Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US6391242B2/en
Timestamp: 2018-12-18 12:27:21
Document Index: 426256498

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10']

US6391242B2 - Foil-covered plastic part and method of making same - Google Patents
Foil-covered plastic part and method of making same Download PDF
US6391242B2
US6391242B2 US09815235 US81523501A US6391242B2 US 6391242 B2 US6391242 B2 US 6391242B2 US 09815235 US09815235 US 09815235 US 81523501 A US81523501 A US 81523501A US 6391242 B2 US6391242 B2 US 6391242B2
US09815235
US20010023011A1 (en )
This is a continuation divisional of application(s) Ser. No. 09/144,315 filed on Aug. 31, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,823 which is a continuation-in-part of 09/083,943 filed May 22, 1998.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,769, 100, the Short reference, teaches a method of applying a carrier film pre-printed with metallic paint to an automobile body panel in a vacuum forming process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,351 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,412, the Parker patents, teach a method of manufacturing an air bag cover for an inflatable air bag system including a bond able film carrier, which is painted after the film carrier is molded.
Dry Decorating Method—There is clean-up required with hot stamping. A hot stamped part is immediately ready for handling and packaging.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view, partially broken away, taken along lines 3—3 in FIG. 2 to illustrate the various layers of the foil-covered plastic part;
FIGS. 5a-5 e are side schematic views illustrating the various steps taken by the hot stamping machine of FIG. 4 in order to cover portions of a plastic part with foil; and
The preform 12 is composed of a film sheet that is pre-painted. The film sheet is preferably a polyester sheet such as Mylar®, a polyurethane or polycarbonate sheet.
In the preferred embodiment, the preform 12 comprises a film sheet with the following coatings placed thereon: a layer of acrylic color in mating contact with the film sheet and a layer of polyvinylidine fluoride (PVDF) with an acrylic clear coat to protect the film from damage and t o provide film elasticity, chemical resistance, stain resistance, weathering and UV protection. In the most preferred embodiment, PVDF comprises 72% of the total film thickness which is, preferably, 0.2 mils.
For other automotive applications, the substrate 14 is varied to accommnodate the intended use. Accordingly, for bumper/fascia applications, the substrate 14 can be selected from at least the following materials: lomod®, bexloy® and thermoplastic polyolefin. For cluster bezel applications, the substrate 14 can be selected from at least the following materials: ABS (acrylonitrile/ butadiene/styrene), a mixture of polycarbonate and ABS, polycarbonate, and polypropylene.
The body of the air bag cover or substrate 14 may also be formed from thermoplastic polyolefin, polycarbonate, tee tpe, sebs tpe, and a mixture of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile/butadiene, styrene (ABS). The corresponding preform 12 must be compatible with the plastic of the substrate 14 so that diffusion between contact surfaces occurs. In general, this requirement is achieved by selecting a substrate 14 with at least one or more materials common to the preform 12.
The durometer and elastic or flex modulus of the materials also vary depending o n the desired stiffness of the component. Typically, the durometer of the substrate 14 will be in the range of about 20 Shore D to 100 Shore D, while the flexural modulus will be in the range of about 15,000 to about 400,000 psi. Also, typically, the durometer of the preform 12 will be in the range of about 15 Shore A to 100 Shore A. These ranges of course vary depending on the desired plastic component to be manufactured and are only illustrative of one example.
As depicted in FIG. 3, a sectional view of the air bag cover of FIG. 1 taken along lines 3—3, is shown. The air bag body or substrate 14 supports the preform 12 which has a pre-painted coating placed thereon, followed by a base coat, preferably a layer of acrylic color, and a clear coat, preferably an acrylic clear coat and a layer of PVDF as previously shown. As also shown in FIG. 2, a hot stamping foil, generally indicated at 16, includes a foil top layer 18 disposed on a plastic bottom layer 20. The plastic bottom layer 20, which may be a polyester film layer, is bonded to raised decorative indicia (i.e. the word “sport”) on the plastic outer surface of the preform 12. In other words, the plastic bottom layer 20 bonds with the acrylic clear coat and the layer of PVDF at raised surface portions of the preform 12.
The silicone die 30 consists of heat stable silicon rubber available in a wide range of hardness (durometer) bonded to the aluminum packing plate 34. The graphics illustrated in FIG. 2 which are to be stamped such as the word “sport” are lowered on the die surface a minimum of {fraction (1/32)}″ and are heated to a temperature near the melting point of the plastic layer 20, usually in excess of 300° F. Centered directly below the silicone die 30 in a path defined by two stripper bars 44 is the hot stamp foil 16 consisting of one or more thin coatings such as the plastic bottom layer 20 deposited on a film carrier in the form of the foil top layer 18. Typically, there is approximately ½ inch space between the foil top layer 18 and the hot die face of the silicone die 30 so that the release characteristics of the hot stamping foil 16 and the hot die face of the silicone die 30 are affected as little as possible by heating convection.
