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Method of forming antislip surfaces on thermoformed products

  • US 5,648,031 A
  • Filed: 07/28/1994
  • Issued: 07/15/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A process for selectively forming an antislip surface on a product thermoformed from a sheet comprising a thermoplastic material, the process comprising:

  • forming droplets of a polymer;

    applying the droplets onto a selected surface area of the sheet to form on the sheet a stippled pattern of non-interconnected bumps of the polymer across the selected surface area leaving the sheet exposed between and completely around individual ones of the bumps;

    controlling the density of the droplets so that the bumps cover less than 50% of the selected surface area;

    at least partially hardening the bumps that have been formed on the sheet; and

    after the step of at least partially hardening the bumps, thermoforming the sheet at a thermoforming temperature, durably bonding the bumps to the sheet, and further hardening the bumps into tough macroscopic asperities causing a relatively higher coefficient of friction over the selected surface area;

    wherein the polymer is selected so that the asperities have a hardness greater than the hardness of the sheet.

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