Method for producing laminated panels having folds

• US 4,978,407 A
• Filed: 06/23/1989
• Issued: 12/18/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Automotive Components Group North America (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Polistock, N.V.
• Inventors: Ardissone, Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US07/370,739
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 156/202, 156/213, 156/214, 156/216, 156/227, 156/242, 264/241, 264/248, 264/249, 428/68, 428/121, 428/124, 428/130
• US Class Current: 156/216
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2063/022 the junction being located in a groove
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/087 with at least one of the mould parts comprising independently movable sections B29C51/32 and B29C51/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/26 Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/04 of plates or sheets B29C63/04 takes precedence; bending or folding paper B31F1/0003; folding films B65H45/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/0043 Fixing the layers by electrostatic charges, by the use of structured surfaces or by mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/56 using mechanical means or mechanical connections, e.g. form-fits
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/567 using a tamping or a swaging operation, i.e. at least partially deforming the edge or the rim of a first part to be joined to clamp a second part to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/135 Single hemmed joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being hemmed in the joint area
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/45 Joining of substantially the whole surface of the articles methods or apparatus for laminating B32B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/721 Fibre-reinforced materials B29C66/729 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7392 characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81423 being concave
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81425 being stepped, e.g. comprising a shoulder
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81427 comprising a single ridge, e.g. for making a weakening line; comprising a single tooth
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81431 comprising a single cavity, e.g. a groove
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/0044 for shaping edges or extremities B29C57/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0021 : Multi-coloured
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 : Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3014 : Door linings
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/00 : Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/06 : as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a layer of a particular substance B32B9/045; next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/046; next to a water setting substance layer B32B13/12; next to a metal layer B32B15/08; next to a glass layer B32B17/10; next to a layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles B32B19/045; next to a wood layer B32B21/08; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/08; next to a natural or synthetic rubber layer B32B25/08
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/02 : characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions non-uniform thickness B32B3/263
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/1866 : conforming the layers or laminate to a convex or concave profile
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1034 : Overedge bending of lamina about edges of sheetlike base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1051 : by folding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23 : Sheet including cover or casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24215 : Acute or reverse fold of exterior component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24264 : Particular fold structure [e.g., beveled, etc.]

Abstract

A method of producing a laminated panel having a backside formed of a normally rigid substrate, such as a polymer/filler composition, in an essentially self-supporting thickness of typically between 1 and 10 mm and a frontside formed of a differentially segmented cover layer, e.g. having segments of differing materials and/or colors, bonded to said substrate by laminatingly interconnecting, typically at elevated temperatures and pressures, a layer of said substrate in a moldable, e.g. thermally plastified state and a differentially segmented sheet for forming said cover layer; the sheet has at least one seam line between adjacent segments; in order to compensate the effects of an off-set between the position of the seam line of the segmented sheet and the desired position of the seam line between segments of the laminated panel the novel laminating method includes the step of forming a fold to protrude from the backside of the final laminate; the fold consists of a folded double layer of the segmented sheet as an inner fold portion and of an outer fold portion formed of the substrate; the folded double layer has a length corresponding to at least about 100%, typically between 100 and 300%, of the self-supporting thickness of the substrate and embeds the seam line of the segmented sheet within the fold so that the visible junction between differing segments on the frontside will be defined by the visible end of the folded double layer.

Claims

1. A method of producing a laminated panel having a backside formed of a normally rigid substrate in an essentially self-supporting thickness and a frontside formed of a differentially segmented cover layer bonded to said substrate by moldingly interconnecting a layer of said substrate in a moldable state and a differentially segmented sheet for providing said cover layer;

said segmented sheet having at least two differing segments and at least one seam line between adjacent segments;

the improvement comprising the step of forming, in a portion of said panel corresponding essentially to a predetermined position of the visible junction line between said differing segments in said frontside of said laminated panel, a fold to protrude from said backside and comprising a folded double layer of said segmented sheet as an inner fold portion and an outer fold portion formed of said substrate;

said folded double layer having a length corresponding to at least about 100% of said self-supporting thickness of said substrate and including said seam line of said segmented sheet within said fold so as to compensate an off-set between said seam line of said segmented sheet and said predetermined position of said visible junction line on said laminated panel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said substrate is formed of a thermoplastic synthetic polymer and at least one filler, and wherein said moldable state of said substrate layer is achieved by said layer having a temperature above the softening temperature of said polymer, and wherein said self-supporting thickness is in the range of from about 1 to about 10 mm.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said segmented sheet is made of differing segments each consisting of a normally pliable material selected from fibrous layers, man-made leather, natural leather, films of synthetic polymers, and structured polymer layers, said sheet having a thickness not exceeding that of said substrate layer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said cover layer is bonded to said substrate at an interface and wherein said fold is formed in a first portion of said interface corresponding to said predetermined portion of said visible junction line prior to interconnecting said substrate layer and said segmented sheet at a second and substantially entire residual portion of said interface.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said fold has a protruding thickness corresponding to about 200 to 250% of said self-supporting thickness of said substrate and wherein said folded double layer of said segmented sheet has a length in the range of from about 100% to about 500% of said self-supporting thickness of said substrate.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising the steps of providing an integral peripheral flange of said panel formed of a peripheral portion of said cover layer and of a peripheral portion of said substrate having a reduced thickness, and of bendingly shaping said peripheral flange while said substrate portion thereof is in a temporary pliable state to provide an at least partially crimped edge of said panel held in a permanently bent position and providing visual edge covering when said temporary pliable state of said substrate material is reversed.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said substrate is thermoplastic and wherein said temporary pliable state of said substrate portion of said peripheral flange is achieved by heating whereas said temporary pliable state of said substrate material is reversed by cooling.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said flange is bent to form a crimping edge (α

) in the range of from about 30°

to about 180°

.