Electronic terminal protective case camera area mask and vacuum heat transfer mold kit

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of vacuum heat transfer printing process auxiliary components, in particular to an electronic terminal protective shell camera area shielding piece and a vacuum heat transfer printing mold kit. The shielding piece configured in the application can block the hole position of the camera area after being loaded to the inside of the camera area, so as to limit the degree of the transfer film material covering the surface of the protective shell being trapped in the hole position during heat transfer printing, thereby preventing the transfer film material from being deformed too much and torn. Therefore, the appropriate shape of the shielding piece can be selected as an auxiliary component according to the actual shape of the camera area of the protective shell to cooperate with the transfer mold, and it is not necessary to process a boss structure with a shape adapted to the specified camera area of the protective shell on the transfer mold. Therefore, the versatility of the transfer mold is improved, and the equipment cost is reduced.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese application filed on April 25, 2025, with application number CN2025105397311, entitled "Vacuum heat transfer machine, mold and assembly thereof, wiring mechanism, shielding element and method", the contents of which are considered part of the disclosure of this application and are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This application belongs to the technical field of auxiliary components for vacuum heat transfer process, specifically a camera area shielding component for electronic terminal protective shell and a vacuum heat transfer mold kit, which is used to seal the holes in the camera area during the heat transfer process of electronic terminal protective shell. Background Technology

[0004] Modern electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets generally have raised camera modules on their backs. These modules typically include a camera, flash, and other sensors. Protective cases for these devices have a dedicated camera area corresponding to the camera module, with openings in this area. During heat transfer printing, the protective case is placed on a transfer mold, and a transfer film is adsorbed onto the surface of the case using vacuum. The mold transfers heat to the film, transferring elements such as patterns and colors from the film to the surface of the case. To prevent excessive deformation or tearing of the transfer film during heat transfer, existing transfer molds usually have matching raised structures at the camera area locations to seal the openings in the camera area of ​​the protective case. This prevents the transfer film from sinking too deeply into the openings under vacuum, thus avoiding excessive deformation and tearing. However, this solution lacks versatility, often requiring different transfer molds for different electronic device models, thus increasing the cost of heat transfer printing. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to overcome the problem of poor versatility of existing solutions for solving the excessive deformation and tearing of transfer film materials in the camera area, and to provide a shielding component that is set inside the camera area of ​​the protective shell during the heat transfer process, as an auxiliary component to block the holes from the inside of the camera area, without the need to specially process the boss structure on the transfer mold for different types of camera modules, thereby improving the versatility of the heat transfer process and reducing costs.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: An electronic terminal protective case camera area shielding member is provided, the shielding member being configured to adapt to the shape of the inside of the camera area of ​​the electronic terminal protective case, and in response to the shielding member being loaded onto the inside of the camera area, one side of the shielding member engaging with the inner surface of the camera area to block the opening of the camera area.

[0007] The shielding component configured in this application can block the holes in the camera area after being installed inside the camera area, thereby limiting the extent to which the transfer film material covering the surface of the protective shell is trapped in the holes during heat transfer. This prevents the transfer film material from deforming excessively or tearing. Therefore, a shielding component of a suitable shape can be selected as an auxiliary component to cooperate with the transfer mold according to the actual shape of the camera area of ​​the protective shell, without the need to process a boss structure of a matching shape on the transfer mold corresponding to the specified camera area of ​​the protective shell. This improves the versatility of the transfer mold and reduces equipment costs.

[0008] Furthermore, the shielding member has one or more vents on at least one side, and at least some of the vents communicate with the holes in the camera area when the shielding member is loaded onto the inside of the camera area. The vents can effectively draw away the gas in the holes, thereby improving the adhesion between the transfer film material and the protective shell at the corresponding holes, and ensuring the heat transfer effect.

[0009] Furthermore, the shielding member has at least two or more air holes on one side, and at least some of the two or more air holes are connected by a first air guide groove, which can improve the gas discharge speed.

