Patent Abstract:
A plastic product having patterns in three dimensions includes an injecting base and a first film adhered to one side of the base. The first film includes a first pattern away from the base and a thickening layer attached to the first pattern. The first pattern is positioned between the thickening layer and the first film. A first raised portion is formed on the first film and inserted into the base.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The disclosure relates to a plastic product with three dimensional patterns and a manufacturing method of the plastic product. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Plastic products are widely used. Some plastic products have decorative patterns thereon for artistry and beauty. Commonly, an In-Mold-Decoration (IMD) technology is developed to provide three dimensional patterns on the plastic products. The IMD technology incorporates a foil on which decorative patterns are printed. The foil is placed in a cavity bounded by molds. The cavity provides a relief pattern area on an inner surface. The decorative patterns adhere to the plastic product after the plastic product is molded and separated from the cavity, thus forming the three dimensional patterns on the plastic product. However, the three dimensional patterns are formed on an outer surface of the plastic product, and are easily worn away over time. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing plastic products having three dimensional patterns in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of an apparatus for manufacturing plastic products utilizing the method of the first exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 , before injecting resin. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but showing a state of use after injecting resin. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a plastic product manufactured by the apparatus of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a plastic product of a second exemplary embodiment. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a plastic product of a third exemplary embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing plastic products having three dimensional patterns in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the present application. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of an apparatus manufactured by the method of  FIG. 7 , before injecting resin. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    The disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated by way of examples and not by way of limitation. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , a method for manufacturing plastic products having three dimensional patterns in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure includes the following steps. 
         [0016]    Step S 402 , a mold  100  is provided to mold the plastic product, the mold  100  includes a female mold  101  and a male mold  102  mating with the female mold  101 . 
         [0017]    Step S 404 , a first film  20  is provided to be attached to a bottom surface  103  of the cavity  104  of the female mold  101 . The first film  20  includes a bottom surface  201  facing the bottom surface  103  and a top surface  202  opposite to the bottom surface  201 . A first pattern  21 , a second pattern  22 , and a third pattern  23  are formed on the bottom surface  201 . A color layer  24  is printed on the bottom surface  201  around the second pattern  22 . A thickening layer  26  is attached to the first pattern  21  and faces towards the bottom surface  103 . The thickening layer  26  is printed with transparent ink. A thickening layer  28  is attached to the color layer  24 , facing the bottom surface  103 . A fourth pattern  27  is printed on the top surface  202 . In another embodiment, thickening layers can be attached to the second pattern  22  and the third pattern  23 . These thickening layers  26  and  28  may be of different thicknesses. 
         [0018]    Step S 406 , a second film  30  is provided to be attached to the male mold  102 . A pattern  31  is printed on the second film  30  opposite to the male mold  102 . 
         [0019]    Step S 408 , referring to  FIG. 3 , molten resin is injected into the cavity  104  of the mold  100 , to press the first film  20  tightly against the bottom surface  103 . The first pattern  21 , the second pattern  22 , the third pattern  23 , the color layer  24 , and the thickening layer  26  and  28  are all tightly pressed so as to leave no gaps or bubbles on the bottom surface  201  of the first film  20 . 
         [0020]    Step S 410 , referring to  FIG. 4 , the molten resin in the mold  100  is cooled to form a plastic product  1 , with the first film  20  and the second film  30  attached to opposite sides (first and second sides  41  and  42 ) of the plastic product  1 . 
         [0021]    The plastic product  1  includes a base  40  molded by injecting resin, a first attaching portion  20   a  attached to the first side  41  of the base  40 , and a second attaching portion  30   a  attached to the second side  42  of the base  40 . The first attaching portion  20   a  is formed by the first film  20  of the  FIG. 1 , formed in the mold  100  after injection. The plastic product  1  further includes a first pattern  21   a , a second pattern  22   a,  a third pattern  23   a,  and a color layer  24   a  around the second pattern  22   a,  all inserted into the first attaching portion  20   a.  Two thickening portions  26   a  and  28   a  are respectively attached to the first pattern  21   a  and the color layer  24   a.  Based on the top surface  202   a  of the first attaching portion  20   a,  the first attaching portion  20   a  includes a first protrusion  21   b  according to the first pattern  21   a , a second protrusion  22   b  according to the second pattern  22   a,  a third protrusion  23   b  according to the third pattern  23   a,  a fourth protrusion  24   b  according to the color layer  24   a,  and a fourth pattern  27   a.  The first to fourth protrusions  21   b,    22   b,    23   b,    24   b,  the thickening portions  26   a  and  28   a,  and the fourth pattern  27   a  are all inserted into the first side  41  of the base  40 . 
         [0022]    The second attaching portion  30   a  is formed by the second film  30  of the  FIG. 1  being formed in the mold  100  after injection. The second attaching portion  30   a  includes a fifth pattern  31   a  facing the base  40 . The fifth pattern  31   a  is inserted into the second side  42  of the base  40 . 
         [0023]    The second attaching portion  30   a  and the base  40  are made of transparent or semitransparent material. Thus the first pattern  21   a,  the second pattern  22   a,  the third pattern  23   a,  the color layer  24   a,  the fourth pattern  27   a,  and the fifth pattern  31   a  are visible through the second attaching portion  30   a  and the base  40  as three dimensional patterns. The second pattern  22   a  is shown as a sunken decoration according to the color layer  24   a.  The first pattern  21   a  and the fourth pattern  27   a  are shown as protruding or relief decorations. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , in a second embodiment of the present disclosure, the base  40 , the first attaching portion  20   a,  and the second attaching portion  30   a  of a plastic product  1   a  are made of the same material(s), thus the interfaces between the base  40 , the first attaching portion  20   a,  and the second attaching portion  30   a  are not shown. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , in a third embodiment of the present disclosure, a plastic product  1   b  includes the base  40  and the first attaching portion  20   a.    
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , a method for manufacturing the plastic product  1   b  includes the following steps. 
         [0027]    Step S 502 , a mold  100  is provided to mold the plastic product, the mold  100  includes a female mold  101  and a male mold  102  mating with the female mold  101 . 
         [0028]    Step S 504 , a first film  20  is provided to be attached to a bottom surface  103  of the cavity  104  of the female mold  101 . The first film  20  includes a bottom surface  201  facing the bottom surface  103  and a top surface  202  opposite to the bottom surface  201 . A first pattern  21 , a second pattern  22 , and a third pattern  23  are formed on the bottom surface  201 . A color layer  24  is printed on the bottom surface  201  around the second pattern  22 . A thickening layer  26  is attached to the first pattern  21 , facing towards the bottom surface  103 . The thickening layer  26  is printed with transparent ink. A thickening layer  28  is attached to the color layer  24 , facing the bottom surface  103 . A fourth pattern  27  is printed on the top surface  202 . 
         [0029]    Step S 506 , molten resin is injected into the molding  100 , to press the first film  20  tightly against the bottom surface  103 . The first pattern  21 , the second pattern  22 , the third pattern  23 , the color layer  24 , and the thickening layers  26  and  28  are all compressed tightly so as to leave no gaps or bubbles on the bottom surface  201  of the first film  20 . 
         [0030]    Step S 508 , the molten resin in the mold  100  is cooled to form the plastic product  1   b , with the first film  20  being attached to one side of the plastic product  1   b.    
         [0031]    Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8