Housing Surface Treatment via Dye Sublimation Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for treating metal and plastic combinations in electronic device housings are limited, as they do not allow for simultaneous formation of oxide films on both materials and offer limited diversity in surface effects.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing method that involves providing a substrate with combined metal and plastic members, cleaning and treating the surface to form an oxide film, forming a colored pattern on a heat-insulating film, and transferring this pattern to the substrate surface using dye sublimation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional painting methods are used to treat metal and plastic surfaces, then the treatment process is simple, but the surface effect diversity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
A transfer paper is introduced as an intermediary carrier that holds the colored pattern. The pattern is first formed on the transfer paper, then transferred to the appearance surface through heating and pressing. This intermediary approach enables diverse surface effects while keeping the actual treatment process simple and controlled.
Solution Approach 2:
The colored pattern is pre-formed on the transfer paper before being applied to the appearance surface. This preliminary action allows for complex patterns and diverse surface effects to be created in advance, simplifying the actual treatment process while maintaining high versatility.
2Productivity
If separate treatment processes are used for metal and plastic, then each material can be optimized, but the treatment time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the treatment of metal and plastic surfaces into a single unified process. By using the dye-sublimation method with transfer paper, both materials are treated simultaneously in one operation, eliminating the need for separate treatment steps and significantly improving productivity.
3Manufacturing precision
If oxide film formation is performed on metal and plastic simultaneously, then the process efficiency improves, but the surface quality control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical or chemical surface treatment processes with a thermal transfer process. By using heat and pressure to transfer the colored pattern, the method achieves consistent surface quality across different materials without requiring complex surface preparation or multiple treatment steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables the creation of diverse surface effects on electronic device housings by forming colored patterns on metal and plastic combinations, overcoming the limitations of conventional painting methods.
Implementation Method 1
performing surface treatment on the appearance surface to form an oxide film
Implementation Method 2
transferring the colored pattern to the appearance surface by dye sublimation
Data Source
AI summary
A manufacturing method for a housing is provided. The manufacturing method includes: providing a substrate, where the substrate includes a metal member and a plastic member combined with the metal member, the substrate includes an appearance surface, and the appearance surface extends from the metal member to the plastic member; cleaning the appearance surface, and performing surface treatment on the appearance surface to form an oxide film; forming a colored pattern on a heat-insulating film by using a color material; and placing the heat-insulating film on the appearance surface, and transferring the colored pattern to the appearance surface by dye sublimation.