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US 4,102,975 AGranted
Method of treating and forming a panel
AssigneeVan Dresser Corporation
InventorRichard P. Doerer
Life of this patent
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AssigneeVan Dresser Corporation
InventorRichard P. Doerer
Estimating the term…
A method of forming a flexible sheetlike structure such as an automotive headliner by treating a sheet of fiberboard or other similar material with water at an elevated temperature to make the sheet sufficiently ductile to permit forming without tearing or blowing, and placing the water-treated sheet between heated dies to form the sheet to a compound curvature by the application of heat and pressure. The sheet may or may not be perforated. The method also includes finishing one side of the die-formed sheet by securing a decorative or sound-absorbing layer thereto. The sheet is placed on a support and the layer is applied over the adhesive coated upper surface of the sheet. A cover is draped over the support to provide an air seal over the layer and sheet and is drawn against the support by differential pressure, either pressure or vacuum to press the layer against the sheet and adhere the two together.
A method of forming a curved flexible substantially self-supporting sheetlike structure, comprising the steps of providing a panel comprising a sheet of fibrous material formed of wood fibers in a resin binder and having a substantial resistance to bending and being capable of being softened and made sufficiently ductile to permit forming compound curvatures in it without tearing or blowing by the application thereto of water at a temperature in the range of 180.degree. F. to 212.degree. F., providing a body of water at a temperature in said range, totally immersing said panel in said body of water for from 3 seconds to 40 seconds, thereafter placing the panel between heated dies and forming a compound curvature in the same by the application of heat and pressure to the opposite sides thereof by said dies, and holding the panel between said dies until sufficiently dry to hold its shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.