Hybrid injection molding process for enhancing exterior appearance of molded articles by molding fabric thereto
AssigneeSlipmate Company
InventorsVincent Masterson, Mark Matecki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid injection molding machine that has the capability to draw a decorative or fabric sheet into a mold cavity prior to injection into the mold has opposing male and female mold parts. At least one of the mold parts has an insert formed from a porous metal so that a vacuum may be drawn through the insert in order to draw the fabric sheet into all aspects of the insert cavity so that plastic may then be injection molded into the cavity of the mold.
Claims12
A process for forming a molded article having an injection-molded body portion with first and second opposing surfaces and a fabric applied to one of said first and second surfaces, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a mold assembly having first and second mold blocks, the first mold block having a cavity portion disposed thereon and the second mold block having a detail portion disposed thereon, said first and second mold blocks being interengageable with each other such that cavity and detail portions cooperatively define an interior cavity of said mold assembly;
- providing a sheet of fabric for application to said molded article;
- placing the fabric sheet between said first and second mold blocks in alignment with said cavity portion;
- applying negative air pressure to said cavity portion and partially drawing said fabric into said cavity portion;
- engaging said first and second mold blocks together to form said mold assembly interior cavity;
- applying positive air pressure to said detail portion in order to assist said fabric sheet in being drawn into said cavity portion;
- and,
- injecting a molding material into said interior mold cavity to form the molded article, said fabric being bonded to said molded article along substantially all of said first surface of said molded article.
A process for the forming of molded articles in which the articles have a molded body portion and a fabric applied to an exterior surface of said molded article, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a mold assembly having female and male mold blocks, the female mold block having a cavity portion disposed therein defining part of a shape of an article to be molded, and the male mold block having a detail portion disposed thereon defining the remaining part of said molded article, said female and male mold blocks being interengageable with each other such that cavity and detail portions cooperatively define an interior cavity of said mold assembly, said female mold block including at least one first porous insert that forms at least a portion of said cavity portion, said male mold block including at least one second porous insert that forms at least a portion of said detail portion, the first and second porous inserts having a porosity great enough to permit passage of gases through said porous insert, but low enough so as to preclude passage of molding material through said porous insert;
- providing a sheet of fabric for application to said molded article;
- placing the fabric sheet upon said first mold block in alignment with said cavity portion, such that a first side of said fabric sheet faces said cavity portions and a second side of said fabric sheet faces said detail portions;
- drawing at least a portion of said fabric sheet into said cavity portion by applying negative air pressure to said cavity portion through said first porous insert, thereby creating at least a partial vacuum in said cavity portion on said first side of said fabric sheet sufficient to draw a portion of said fabric sheet into said cavity portion;
- engaging said first and second mold blocks together to form said mold assembly interior cavity;
- applying positive air pressure to said detail portion through said second porous insert, thereby creating a positive air pressure force on said second side of said fabric sheet sufficient to assist in the drawing of said fabric sheet into said cavity portion;
- and,
- injecting a molding material into said interior mold cavity to form the molded article, said fabric sheet being bonded to said molded article along substantially all of said exterior surface of said molded article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.