Method of making a skid-resistant bed liner

• US 6,095,787 A
• Filed: 10/19/1998
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Colonel's, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Colonel's, Incorporated
• Inventors: Bills, Dennis B. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Silbaugh, Jan H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, DAE Y
• Application Number:
  US09/174,728
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 264/151, 264/162, 264/544, 264/553, 264/554, 425/325, 425/327, 425/385, 425/363, 425/296, 425/304, 425/215, 425/297, 425/326.1
• US Class Current: 425/215
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2059/027 Grinding; Polishing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/001 Shaping in several steps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/00 Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle which imparts the desired form; Apparatus therefor extrusion blow-moulding B29C49/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/001 Combinations of extrusion moulding with other shaping operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0017 combined with blow-moulding or thermoforming
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0022 combined with cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/07 Flat, e.g. panels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/08 flexible, e.g. films
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/00 Shaping by thermoforming , i.e. shaping sheets or sheet like preforms after heating, e.g. shaping sheets in matched moulds or by deep-drawing; Apparatus therefor blow moulding of tubular preforms B29C49/00, deforming of tubular or hollow preforms B29C67/0014
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/02 Combined thermoforming and manufacture of the preform
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/02 by mechanical means, e.g. pressing B29C59/007 takes precedence; embossing expanded porous articles B29C44/5627
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0072 Roughness, e.g. anti-slip
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24 Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for forming a skid-resistant surface on a thermoformed object such as a bed liner. The method includes forming a blank of extruded plastic material, abrading the surface with a wire brush, reheating the blank and thermoforming the blank to open the abraded surface of the blank. The apparatus includes an extruder delivery mechanism delivering a blank of sheet material to a wire brush which is turned by an electric motor at a speed slightly greater and in the same direction as the travel of the blank under the roller.

Claims

1. An apparatus for thermoforming an object with a skid-resistant surface said apparatus comprising;

an extruder for forming a continuous sheet of thermoplastic material, said sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface;

a conveyor for delivering said sheet of material from said extruder to an abrading station, said abrading station having a cylindrical wire brush mounted to extend transversely to said sheet of material, said wire brush forming a plurality of apertures in said top surface of said sheet;

a motor for rotating said wire brush against the top surface of said sheet;

a shear located downstream of said abrading station to trim said sheet into a plurality of blanks; and

a thermoforming machine for receiving said blanks, said thermoforming machine including a mold and means for heating and drawing said blanks into the mold to form molded objects and increase the diameter of said plurality of apertures in said blanks thereby altering the roughness of said blanks.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said abrading station further comprises said motor turning said brush in a direction the same as a direction of travel of said sheet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said motor rotates said wire brush at a speed slightly greater than a rate of travel of said sheet.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said extruder further includes an embossing roller contacting said top surface of said sheet.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said abrading station further includes a hood extending over said wire brush.