Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Donald L Franck

Edward Joseph Wenzel

Suresh Deepchand Shah

Thomas J Pickett

Manhar K Sheth

Thomas L Richter

Bruce J Stribbell

Manu K Sheth

Edward Stachowicz

Lawrence D Zabel

Ballard Parsons, Jr

John P Kratzer, Deceased

Thomas C Mack

A method for making a two-tone vinyl skin cover for an automotive interior trim panel is provided including heating a first vinyl skin to a working temperature; heating a second vinyl skin to a working temperature; stretching the first vinyl skin over a first male vacuum mold, the first mold having a first welding blade along a translationally separable part line; applying a vacuum via the first mold to the first vinyl skin; stretching the second vinyl skin over a second male vacuum mold, the second male mold having a second welding blade along a translationally separable part line aligned with the translationally separable part line of the first mold; applying a vacuum via the second mold to the second vinyl skin; heating the first and second vinyl skins through the first and second welding blades; and abutting the first and second welding blades together under a pressure force to heat weld the first and second vinyl skins together until such time as the first and second vinyl skins are welded to one another while maintaining the vacuum applied thereto.

Method of making a two-tone interior vehicle trim panel skin

Production line and method for manufacturing strips of foil stabilized plastics moldings featuring a rotary reform machine that has a pair of reform wheels that are rotatably driven to profile the extrudate while matching the output speed of extrudate exiting from the extrusion die of a plastics extruder. The wheels have equal diameters and are motor driven at the same angular velocity so that forming dies in the wheels synchronize and cooperate to pressure mold spaced sections of the extrudate feeding therethrough to form high quality end corners with an offal section therebetween. A haul-off pulls the strip from the extruder die, the rotary reform machine, a water trough and flash trimmer and into a cutter where the offal is removed. The strip is maintained under a predetermined tension load by use of an adjustable friction brake on the stabilizer foil so that the heated plastics exiting the extruder will be uniform in initial profile, providing high quality extrudate feeding into the reforming wheels.

Rotary reforming of thermoplastics extrudate

A thin ribbon of paint film is guided and applied directly to hot thermoplastics extrudate just as it exits the extrusion die by a film curving and guide plate and then by a film application wheel that is adjusted so that the film mates with and is laminated to the extrudate with an adhesive bond between the paint film substrate and the extrudate. This eliminates the need for high gloss, high metallic content thermoplastics for use as extrudate such as currently used for finished automotive side molding and allows reground thermoplastics to be used as the extrudate and finished with a paint film covering. The thermoplastic extrusion molding is then compression formed in a preform operation to establish end corners with selected radii for corner sharpness as well as reshape the part cross section. This is accomplished with a die and end cap construction which can be relatively adjusted to provide effective gas venting around the end of the die cavity on die closure.

Laminating film to plastics extrudate and cornering extrudate with

A method of using a plastic extruder equipped with an extrusion die and a gloss controlling auxiliary die to produce an extrudate of polymeric material having controlled gloss appearance comprising the steps of first extruding an extrudate of polymeric material through the extrusion die and then passing the extrudate immediately after exiting from the extrusion die through a gloss controlling auxiliary die which is kept at a temperature either higher or lower than the temperature of the extrusion die.

Method of controlling gloss on extrudate

A method of extrusion of a profiled strip of plastic material having a smooth surface finish without any shock line defects by riding the plastic strip on a unidirectionally rotatable roller positioned between the extrusion die lips and the water cooling bath.

Extrusion method

A method of extruding a profiled strip of polymeric material off the extrusion die of a plastic extruder and immediately thereafter compression forming a predetermined section of the profiled strip into a predetermined shape when temperature of the polymeric material is sufficiently high to allow plastic flow in the profiled strip. The method including the steps of first extruding a profiled strip of polymeric material through the extrusion die and compression molding a predetermined section of the profiled strip into a predetermined shape at a close proximity from the extrusion die with a set of compression molding dies capable of traveling with the profiled strip at substantially the same speed for a sufficient length of time to permanently set the predetermined shape, disengaging the compression molding dies from the profiled strip at a predetermined distance from the extrusion die; cooling the profiled strip having the compression molded predetermined shape in a suitable cooling fluid such that the predetermined shape is permanently maintained, and then trimming the extruded profiled strip into discontinuous pieces each having the compression molded predetermined shape.

Extrusion shaping method

A molding for mounting a window panel in a window opening larger than the window panel includes a yieldable elastomeric body having a first groove adapted to receive an edge of the window panel and a second groove adapted to receive an edge of the body panel. The molding has a deformable hollow tubular member embedded therein and extending in parallel relationship with the grooves. After the molding and the window panel are installed in the opening the tubular member is crushed and the deformation of the tubular member spreads the elastomeric molding into permanent engagement with the window panel and/or the body panel to thereby permanently and sealingly mount the window in the vehicle body. The molding preferably includes a base portion which fits between the edge of the glass and the edge of the body panel and first and second spaced apart legs which define the groove receiving the edge of one of the panels. Third and fourth legs also extend from the body to define the second groove receiving the other panel. The fourth leg is shorter than the other legs so that the short leg facilitates assembly of the molding with respect to the two panels. Crushing of the tubular member spreads the fourth leg to permanently and fixedly mount the window on the vehicle body.

Growing community of inventors

Warren, MI, United States of America

Donald L Franck