Molded parts with fabric surface areas and processes for their production

• US 6,926,856 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2002
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dow Global Technologies, Inc. (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Global Technologies, Inc. (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Langmaid, Joseph A., Hus, Michael E., Wenzel, Jeffrey D., Peterson, Curt E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Colaianni, Michael P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUSON, MONICA ANNE
• Application Number:
  US10/208,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20040018337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 264/257, 264/328.8, 264/259
• US Class Current: 264/257
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14901 Coating a sheet-like insert smaller than the dimensions of the adjacent mould wall
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14909 the edge of the sheet-like insert being hidden, e.g. in a groove or protruding into the injected material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0046 Details relating to the filling pattern or flow paths or flow characteristics of moulding material in the mould cavity
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14344 Moulding in or through a hole in the article, e.g. outsert moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14811 Multilayered articles B29C45/14827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1671 with an insert
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1676 using a soft material and a rigid material, e.g. making articles with a sealing part
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2711/08 Leather
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2713/00 Use of textile products or fabrics for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts B29K2105/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2715/006 Glues or adhesives, e.g. hot melts or thermofusible adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2395 Nap type surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24273 including aperture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 Composite web or sheet

Abstract

The present invention thus provides a fabric-laminated plastic part and a novel process where the fabric edges are covered with a second plastic component that adheres both to the fabric and to the first plastic material. A first plastic substrate component is prepared with an adhered fabric surface area and then the edges of the fabric are overlapped by a second molded-on, plastic edge-covering component. The second material covers the fabric edge to provide an aesthetically pleasing surface. This construction produces a more durable fabric edge covering and eliminates the tendency of the fabric to peel off the molded part during use.

Claims

1. A process for preparing a molded plastic article having a fabric surface piece comprising the steps of:

(a) molding in a first step a substrate component having an adhered fabric material piece having edges and a surface area wherein the molded substrate component extends beyond the fabric edge and is not entirely covered by fabric;

(b) molding on in a second step an edge-covering component which overlaps at least part of the fabric edges and fabric surface area adjacent the edges but not covering an area of fabric intended to be at the article surface.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the edge-covering component which overlaps the edges of the fabric piece is molded on by injection or compression molding in the second molding step.

3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the edge-covering component which overlaps the edges of the fabric piece is molded on by reaction injection molding in the second molding step.

4. A process according to claim 2 or 3 where the second molding step uses a flow leader effect with (a) a main flow leader cavity for the edge-covering plastic component material which main flow cavity is generally around and outside the area of the peripheral fabric edges and (b) a fabric edge cavity that receives a flow of the edge-covering material in a direction that is generally not parallel to the peripheral edges of the fabric.

5. A process according to claim 2 or 3 where the second molding step uses a flow leader effect with a flow restrictor located on the first step substrate component that maintains the main flow of the edge-covering material in the main channel that is removed from the fabric edge cavity and restricts its flow into the fabric edge cavity to a direction that is generally not parallel to the edges of the fabric.

6. A process according to claim 2 or 3 where molded-in flow channels are provided in the first step substrate component that provide flow of second step plastic material to interior fabric edges around one or more openings or voids in the plastic part.

7. A process according to claim 2 or 3 where there is an impingement surface in the flow channel to direct the second plastic flow from the impingement surface onto the fabric surface and cover the fabric edges.

8. A process according to claim 1 wherein the molded-on, edge-covering component is a plastic selected from the group consisting of thermosetting polyurethane, thermosetting epoxy, thermosetting silicone, and the thermoplastics polycarbonate (“

PC”

), ABS, polypropylene (“

PP”

), high impact polystyrene (“

HIPS”

), polyethylene (“

PE”

), polyester, polyacetyl, thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyurethanes (“

TPU”

), nylon, ionomers, polyvinyl chloride (“

PVC”

) and blends of two or more of these thermoplastics.

9. A process according to claim 1 wherein the fabric is a synthetic leather or suede.