阅读说明：本技术 制造具有声学振动膜的微型设备的方法 (Method for manufacturing a micro device having an acoustic diaphragm ) 是由 P·纳思 S·普瑞沃伊尔 W·布什科 于 2018-04-23 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种形成具有顺应性构件的设备的方法包括在未固化状态下提供弹性体层。将弹性体层预固化以增加其粘度。随后,可将各自具有端部的线轴和外壳定位成使得它们的端部至少部分地延伸到弹性体层中。将弹性体层固化以将其固定到线轴外壳。预固化和固化操作的示例包括热固化、蒸镀固化和紫外线固化以及施加水分、微波能和化学添加剂中的一者或多者。由于在预固化后粘度增加,弹性体材料的迁移相对于未固化的弹性体材料大幅减少。弹性体材料迁移的减少导致沿外壳和线轴的壁部形成的弯月面减小,并减少了在它们的端部处形成的顺应性构件的薄化。(A method of forming an apparatus having a compliant member includes providing an elastomeric layer in an uncured state. The elastomeric layer is pre-cured to increase its viscosity. Subsequently, the bobbin and the housing, each having an end, may be positioned such that their ends extend at least partially into the elastomeric layer. The elastomer layer is cured to secure it to the spool housing. Examples of pre-curing and curing operations include thermal, evaporation and ultraviolet curing and the application of one or more of moisture, microwave energy and chemical additives. Due to the increased viscosity after pre-curing, the migration of the elastomeric material is greatly reduced with respect to the uncured elastomeric material. The reduction in elastomeric material migration results in a reduction in the meniscus formed along the walls of the housing and bobbin and reduces thinning of the compliant members formed at their ends.)

1. A method of manufacturing an apparatus having a compliant member, the method comprising:

providing an elastomeric layer in an uncured state;

precuring the elastomeric layer to increase the viscosity of the elastomeric layer;

positioning one or more of a bobbin and a housing each having an end such that the end of the one or more of a bobbin and a housing extends at least partially into the elastomeric layer; and

curing the elastomeric layer such that the elastomeric layer is secured to the one or more of the bobbin and the housing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-curing of the elastomer layer comprises: applying heat to the elastomeric layer to increase the temperature of the elastomeric layer to a first temperature.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the curing of the elastomer layer comprises: applying heat to the elastomeric layer to increase the temperature of the elastomeric layer to a second temperature greater than the first temperature.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pre-curing is performed over a first duration and the curing is performed over a second duration, and wherein the first duration is less than the second duration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-curing comprises: the elastomeric layer is irradiated with ultraviolet light for a first duration.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the curing comprises: irradiating the elastomeric layer with ultraviolet light for a second duration, and wherein the second duration is greater than the first duration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-curing of the elastomer layer comprises: irradiating the elastomeric layer with ultraviolet light at a first irradiance, and curing of the elastomeric layer comprises: irradiating the elastomeric layer with ultraviolet light at a second irradiance, and wherein the second irradiance is greater than the first irradiance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-curing comprises: heat is applied to the elastomeric layer and the elastomeric layer is irradiated with ultraviolet light.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the curing of the elastomer layer comprises: heat is applied to the elastomeric layer and the elastomeric layer is irradiated with ultraviolet light.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric layer is secured to the bobbin and the housing, the method further comprising: removing a portion of the elastomeric layer that extends beyond a diameter of the housing.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric layer in an uncured state comprises liquid silicone rubber.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning one or more of a spool and a housing further comprises: positioning the spool within the housing.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a compliant member having a substantially planar shape and formed from a single layer of cured elastomeric material; and

one or more of a bobbin and a housing each having an end that extends at least partially into the compliant member, wherein the elastomeric material adheres to a portion of the housing and/or bobbin at the end of the housing and/or bobbin to form a meniscus having a height defined along a wall of the housing and/or bobbin, and wherein the height of the meniscus is less than a height of a meniscus formed along the wall of the housing and/or bobbin for an uncured state of the elastomeric material.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the housing is a tube having an opening at the end.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the elastomeric material comprises silicone rubber.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the compliant member comprises a meniscus formed at each of an inner wall surface of the housing and/or bobbin and an outer wall surface of the housing and/or bobbin.

