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:
Aug. 29, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 01, 1998
Yutaka Sano, Ichihara, JP;
Shigehiro Asano, Ichihara, JP;
Satoshi Matsuura, Ichihara, JP;
Tsutomu Okano, Kariya, JP;
Haruo Fukuda, Kariya, JP;
Toshihiko Inagaki, Kariya, JP;
Grand Polymer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha, Aichi, JP;
Abstract
Disclosed is a method of molding an automobile outer trim part, including the steps of: (1) providing a film or sheet comprising a colored layer composed of a propylene polymer composition and, laminated thereto, a clear layer composed of a propylene homopolymer, (a) heating the laminated film or sheet, (3) feeding the heated laminated film or sheet into a metal mold including a pair of dies, (4) closing the metal mold so that the laminated film or sheet is shaped into desired configuration, (5) loosing the closed metal mold, and (6) injecting a thermoplastic polymer onto the side of the colored layer of the metal mold so that the shaped laminated film or sheet is united with a substrate layer of the thermoplastic polymer. The above propylene polymer composition comprises in a specified proportion a polypropylene block copolymer and/or polypropylene random copolymer exhibiting a specified intrinsic viscosity, a polyethylene exhibiting a specified intrinsic viscosity, an elastomer composed of a copolymer of ethylene and an .alpha.-olefin exhibiting a specified intrinsic viscosity and a colorant. The above method enables providing an automobile outer trim part having the same colored appearance and texture as those of painted part, irrespective of the avoidance of a printing step.