US 7,255,391 B2Granted

Twin-sheet thermoformed products

AssigneeAzdel, Inc.

InventorsPaul A. Bristow, Jesse G. Hipwell, Richard D. Hemstreet

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A twin-sheet thermoforming process for the manufacture of vehicle headliners. In the process a first sheet and second sheet of SuperLite material are mounted onto respective frames. The frames transfer the sheets into an oven, where they are heated to a desired temperature using IR. The first sheet is combined with a cover-stock material using compression molding forming a covered first headliner part. The covered first headliner part is then transferred to a second mold station. The second sheet is heated and then transferred from the oven to the second mold station where it is vacuum-formed on the upper half mold, forming a second headliner part. The upper and lower mold halves are pressed together fusing and sealing the first and second headliner parts into a unified part. The unified part is then unloaded and trimmed as necessary forming a headliner. The SuperLite material used to form the headliner is a sheet of low pressure, thermoformable, thermoplastic composite comprised of polypropylene and long chopped glass fibers.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A headliner for a vehicle having excellent head impact countermeasures (HIC) properties, said headliner comprising:

a first headliner part having a liner side and an opposing side, wherein the first headliner part has a molded shape that is substantially the visible form for the headliner as seen inside the vehicle;
a second headliner part having a roof side and a compartment side, wherein the second headliner part is molded to reinforce the first headliner part, attach the headliner to a roof of the vehicle, form at least one interior compartment with flexible walls when combined with the first headliner part, and form an intra-panel space between the roof and the second headliner part;
wherein the opposing side of the first headliner part and the compartment side of the second headliner part are adhered to each other, therein forming the at least one interior compartment that has excellent head impact countermeasures (HIC) properties;
wherein the intra-panel space produces sound dampening;
and
wherein the first headliner part and the second headliner part are sheets of a low pressure, thermoformable, thermoplastic composite comprised of polypropylene and long chopped glass fibers.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/981,338Filed 4 Nov 2004 · division
Priority: 3 Apr 2003
Published: US 2005/0082881 A121 Apr 2005
Granted: 14 Aug 2007
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

B32B 27/08
As the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material: of synthetic resin
B32B 7/12
Interconnection of layers: using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
B32B 27/32
Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin: comprising polyolefins
B32B 27/36
Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin: comprising polyesters

Family

Application60/460,556Us provisional application · filed 3 Apr 2003
Application10/800,505Parent of this division · filed 15 Mar 2004
US 2005/0082881 A1Pre-grant publication · published 21 Apr 2005
US 7,157,034 B2Parent of this division · filed 2 Jan 2007
US 2004/0197547 A1Published application
US 7,255,391 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.