17. A micro-speaker apparatus comprising:

an acoustic diaphragm having a substantially planar shape and formed from a single layer of cured elastomeric material;

a housing having an end that extends at least partially into the single layer, wherein the single layer adheres to a portion of the housing at the end of the housing to form a first meniscus having a height defined along a wall of the housing, wherein the height of the first meniscus is less than a height of the meniscus along the wall of the housing for an uncured state of the elastomeric material;

a bobbin disposed inside the housing and having a surface and an end extending at least partially into the unitary layer, wherein the unitary layer adheres to a portion of the bobbin at the end of the bobbin to form a second meniscus having a height defined along a wall of the bobbin, wherein the height of the second meniscus is less than a height of the meniscus along the wall of the bobbin for an uncured unitary layer of the elastomeric material; and

a coil wound on the surface of the bobbin.

18. The micro-speaker apparatus of claim 17 wherein the first meniscus comprises a first inner meniscus having a height along an inner wall surface of the housing and a first outer meniscus having a height along an outer wall surface of the housing, and wherein the second meniscus comprises a second inner meniscus having a height along an inner wall surface of the bobbin and a second outer meniscus having a height along an outer wall surface of the bobbin.

19. The microspeaker of claim 17 wherein the housing and the bobbin are formed of different materials.

20. The microspeaker of claim 17 wherein the height of the first meniscus is different than the height of the second meniscus.

Background

The present disclosure relates to a micro device having a compliant member. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method of fabricating an acoustic diaphragm on a micro device.

Disclosure of Invention

In one aspect, a method of manufacturing an apparatus having a compliant member includes providing an elastomeric layer in an uncured state. The elastomeric layer is pre-cured to increase the viscosity of the elastomeric layer. One or more of the bobbin and the housing, each having an end, are positioned such that the ends of the one or more of the bobbin and/or the housing extend at least partially into the elastomeric layer. Curing the elastomeric layer such that the elastomeric layer is secured to one or more of the bobbin and/or the housing.

Various examples may include one or more of the following features:

the pre-curing may include applying heat to the elastomeric layer to increase the temperature of the elastomeric layer to a first temperature, and the curing of the elastomeric layer may include applying heat to the elastomeric layer to increase the temperature of the elastomeric layer to a second temperature greater than the first temperature. The pre-curing may be performed for a first duration and the curing may be performed for a second duration, wherein the first duration is less than the second duration.

The pre-curing may include irradiating the elastomeric layer with ultraviolet light for a first duration, and the curing may include irradiating the elastomeric layer with ultraviolet light for a second duration, wherein the second duration is greater than the first duration.

The pre-curing of the elastomeric layer may include irradiating the elastomeric layer with ultraviolet light at a first irradiance, and the curing of the elastomeric layer includes irradiating the elastomeric layer with ultraviolet light at a second irradiance, wherein the second irradiance is greater than the first irradiance.

Pre-curing may include applying heat to the elastomeric layer and irradiating the elastomeric layer with ultraviolet light. Curing may include applying heat to the elastomeric layer and irradiating the elastomeric layer with ultraviolet light.

The elastomeric layer may be secured to the bobbin and the housing, and the method may further include removing a portion of the elastomeric layer that extends beyond a diameter of the housing.

The elastomeric layer in the uncured state may comprise liquid silicone rubber.

Positioning of one or more of the spool and/or the housing may also include positioning the spool inside the housing.

According to another aspect, an apparatus includes a compliant member, and one or more of a bobbin and a housing. The compliant member has a substantially planar shape and is formed from a single layer of cured elastomeric material. One or more of the bobbin and the housing each have an end that extends at least partially into the compliant member. The elastomeric material adheres to a portion of the housing and/or the bobbin at an end of the housing and/or the bobbin to form a meniscus having a height defined along a wall of the housing and/or the bobbin. The height of the meniscus is less than the height of the meniscus formed along the walls of the housing and/or the spool for the uncured state of the elastomeric material.

Various examples may include one or more of the following features:

the housing may be a tube having an opening at an end. The elastomeric material may comprise silicone rubber.

The compliant member may include a meniscus formed at each of an inner wall surface of the housing and/or the bobbin and an outer wall surface of the housing and/or the bobbin.

