Patent GB-1380255-A (GB)
Title: Decorative trim strips
IPC: B29C48/11
Filed: 1971-02-15
Abstract: 1380255 Trim strip CREATORS Ltd 10 Feb 1972 [15 Feb 1971] 4683/71 Heading B6G A decorative trim comprises an extruded strip of plastics material having at least one longitudinal passage extending therethrough and a metal foil strip or metallized plastics foil strip embedded or encapsulated in-the extruded strip behind said at least one passage, at least the plastics in front of said at least one passage being transparent or translucent so that the metal or metallized plastics foil strip is visible through the front surface of the strip, i.e. that surface which is exposed when the trim strip is fixed in position. A decorative material in the form of a coating on the surface of the passage, e.g. a coating of coloured paint or lacquer may be applied on the wall surface of the passage(s). The metal strip or metallized plastics strip embedded in the trim may have paint applied to at least one selected portion thereof, e.g. one or more longitudinal bands of an opaque or translucent paint may be applied thereto. The rear surface of the trim strip may be provided with an open groove or channel containing a bonding material for fixing to a surface such as the side of a vehicle body. Alternatively at least the rear part of the strip may be channel-shaped in cross-section and provided with inwardly directed edge portions, e.g. clips or buttons, to hold the strip in position on a vehicle body. The strip may comprise a substrate consisting of an extrusion of plastic material, a protective layer of translucent or transparent plastics material and a metal strip or metallized plastics strip bonded between the substrate and the protective layer, the or each passage being provided in the protective layer. The strip may be produced by extruding the plastics material with one or more passages therethrough and with the metal strip or metallized plastics strip embedded therein and introducing decorative material into the or one or more of the passages. The decorative material may be introduced at the same time as the strip is being extruded or alternatively after the plastics material of the strip has cooled. As shown in Fig. 1 a trim comprises an extruded strip 1 of flexible plastics material provided with an open channel or groove 4 which may be undercut filled with a mastic 5, e.g. of butyl rubber, the exposed surface of which is covered with a protective paper strip. A single passage 6 is provided and decorative material 7 in the form of a coating of coloured paint or lacquer is present on the surfaces of the passage 6. The strip 1 has embedded therein behind the passage 6 a thin foil 9 of transparent plastics material metallized on one surface. The adhesive may be inserted by injection or an extrusion into the channel 4 whilst the strip 1 is being extruded, the protective paper strip being fed over the mouth of the channel from a roll at the same time. The extruded decorative trim may have its ends provided with a shaping finish by heating in a high-frequency jig and this operation may also be used to close the ends of the channel 4 and the ends of the passage or passages 6. Alternatively the ends of the strip may be provided with end finisher clips. In one embodiment the end finisher clip comprises a shaped body portion having projections for engaging the ends of the passages 6 of the trimmed strip and a rearwardly projecting snap fastener element for engaging in a hole in the vehicle body to which the trim is secured (Fig. 5, not shown). As shown in Fig. 3, apparatus for making the strip comprises a crosshead extrusion die 20 having a nozzle 21 through which plastics material fed thereto by extruder 22 is extruded with the metal strip or metallized plastics strip embedded therein. A die pin 23 arranged in the nozzle and supported therebehind serves to form the passage in the strip. The die pin has a passage 24 therein through which paint, lacquer under pressure is fed into the passage. The plastics material of the strip may be polyvinyl chloride, cellulose acetate butyrate, or the strip may comprise two superposed layers of a substrate extruded of acrylonitrile-butadienestyrene copolymer, chlorinated polyvinyl chloride, nylon or polypropylene and a covering layer extruded of crystal clear polyvinyl chloride or cellulose acetate butyrate.