Automotive handle with soft feel and method of making the same

Abstract

The present invention provides for an improved trim part, such as an automotive handle, with a soft feel, for use in a trim assembly, and to a continuous two-shot molding operation that may be continuously performed utilizing a single mold assembly. In an exemplary embodiment, an automotive handle includes a substrate formed by injecting a first material into a first shot mold cavity in a first shot of a molding operation. A handle cover is molded to at least a portion of the substrate by injecting into a mold chamber a second foamed material in a second shot of the molding operation to provide the handle with a soft feel. The second foamed material includes a foamed material that produces a soft, outer skin and a light, cellular inner core such that when a force is applied to the cover, the skin will deform and compress the inner core, providing a soft-touch feel to the handle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.