Patent ID: 7114936

Claim:
An apparatus for forming a pattern onto an article during an injection molding thereof, comprising: feed means that feeds a pattern-bearing film to a molding position where a male mold and a female mold are opposed; a heating board formed in a single line only and that heats said pattern-bearing film so as to soften it, said heating board having a heating surface and being movable into and away from a space between said male mold and said female mold; transfer means that transfers said pattern-bearing film to an internal surface of said female mold so as to contact said pattern-bearing film with said internal surface; closing means that causes said male mold and said female mold with said pattern-bearing film therein to approach each other to form a closed molding cavity; and a resin injecting device that injects a molten resin into said cavity to form a molded article to adhere said pattern-bearing film to the surface of said article; wherein (1) said heating board is formed in a single line only and is divided into a plurality of heating blocks, each of said blocks independently controlling heat generated by the block and having a transverse width sufficient to cover at least most of the width of said pattern-bearing film, (2) said heating blocks are arranged in a vertical direction in one line only so that one heating block is disposed adjacently above another heating block, and (3) said pattern-bearing film is sent from an upper position to a lower position along the vertical direction in one line, the direction of the arrangement of the divided heating blocks and the direction of passage of said pattern-bearing film being identical.