Method for the manufacture of a plastic molded part

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for manufacturing a plastic molded part. A plasticized plastic composition is fed to the open mold cavity defined between a lower and an upper mold half. At least one web and perhaps two webs of decorative material to be applied to the molded part extend across the mold cavity. The closing of the mold halves presses the plastic composition against the web or webs. There is at least one two-part clamping frame for resiliently holding the web of decorative material by clamping it outside the mold cavity, so that the web can slip with respect to the composition as the mold halves move together. One clamping frame half is developed with an immersion edge which defines a side edge of the mold cavity and with a cutting plane spaced from the immersion edge a distance sufficient that the frame half also serves as an ejector for the molded part from the mold cavity as the mold halves open apart. Plastic composition is either directly delivered to the mold cavity or it is first delivered to a preforming chamber which is placed in the mold cavity and then the chamber is opened to deliver the preshaped part to the mold cavity. The preforming chamber has a non-adherent interior surface and/or is air permeable and a gas is supplied for the purpose of minimizing or eliminating adherence of the plastic composition to the internal surface of the preforming chamber.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.