Ford Motor Company Limited

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

David Charles Knisely

Zinoviy Chernyak

Dale Paul Moore

Tianmin Zheng

A method of manufacturing a film-covered article by the following steps. A thermoplastic film is heated to become pliable. The film has a decorative surface and a backing surface. The heated film is positioned between an open mold. The open mold has a first mold surface, a sealing surface and a sealing member. The sealing surface contacts the sealing member and forms a chamber between the mold and the film. A fluid pressure is applied between the mold and the film to cause the film to conform to the first mold surface. A molten resin is injected adjacent to the film-backing surface to form the film-covered article. The invention may be practiced by either applying a positive pressure to push the film to conform to the first mold surface or a negative pressure to drawing the film against a vacuum between the film and the first mold surface.

Method for manufacturing a film-covered article

A method of manufacturing a film-covered article. A moveable press having first and second mold surfaces is moved to an open position. The first mold surface has a sealing surface, and the second mold surface has a cutting surface. A thin flexible film having an offal portion is placed between the first and second mold surfaces. The offal portion is positioned between the sealing and cutting surfaces and acts as a seal between the mold halves. The press is moved to the closed position. The cutting surface contacts the film and partially cuts the offal portion along a perimeter of the film. The offal portion remains positioned between the cutting and sealing surfaces and seals the space between the first and second mold surfaces.

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Commerce Township, MI, United States of America

David Charles Knisely