According to another aspect, a micro-speaker apparatus includes an acoustic diaphragm, a housing, a bobbin, and a coil. The acoustic diaphragm has a substantially planar shape and is formed from a single layer of cured elastomeric material. The housing has an end that extends at least partially into the single layer. The single layer is adhered to a portion of the housing at an end of the housing to form a first meniscus having a height defined along a wall of the housing. The height of the first meniscus is less than the height of the meniscus along the wall of the housing for the uncured state of the elastomeric material. The bobbin is disposed within the housing and has a surface and an end that extends at least partially into the single layer. The unitary layer is adhered to a portion of the bobbin at an end of the bobbin to form a second meniscus having a height defined along a wall of the bobbin. The height of the second meniscus is less than the height of the meniscus for the wall portions of the uncured unitary layer of elastomeric material along the axis. The coil is wound on the surface of the bobbin.

Various examples may include one or more of the following:

the housing and the shaft may be formed of different materials.

The height of the first meniscus may be different from the height of the second meniscus.

The first meniscus may include a first inner meniscus having a height along an inner wall surface of the housing and a first outer meniscus having a height along an outer wall surface of the housing, and the second meniscus may include a second inner meniscus having a height along an inner wall surface of the axis and a second outer meniscus having a height along an outer wall surface of the axis.

Drawings

The above and further advantages of examples of the inventive concept may be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like structural elements and features in the various figures. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the features and implementations.

Fig. 1A, 1B, and 1C are a perspective view, a perspective sectional view, and an exploded sectional view, respectively, of an example of a micro-speaker of a micro-earplug.

Fig. 2 is a flow diagram representation of an example of a method of forming an apparatus having a compliant member.

Fig. 3A, 3B and 3C are cross-sectional views sequentially showing how the method of fig. 2 is applied to manufacture a micro-speaker device.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the end of the micro-speaker device of figure 3C showing the meniscus formed on the housing and the bobbin wall.

Fig. 5 is a flow diagram representation of an example of a method of forming an apparatus having a compliant member using thermal pre-curing and curing.

Fig. 6 is a graphical representation of the relationship between viscosity and temperature for an elastomeric material suitable for heat curing.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart representation of an example of a method of pre-curing and curing to form an apparatus having a compliant member using ultraviolet radiation.

FIG. 8 is a graphical representation of viscosity as a function of both irradiance and duration of ultraviolet exposure of an ultraviolet curable elastomeric material.

Detailed Description

Modern in-ear headphones or earplugs often include micro-speakers. The micro-speaker may include a coil attached to the acoustic diaphragm directly or through a bobbin around which the coil is wound. The movement of the diaphragm due to the electrical signal provided to the coil results in the generation of an acoustic signal that is responsive to the electrical signal. Micro-speakers typically include a housing, such as a sleeve or tube, that encloses a bobbin, coil, and magnetic structure. As the size of the earplugs decreases, it becomes increasingly difficult to manufacture an acoustic diaphragm having a resilient suspension at one end of the bobbin (or coil) and the housing.

Fig. 1A, 1B, and 1C are perspective, cross-sectional, and exploded cross-sectional views, respectively, of an example of a micro-speaker 10 that may be used in a micro-earplug. The micro-speaker 10 includes a cylindrical housing 12 having openings at both ends. Within the housing 12 there is a spool 14 which is nominally cylindrical in shape and is open at least at one end. The housing 12 and bobbin 14 are secured at one of their ends to a compliant member 16. In some examples, the housing 12 is made of stainless steel, and the wireThe shaft 14 is made of polyimide (e.g.,) Or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (e.g.,) And (4) preparing. The magnet assembly 18 is secured to a platform 19 at an end of the housing 12 opposite the compliant member 16. The magnet assembly 18 includes two magnet pieces 18A and 18B separated by a coil 18C. The magnet assembly 18 extends along an axis 20 of the housing 12 and into an open area within the bobbin 14. In one example, magnet pieces 18A and 18B are cylindrical neodymium magnets. The coil 22 is wound onto the outside surface of the bobbin 14. The bobbin 14 moves substantially along the housing axis 20 in response to current being conducted through the coil 22. In turn, the central circular portion of the compliant member 16 moves axially and displaces air, thereby forming an acoustic signal.

