Patent Publication Number: US-2012043319-A1

Title: Housing assembly and method for manufacturing same

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The disclosure generally relates to housing assemblies and methods for manufacturing the housing assemblies. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A typical way to assemble a metal element to a plastic housing is by adhesion of the metallic element to the plastic housing. However, typically, metallic elements can easily be separated from the plastic housing, as the adhering force created by typical adhesives is usually not strong enough. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the exemplary housing assembly can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the exemplary housing assembly and method manufacturing the housing assembly. Moreover, in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic and a partially exploded view of a housing assembly according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is another partially exploded view of the housing assembly of  FIG. 1  showing another aspect. 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled view of the housing assembly shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled view of the housing assembly shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a housing assembly  100  includes a first housing  10  (e.g., a plastic housing) and a second housing  20  (e.g., a metallic housing). The first housing  10  includes a first attachable surface  12  and adhesive  13 . The second housing  20  includes a second attachable surface  22  opposite to the first attachable surface  12 . The second attaching surface  22  is adhered to the first attaching surface  12  by the adhesive  13 . 
     The first housing  10  defines one or more first hot-melt holes  14  and one or more second hot-melt holes  16 . In this exemplary embodiment, the number of the first hot-melt holes  14  and the number of the second hot-melt holes  16  are both two. The second housing  20  has one or more first hot-melt posts  24  for correspondingly protruding into the first hot-melt holes  14  and one or more second hot-melt posts  26  for correspondingly protruding into the second hot-melt holes  16 . Each first hot-melt post  24  extends into and is hot-melted in one of the first hot-melt holes  14  and each second hot-melt post  26  extends into and is hot-melted in one of the second hot-melt holes  16  to retain the second housing  20  to the first housing  10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , an exemplary method for manufacturing the housing assembly  100  includes the steps of: 
     the adhesive  13  is coated on the first attachable surface  12 , the second attachable surface  22  is attached to the first attachable surface  12  so the second attachable surface  22  is adhered to the first attachable surface  12  with the adhesive  13 . At this time, each first hot-melt post  24  extends into one of the first hot-melt holes  14  and each second hot-melt post  26  extends into one of the second hot-melt holes  16 . 
     the first housing  10  and the second housing  20  are pressed together, with an exterior force, to improve the adhesive engagement of the first attachable surface  12  and the second attachable surface  22 . 
     each first hot-melt post  24  is hot-melted in one of the first hot-melt holes  14  and each second hot-melt post  26  is hot-melted in one of the second hot-melt holes  16  to retain the second housing  20  to the first housing  10 . 
     It is understood that the first hot-melt posts  24  and the second hot-melt posts  26  may be positioned on either the first housing  10  or the second housing  20 , and the first hot-melt holes  14  and the second hot-melt holes  16  may be positioned on the element opposite the first hot-melt posts  24  and the second hot-melt posts  26 . 
     It is to be understood, however, that even through numerous characteristics and advantages of the disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, 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 disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.