Patent ID: 6709723
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: B29C,B29K,B29L,B32B,Y10T

Abstract:
An exterior automotive quality body panel or member comprising a dry paint transfer film for providing a layer of color to the exterior of the finished panel or member;a relatively thin semi-rigid polymeric backing sheet adhered to the dry paint transfer film; a relatively thick supporting sheet of a thermoformable polymeric material which has been extruded and laminated to the backing sheet and heat bonded to the backing sheet to form an integral substrate sheet which is thermoformed to a three-dimensional shape with the dry paint transfer film bonded to its outer surface; the backing sheet and extruded supporting sheet comprising compatible polymeric materials to promote the bond between them, the polymeric material of the backing sheet having a lower gel count than the thicker extruded supporting sheet material, the polymeric material of the extruded supporting sheet having a substantially higher filler content than the backing sheet material, the relatively thicker extruded supporting sheet component of the substrate having a thickness at least 40 mils; the thermoformed three-dimensionally contoured body panel or member having an exterior outer surface of exterior automotive quality with a distinctness-of-image of at least about 60 in the absence of appreciable haze caused by thermoforming to its finished shape.