One technique for manufacturing the compliant member 16 includes placing the open end of the housing 12 and the open end of the bobbin 14 into a single thin layer of liquid silicone rubber. The liquid silicone rubber is then cured to form the compliant member 16. The central region of the compliant member 16 located within the end regions of the bobbin may be stiffened while the annular region surrounding the central region remains compliant. This technique presents difficulties because the liquid silicone has a surface tension that causes the liquid to adhere to and "climb" the walls of the housing 12 and bobbin 14 to form a meniscus. Migration of the liquid silicone to the walls can occur quickly, for example, within a few seconds of placing the end of the housing 12 and bobbin into the liquid silicone rubber. The result of the migration is a reduction in the thickness of the silicone layer, which may create holes in the compliant member 16. The holes may form during the demolding process because compliant member 16 is weakened at the thinned region. In addition, the thinned region may cause tears or holes to form in the compliant member 10 during operation of the micro-speaker 10.

Fig. 2 is a flowchart representation of an example of a method 100 of manufacturing an apparatus having a compliant member. Reference is also made to fig. 3A-3C, which are cross-sectional side view illustrations that illustrate in sequential fashion that the method 100 is applied to manufacture a micro-speaker apparatus, wherein the compliant member can be subsequently processed to form an acoustic diaphragm and surround.

According to the method 100, the elastomeric layer 22(110) is provided in an uncured state, as shown in fig. 3A. The elastomeric layer 22 may be a thermoset rubber, such as silicone rubber or polyurethane, which may be subsequently cured, for example, by the application of heat (thermal cure), air (vapor cure), moisture, microwave energy, Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and/or chemical additives. The elastomeric layer 22 is disposed on a release liner 24 that is later removed during the manufacturing process. The viscosity of the silicone is generally sufficient that the thickness of the applied layer does not change significantly, although surface features and ridges typically disappear over time until the surface is substantially flat. By way of specific, non-limiting example, the silicone rubber may be available from Wacker Chemie AG of Munich, Germany3070 series of self-adhesive liquid silicone rubber, the polyurethane may be MPP-W43C polyurethane gel or GK-22 polyurethane gel from Northstar Polymers, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minn.Y., and the gasket 24 may be 40 μm thick silicone rubber from LOPAREX, Inc. of Carrie, N.C.5100 series fluorosilicone release liner. The thickness of the uncured elastomer layer 22 may vary depending on the needs of a particular application. By way of specific, non-limiting example, the thickness of the uncured elastomer layer 22 may be in the range of about 50 μm to about 100 μm.

The elastomeric layer 22 is pre-cured (120) to increase its viscosity. As used herein, "pre-cure" refers to increasing the viscosity of an elastomeric material such that it is more viscous than the elastomeric material initially provided and less viscous than the elastomeric material in a fully cured state. The material is partially cured to achieve a viscosity at or slightly below the gel point, defined as the point of intersection of the storage modulus and the loss modulus. Above this viscosity, the material exhibits an elastic-like behavior and it is no longer possible to pot the components into the elastomer. Thus, pre-cured materials are more resistant to flow than uncured materials, while cured (i.e., fully cured) materials are typically in a toughened or hardened state and are not affected by flow. The viscosity of the elastomeric material generally increases with increasing cured part, but the change in viscosity with cured part is not necessarily linear.

After pre-curing, the housing 28 and bobbin 30 (only the ends shown) are positioned (130) such that their ends extend at least partially into the elastomeric layer 22, as shown in fig. 3B. In one example, the housing 28 is in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube, and the spool 30 is configured to move in a bi-directional manner in the direction of the tube axis. The housing 28 and the spool 30 may be positioned simultaneously. Alternatively, the housing 28 and spool 30 may be positioned at different times so long as the viscosity of the elastomeric material does not change significantly between the positioning times of the two articles. Due to the increased viscosity after pre-curing, the migration of the elastomeric material is substantially reduced relative to the migration that would otherwise occur with an uncured elastomeric material. The reduction in elastomeric material migration results in a reduction in the meniscus formed along the walls of the housing 28 and bobbin 30, as described further below.

