Smoothing of a surface of an article formed from a plastic
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorBruno Alves
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device and method for smoothing a surface of an article formed at least partially from plastic, in particular a component of a motor vehicle, is provided. The method includes arranging the article in a vacuum-tight chamber, reducing the pressure in the chamber to a partial vacuum of not more than 50 kPa, in particular not more than 34 kPa, and admitting acetone into the chamber. Some of the acetone is vaporized and the vapor is precipitated on the surface of the article. In one form, the precipitated vapor acts on the article for at least 1 minute. The method further includes opening the chamber, so that at least the ambient pressure prevails in the chamber and removing the article from the chamber.
Claims20
A method for smoothing a surface of an article formed at least partially from a plastic, in particular a component of a motor vehicle, comprising:
- arranging the article in a vacuum-tight chamber;
- reducing pressure in the chamber to a partial vacuum to at most 50 kPa;
- admitting acetone into the chamber, wherein at least some of the acetone is vaporized and the acetone vapor is precipitated on a surface of the article;
- allowing the precipitated acetone vapor to act on the article for at least 1 minute;
- opening the chamber so that at least ambient pressure is in the chamber;
- and
- removing the article from the chamber.
A device for smoothing a surface of an article formed at least partially from a plastic, in particular a component of a motor vehicle, comprising:
- a vacuum tight chamber that is configured to accommodate at least one article to be treated;
- a vessel containing acetone and being connected to the vacuum tight chamber by a feed line having a one-way valve;
- a working chamber comprising an air area and an acetone area linked to the vacuum tight chamber, the working chamber further comprising a displaceable divider operable to separate the air area and the acetone area;
- and
- a vacuum pump having a suction side connected to the air area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.