In-molded capacitive switch

Abstract

An article of manufacture having an in-molded capacitive switch and method of making the same are shown and described. In one disclosed method, a conductive ink sensing zone is printed on a film. The film is formed to a desired shape and put in an injection mold. A molten plastic material is introduced into the injection mold to form a rigid structure that retains the film.

1 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A method of making an article of manufacture having an in-molded capacitive switch, comprising:
 providing a film having a front surface and a back surface;   printing a conductive ink sensing zone on the back surface of the film;   forming the film into a desired shape, thereby creating a formed film;   providing an injection mold having an interior;   disposing the formed film in the injection mold such that the conductive ink sensing zone faces into the interior of the mold; and   flowing molten plastic into the injection mold to create a plastic support structure attached to the film, thereby creating the article.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein in the disposing step, the conductive ink sensing zone is not in contact with a surface of the mold. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the injection mold comprises a first mold half that is mateable with a second mold half, the step of disposing the formed film in an injection mold comprises disposing the formed film in the first mold half, and the method further comprises disposing at least one connector in the second mold half and mating the first mold half and the second mold half before the step of flowing molten plastic into the injection mold. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of forming the film into a desired shape comprises vacuum thermoforming. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of forming the film into a desired shape comprises high pressure forming. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of flowing molten plastic into the mold causes molten plastic to flow over the back surface of the film. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising removing the article from the mold, wherein at least a portion of the front surface of the film is exposed. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising removing the article from the mold, wherein the at least one conductive ink sensing zone is not exposed. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising removing the article from the mold, wherein the at last one conductive ink sensing zone faces the plastic support structure. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising printing graphic indicia on the back surface of the film, wherein the graphic indicia are visible on the front surface of the film. 
     
     
         21 . A process for making an article of manufacture, comprising:
 printing a conductive ink sensing zone on a thermoformable film using one or more conductive inks, the one or more conductive inks forming the sensing zone being arranged to operate as capacitive switch;   placing the thermoformable film into a mold;   introducing molten plastic into the mold to create a support structure for the thermoformable film such that a portion of the conductive sensing zone is contoured to mate with a curved portion of the support structure.   
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the curved portion of the support structure forms a three dimensional shape. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the curved portion of the support structure comprises a concave or convex surface of the support structure. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein printing comprises printing the conductive ink sensing zone on a first surface of the film that faces away from a user and further comprising printing decorative indicia on the first surface of the film. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein printing comprises printing the conductive ink sensing zone on a second surface of the film that faces toward a user and further comprising printing decorative indicia on the second surface of the film. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 21 , further comprising printing the conductive ink sensing zone on a first surface of the film that faces away from a user and printing decorative indicia on a second surface of the film that faces toward the user. 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 21 , further comprising printing the conductive ink sensing zone on a first surface of the film that faces away from a user and printing decorative indicia on a second surface of the film that faces toward the user. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 21 , further comprising printing the conductive ink sensing zone on a first surface of the film that faces toward a user and printing decorative indicia on a second surface of the film that faces away from the user. 
     
     
         29 . A product having an in-molded capacitive switch, comprising:
 a thermoformable plastic film having a first surface, a second surface, and one or more conductive ink layers and one or more dielectric ink layers arranged so as to form the capacitive switch, the one or more conductive ink layers and one or more dielectric ink layers being printed on the first surface of the film and arranged to allow selective activation of the capacitive switch by placement of an object proximate a sensing zone associated with the capacitive switch;   a molded structure that provides support for the thermoformable plastic film such that at least a portion of the sensing zone is contoured to a curved portion of the molded structure.   
     
     
         30 . The product of  claim 29 , wherein the curved portion forms a three dimensional structure. 
     
     
         31 . The product of  claim 29 , further comprising indicia printed on the first surface of the film proximate the sensing zone and wherein the first surface faces away from the user. 
     
     
         32 . The product of  claim 29 , further comprising indicia printed on the second surface of the film proximate the sensing zone and wherein the second surface faces toward the user and the first surface is on a side of the film opposite the second surface.