The elastomeric material is cured (140) such that the housing 28 and the end of the bobbin are secured to the elastomeric layer 22. The release liner 24 is then removed so that the elastomeric layer 22 remains a substantially flat compliant member adhered to the ends of the housing 28 and bobbin 30. The central region of the compliant member (i.e., the region defined within the diameter of the bobbin 30) may be stiffened to form an acoustic diaphragm. An annular region surrounding the central region defines a compliant enclosure that can support the bobbin 30 and coil and enable axial movement of the acoustic diaphragm to generate an acoustic signal. The portion of the compliant member that extends beyond the outer diameter of the housing 28 may be removed by any of a variety of techniques, such as by trimming or using a punch tool.

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the end of the housing 28 and the spool 30 corresponding to the left side of fig. 3C. The meniscus 32 is such that the elastomeric material has climbed (vertically displaced in the figure) the housing 28 andat the location of the wall of the bobbin 30. Thus, there are inner and outer meniscuses 32A, 32B along the inner and outer wall surfaces 34, 36, respectively, of the housing 28. Similarly, inner and outer menisci 32C, 32D are present along inner and outer wall surfaces 38, 40, respectively, of bobbin 30. Each meniscus 32 has a height H defined from the top surface 42 of the elastomeric layer 22₁. The meniscus 32 forms over a period of time beginning when the ends of the housing 28 and bobbin 30 are first positioned in the pre-cured elastomer layer 22. All menisci 32 are shown as having the same height H₁(ii) a However, the height along the two wall portions may differ, since the material migration along the wall portions differs depending on the material of the wall portions.

Fig. 4 shows that the bottom of the wall does not coincide with the bottom of the elastomeric layer 22, because there is some affinity between the elastomeric material and the wall regardless of the pre-cure viscosity. The distance from the bottom of the wall to the bottom of the layer 22 is influenced by the viscosity increase achieved during pre-curing.

The height H of the meniscus 32 is due to the increased viscosity of the pre-cured elastomer layer 22 and the corresponding decrease in material migration₁Is significantly less than the height H of the meniscus that would otherwise be formed using an uncured elastomeric layer₂. Thus, less thinning occurs and the thickness variation across elastomer layer 22 is significantly reduced. Advantageously, the resulting device is easier to remove from a release liner (not shown) without tearing or creating holes. In addition, the chance of holes or tears being created during operation of the micro-speaker device fabricated with the compliant member is reduced or eliminated. Another advantage is a more consistent stiffness of the suspension defined by the perimeter portion of the compliant member surrounding the inner acoustic diaphragm. It should be noted that eliminating the meniscus 32 is not an objective as they represent an increase in the attachment area to the walls of the housing 28 and spool 30 and if no meniscus is present, tearing may occur when the release liner is removed. In addition, the meniscus 32 limits stress concentrations at the interface between the elastomer and the housing and bobbin wall.

Referring to fig. 5, a method 200 of manufacturing an apparatus having a compliant member is shownA flowchart representation of one example of where the fabrication utilizes thermal pre-curing and thermal curing. An elastomeric layer (210) is provided in an uncured state, and the temperature of the layer is increased (220) to increase the viscosity of the elastomeric material to a moderate level (i.e., a level below the viscosity of a fully cured). Reference is also made to fig. 6, which shows the relationship between viscosity and temperature for an example of a silicone elastomer suitable for heat curing. At a temperature T₁Below, the viscosity decreased slightly with increasing temperature. At a temperature T₁And higher temperature T₂In between, the viscosity increases rapidly with temperature. At a temperature T₁And temperature T₂In between, the viscosity may vary by about 100 times or more. At a value greater than T₂The viscosity gradually increases with increasing temperature.

For thermal pre-cure, heat is applied to the elastomer layer to increase its temperature to greater than temperature T₁But well below the temperature T₂. By way of non-limiting example, the pre-cure temperature of the elastomeric layer may be in the range of about 35 ℃ to about 100 ℃. Point 44 represents one example of a pre-cure operating temperature. The result of the pre-cure operation is a sufficient increase in viscosity that the elastomeric material is more resistant to flow and forms a large meniscus, while still allowing the end of the housing and bobbin to be properly placed in the elastomeric layer. For example, the elastomeric layer on the release liner may be passed through a production line oven, or through one or more heating lamps or elements to achieve the desired temperature. By way of example, the duration of time the elastomeric layer is at the pre-cure temperature may be less than one minute to more than ten minutes. It will be appreciated that the temperature and duration of the pre-cure selected will depend on the physical properties of the particular elastomeric material and on the desired height H of the meniscus 32 (see FIG. 4)₁But may vary.

