Abstract:
A method for manufacturing a housing, comprising providing a buffer cushion, fixing the buffer cushion in an injection mold, and injecting molten material into the injection mold to form a housing, with the housing being attached to the buffer cushion.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure generally relates to housing manufacture, particularly to a method for manufacturing a housing with a buffer cushion utilizing injection molding. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Currently, portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops and personal digital assistants (PDAs) in widespread use incorporate housings of plastic. Upon impact, however, electronic elements of the portable electronic devices received therein may easily be damaged. 
         [0005]    A typical housing of a portable electronic devices usually includes a buffer cushion to reduce such damage. As an example, a housing may include a display window and an LCD (liquid crystal display) vertically aligned with the display window. A buffer cushion may be positioned around the display window to protect the LCD. Upon impact, the buffer cushion absorbs shock received between the LCD and the housing to protect the LCD. 
         [0006]    The buffer cushion is often manually positioned on the housing during manufacture, via application of viscose glue to the cushion followed by direct attachment thereof to the housing. Such process can reduce processing efficiency and increase production times. 
         [0007]    Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Many aspects of method for manufacturing a housing can be better understood with reference to the following drawing. The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the method for manufacturing a housing. Moreover, in the drawing like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a schematic, exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of a housing; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a cross-section of an injection mold for manufacture of the housing; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a cross-section of the injection mold shown in  FIG. 2 , closed to form the housing; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a cross-section of another structure of the injection mold shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0013]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , in an exemplary embodiment, a housing  100  includes a main body  20  and a buffer cushion  40  positioned thereon. 
         [0014]    The main body  20  includes a display window  202  disposed therein. The buffer cushion  40  is substantially a frame positioned around the display window  202 . The buffer cushion  40  can be fabric, rubber, or other resilient material. 
         [0015]    A method for manufacturing the housing  100  with the buffer cushion  40  follows. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , an injection mold is provided. The injection mold includes a male mold  60  facing a female mold  80 . The male mold  60  includes a protruding portion  602  formed thereon. The protruding portion  602  has a positioning portion  604  extending therefrom. The positioning portion  604  is the same height as the thickness of the buffer cushion  40 . The female mold  80  defines a cavity  802  therein. A runner  804  penetrates the female mold  80  and communicates with the cavity  802 . 
         [0017]    The buffer cushion  40  is positioned around the positioning portion  604  when the injection mold is opened. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the male mold  60  and the female mold  80  are closed, cooperatively defining a die chamber  90  therewithin, in which buffer cushion  40  is received. 
         [0019]    Molten material is injected into the die chamber  90  through the runner  804  when a temperature of the injection mold reaches about 255 degrees C. (° C.). The melted material can be polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polycarbonate, polyimide, liquid crystal polymer, polyetherimide, polyphenylene sulfide, polysulfone, polystyrene, glycol-modified polyester, polypropylene, or any desired combination thereof. When the die chamber  90  is completely filled with the melted material, the buffer cushion  40  is embedded into the melted material. 
         [0020]    Finally, the melted material is cooled to form the main body  20 . The buffer cushion  40  is attached to the main body  20  to form the housing  100 . The method for manufacturing the housing  100  with the buffer cushion  40  by the injection mold increases processing efficiency and reduces production timeframe. 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , it is to be understood that the male mold  60  defines a plurality of air suction holes  606 . During injection molding of main body  20 , the buffer cushion  40  is drawn against the male mold  60  by vacuum pressure through the air suction holes  606 . 
         [0022]    It is to be understood that the positioning portion  604  can also include at least three positioning posts, by which the buffer cushion  40  is positioned on the male mold  60 . 
         [0023]    It is to be understood that the height of the protruding portion  602  may also exceed the thickness of the buffer cushion  40 . When the injection mold is closed, the protruding portion  602  resist the cavity  802  of the female mold  80 . Thus, the housing  100  defines an opening therein. The buffer cushion  40  is positioned around the opening. 
         [0024]    It should be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.