Method for forming grain coverings on reaction injection molded articles
AssigneeEx-Cell-O Corporation
InventorLaurent R. Gaudreau
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing a molded article comprising covering at least a portion of the mold wall with a thin smooth surfaced soft lining as an integral permanent lower part of the mold cavity, thereafter loading a preformed grained vinyl shell against at least a portion of the soft lining; closing the mold and injecting a reactive plastic formulation into the mold such that the reactive plastic material forms a rigid backing layer that is strongly bonded to the vinyl shell without distorting the vinyl.
Claims3
A reaction injection molding process for forming a finished article having an undistorted grained surface on a vinyl shell component loaded into a mold cavity capable of repeated openings and closings comprising:
- (a) pre-forming a vinyl shell having a grained surface of a first hardness;
- (b) providing an integral soft lining on a mold part of the cavity having a hardness less than that of said vinyl shell and a thickness greater than the surface relief of the grained surface;
- (c) loading the pre-formed vinyl shell into the mold cavity with its grained surface in engagement with the soft lining;
- (d) closing the mold;
- (e) supplying the mold cavity with a reaction injection molding material mixture;
- (f) allowing the reaction of the ingredients injection into the mold cavity to go to completion;
- (g) holding the surface relief of the vinyl shell against the soft lining so as to prevent grain distortion by the substrate material of the pour mold cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.