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:
Jan. 06, 2004
Filed:
May. 31, 2001
Yoshihiko Hiraiwa, Aichi-ken, JP;
Michael J. VonHoltz, Holland, MI (US);
Raul Gerhardus, Holland, MI (US);
Michael T. McCully, Grand Rapids, MI (US);
Dean D. Petrick, Hamilton, MI (US);
John P. Maurer, West Olive, MI (US);
Other;
Abstract
A production apparatus of an interior trim component covered with a surface skin material having a plurality of different portions in such a manner that each boundary line of the different portions is hidden in a groove or valley provided in the substrate of the trim component, which includes a pair of confronted molding dies, a carrying-in device for introducing the surface skin material into a space between the confronted molding dies in such a manner that the boundary line of the surface skin material is positioned in engagement with the corresponding internal projection formed on a molding surface of either one of molding dies, a thrust mechanism including a thrust member assembled within the other molding die to be projected from its molding surface toward the internal projection of the confronted molding die and retractable therefrom and an actuator mounted to the other molding die for forwarding the thrust member toward the internal projection so that a distal end of the thrust member is brought into engagement with the boundary line of the surface skin material to retain the surface skin material in place on the internal projection of the confronted molding die, an injection device mounted to file other molding die for injecting melted synthetic resin into a space between the molding dies clamped with each other to form the substrate of the trim component with the surface skin material, wherein the carrying-in device is operated to introduce the surface skin material into the space between the confronted molding dies and retracted to the exterior after the thrust member was brought into engagement with the boundary line of the surface skin material, and wherein the thrust member is maintained in engagement with the surface skin material until the melted synthetic resin is injected by operation of the injection device.