[0010] Furthermore, the two or more vents are arranged circumferentially, and each pair of adjacent vents is connected by the first air guide groove. The first air guide grooves are sequentially connected to form a closed-loop air passage. The formed closed-loop air passage can accelerate the discharge of gas.

[0011] Furthermore, the first air guide groove is constructed as a linear structure or an arc-shaped structure, so that the closed-loop air passage is constructed as a polygonal structure or an arc-shaped structure.

[0012] Furthermore, the shielding member is also constructed with a second air guide groove that connects the first air guide groove and the edge of the shielding member, and the second air guide groove can further increase the gas discharge speed.

[0013] Furthermore, the shielding member is symmetrically constructed with air holes, the first air guide groove and the second air guide groove on opposite sides. The above arrangement makes the two sides of the shielding member symmetrical and interchangeable, so that either side of the shielding member can be directly connected to the camera area, improving convenience.

[0014] Furthermore, the shielding element is made of a thermally conductive material, such as thermally conductive silicone or thermally conductive metal, which can effectively transfer heat to the protective shell and the transfer film.

[0015] Furthermore, the side of the shielding member that is engaged with the inner surface of the camera area contacts the surface of the transfer film material when the electronic terminal protective shell is loaded onto the transfer mold. This arrangement of the shielding member provides support to the camera area on the one hand, preventing the camera area from sinking and deforming, and on the other hand, it can further transfer the heat of the transfer mold.

[0016] Another objective of this application is to provide a vacuum heat transfer mold kit, including a transfer mold and a camera area shielding member for an electronic terminal protective case. The surface of the transfer mold corresponding to the camera area of ​​the electronic terminal protective case is partially planar, and the shielding member is configured to adapt to the shape of the inner side of the camera area of ​​the electronic terminal protective case to which the transfer mold is applicable. Since the shielding member of this application replaces the protruding structure on the surface of the existing transfer mold, the transfer mold of this application has a planar surface on its surface corresponding to the camera area of ​​the electronic terminal protective case in order to adapt to the shielding member, so as not to interfere with the shielding member. Furthermore, when performing heat transfer on electronic terminal protective cases of the same specification, a transfer mold of the corresponding specification can be used, and a shielding member of a different shape can be used to adapt to protective cases of the same specification but with different camera area shapes. For example, by simply changing different shielding members and using the same specification transfer mold, the heat transfer process of the corresponding phone cases of the same generation of Apple brand mobile phones with the same size but different camera area shapes can be adapted.

[0017] Furthermore, the vacuum heat transfer mold kit also includes an attachment layer that detachably defines the shielding element on the inner surface of the camera area of ​​the electronic terminal protective shell. Preferably, the attachment layer is a flexible solid adhesive material, such as adhesive tape or adhesive paper. This attachment layer facilitates the assembly and replacement of the shielding element.

[0018] Furthermore, the attachment layer covers the surface of the shielding member near the transfer mold and is bonded to the periphery of the camera area of ​​the electronic terminal protective case; or, the attachment layer is bonded to the inner surface of the camera area of ​​the electronic terminal protective case and the surface of the shielding member opposite the transfer mold; or, the attachment layer is bonded to the opposing surfaces of the shielding member and the transfer mold. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a mobile terminal protective case, shielding component, and transfer film. Figure 2a A schematic diagram of the first structure for the combination of a protective case, a shielding component, and a transfer film for a mobile terminal; Figure 2bA schematic diagram of a second structure for the use of a mobile terminal protective case, shielding component, and transfer film. Figure 2c A schematic diagram of a third structure for the use of a mobile terminal protective case, shielding component, and transfer film. Figure 3 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the shielding member. Figure 1 ; Figure 4 Another perspective view of the first embodiment of the shielding member. Figure 1 ; Figure 5 This is a top view of the first embodiment of the shielding member; Figure 6-1 A perspective view of a mobile terminal protective case equipped with a shielding member of the first embodiment; Figure 6-2 This is a perspective view of a mobile terminal protective case equipped with a shielding member of the first embodiment from another angle, wherein the dashed lines represent the shielding member in a perspective view; Figure 6-3 A perspective view of a mobile terminal protective case equipped with a shielding member of the first embodiment from another angle; Figure 7 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a mobile terminal protective case mounted on a transfer mold in a hot press. Figure 8 A perspective view of a second embodiment of the shielding member; Figure 9 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a third embodiment of the shielding component; Figures 10 to 21 Top views of the shielding member in the fourth to sixteenth embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The specific embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] See Figures 1 to 7 This embodiment provides a camera area shielding component for an electronic terminal protective case. The electronic terminal is such as a mobile phone or a tablet computer. The camera area c0' is an area on the protective case c' of the aforementioned electronic terminal that corresponds to the camera module of the electronic terminal. The camera area c0' is constructed with holes corresponding to components such as cameras, flashes, and various sensing elements in the camera module.

