Patent ID: 8679284

Claim:
A method for adhering a skin to a surface of a core material, the method comprising: a) setting the core material on a lower mold half; b) after step a), placing the skin onto an upper surface of the core material, the skin being formed prior to placement on the upper surface of the core material; c) pulling down an upper mold half and then stopping the upper mold half at a predetermined distance above an upper surface of the skin; d) after step c), selectively supplying fluid into a plurality of parallel-connected tubular members made of elastic material, the plurality of parallel connected tubular members being disposed along a mold surface of the upper mold half; e) one of inflating the at least one tubular member by a pressure of the fluid or maintaining the shape of the at least one tubular member inflated by the pressure of the fluid; and f) pressing the entire upper surface of the skin against the core material by the plurality of parallel-connected tubular members; and g) individually controlling the pressure of the fluid in each tubular member of the plurality of parallel-connected tubular members in accordance with a shape of the core material such that a pressure of the fluid is higher in tubular members facing complex-shaped portions of the core material than a pressure of the fluid in tubular members facing other portions of the core material to secure adherence of the skin to the core material.