The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 16, 1993
Filed:
Jan. 21, 1992
Michael G Minnick, Fort Wayne, IN (US);
Carl E Trewiler, Coshocton, OH (US);
General Electric Company, Coshocton, OH (US);
Abstract
Broadly, the present invention is directed to a method for making a mold capable of transferring three-dimensional relief from a textured substrate to thermoplastic composite material. This method comprises the steps of preparing a molding core by loading a press with outer layers of textured substrate and an inner layer comprising a combination of an epoxy non-woven glass mat and a woven glass cloth prepreg. The press is actuated at low pressure while applying heat to pregel said epoxy and then the pressure is increased to form the molding core. Molds are prepared by loading a press with outer layers of said molding core and an inner layer comprising a combination of an epoxy non-woven glass mat and a woven glass cloth prepreg. Finally, the press is actuated at low pressure while applying heat to pregel said epoxy and the increasing the pressure to form said molds. As another aspect of the present invention, a three-dimensional relief is imprinted from a textured substrate to a thermoplastic composite. This aspect of the present invention comprises preparing the molds as described above, which molds then are loaded into a press as outer layers with an inner layer comprising a reinforced thermoplastic composite which desirably is a polypropylene/random glass composite. The press then is actuated at low pressure and elevated temperature and then the pressure is stepped up to elevated pressure. When elevated molding pressure is achieved, the composite is immediately cooled under pressure. Finally, the press pressure is removed and the reinforced thermoplastic composite imprinted with the relief of the molds is recovered.