[0022] The shielding member c is configured to conform to the shape of the inner side of the camera area c0' of the electronic terminal protective case. In response to the shielding member c being mounted inside the camera area c0', one side of the shielding member c engages with the inner surface of the camera area c0' to seal the opening in the camera area c0'. In practical applications, in response to the vacuum heat transfer process adsorbing transfer film onto the surface of the electronic terminal protective case, the shielding member c mounted inside the camera area c0' limits the degree to which the transfer film is embedded in the opening.

[0023] like Figure 1 The electronic terminal protective case c' shown has a circular camera area c0' that is concave from the inside (see Figure 2) to protect the lens. The camera area c0' has four lens holes c01', one flash hole c02', and three sensor holes c03'. Of course, the shape and hole positions of the camera area c0' will differ in other models of electronic terminal protective cases c'.

[0024] Based on such Figure 1 The electronic terminal protective case c' shown is illustrated in Figures 2 to 3. Figure 5 The shielding member c has at least one or more vents c.1 on at least one side (in practical applications, at least on the side facing the camera area c0'). As a specific embodiment, multiple vents c.1 are constructed. In response to the shielding member c being loaded onto the camera area c0', at least some of the vents c.1 communicate with at least some lens apertures c01', at least some sensor apertures c03', and at least some flash apertures c02' in the camera area c0'. Of course, in other embodiments, some or all of the apertures can be configured to communicate with the corresponding vents c.1 as needed. Configuring vents c.1 ensures that gas can be promptly removed from the transfer film in the camera area c0' during vacuuming, ensuring a good heat transfer effect.

[0025] In some embodiments, the shielding member c has at least two or more vents c.1 on at least one side (in practical applications, that is, at least on the side of the shielding member c facing the imaging area c0'), and a first air guide groove c.2 connects at least two partially adjacent vents c.1. With this design, the first air guide groove c.2 connects the multiple vents c.1, ensuring that gas between the imaging areas c0' can be quickly discharged from the multiple vents c.1 through the first air guide groove c.2.

[0026] like Figure 1 ,as well as Figures 6-1 to 6-3The electronic terminal protective shell c' shown has a circular camera area c0' and four lens holes c01' arranged in a circular pattern. Since the shielding component c is also circular, and the multiple air holes c.1 correspond to the distribution of the lens holes c01', even if the shielding component c rotates relative to the camera area c0', the air holes c.1 can still correspond to the lens holes c01.

[0027] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the two or more air holes c.1 are arranged circumferentially. In this embodiment, the two or more air holes c.1 are arranged circumferentially with the geometric center of the shielding member c as the midpoint. This arrangement allows the user to install the shielding member c onto the camera area c0' without having to assemble it at a specified angle. For example... Figure 9 The shielding component c shown is square, and the air holes c.1 are arranged in a circle around its geometric center. Therefore, when installing the shielding component c, it is only necessary to insert it into the inner side of the camera area c0' side by side, without aligning the air holes c.1. Thus, the installation process has a higher degree of freedom and the shielding component c has better interchangeability.

