Automotive trim with clear top coat and method of making same
AssigneeGuardian Automotive Trim, Inc.
InventorHenry H. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An exterior automotive trim product, and method of making the same. In certain embodiments, a color pigmented thermoplastic layer is provided. A transparent clear coat is calendared to the color pigmented layer to form a composite or laminate. The laminate is subsequently vacuum-formed into a three dimensional shape approximating the desired shape of a final trim product. The vacuum-formed laminate is then inserted into an injection molding device, and semi-molten resin injected into the mold cavity behind the laminate. The resin fuses with the vacuum-formed laminate with the result being the final automotive trim product. Thus, no spray painting or spraying of solvents is required, and burdensome dry paint transfer techniques may be avoided.
Claims17
A method of making a colored automotive trim product, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a substantially transparent clear coat layer on a carrier layer to form a clear coat laminate;
- calendaring the clear coat laminate to a colored substrate including color pigment material therein using at least first and second rollers to form a colored laminate including the clear coat, the carrier layer, and the colored substrate, the colored substrate being opaque to visible light;
- thermoforming the colored laminate into a desired three dimensional shape in a vacuum-forming apparatus to provide a thermoformed colored laminate;
- providing the thermoformed color laminate in a cavity of an injection molding apparatus;
- injecting flowable resin into the cavity of the injection molding apparatus behind the thermoformed color laminate to provide a colored trim product having at least three layers;
- and
- removing the carrier from the trim product.
A method of making a colored automotive trim product, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a substantially transparent clear coat layer (77) from about 0.000025 to 0.003 inches thick;
- thermoforming the clear coat layer into a desired three dimensional shape;
- placing the clear coat layer into a cavity of an injection molding apparatus;
- and
- injecting a flowable colored material into the cavity of the injection molding apparatus behind the clear coat layer to form a three dimensionally molded colored product;
- and
- using the three dimensionally molded colored product as a trim product on a vehicle.
A method of making an automotive product, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a substantially transparent clear coat layer (77) from about 0.000025 to 0.003 inches thick;
- thermoforming at least the clear coat layer into a desired three dimensional shape;
- and
- injecting a flowable material into a cavity behind the clear coat layer to form a three dimensionally molded automotive product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.