Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Jsp Licenses, Inc.

Other

Arthur C Stein

Pamela Lane Codd

Loten T Baskin

Brian Hale Staser

David Whitehead

Carl Henry Visconti

David M White

Eric Ransford Hansen

Ismael Rodriguez

Thomas W Gibson

John J Reynolds

Timothy W Hill

Kuen Cheuk Leung

Thomas Carson Sloane

Douglas Litwiller

Mark W Fero

Benji Rude

Paul Kenrick

Paul Sandefer

Stevie P Johnson

Roland Ewaniuk

A process for manufacturing a door trim panel with an integral soft armrest pad is provided which includes providing male and female steam chest mold halves, loading and restraining a cover material onto the female mold half, closing the male mold half to a fill position to form a cavity, inserting a divider into the cavity to separate the cavity into a low density volume and a high density volume, filling the high density volume with first polymeric material, filling the low density volume of the mold cavity with second polymeric material, withdrawing the divider from the mold cavity, and heating the first and second polymeric materials such that the first and second polymeric materials are melt bonded together, including at positions where particles from the first polymeric material contact particles from the second polymeric material. The low density volume creates the soft armrest pad.

Door trim panel with integral soft armrest pad and process for manufacturing same

A method of making an interior trim panel for attachment to structure of a vehicle includes the steps of placing a trim insert into a cavity of an apparatus and over a first seal thereof. The method also includes the steps of loading a retainer over the trim insert to sandwich the trim insert between the retainer and the first seal and closing the apparatus. The method further includes the steps of filling the cavity with a plastic material and introducing steam into the apparatus to expand the plastic material to form a substrate and bonding the substrate against the trim insert to form an interior trim panel.

Apparatus and method of making interior trim panel

A mold apparatus and method for forming a shaped laminate in one step are provided where the laminate includes a cladding layer and a foam backing layer. The apparatus includes a male mold half matable to a female mold half that define a mold cavity. An inlet is mounted on the mold apparatus for introducing foamable materials into the mold cavity. Edge folding members, carried by one of the mold halves, movable from a retracted position to an extended position, fold the cladding layer over at least part of the edge of the foam backing layer. Trim blades are located adjacent to the edge folding members movable from a retracted position adjacent the cavity to an extended position engaging the other mold half to sever the cladding layer to define the finished shape of the laminate.

Mold apparatus and method for one step steam chest molding

A door trim assembly and method for making same for attachment to an inner panel of an automotive vehicle includes a plurality of components and a single carrier formed from a plastic material for attachment to the inner panel of the automotive vehicle and incorporating the plurality of components into the plastic material and a door trim substrate attached to the carrier.

Method of making a door trim assembly

A door trim panel assembly and method of making same for attachment to structure of a vehicle includes a door trim panel and a carrier formed from a plastic material attached to the door trim panel and for attachment to the structure of the vehicle. The door trim panel assembly also includes a seal integral with the carrier for contacting the structure to seal the carrier to the structure.

Door trim panel assembly and method of making

A method of making a door trim panel assembly for attachment to an inner panel of an automotive vehicle includes the steps of placing a door trim substrate into a cavity of a mold and placing at least one component into the cavity against the door trim substrate. The method also includes as an alternative of pre-joining the at least one component to the door trim substrate. The method also includes the steps of filling the cavity with a plastic material. The method further includes the steps of introducing steam into the mold to expand the plastic material to form a carrier and bond the carrier against the at least one component and door trim substrate to form a single door trim panel assembly.

Method of making a door trim panel assembly

Door trim assembly and method of making same

The present invention provides, in a preferred embodiment, an interior trim component for a motor vehicle including a first membrane with a connected foam backing, an apertured second membrane spread adjacent the foam backing of the first membrane, and a moldable rigid polymeric material providing a backing for the second membrane and supporting the first membrane, the moldable polymeric material penetrating the apertures of the second membrane and adhering to the foam backing of the first membrane.

Vehicle door panel manufacturing method

A method and mold apparatus are provided for forming and trimming a vehicle inner door panel. The panel is a shaped laminate including a vinyl cover layer and a structural foam backing layer having a glass fiber reinforcing substrate. Upper and lower mold members have peripheral seals which define a mold cavity when the mold is closed. A plurality of movable trim blades are carried by the lower mold member adjacent the seal. The trim blades move among retracted, intermediate and extended positions. Hydraulic rams open and close the mold and move the trim blades. Sheets of vinyl and substrate are placed across the lower mold member and the mold is closed to seal the substrate and vinyl layer about their periphery. As the mold closes, abutment surfaces on both mold members advance the trim blades to an intermediate position to pinch the cover layer against the substrate inwardly of the peripheral seals. A two-part polyurethane liquid foam system is injected into the cavity. The liquid permeates the substrate and sets up within the area delimited by the trim blades. When the foam sets up, the trim blades are hydraulically extended to sever the substrate and cover layer and trim the door panel to its finished shape as the foam fully cures. The mold members are opened, the blades are spring retracted, and the finished door panel is removed.

Method and mold for forming a shaped laminate

Molded-in cloth insert door trim

A hook and pin fastener assembly for connecting and reliably locating a molded door trim panel to an apertured inner door panel of a motor vehicle without the need for conventional fasteners. A pair of conventional hooks are molded into the upper and lower portions of a molded door trim panel, and a locator pin is molded into a center portion of the molded door trim panel. The pair of hooks extend through corresponding apertures in the inner door panel and slidably engage the inner door panel so that movement of the upper and lower portions of the molded door trim panel is restricted in the lateral direction. The locator pin has a main body and a free end, wherein the free end is integral with and extending from the main body. The free end is slightly smaller than a locating aperture in the inner door panel, and the main body is larger than the locating aperture. The free end of the locator pin extends through the locating aperture to locate and restrict movement of the molded door trim panel in the vertical and fore and aft directions. The main body of the locator pin engages the inner door panel and is interposed between the molded door trim panel and the inner door panel to locate and prevent movement of the molded door trim panel in the lateral direction

Hook and pin fastener assembly for a door trim panel

The present invention provides a new and improved method for manufacturing vehicle interior trim panels such as door panels and instrument panels in which different regions of the trim panel have different colors or other aesthetic characteristics. Two pieces of sheet vinyl having the desired color or other aesthetic characteristic desired in the manufactured trim panel are cut to shape and then bonded together edge-to-edge to form a composite two-tone vinyl sheet. This composite vinyl sheet is draped over a mold having a blade projecting from the mold surface. A retainer is installed onto the backside of the composite vinyl sheet to attach the composite vinyl sheet to the blade and thereby hold the vinyl in place with the bond between the two sheets located at the apex of the blade. The mold is closed and urethane is poured against the backside of the composite vinyl sheet to encapsulate the retainer. Upon cure, the urethane adheres to the composite vinyl sheet and the retainers and provides a substantial rigid support for the vinyl sheet. The bond between the two vinyl sheets is concealed from view at the bottom of the crevice defined in the molded trim panel by the blade.

Method for manufacture of two-tone vehicle trim panel

A retainer for receiving a fastener and adapted for loading into a mold for embedment in a trim article molded of molding material. The retainer has a housing having an upper portion for accepting the fastener and a lower portion for embedment in the molded trim article. A flexible lip encompasses the housing for sealingly engaging with the mold thereby preventing the molding material from making contact with the upper portion of the housing and allowing the molding material to make contact with the lower portion of the housing.

Growing community of inventors

Grosse Ile, MI, United States of America

Arthur C Stein