[0028] Furthermore, each pair of adjacent air vents c.1 is connected by a first air guide groove c.2, and the first air guide grooves c.2 are sequentially connected to form a closed-loop air passage. Preferably, the first air guide groove c.2 is constructed as a linear structure or an arc shape, so that the closed-loop air passage is correspondingly constructed as a polygonal structure or an arc shape, for example, Figure 8 Triangular air passage, Figure 9 The circular air passage design further accelerates gas flow, thereby quickly expelling the gas.

[0029] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the shielding member c is further constructed with a second air guide groove c.3 connecting the first air guide groove c.2 and the edge of the shielding member c. The second air guide groove c.3 connects the first air guide groove c.2 to the edge of the shielding member c, ensuring that gas can be discharged quickly. Figures 3 to 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the first air guide groove c.2 is circular, and the second air guide groove c.3 penetrates the center of the shielding member c. In other embodiments, two or more second air guide grooves c.3 may be constructed.

[0030] In other embodiments, a second air hole c.11 is constructed at the intersection of multiple second air guide grooves c.3. The second air hole c.11 can divert the gas from multiple second air guide grooves c.3, thereby improving the extraction efficiency.

[0031] See Figure 3In some embodiments, the air vent c.1, the first air guide groove c.2, and the second air guide groove c.3 (if provided) are symmetrically constructed on opposite sides of the shielding member c, so that either side of the shielding member c can be directly installed and connected to the camera area c0' of the protective shell c'.

[0032] As a specific implementation method, the thickness of the shielding component c is preferably within 5mm. This parameter is applicable to most shielding components c currently available, and can ensure that there is a certain gap between the shielding component c and the transfer mold, so as to ensure that there is no interference between the shielding component c and the transfer mold.

[0033] The shielding component c can be made of a high-temperature resistant non-metallic material, such as silicone. Due to the presence of the first venting groove c.2 and / or the second venting groove c.3, the shielding component c deforms under heat and adheres tightly to the electronic terminal protective shell c'. Gas can be guided from the first venting groove c.2 and / or the second venting groove c.3 to the vent c.1 and the second vent c.11 (if provided) for discharge. The shielding component c can be integrally molded, such as through one-piece injection molding of silicone. Of course, the shielding component c can also be made of other suitable high-temperature resistant non-metallic materials.

[0034] In some embodiments, the shielding member c can be defined on the inner surface of the camera area c0' of the electronic terminal protective shell c' by a flexible solid adhesive material such as an attachment layer c04, such as adhesive paper (e.g., high-temperature resistant tape, Teflon tape), or tape, thereby limiting the shielding member c and preventing it from shifting or even falling off.

[0035] See Figure 2a In one embodiment, the attachment layer c04 covers the surface of the shielding member c near the transfer mold a and extends out to bond the shielding member c to the periphery of the camera area c0' of the electronic terminal protective shell. In this embodiment, the attachment layer c04 can be a single-sided adhesive tape.

[0036] See Figure 2b In another embodiment, the attachment layer c04 adheres to the inner surface of the camera area c0' of the electronic terminal protective shell and the surface of the shielding member c relative to the transfer mold a. In this embodiment, the attachment layer c04 can be double-sided adhesive tape.

[0037] See Figure 2c In another embodiment, the attachment layer c04 adheres to the opposing surfaces of the shielding member c and the transfer mold a. In this embodiment, the attachment layer c04 may be adhesive tape with adhesive on both sides.

[0038] Figure 8 A perspective view of a second embodiment of the shielding member c is shown, such as that applicable to a certain brand P70.

[0039] Figure 9A perspective view of a third embodiment of the shielding member c is shown, such as that applicable to a certain brand mi14.

[0040] In other embodiments, the shielding component c can be made of high-temperature resistant metal materials, such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy, and can be manufactured by die casting, machining, wire cutting, laser cutting, stamping, etc.

[0041] Because metal materials have small thermal deformation, air guide grooves are not required; only air holes are needed. Of course, air guide grooves can also be provided as needed.

