Back to results
US 4,094,056 AGranted
Decorative trim strip
AssigneeAisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsShinji Takeda, Shoji Kobayashi, Yutaka Watanabe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for forming a decorative trim strip by extruding a thermoplastic material around a continuous length of metal strip. The thermoplastic material is shaped with longitudinal grooves and when the strip is bent along the groove, the thermoplastic material on opposite sides of the grooves comes into contact. The strip is heated and the thermoplastic material in contact fuses to essentially eliminate the grooves.
Claims7
A process for forming a decorative strip comprised of an elongated metal strip and a thermoplastic portion affixed thereto, comprising the steps of:
- (a) supplying and transporting a continuous length of said metal strip;
- (b) extruding thermoplastic material onto said strip while transporting said strip, said strip being at least partially surrounded by said material;
- (c) forming said material around said strip to a first predetermined cross sectional shape, said shape including at least one longitudinal groove in said material;
- and
- (d) sequentially shaping said strip and said material surrounding said strip by bending said strip and said material to a second predetermined cross sectional shape, said strip being bent longitudinally at a location adjacent the root of said groove, thereby closing said groove, said shaping step including heating of said thermoplastic material to induce fusion of said material where said material on one side of said groove is in contact with material on the other side of said groove.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.