Patent Publication Number: US-2017368727-A1

Title: Maskless method of producing a component having a two-dimensional appearance

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This document relates generally to the component production field and, more particularly, to a method of producing a component having a two-dimensional or two-tone appearance wherein a first portion of the component has a chrome appearance and a second portion is a chosen color. The method eliminates any need to mask or paint the component to achieve this visual effect. 
     BACKGROUND 
     It is desired to provide a two-dimensional or two-tone appearance to various component parts of a motor vehicle including, for example, an exterior grille. In the past this has required masking one portion of the component while the other portion is being chrome plated and then masking the chrome plated portion of the component while the other portion is being painted. Unfortunately, these multiple processing steps are relatively time consuming and significantly increase component production costs. 
     This document relates to a new and improved method of producing a component having the desired two-dimensional appearance without the need to complete any masking or painting steps. As such, the present method represents a significant advance in the art that reduces both production time and production costs when producing a component with a two-dimensional appearance. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, a component part is provided for a motor vehicle. That component part comprises an integral body including a first portion made from a chrome-platable material and a second portion made from a molded-in-color, non-platable material. The component part also includes a chrome plate layer on the first portion of chrome-platable material. 
     The chrome-platable material may be selected from a group of materials consisting of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyamide, nylon and mixtures thereof. The molded-in-color, non-platable material may be a molded-in-color polycarbonate material or any non-butadiene containing polymers. That molded-in-color polycarbonate material may consist of multiple shades of color. Further, the component part may be an exterior grille for a motor vehicle. 
     In accordance with an additional aspect, a method is provided of producing a component part for a motor vehicle. That method comprises the steps of: (a) molding a first portion of the component part from a chrome-platable material in a first mold cavity, (b) molding a second portion of the component part from a molded-in-color, non-platable material in a second mold cavity thereby creating an integral body from the first and second portions, (c) removing that integral body from the second mold cavity and (d) applying a chrome plate layer to the chrome-platable material of the first portion. 
     The method may further include the step of injecting the chrome-platable material into the first mold cavity. The method may further include the step of injecting the molded-in-color, non-platable material to second mold cavity. 
     In addition, the method may include the step of opening the mold and removing the integral body from the mold. Further, the method may include the step of immersing the integral body into a bath of chrome plating solution until the chrome plate layer is formed on the chrome-platable material. 
     Still further, the method may include the step of removing the integral body from the bath of chrome plating solution. In addition the method may include the step of providing a finished component having a first portion covered in a chrome layer and a second portion in a chosen color while eliminating (a) a first masking step prior to chrome plating, (b) a second masking step prior to painting and (c) the actual painting of the component part. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect, a method is provided of producing an exterior grille for a motor vehicle. That method comprises the steps of (a) producing an integral body having a first portion made from a chrome-platable material and a second portion made from a molded-in-color, non-platable material and (b) applying a chrome layer to the first layer without masking the second portion. Further, the method may include the step of using a molded-in-color, non-platable material of a chosen color and eliminating paint masking and painting steps to produce the exterior grille with a first portion in chrome and a second portion in the chosen color. 
     In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the production method and the component part produced by that method. As it should be realized, the production method and component part are capable of other, different embodiments and their several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the production method and component part as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       The accompanying drawing figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the production method and component part and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof. In the drawing figures: 
         FIG. 1  is a fragmentary view of a component part or exterior grille for a motor vehicle having a two-dimensional or two-tone appearance. 
         FIG. 2  is a detailed view of a portion of the exterior grille illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIGS. 4 a -4 g    are a series of schematic illustrations showing the step-by-step method of producing the component part illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
     
    
    
     Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the component part and the method of making the component part, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 1-3  illustrating a component part  10  for a motor vehicle. In the illustrated embodiment, the component part  10  comprises an exterior grille. As best illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the component part/exterior grille  10  includes an integral body  12  having a first portion  14  made from a chrome-platable material and a second portion  16  made from a molded-in-color, non-platable material. A chrome plate layer  18  is provided on the surface of the first portion  14 . 
     As should be appreciated, the component part/exterior grille  10  is characterized by having an A surface (i.e. the chrome plate  18 ) having a chrome appearance and a B surface (second portion  16 ) of a chosen color. 
     The chrome-platable material utilized to make the first portion  14  of the integral body  12  may be selected from a group of materials including, but not necessarily limited to, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyamide, nylon and mixtures thereof. The molded-in-color, non-platable material from which the second portion  16  is made may be made from a molded-in-color polycarbonate material. Here it should be noted that molded-in-color polycarbonate material is presented as a single example of the type of material that may be utilized but is not limiting in scope. 
     The second portion  16  made from the molded-in-color, non-platable material may have a high gloss surface that is particularly resistant to chrome plating. In some of the many possible embodiments, the second portion  16  of molded-in-color, non-platable material may consist of multiple shades of color in order to provide a most unique aesthetic appearance in conjunction with the chrome-like A surface provided by the chrome plate layer  18  received on and bound to the first portion  14  of the integral body  12 . 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 4 a -4 g    which schematically illustrate a method of producing the component part/exterior grille  10 . As will become apparent from the following description, that method includes the steps of: (a) molding the first portion  14  of the integral body  12  from a chrome-platable material in a first mold cavity C 1 , (b) molding the second portion  16  of the integral body from a molded-in-color non-platable material in a second mold cavity C 2  and (c) applying a chrome plate layer  18  to the chrome-platable material of the first portion. Advantageously, that method offers significant design appearance flexibility by enabling multiple finishes from a single mold M without having to do conventional masking and painting. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 4 a   - 4   d,  a mold M includes a first section S 1  and a second section S 2  which define a first mold cavity C 1  and a second mold cavity C 2 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 a   , the mold M is closed. The first mold cavity C 1  holds a molded first portion  14  of the integral body  12  and the second mold cavity C 2  holds a fully molded integral body  12  including the first and second portions  14 ,  16 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 b   , the mold M is opened by raising the first section S 1  from the second section S 2  (note action arrow A). The finished, integral body  12  is then removed from the mold (note action arrow B). 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 c   , the second mold section S 2  is then rotated 180° so that the molded first section  14  is aligned with the second mold cavity C 2  (see action arrow C). The mold M is then closed by lowering the first mold section S 1  (note action arrow D). 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 d   , the chrome-platable material  20  is then injected into the first mold cavity C 1  to form the first portion  14  and the molded-in-color, non-platable material  22  is injected into the second mold cavity C 2  to form the second portion  16  and thereby create the integral body  12 . The molding process then cycles back to the steps illustrated and described in  FIG. 4 a   . This molding process is repeated as necessary to produce the desired number of component parts/exterior grilles  10 . 
     The finished integral bodies  12  removed from the mold in  FIG. 4 b    are then subjected to plating. Thus, the method includes applying a chrome plate layer  18  to the chrome-platable material  20  which now forms the first portion  14  of the integral body  12 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 e   , this may be done by immersing the integral body  12 , including the first portion  14  made from the chrome-platable material  20  and the second portion  16  made from the molded-in-color, non-platable material  22 , into a bath or vessel V of chrome plating solution  24  (note action arrow E). The integral body  12  is maintained in the bath or vessel V of chrome plating solution  24  until the chrome plate layer  18  of desired thickness is formed on the chrome-platable material  20  which comprises the first portion  14  of the integral body  12  (see  FIG. 4 f   ). The integral body  12  is then removed from the bath or vessel V of chrome plating solution  24  and the chrome plating solution is allowed to drip from the molded-in-color, non-platable material  22  of the second portion  16 . Thus, it should be appreciated that the method provides a finished component part or exterior grille  10  having a first portion  14  covered in a chrome layer  18  and a second portion  16  in a chosen color. 
     Advantageously, this is accomplished while eliminating all masking and painting steps. This includes eliminating the first masking step previously required prior to chrome plating as well as the second masking step previously required prior to painting. As such, it should be appreciated that the present method provides a simpler and faster production method which reduces both production time and production cost and thereby represents a significant advance in the art. 
     Consistent with the above description, a method is also provided for producing an exterior grille or component part  10  wherein that method comprises the steps of producing an integral body  12  having a first portion  14  made from a chrome-platable material  20  and a second portion  16  made from a molded-in-color, non-platable material  22  and applying a chrome layer  18  to the first portion without masking the second portion. Further, the method may be described as including the step of using a molded-in-color, non-platable material  22  of a chosen color and eliminating paint masking and painting steps to produce the exterior grille or component part  10  with a first portion  14  in chrome and a second portion in the chosen color. 
     The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.