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:
Sep. 07, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 01, 1998
Robert Phil van Jaarsveld, Macomb, MI (US);
Duane David Williams, Beavercreek, OH (US);
Suresh Deepchand Shah, Troy, MI (US);
Duane Eric Jones, Clawson, MI (US);
Jayprakash Uttamchand Raisoni, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A method of making a steering hand wheel insert including the steps of: (a) in a gas assisted injection molding apparatus, forming a mold cavity having a ring-shaped outer channel, an inner channel, and a plurality of spoke channels; (b) forming a stationary mold insert in the outer channel dividing the latter into a pair of symmetric outer channel segments having downstream ends connected by a plurality of choke passages around the stationary mold insert; (c) injecting a short shot of a flowable plastic melt into each of the outer channel segments through a gate diametrically opposite the stationary insert and into the inner channel through a second gate; (d) injecting inert gas under pressure into the flowable plastic melt diametrically opposite the stationary insert; (e) maintaining the gas pressure until all of the flowable plastic melt cures in the mold cavity, (f) relieving the pressure of the inert gas, and (g) opening the mold cavity and removing the molded plastic steering hand wheel insert having a hollow tubular rim, a solid plastic inner bracket, and a plurality of integral spokes.