Two-shot, co-injected trim panel
AssigneeLear Corporation
InventorsGlenn Cowelchuk, Michael Schoemann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In at least certain embodiments, the present invention relates to a method of making an interior trim panel, a mold for forming the interior trim panel, and the interior trim panel. In at least one embodiment, the vehicle trim panel comprises a substrate portion comprising a substrate shell layer and a substrate core layer substantially disposed within the substrate shell layer, and a padded cover portion integrally molded onto at least a portion of the substrate portion, with the padded cover portion comprising a cover shell layer and a cover core layer substantially disposed within the cover shell layer.
Claims20
A method of making an interior trim panel for a vehicle comprising:
- co-injecting a first material and a second material into a first injection mold cavity defining the shape of a substrate portion of the trim panel to form the substrate portion;
- and
- co-injecting a third material and a fourth material into a second injection mold cavity containing the substrate portion and defining the shape of a padded cover portion of the trim panel to form the padded cover portion integrally molded onto at least a portion of the substrate portion.
A mold for forming a trim panel of a vehicle comprising:
- a first injection mold having a first mold portion and a second mold portion capable of relative movement between an open position and a closed position, the first and second mold portions, when in the closed position, defining a first cavity in which the shape of a substrate portion of the trim panel is defined, at least one of the first and second mold portions having at least one port for co-injecting a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material into the first cavity to form the substrate portion;
- and
- a second injection mold including the first mold portion of the first injection mold and a third mold portion capable of relative movement between an open position and a closed position in which the substrate portion is supported within the second injection mold, the first and third mold portions, when in the closed position and when the substrate portion is supported within the second injection mold, defining a second cavity in which the shape of a padded cover portion of the trim panel portion is defined, at least one of the first and third mold portions having at least one port for co-injecting a third polymeric material and a fourth polymeric material into the second cavity to form the padded cover portion integrally molded onto at least a portion of the substrate portion.
A vehicle trim panel, comprising:
- a substrate portion comprising a substrate shell layer and a substrate core layer substantially disposed within the substrate shell layer;
- and
- a padded cover portion integrally molded onto at least a portion of the substrate portion, the padded cover portion comprising a cover shell layer and a cover core layer substantially disposed within the cover shell layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.