Patent ID: 11945408
Assignee: LACKS ENTERPRISES, INC.
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 5:
6. A method of forming a roof rail for a vehicle including:
injection molding an elongated main body portion extending between a pair of closed ends and having a pair of connecting portions each at one of the ends of the main body portion and configured to connect the roof rail to the vehicle, wherein the main body portion and the connecting portions are formed as a single unitary one piece component with an upper surface, a bottom surface in spaced relationship with the upper surface and two opposing side surfaces each extending between the upper and bottom surfaces, wherein the upper surface and the bottom surface are substantially continuous and wherein the side surfaces are each substantially continuous between the upper surface and the bottom surface, and wherein the main body portion and the connecting portions are comprised of an inner portion formed of a first thermoplastic material surrounded by an outer portion formed of a second thermoplastic material, wherein the inner portion is formed entirely of the first thermoplastic material from a center of the roof rail radially outwardly to the outer portion of the second thermoplastic material, wherein the thermoplastic material of at least the outer portion does not include a glass filler, and wherein at least the second thermoplastic material is formed of a plateable material; and
electroplating a metal plating layer onto substantially an entirety of the outer portion of the main body including along the upper surface and the side surfaces to provide an appearance of a metal roof rail.