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US 9,676,338 B2Granted
Reinforced blow moulded vehicle running board and method of making same
AssigneeMetelix Products Inc.
InventorsTim Chapman, Roger Elgner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A structurally reinforced blow molded assembly includes an overmold body bonded to one or more preformed internal stiffening ribs. The reinforcing r ribs are partially encapsulated by o the overmold body in an orientation selected to carry load a forces thereon. The resin mixture used to form the overmold body comprises 10% to 40% by weight short glass having a length less about 15 cm, and 60% to 90% by weight thermoplastic resin. To facilitate recycling the reinforcing ribs comprise 30 to 60% by weight long glass fibers and 40% to 70% of thermoplastic bonding resin.
Claims25
A structurally reinforced blow moulded assembly, the blow moulded assembly comprising,
- an overmould member, said overmould member having a sidewall defining a hollow interior, a forward support surface and a rear surface generally parallel to and spaced from the forward support surface, the overmould member comprising between about 10% by weight to 30% by weight short glass fibers and about 70% by weight to about 90% by weight of a thermoplastic base resin, wherein said short glass fibers have a longitudinal length of less than about 10 cm, and
- at least one longitudinally elongated reinforcing rib insert, said reinforcing rib insert being partially encapsulated by said sidewall, the reinforcing rib insert including:
- a forward flange member in bearing contact with an interior side of said forward support surface,
- a rearward flange member spaced from the forward flange member and providing a rearward bearing surface generally coplanar with said rear surface, and
- a longitudinal extending connecting web joining the forward flange member to the rearward flange member,
- each of the forward and rearward flange members comprising about 40% by weight to about 70% by weight long glass fibers and about 30% by weight to about 60% by weight of a bonding resin, wherein said long glass fibers have a longitudinal length of greater than about 25 cm up to a length corresponding to a longitudinal length of said reinforcing rib insert, wherein the forward flange member and the connecting web are at least partially melt bonded to the sidewall to assist in anchoring the reinforcing rib insert to said overmould member.
3 more elements
A structurally reinforced vehicle part, the structurally reinforced vehicle part comprising:
- an overmould body having a sidewall defining a hollow interior, a forward surface and a rear surface spaced from the forward surface, the overmould body comprising between about 10% by weight to 30% by weight short glass fibers and about 70% by weight to 90% by weight of a thermoplastic resin, wherein said short glass fibers have a longitudinal length of less than about 10 cm, and
- a longitudinally elongated reinforcing rib reinforcing said forward surface against a rearward load force, the reinforcing rib at least partially encapsulated by said sidewall and including:
- a longitudinally extending forward flange member in substantially bearing contact with a portion of said sidewall defining said forward surface,
- a longitudinally extending rearward flange member spaced from the forward flange member and having a rearward bearing surface disposed in a generally coplanar orientation with said rear surface, and
- a longitudinally extending connecting web joining the forward flange member to the rearward flange member,
- the reinforcing rib comprising about 30% by weight to about 70% by weight long glass fibers having a longitudinal length of greater than about 50 cm up to a length corresponding to a longitudinal length of said reinforcing rib and about 30% by weight to about 70% by weight of said thermoplastic resin, wherein at least one of said forward flange member and said connecting web are melt bonded to said sidewall.
3 more elements
A vehicle running board comprising:
- an overmould composite plastic step, said step having a sidewall defining a hollow interior portion, an upper support surface for supporting a user thereon, and a lower mounting surface spaced from the upper support surface, the step comprising between about 10% to 30% by weight short glass fibers having a longitudinal length of less than about 1 cm and about 70% to 90% by weight of a resin selected from the group consisting of ABS, polyethylene, and polypropylene, and
- at least one reinforcing rib, said reinforcing rib having an elongated longitudinal length and comprising:
- an upper flange member, a lower flange member, and a connecting web extending between and joining said upper and lower flange members,
- each of said upper and lower flange members comprising between about 405 by weight to 70% by weight long glass fibers having a longitudinal length greater than about 50 cm, and about 30% by weight to about 60% by weight of said resin,
- said upper flange member and connecting web being substantially encapsulated within and retained by said sidewall, with an upper portion of said upper flange member disposed substantially adjacent to said upper support surface and a bottom portion of said lower flange member in substantially co-planar alignment with an adjacent portion of said rear surface, whereby load forces on said upper support surface are at least partially carried by said reinforcing rib,
- said upper flange member and connecting web being melt bonded to said sidewall.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.