[0042] In one specific implementation, the shielding component c is a thermally conductive material, such as a non-metallic thermally conductive material like thermally conductive silicone, or a thermally conductive metallic material like stainless steel, aluminum alloy, cast iron, or copper. The side of the shielding component c that is joined to the inner surface of the camera area c0' contacts the surface of the transfer film when the electronic terminal protective shell c' is loaded onto the transfer mold a. This arrangement of the shielding component c provides support to the camera area c0', preventing it from sinking or deforming, and further transfers heat from the transfer mold a, thus improving the heat transfer effect.

[0043] As a specific application scenario, when the shielding component c needs to be provided with a first air guide groove c.1 and / or a second air guide groove c.2, a non-metallic thermally conductive material is selected for the shielding component c to facilitate processing. When the first air guide groove c.1 and / or the second air guide groove c.2 is not required, the shielding component c is preferably made of a metallic thermally conductive material.

[0044] See Figures 10 to 21 The diagram shows top views of the shielding element c according to the fourth to sixteenth embodiments, which are applicable to a variety of common electronic terminal protective cases c' on the market, such as those from Apple, Xiaomi and Huawei.

[0045] The shielding component c configured in this application can block the holes in the camera area c0' after being installed inside the camera area c0', thereby limiting the extent to which the transfer film material covering the surface of the protective shell c' is trapped in the holes during heat transfer, thus preventing excessive deformation and tearing of the transfer film material. Therefore, a shielding component c of appropriate shape can be selected as an auxiliary component to cooperate with the transfer mold according to the actual shape of the protective shell c' and the camera area c0', without the need to process a boss structure with a matching shape on the transfer mold corresponding to the specified protective shell c camera area c0'. This improves the versatility of the transfer mold and reduces equipment costs.

[0046] Another aspect of this application provides a vacuum heat transfer mold kit, including a transfer mold a and the aforementioned shielding member c. The surface of the transfer mold a is partially planar corresponding to the camera area c0' of the electronic terminal protective case c'. The shielding member c is configured to adapt to the shape of the camera area c0' of the electronic terminal protective case c' to which the transfer mold a is applicable.

[0047] Since the shielding component c of this application replaces the protruding structure on the surface of the existing transfer mold, the transfer mold a of this application, in order to adapt to the shielding component c, has a planar structure on its surface corresponding to the camera area c0' of the electronic terminal protective shell c', so as not to interfere with the shielding component c. Furthermore, when performing heat transfer on electronic terminal protective shells c' of the same specification, a transfer mold a of the corresponding specification can be used, and a shielding component c of different shapes can be replaced to adapt to protective shells c' of the same specification but with different camera area c0' shapes. For example, by simply replacing different shielding components c with the same specification of transfer mold a, it is possible to adapt to the heat transfer process of the corresponding protective shell c' of the same generation of mobile phones from a certain brand, with the same size but different camera area c0' shapes. This limits the degree to which the transfer film is embedded in the holes of the shielding area c0', avoiding excessive deformation and tearing of the transfer film, thereby ensuring the effect of heat transfer and reducing the scrap rate.

[0048] In some embodiments, an attachment layer c04 is further included to detachably attach the shielding member c to the inner surface of the camera area c0' of the electronic terminal protective case, and the attachment layer c04 is specifically described in other embodiments of this application.

[0049] This application also provides a vacuum heat transfer method, which includes the following steps: fixing a shape-adapted shielding member c to the inner side of the camera area c0' of an electronic terminal protective shell; loading the electronic terminal protective shell c' into the transfer mold a of a vacuum heat transfer machine; covering the outer side of the electronic terminal protective shell c' with a transfer film material; and starting the vacuum heat transfer machine to transfer the heat transfer elements of the transfer film material to the electronic terminal protective shell c'.