The housing and bobbin are positioned (230) in the elastomeric layer after passing through an oven or through a heater. In an alternative example, the housing and bobbin may be positioned while the elastomer layer and release liner are at an elevated pre-cure temperature.

After placement of the housing and bobbin is completed, heat is applied to increase (240) the temperature of the elastomer layer to substantially greater than T₂To be completely fixedAnd (c) forming the elastomer layer. The duration of curing is significantly longer than the duration of pre-curing. The duration of curing may be several hours or more (e.g., a curing temperature of 150 ℃ requires a four hour duration).

In some manufacturing environments, the pre-curing is performed in a thermal environment separate from the curing operation. More specifically, the pre-curing may be performed using a production line oven or one or more heaters, and the curing may be performed using a separate oven or heater configuration. In this way, the longer duration of curing does not limit the part throughput of the production line, and the curing oven is used as a separate batch process.

Fig. 7 shows a flow diagram representation of one example of a method 300 of manufacturing an apparatus having a compliant member, where the manufacturing utilizes UV pre-curing and UV curing. Referring also to FIG. 8, a viscosity and UV curable elastomeric material (available from Westford, N.Y.) is shownUVElectro 225(UV curing)Liquid silicone rubber)) and UV exposure duration. The figure shows the storage modulus as a function of UV irradiation duration for irradiance of 2mW/cm2, 6mW/cm2, 21.5mW/cm2 and 44.6mW/cm2 (graphs 50, 52, 54 and 56) using a UVA light source having a spectral output centered at about 365 nm. There was a significant initial three second delay in each of the four plots before starting the ultraviolet irradiation. The difference in initial viscosity is due to the change in sample temperature.

Fig. 8 shows how a larger uv irradiance can achieve full cure in a shorter exposure duration. Similarly, for greater irradiance, the duration of pre-cure is also less. The change in viscosity from uncured to fully cured can be from less than 100 times the viscosity of the uncured material to more than 1,000 times the viscosity.

According to the method 300, an elastomeric layer (310) is provided in an uncured state. The layer is irradiated (320) with ultraviolet light for a pre-cure duration, which may range, for example, from less than 10 seconds to several minutes or more, and is dependent on the irradiance. By way of specific example, the ultraviolet light may be emitted from an arc lamp (e.g., a mercury lamp) or one or more UV Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). Ultraviolet irradiation of the elastomeric layer during pre-curing increases the viscosity of the layer to a level where the layer is more resistant to flow. Lower irradiance requires longer pre-cure duration; however, any variation in viscosity increase during pre-cure due to differences in pre-cure duration for different manufacturing runs is reduced. The preferred irradiance and duration of the UV pre-cure is based on the specific material used and the meniscus geometry desired (see fig. 4) to substantially reduce the thickness variation of the elastomeric layer.

After the pre-cure is completed, the housing and bobbin are positioned (330) such that their ends extend into the elastomeric layer. Although the elastomeric material migrates after the housing and bobbin are placed, the increased viscosity limits the size of the meniscus formed along the housing and bobbin walls, and thus the thickness variation of the material is reduced relative to migration that would otherwise occur if placed in an uncured material. Subsequently, the elastomeric layer is irradiated (340) with ultraviolet light to achieve full cure. The irradiance for the curing duration may be greater than the irradiance for the pre-curing duration. Furthermore, the duration of curing may be significantly longer than the duration of pre-curing, and may be determined in part by the curing irradiance. Preferably, the UV source is configured relative to the apparatus such that the elastomeric layer is not obscured by the housing or bobbin for spatial consistency of the curing process; however, dual cure materials that can be cured by application of ultraviolet radiation and/or heat can be used to avoid the problems associated with shadow zones.

The UV pre-cure and UV cure processes may be done separately. For example, the two processes may utilize different UV light sources. As another example, the pre-cure UV light source may be located on a production line, and the cure UV light source may be a separate light source configured for batch irradiation of a large number of parts, such that the production capacity of the production line is not affected.

A number of embodiments have been described. It should be understood, however, that the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the inventive concept, which is defined by the scope of the claims. Other examples are within the scope of the following claims.