Patent ID: 6093272
Filing Date: 2000-07-25
Classification: B29C,B29L,Y10T

Abstract:
Method of manufacturing a rigid vehicle trim panel having first and second regions covered by different flexible sheet trim materials, comprising:providing a mold for the shape of the trim panel and having a blade projecting from the mold at the junction between the first and second regions to be covered by the different sheet materials;providing first and second sheets of flexible sheet material having the desired aesthetic characteristics;cutting the first sheet material to fit the first region and extend over the blade and draping the first sheet over the mold and blade;providing a rigid substrate material having a flange structure along an edge margin thereof;forming a composite panel by bonding the second sheet material to the rigid substrate material;installing the composite panel onto the mold with the flange structure of the rigid substrate snapped over the first sheet material and capturing a marginal edge of the first sheet material and retaining the first sheet material on the blade of the mold;closing the mold and adhering a suitable molding material to the first sheet material and the rigid substrate material of the second sheet material to thereby form the rigid trim panel; andopening the mold and removing the rigid trim panel from the blade and hiding a line of demarcation between the first sheet material and second sheet material from view at a bottom of a groove defined by the blade.