Supported directly below the silicone die 30 and the hot stamping foil 16 is aligned a part holding fixture 46 which supports the air bag cover 10 so that the raised graphic design (i.e., the word “sport”) formed thereon is aligned within ¼ to {fraction (1/10)} of a millimeter with the graphics formed on the face of the silicone die 30.
Referring now to FIGS. 5a-5 e, there are illustrated the various steps taken in the hot stamping machine to make the foil-covered plastic part 10.
With particular reference to FIG. 5a, when the machine sequence has been initiated, the silicone die 30 and its aluminum backing plate 34 are sent toward the foil-receiving surface of the preform 12 to be decorated. The foil 16 travels with the die 30 and, at the same time, maintains its distance from the die face. The foil 16 contacts the part 10 first and the stripper bars 44 act to push the foil 16 tightly over the surfaces of the raised design portions (i.e. the word “sport”) to remove any wrinkles.
Referring now specifically to FIG. 5b, a fraction of a second after the foil 16 is pushed over the part 10, the hot stamp die surface of the die 30 makes contact simultaneously with the foil 16 and the rigidly supported plastic part 10. The pressure that is exerted accomplishes two things. First, the silicone rubber of the die 30 compresses and conforms to any small surface variation in the part decorating area (i.e., the decorative surface portion or word “sport”) so that even contact is achieved. Second, the foil resins together with the corresponding portions of the foil top layer 18 in the graphic area will break cleanly creating a parting line.
Referring specifically now to FIG. 5d, at the end of the dwell time, the head of the machine, including the silicone die 30 and aluminum backing plate 34, retracts and begins its ascent to its start position. First, the die 30 moves away from the part 10 while the foil 16 remains on the surface for a split second, allowing the foil 16 to cool and plasticize. Then as the die 30 continues to rise, portions of the foil 16 over the raised graphics are peeled away from the rest of the foil 16. At this point, adhesion between the part 10 and the portions of the foil coatings is greater than the bond between the release agents in the coatings and the rest of the foil 16 resulting in virtual complete deposition of the foil coatings over the word “sport.”
At block 106, molten resin is injected into the mold through its injection aperture at a temperature and pressure sufficient to melt a bottom surface layer of the preform 12 and to form raised design portions (i.e., the word “sport”) at an upper surface layer of the preform 12. block 108, the part is cooled to a temperature beneath the softening point of both resins.
At block 114, the hot stamping machine is operated as indicated in FIGS. 5a-Se for a time sufficient to generate a temperature and pressure to melt the combined top surface layer of the raised design portions (i.e., the word “sport”) and the bottom surface layer 20 of the foil sheet composite 16. The word “sport” is removed from the foil sheet 16 and bonded to the raised design portions of the preform 12 which spell out the word “sport.”
1. A method of making a foil-covered plastic part, the method comprising:
injecting a thermoplastic elastomer into the mold cavity of the injection mold to generate a substrate of the part wherein the generation of the substrate of the part creates sufficient pressure and heat to bond the substrate to the bottom surface of the decorative preform and to form at least one foil-receiving portion at the plastic top surface of the preform;
operating the hot stamping machine for a time sufficient to generate a temperature and a pressure sufficient to melt and combine the top surface of the at least one foil-receiving portion and the plastic bottom layer of the hot stamping foil to form the foil-covered plastic part.
US09815235 1995-11-01 2001-03-22 Foil-covered plastic part and method of making same Expired - Fee Related US6391242B2 (en)
US09815235 US6391242B2 (en) 1998-05-22 2001-03-22 Foil-covered plastic part and method of making same
US09144315 Division US6280823B1 (en) 1995-11-01 1998-08-31 Foil-covered plastic part and method of making same
US20010023011A1 true US20010023011A1 (en) 2001-09-20
US6391242B2 true US6391242B2 (en) 2002-05-21
ID=22508050
US09144315 Expired - Fee Related US6280823B1 (en) 1995-11-01 1998-08-31 Foil-covered plastic part and method of making same
US09464153 Expired - Fee Related US6132662A (en) 1998-05-22 1999-12-16 Foil-covered plastic part and method of making same
US09815235 Expired - Fee Related US6391242B2 (en) 1995-11-01 2001-03-22 Foil-covered plastic part and method of making same
US (3) US6280823B1 (en)
DE (1) DE19940244C2 (en)
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US6132662A (en) 2000-10-17 grant
US6280823B1 (en) 2001-08-28 grant
DE19940244C2 (en) 2000-11-23 grant
US20010023011A1 (en) 2001-09-20 application
DE19940244A1 (en) 2000-04-27 application