US 6,861,020 B2Granted

Methods for manufacturing press molded articles

AssigneeAraco Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorMasanori Hashiba

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Abstract

Methods are taught for manufacturing a press molded article (1) that comprises a profiled substrate layer (10) and a foamed layer (20). A substrate material (12) may be press molded with a foamable material (22) under pressure in order to join or attach the foamable material to the substrate material. In addition, a profile may be imparted to the substrate material during the press molding step, thereby forming the profiled substrate layer. After the press molding step has been completed, the foamable material is foamed and expanded, to thereby form the foamed layer. A skin material (32) optionally may be applied to the foamable layer before the press molding step. Optionally, embossed patterns may be imparted to the skin material during the press molding step, thereby forming an embossed skin layer (30) that is attached to the foamed layer.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method for manufacturing a press molded article that comprises a substrate layer and a foamed layer, comprising:

press molding, a substrate material and a foamable material under pressure, thereby forming the substrate layer and joining the foamable material to the substrate layer,
expanding the foamable material after completing the press molding step, thereby forming the foamed layer, and
prior to the press molding step, heating the substrate material to a temperature higher than a temperature that generates cell forming substances within the foamable material,
wherein the press molding step further comprises healing the foamable material to a temperature that generates cell forming substances within the foamable material, and wherein the expanding step comprises reducing the pressure that is applied to the foamable material to a pressure that is less than the pressure applied to the foamable material during the press molding step.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/246,027Filed 18 Sep 2002
Priority: JP 2001-28710020 Sep 2001
Published: US 2003/0052430 A120 Mar 2003
Granted: 1 Mar 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

B29C 44/0453
Consisting of at least two parts of chemically or physically different materials, e.g. having different densities: by joining the different…
B29C 43/203
Making multilayered or multicoloured articles: making multilayered articles
B29C 44/04
For articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles: consisting of at least two parts of chemically or physically different materials, e.g.…
B29C 48/001
Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle which imparts the desired form; Apparatus therefor: combinations…