Injection molded plastic article with integral weatherable pigmented film surface
AssigneeRexam Industries Corp.
InventorsThomas M. Ellison, Brian M. Keith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Molded articles having contoured, decorative outer surfaces are disclosed. The articles comprise a molded polymer substrate and a decorative surfacing film adhered to one side of the substrate. The decorative surfacing film comprises a substantially molecularly unoriented cast polymer film formed from a weatherable polymer. The articles are particularly suited for use as automobile body panels and the like. Also disclosed is a method for making such articles, and a method for making sets of such articles for assembly into automobile bodies and the like.
Claims22
A structure comprising a set of molded articles, each of said molded articles of said set comprising a molded polymer substrate having a contoured three-dimensional surface and a preformed decorative surfacing film adhered to and conforming to said contoured three-dimensional surface, said decorative surfacing film comprising a preformed molecularly unoriented liquid-cast weatherable polymer film and a bonding layer formed from a preselected polymer different from said cast polymer film, said bonding layer being adhered to the inner surface of said cast polymer film and adhered to said contoured three-dimensional surface of said substrate, said cast polymer film having pigments therein providing a uniform layer of color to the outer surface of said article, wherein said cast film is the same for every article in said set, and wherein said bonding layer in each of said articles is formed of a polymer preselected to adhere to said moldable polymer of each of said articles, so that said articles have uniformly colored decorative outer surfaces and the need for painting said structure is eliminated.
A molded automobile exterior body part having a contoured decorative outer surface, comprising a molded polymer substrate and a molded decorative sheet material adhered to and covering one side of said substrate and conforming to said contoured surface and imparting to said body part a high grade decorative finish having the appearance of an automotive quality painted finish, said decorative sheet material comprising a substantially molecularly unoriented cast weatherable polymer film comprising an alloy of polyvinylidene fluoride and an acrylic polymer, said cast polymer film having pigments therein, and a thermoformable bonding layer adhered to the inner surface of said cast polymer film, said bonding layer comprising a thermoformable layer of a polymer different from said cast polymer film, and an adhesive layer between said thermoformable layer and said cast polymer film adhering said thermoformable layer to said cast polymer film, and said bonding layer also being adhered to said contoured three-dimensional outer surface of said substrate.
A molded automobile exterior body part having a contoured decorative outer surface, comprising a molded polymer substrate formed of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer having a contoured three-dimensional outer surface and a molded decorative sheet material adhered to and covering one side of said substrate and conforming to said contoured surface and imparting to said body part a high grade decorative finish having the appearance of an automotive quality painted finish, said decorative sheet material having regions thereof which have been subjected to an elongation of about 25% or more, and said decorative sheet material comprising a substantially molecularly unoriented liquid-cast weatherable polymer film comprising an alloy of a polyvinylidene fluoride polymer and an acrylic polymer, said cast polymer film having pigments therein, and a thermoformable bonding layer adhered to the inner surface of said cast polymer film, said bonding layer comprising a thermoformable layer of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer, and an adhesive layer between said thermoformable layer and said cast polymer film adhering said thermoformable layer to said cast polymer film, and said bonding layer also being adhered to said contoured three-dimensional outer surface of said substrate.
A molded automobile exterior body part having a contoured decorative outer surface, comprising a molded polymer substrate formed of polyolefin polymer having a contoured three-dimensional outer surface and a molded decorative sheet material adhered to and covering one side of said substrate and conforming to said contoured surface and imparting to said body part a high grade decorative finish having the appearance of an automotive quality painted finish, said decorative sheet material having regions thereof which have been subjected to an elongation of about 25% or more, and said decorative sheet material comprising a substantially molecularly unoriented liquid-cast weatherable polymer film comprising an alloy of a polyvinylidene fluoride polymer and an acrylic polymer, said cast polymer film having pigments therein, and a thermoformable bonding layer adhered to the inner surface of said cast polymer film, said bonding layer comprising a thermoformable layer of a polyolefin polymer, and an adhesive layer between said thermoformable layer and said cast polymer film adhering said thermoformable layer to said cast polymer film, and said bonding layer also being adhered to said contoured three-dimensional outer surface of said substrate.
A molded automobile exterior body part having a contoured decorative outer surface, comprising a molded polymer substrate and a molded decorative sheet material adhered to and covering one side of said substrate and conforming to said contoured surface and imparting to said body part a high grade decorative finish, said decorative sheet material comprising a substantially molecularly unoriented liquid-cast weatherable preformed self-supporting polymer film, said cast polymer film having pigments therein providing a uniform layer of color to the outer surface of said part with the appearance of an automotive quality paint finish, and a bonding layer comprising a thermoformable polymer different from said cast polymer film, said bonding layer being adhered to the inner surface of said cast polymer film and also being adhered to said contoured three-dimensional outer surface of said substrate.
A molded article in the form of an automobile outer body panel having a contoured decorative outer surface, comprising a molded polymer substrate selected to provide properties suited to the specific end use of the particular outer body panel, and a molded high-quality decorative sheet material with an appearance suitable for use on an automobile body panel adhered to one side of said substrate and conforming to said contoured surface to provide an outer surface which is uniformly colored in accordance with a predetermined color scheme, wherein said decorative sheet material comprises a substantially molecularly unoriented liquid-cast weatherable thermoformable polymer film which on its own is a preformed self-supporting sheet, said liquid-cast polymer film having pigments uniformly distributed therein and providing a uniform layer of color to the outer surface of said article, the polymer of the pigmented film being selected to provide a pigmented film which will maintain a paint-like appearance when stretched and elongated and which will not significantly fade, peel, chalk or crack when exposed to the environment for the intended life of the body panel, and a thermoformable bonding layer of a material which has been preselected to adhere to the particular moldable polymer from which the outer body panel is made, comprising a polymer different from the polymer of the liquid-cast film, adhering the inner surface of the liquid-cast polymer film to the molded polymer substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.