Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Sheets or webs edge spliced or joined
Patent
1997-10-22
1998-06-30
Thomas, Alexander
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Sheets or webs edge spliced or joined
428 31, B32B 314
Patent
active
057731152
ABSTRACT:
An automotive trim panel is made by using an apparatus and method that bond together two trim coverstock segments having different colors, gauges or textures and two rigid substrate components into a single trim panel with the two coverstock segments meeting along a finished joint line. The method includes joining the coverstock segments together to form a rough seam, supporting the substrate components on two spaced-apart movable mold components with each substrate component having a mating flange that extends into the space between the mold components, applying an adhesive layer to the substrate upper surfaces, heating the joined coverstock segments and vacuum or positive air pressure-forming them across the substrate upper surfaces with the rough seam lying midway between the spaced-apart mold components. Pressure is then applied along the rough seam to infold the coverstock between the mold components while moving the mold components toward a clamped position that sandwiches the infolded coverstock portion between the substrate mating flanges and fastens them together with a pre-mounted fastener. The method forms a finished styling line between the dissimilar coverstock segments and hides the rough seam.
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Davidson Textron Inc.
Thomas Alexander
LandOfFree
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