Patent ID: 6024903
Filing Date: 2000-02-15
Classification: B29C,D06F,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A process for producing a composite handle for an appliance, which is strong, light in weight and has a compressible wrap-around grip portion which is comfortable to the hand of the user, comprising the steps of:a) providing a lightweight, rigid handle substrate having a wrap-around section in a gripping area of the handle intended to be enclosed within the hand of the user, said substrate comprising a first vertically wide rib, a second horizontally wide rib, and a plurality of horizontally spaced vertical thin members integrally molded with the first and second ribs to form a shaped backbone,b) inserting said substrate into an injection mold as a core surrounded by a mold cavity enclosing said gripping area of the substrate;c) injecting a foam-forming resinous molding composition into said mold cavity;d) expanding at least a portion of the foam-forming resinous molding composition into the spaces between the vertical thin members to improve the bond between the foam layer and the substrate,e) curing the molding composition to form a compressible wrap-around layer about the gripping area of the rigid handle substrate, andf) removing the composite handle from the injection mold.