METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN ELASTOMERIC COMPONENT COMPRISING A PRINTED STRUCTURE

Abstract

A method for producing an elastomeric component, preferably an elastomeric sealing component, including an elastomer body and a printed structure, preferably a printed electronic structure or circuit, on a surface of the elastomer body. The method includes: a. providing a planar foil of thermoplastic material having a printable surface; b. printing a structure onto the printable surface to obtain the printed structure; c. providing an elastomer substrate for forming the elastomer body; d. placing the planar foil with the printed structure onto the elastomer substrate; and e. laminating the combined planar foil and elastomer substrate by applying heat and pressure. The elastomeric component is obtained in that the elastomer substrate is formed to the shape of the elastomer body before step d); the elastomer substrate is formed to the shape of the elastomer body during lamination; or the elastomer substrate is formed to the shape of the elastomer body after lamination.

Claims

1.-16. (canceled)

17. A method for producing an elastomeric component comprising an elastomer body and a printed structure on a surface of the elastomer body, the method comprising: a. providing a planar foil of thermoplastic material having a printable surface; b. printing a structure onto the printable surface (21) of the planar foil (2) to obtain the printed structure (3); c. providing an elastomer substrate for forming the elastomer body of the elastomeric sealing component; d. placing the planar foil with the printed structure onto the elastomer substrate; and e. laminating the combined planar foil (2) and elastomer substrate by applying heat and pressure, wherein the elastomeric component is obtained in that the elastomer substrate of step c is formed to the shape of the elastomer body of the elastomeric component before step d; or the elastomer substrate of step c is formed to the shape of the elastomer body of the elastomeric component during the lamination step e; or the elastomer substrate of step c is formed to the shape of the elastomer body of the elastomeric component after the lamination step e.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the foil has elastic properties and the printed structure is at least stretchable without forming cracks when stretched.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein during the laminating step e the heat and pressure treatment creates chemical bonding between the planar foil and the elastomer substrate of the elastomer body.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the temperature used for laminating is 120° C. to 160° C.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the surface of the elastomer substrate for forming the elastomer body is modified for achieving a better bonding between the foil and the elastomer substrate for forming the elastomer body before the laminating step e.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein after the printing step b the printed structure is cured and/or dried before step d is performed.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein after the printing step b) the printed structure is protected with a second foil of the same material as the planar foil or coated with a dielectric layer of dielectric ink or lacquer.

24. The method according to claim 17, wherein the planar foil is placed on the elastomer substrate for forming the elastomer body such that the printed structure faces the elastomer body or wherein the planar foil is placed on the elastomer substrate for forming the elastomer body such that the printed structure faces away from the elastomer body.

25. The method according to claim 17, wherein the elastomer substrate for forming the elastomer body is made of a thermoset elastomer or a thermoplastic elastomer.

26. The method according to claim 17, wherein the planar foil is made of a material selected from thermoplastic polyurethane, liquid silicone rubber, fluoropolymer, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, and expanded fluoropolymers.

27. The method according to claim 17, wherein the planar foil is further provided with electronic components connected to the printed structure.

28. The method according to claim 17, wherein the surface of the elastomer substrate for forming the elastomer body for applying the electronic structure or circuit is non-planar before the laminating step e or is formed into a non-planar surface during the laminating step e.

29. The method according to claim 17, wherein the elastomeric component is an elastomeric sealing component and the printed structure is a printed electronic structure or circuit.

30. The method according to claim 17, wherein the surface of the elastomer substrate for forming the elastomer body is modified with a bonding agent or by plasma or corona treatment to achieve a better bonding between the foil and the elastomer substrate for forming the elastomer body before the laminating step e.

31. An elastomeric sealing component comprising an elastomer body formed from an elastomer substrate and a thermoplastic foil laminated to a surface of the elastomer substrate for forming the elastomer body, the thermoplastic foil comprising a printed structure on a printable surface of the foil.

32. The elastomeric sealing component according to claim 31, wherein the elastomer substrate for forming the elastomer body is made of a thermoset elastomer or a thermoplastic elastomer.

33. The elastomeric sealing component according to claim 31, wherein the thermoplastic foil is made of a material selected from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), liquid silicone rubber (LSR), fluoropolymer (e.g. tetrafluoroethylene resin (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylen-perfluoroethylene copolymer (PFA), tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoroethylene copolymer (FEP), tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer (ATFE), polytrichlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), polyfluorinated vinylidene (PVDF), polyfluorinated vinyl (PVF)), ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE), and expanded fluoropolymers.

34. The elastomeric sealing component according to claim 31, wherein the printed structure is arranged on a non-planar surface of the elastomer body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to embodiments that are illustrated in the figures. The figures show:

[0034] FIG. 1A an elastomeric component with a printed structure;

[0035] FIG. 1B an exploded view of the elastomeric component of FIG. 1A; and

[0036] FIGS. 2A-2D under FIGS. 2A to 2D steps of a method for manufacturing the elastomeric component of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0037] FIG. 1A shows an example of an elastomeric sealing component 1, in the form of a sealing membrane, comprising an elastomer body 4, which in the shown example has a non-planar surface 41. The elastomeric component 1 further comprises a printed structure 3 on the non-planar surface 41 of the elastomer body 4. The printed structure 2 may be an electronic structure or circuit, e.g. a sensor structure or an antenna as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The elastomeric component 1 further comprises a thermoplastic foil 2, which in a laminated state is covering and is adapted to the non-planar surface 41 of the elastomer body 4. FIG. 1B shows an exploded view of the elastomeric component of FIG. 1A with the thermoplastic foil 2 in its planar state before lamination, as described in more detail below.

[0038] Printing directly onto an elastomer body encounters problems due the anisotropy of the elastomer material and the resulting non-uniform on non-homogenous surface properties. The printing becomes even more difficult and prone to failures if the surface onto which the structure should be printed is not planar.

[0039] FIGS. 2A-2D show different steps of a method for manufacturing the elastomeric component 1 of FIGS. 1A and 1B. In a first step (FIG. 2A), a planar foil 2 with a printable surface 21 is provided. Good results have been achieved with a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) foil with a thickness of 25 to 75 micrometres.

[0040] In a second step (FIG. 2B), a structure is printed onto the printable surface with standard printing technologies using a stretchable material, e.g. a stretchable silver ink, to obtain the printed structure 3.

[0041] In a third step (FIG. 2C), the planar foil 2 with the printed structure 3 is cut to the desired size and placed on a surface of the elastomer body 4. In the shown example on the non-planar surface 41 of the elastomer body 4. The foil 2 can be arranged in a way that the printed structure 3 faces the elastomer body 4 or that it faces away from the elastomer body 4. In both cases the printed structure 3 may be protected with a coating or another planar foil of e.g. TPU.

[0042] In a fourth step (FIG. 2D), the combined planar foil 2 including the printed structure 3 and the elastomer body 4 are laminated by applying heat and pressure to obtain the elastomeric component 1. During lamination, the foil 2 and the printed structure 3 are adapted to the non-planar surface 41 of the elastomer body 4. The lamination further leads to chemical bonding between the thermoplastic foil 3 and the elastomer body. Increased bonding may be achieved by activating the surface of the elastomer body, e.g. by plasma treatment.

[0043] Alternatively, the entire foil 2 may be laminated to a sheet of elastomer substrate (not shown). The elastomer body may then be formed either during or after the lamination step. Individual elastomeric components may be obtained after cutting.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0044] 1 elastomeric component [0045] 2 planar foil [0046] 21 printable surface [0047] 3 printed structure [0048] 4 elastomer body [0049] 41 non-planar surface