US 6,749,794 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for molding components with molded-in surface texture

AssigneeR + S Technik GmbH

InventorErnst Maximilian Spengler

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Abstract

An automobile interior trim component includes a molded substrate laminated onto a cover sheet including a foam backing and a skin film having a surface texture. The cover sheet is preheated so the skin film is in a melted viscous liquid state above its melting temperature, and the foam backing remains in a solid elastic foam state below its melting temperature. The preheated cover sheet is mechanically pre-molded by a back mold into a front mold. Pressurized air is applied through the back mold, to blow-mold the cover sheet against the front mold, so the melted skin film reproduces a surface texture of the front mold surface while the solid foam backing acts as a buffer and air barrier layer. Vacuum is applied through the front mold surface. The mold is opened, a substrate is introduced, and the back mold then molds and thermally laminates the substrate against the foam backing of the cover sheet.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A method of making a molded component having a molded-in surface texture, using a molding apparatus including a front mold having a front mold surface with a front mold surface texture, and a back mold having a back mold surface opposed to said front mold, said method comprising the following steps:

a) providing a cover sheet including a skin film comprising a skin film material, and a foam backing comprising a foam backing materials;
b) heating said cover sheet so as to heat said skin film to a first temperature equal to or above a melting temperature of said skin film material, and so as to heat said foam backing to a second temperature below a melting temperature of said foam backing material;
c) arranging said cover sheet between said front mold and said back mold with said skin film facing toward said front mold and said foam backing facing toward said back mold, and then moving at least one of said front mold and said back mold relatively toward each other with said cover sheet therebetween;
d) molding said cover sheet and bringing said skin film into direct contact with said front mold surface so as to mold into said skin film a molded-in surface texture that is the inverse of said front mold surface texture;
e) after said step d), cooling said cover sheet and moving apart at least one of said front mold and said back mold relative to each other;
and
f) after said step e), introducing a substrate material between said foam backing and said back mold surface, and moving at least one of said front mold and said back mold relatively toward each other, so that said back mold surface presses against said substrate material and molds and bond said substrate material onto said foam backing so as to form a molded substrate from said substrate material.

4 more elements

A method of making a molded component using a molding apparatus including a front mold having a front mold surface with a front mold surface texture, and a back mold having a back mold surface opposed to said front mold, said method comprising the following steps:

a) providing a cover sheet including a skin film comprising a skin film material, and a foam backing comprising a foam backing material;
b) heating said cover sheet so as to heat said skin film to a first temperature equal to or above a melting temperature of said skin film material, and so as to heat said foam backing to a second temperature below a melting temperature of said foam backing material;
c) arranging said cover sheet between said front mold and said back mold with said skin film facing toward said front mold and said foam backing facing toward said back mold, and then moving at least one of said front mold and said back mold relatively toward each other with said cover sheet therebetween, so as to mechanically pre-mold said cover sheet toward said front mold surface;
d) forming a pressure-tight seal between said foam backing and said back mold surface, and introducing pressurized air at a pressure in a range from 1 bar to 30 bar into a gap between said foam backing and said back mold surface so as to blow-mold said cover sheet and press said skin film against said front mold surface and thereby mold into said skin film a molded-in surface texture that is an inverse of said front mold surface texture;
e) during said step d), venting air from between said skin film and said front mold surface;
f) applying a vacuum between said skin film and said front mold surface;
g) moving apart at least one of said front mold and said back mold relative to each other;
and
h) introducing a substrate material between said foam backing and said back mold surface, and then moving at least one of said front mold and said back mold relatively toward each other, so that said back mold surface presses against said substrate material and molds and bonds said substrate material onto said foam backing so as to form a molded substrate from said substrate material.

6 more elements

a) providing a cover sheet including a skin film portion comprising a skin film material, and a backing portion comprising a backing material;
b) differentially heating said cover sheet so as to melt said skin film portion into a melted viscous liquid state while maintaining said backing portion in an elastic solid state;
c) arranging said cover sheet between said front mold and said back mold with said skin film portion facing toward said front mold and said backing portion facing toward said back mold, and then moving at least one of said front mold and said back mold relatively toward each other with said cover sheet therebetween so that said back mold surface mechanically pre-molds said cover sheet toward said front mold surface;
d) forming a pressure-tight seal between said cover sheet and said back mold around a perimeter;
e) after said steps c) and d), introducing a pressurized gas into a gap between said back mold surface and said backing portion of said cover sheet to press said cover sheet toward said front mold surface and thereby further mold said cover sheet and bring said skin film portion into direct contact with said front mold surface while said skin film portion is at least initially at least partially still in said melted viscous liquid state so as to mold into said skin film portion a molded-in surface texture that is the inverse of said front mold surface texture;
and
f) after said step e), cooling said cover sheet and moving apart at least one of said front mold and said back mold relative to each other.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/929,693Filed 13 Aug 2001
Published: US 2003/0030188 A113 Feb 2003
Granted: 15 Jun 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification22 codes

B29C 59/026
By mechanical means, e.g. pressing: of layered or coated substantially flat surfaces
B29C 37/0032
In-mould coating, e.g. by introducing the coating material into the mould after forming the article: the coating being applied upon the mould…
B29C 43/183
Incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles: the preformed layer being a lining,…
B29C 43/36
Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations: moulds for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles