing as recited in  claim 8 , wherein said main circuit is also molded onto said housing along with said antenna.  
     
     
         10 . A housing as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said antenna is included on a separate circuit board which is attached to said main circuit.  
     
     
         11 . A remote entry transmitter housing comprising: 
 a first and second housing member, with one of said first and second housing members being formed of a two-shot molding technique, such that circuit traces within said remote entry transmitter are formed by plating onto a plateable plastic deposited into said housing by said two-shot molding technique.    
     
     
         12 . A housing as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein a decorative outer surface of said at least one housing is formed by non-plateable plastic during the two-shot molding technique.  
     
     
         13 . A housing as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein said one housing has an inner side wall, and an antenna for said transmitter is adhered to said inner side wall.  
     
     
         14 . A housing as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said antenna is molded onto said inner side wall along with the remainder of said circuit during said two-shot molding technique.  
     
     
         15 . A housing as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein an antenna is connected to said circuit board as a separate board, and said separate board being positioned to be non-parallel to a plane of said circuit.