[0050] See Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 7 As a specific application, the transfer mold a involved in this application is used when loaded onto, for example... Figure 7The vacuum heat transfer machine shown includes a body 1, a cover 2, and a heating element. The body 1 has a transfer cavity 100 with an open upper side. The cover 2 can cover the transfer cavity 100. The heating element is used to provide heat to the transfer cavity 100. The body 1 is equipped with a vacuum system (not shown) that communicates with the transfer cavity 100. In some specific embodiments, the bottom of the transfer cavity 100 is constructed with a vacuum channel (not shown) that communicates with the vacuum system. The transfer mold a is loaded in the transfer cavity 100. During operation, the electronic terminal protective shell c' with the shielding element c is placed on the transfer mold a, and then the transfer film material, such as film, is covered on the upper side of the transfer cavity 100. The cover 2 is closed so that the cover 2 presses the transfer film material downward. The vacuum system is activated to evacuate the transfer cavity 11, so that the transfer film material wraps around the surface of the protective shell c. The elements on the transfer film material are transferred to the protective shell c by the heat provided by the heating element.

[0051] Based on the disclosure and teachings of the above specification, those skilled in the art can make changes and modifications to the above embodiments. Therefore, this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and described above, and some modifications and changes to this utility model should also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model. Furthermore, although some specific terms are used in this specification, these terms are only for convenience of explanation and do not constitute any limitation on this utility model.

Claims

1. A camera area shielding component for an electronic terminal protective case, characterized in that, The shielding member (c) is configured to adapt to the shape of the inner side of the camera area (c0') of the electronic terminal protective shell. In response to the shielding member (c) being loaded onto the inner side of the camera area (c0'), one side of the shielding member (c) engages with the inner surface of the camera area (c0') to block the opening of the camera area (c0').

2. The camera area shielding component of the electronic terminal protective case according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shielding member (c) has one or more vents (c.1) on at least one side, and at least some of the vents (c.1) communicate with the openings in the camera area (c0') when the shielding member (c) is loaded inside the camera area (c0').

3. The camera area shielding component of the electronic terminal protective case according to claim 2, characterized in that, The shielding member (c) has at least two or more air holes (c.1) on one side, and a first air guide groove (c.2) is connected between at least two adjacent air holes (c.1).

4. The camera area shielding component of the electronic terminal protective case according to claim 3, characterized in that, The two or more air holes (c.1) are arranged circumferentially, and each pair of adjacent air holes (c.1) is connected by the first air guide groove (c.2). The first air guide grooves (c.2) are connected in sequence to form a closed-loop air passage.

5. The camera area shielding component of the electronic terminal protective case according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first air guide groove (c.2) is constructed as a linear structure or an arc-shaped structure, so that the closed-loop air passage is constructed as a polygonal structure or an arc-shaped structure.

6. The camera area shielding component of the electronic terminal protective case according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, The shielding member (c) is also constructed with a second air guide groove (c.3) that connects the first air guide groove (c.2) and the edge of the shielding member (c).

7. The camera area shielding component of the electronic terminal protective case according to claim 6, characterized in that, The shielding member (c) has symmetrically constructed air holes (c.1), the first air guide groove (c.2) and the second air guide groove (c.3) on opposite sides.

8. The camera area shielding component of the electronic terminal protective case according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shielding member (c) is a thermally conductive material. The side of the shielding member (c) that is engaged with the inner surface of the camera area (c0') contacts the surface of the transfer film material in response to the electronic terminal protective case being loaded onto the transfer mold (a). And / or, the shielding element (c) is a high-temperature resistant non-metallic material or a high-temperature resistant metallic material.

9. A vacuum heat transfer mold kit, characterized in that, include: The transfer mold (a) has a planar surface structure corresponding to the camera area (c0') of the electronic terminal protective shell; The camera area shielding component (c) of the electronic terminal protective case according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The vacuum heat transfer mold kit according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes an attachment layer (c04) that detachably defines the shielding member (c) on the inner surface of the camera area (c0') of the electronic terminal protective case.

11. The vacuum heat transfer mold kit according to claim 10, characterized in that, The attachment layer (c04) covers the surface of the shielding member (c) near the transfer mold (a) and is bonded to the periphery of the camera area (c0') of the electronic terminal protective case. Alternatively, the attachment layer (c04) is bonded to the inner surface of the camera area (c0') of the electronic terminal protective shell and the surface of the shielding member (c) relative to the transfer mold (a); Alternatively, the attachment layer (c04) adheres to the opposing surfaces of the shielding element (c) and the transfer mold (a).

Images