Method of forming a multilayer molded article

• US 5,543,094 A
• Filed: 02/27/1995
• Issued: 08/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited
• Inventors: Usui, Nobuhiro, Matsumoto, Masahito, Matubara, Shigeyoshi, Hara, Takahisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Jay H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, DUANE
• Application Number:
  US08/395,190
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 264/255, 264/257, 264/258, 264/45.1, 264/46.4, 264/259, 264/266, 156/245, 156/242
• US Class Current: 264/46.4
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/00 Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor by liberation of internal stresses B29C61/006
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/184 shaped by the compression of the material during moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/08 Deep drawing or matched-mould forming, i.e. using mechanical means only
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/145 having at least one layer of textile or fibrous material combined with at least one plastics layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/262 Clamping means for the sheets, e.g. clamping frames
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/682 Preformed parts characterised by their structure, e.g. form
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/78 Moulding material on one side only of the preformed part
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3005 Body finishings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23979 Particular backing structure or composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249958 Void-containing component is synthetic resin or natural rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249987 With nonvoid component of specified composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249991 Synthetic resin or natural rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249992 Linear or thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3325 Including a foamed layer or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/335 Plural fabric layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3358 Including a nonwoven fabric layer

Abstract

A method of forming a multilayer molded article with improved appearance having a core of a thermoplastic resin and a skin material laminated on the resin core, in which the skin material is made of a fabric which is lined with a nonwoven fabric having a weight of at least 50 g/m² and an elongation at break of 20% to 80% and optionally has an intermediate foam layer between the fabric and the nonwoven fabric.

Claims

1. A method for producing a multilayer molded article comprising steps of:

placing a skin material between unclosed upper and lower molds;

supplying a mass of a molten thermoplastic resin; and

closing the molds to integrate the skin material and the thermoplastic resin, wherein the skin material is made of a fabric which is lined with a nonwoven fabric having a weight of at least 50 g/m² and an elongation at break of 20% to 80%.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said skin material comprises an intermediate foam layer between said fabric and said nonwoven fabric.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mass of the molten thermoplastic resin is supplied when a cavity clearance between the upper and lower molds reaches a distance between (c+100)mm and (c+5)mm wherein c is a cavity clearance at completion of the molding.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said skin material is a polyester pile fabric.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mass of molten thermoplastic resin is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, copolymers comprising ethylene or propylene, styrene base resins, polyamide resin, polyester resin, polymer alloys or mixtures thereof.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said fabric includes woven, nonwoven and knit fabrics.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said fabric is a woven fabric.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said fabric is made of cotton, wool, silk, hemp, polyamide fiber or polyester fiber.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein said intermediate foam layer is comprised of polyurethane foam, polypropylene foam, or polyvinyl chloride foam.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein said mass of thermoplastic resin is an ABS resin.