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US 12,403,839 B2Granted
Method of forming a one-piece vehicle roof rail
AssigneeLacks Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsThomas Hawkins, Paul Nikandrou, Ryan Lacks, Nick Hrnyak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A roof rail for a vehicle is provided that is made of only one piece and is solid across its length. The roof rail may be made using a co-injection molding process, a two-shot injection molding process or an extrusion molding process.
Claims15
A method of forming a roof rail for a vehicle, including:
- injection molding an elongated main body portion extending in a longitudinal direction between a pair of connecting portions each at an end of the main body portion, wherein the roof rail is configured to connect to the vehicle at the connecting portions, wherein the main body portion and the connecting portions are formed as a single unitary one piece component with a single upper surface being substantially continuous in the longitudinal direction, an opposing bottom surface being substantially continuous in the longitudinal direction, and two opposing side surfaces each extending between the upper and bottom surfaces, wherein the side surfaces are each substantially continuous between the upper surface and the bottom surface, and wherein the main body portion and the connecting portions are comprised entirely of a single plateable thermoplastic material with no glass filler;
- wherein the roof rail is solidly filled with the single thermoplastic material an entire distance between the upper and bottom surfaces;
- and
- electroplating a metal plating layer onto substantially an entirety of the upper surface and sides surfaces of the roof rail to provide an appearance of a metal roof rail.
1 more element
A method of forming a roof rail for a vehicle, including:
- injection molding an elongated main body portion extending between a pair of connecting portions for being connected to the roof to the vehicle;
- wherein the main body portion and the connecting portions are formed as a single unitary one piece component with a single upper surface, a bottom surface opposite and in spaced relationship with the upper surface and two opposing side surfaces extending between the upper and bottom surfaces;
- wherein the upper, bottom and side surfaces are each substantially continuous;
- wherein the main body portion and the connecting portions are comprised entirely of a single plateable thermoplastic material with no glass filler;
- wherein the single plateable thermoplastic material solidly fills an entire distance between the upper and bottom surfaces;
- and
- electroplating a metal plating layer onto substantially an entirety of the upper surface and the sides surfaces of the main body and connecting portions to provide an appearance of a metal roof rail.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.