Method and apparatus for manufacturing a skin-covered article
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing a skin-covered article having a molded material covered by a skin material which has an inside surface and an outside surface, comprising:
- providing an upper mold having a first cavity along with a peripheral wall and a downwardly extending enclosing projection;
providing a lower mold having an upper wall with an outer periphery and a peripheral wall extending downwardly from said outer periphery to form a corner where said peripheral wall joins said upper wall;
forming a skin member having an inside surface, an outside surface, a top portion and a side portion with said top portion being connected to said side portion by connecting means on the inside surface of said skin member;
disposing said skin member over said lower mold with the outside surface of said top portion of said skin member contacting said upper wall, with the outside surface of said side portion of said skin member being next to said peripheral wall and with said connecting means being disposed at said corner;
coupling said upper and lower molds such that said enclosing projection engages the outside surface of said upper portion of said skin member and said first cavity overlies said upper portion of said skin member;
sealing said coupled upper and lower molds utilizing a seal between juxtaposed sections of said upper and lower molds, one of said sections being spaced outwardly from said peripheral wall of said lower mold to form at least a part of a second cavity there-between in which said side portion of said skin is disposed, said second cavity being separated from said first cavity by said engagement between said enclosing projection of said upper mold and said outside surface of said top portion of said skin member;
introducing molding material into said first cavity to form a molded material affixed to the inside surface of said top portion of said skin member;
decoupling said first and second molds and removing said molded material and skin member from said decoupled first and second molds;
folding said side portion of said skin over the sides of said molded material and thereby forming a skin-covered article with said connecting means being disposed on the inside of said skin-covered article.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for manufacturing a skin-covered article includes setting a skin mber having a top portion and a side portion in a mold assembly including an upper mold having a first cavity, a second cavity, and an enclosing projection, and a lower mold having an upper wall and a peripheral portion by covering the skin member over the lower mold with the back surface of the skin member being turned outside, coupling the upper mold and the lower mold to close the first cavity by the top portion to define a pad forming space with the enclosing projection pressing the top portion against the upper wall, and to close the second cavity by the peripheral portion to define a housing space to house the side portion, and introducing pad material into the pad forming space.
-
Citations
12 Claims
-
1. A method of manufacturing a skin-covered article having a molded material covered by a skin material which has an inside surface and an outside surface, comprising:
-
providing an upper mold having a first cavity along with a peripheral wall and a downwardly extending enclosing projection; providing a lower mold having an upper wall with an outer periphery and a peripheral wall extending downwardly from said outer periphery to form a corner where said peripheral wall joins said upper wall; forming a skin member having an inside surface, an outside surface, a top portion and a side portion with said top portion being connected to said side portion by connecting means on the inside surface of said skin member; disposing said skin member over said lower mold with the outside surface of said top portion of said skin member contacting said upper wall, with the outside surface of said side portion of said skin member being next to said peripheral wall and with said connecting means being disposed at said corner; coupling said upper and lower molds such that said enclosing projection engages the outside surface of said upper portion of said skin member and said first cavity overlies said upper portion of said skin member; sealing said coupled upper and lower molds utilizing a seal between juxtaposed sections of said upper and lower molds, one of said sections being spaced outwardly from said peripheral wall of said lower mold to form at least a part of a second cavity there-between in which said side portion of said skin is disposed, said second cavity being separated from said first cavity by said engagement between said enclosing projection of said upper mold and said outside surface of said top portion of said skin member; introducing molding material into said first cavity to form a molded material affixed to the inside surface of said top portion of said skin member; decoupling said first and second molds and removing said molded material and skin member from said decoupled first and second molds; folding said side portion of said skin over the sides of said molded material and thereby forming a skin-covered article with said connecting means being disposed on the inside of said skin-covered article. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of manufacturing a skin-covered article having a molded material covered by a skin material which has an inside surface and an outside surface, comprising:
-
providing an upper mold having a first cavity along with a peripheral wall and downwardly extending enclosing projection; providing a lower mold having an upper wall with an outer periphery and a peripheral wall extending downwardly from said outer periphery to form a corner where said peripheral wall joins said upper wall; forming a skin member having an inside surface, an outside surface, a top portion and a side portion with said top portion being connected to said side portion by connecting means on the inside surface of said skin member; disposing said skin member over said lower mold with the outside surface of said top portion of said skin member contacting said upper wall, with the outside surface of said side portion of said skin member being next to said peripheral wall, and with said connecting means being disposed at said corner; coupling said upper and lower molds such that said enclosing projection sealingly engages the outside surface of said upper portion of said skin member and said first cavity overlies said upper portion of said skin member; sealing said coupled upper and lower molds utilizing a seal between a section of said upper mold and a section of said lower mold;
said section of said upper mold being spaced outwardly from said peripheral wall of said lower mold to form a second cavity therebetween in which said side portion of said skin is disposed, said second cavity being sealed from said first cavity by said sealing engagement between said enclosing projection of said upper mold and said outside surface of said top portion of said skin member ;introducing molding material into said first cavity to form a molded material affixed to the inside surface of said top portion of said skin member; decoupling said first and second molds and removing said molded material and skin member from said decoupled first and second molds; folding said side portions of said skin over the sides of said molded material and thereby forming a skin-covered article with said connecting means being disposed on the inside of said skin-covered article.
-
Specification