Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-20
2003-03-11
McDowell, Suzanne E. (Department: 1732)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C264S161000, C264S241000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06531020
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air spoiler for an automotive vehicle, on which proper reinforcement members are molded integrally so as to increase attachment force of the air spoiler onto rear side surface of trunk lid of the automotive vehicle. Also, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an air spoiler for an automotive vehicle by air-blowing, where proper reinforcement members are molded integrally when air-blow molding the air spoiler.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As is well known, many kinds of air spoilers designed in harmony with specific exterior of automotive vehicle have been developed and widely used. The primary function of the air spoiler intended is for suppressing the automotive vehicle, being floating due to strong air current formed while running at high speed, toward road surface so as to increase driving stability and braking force of the automotive vehicle.
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a typical air spoiler denoted by reference numeral
10
is disposed across the rear side, that is, trunk lid
14
of a vehicle
12
. Conventionally, a plurality of attachment members
16
, each having at least one securement screw
16
a
such as a T-bolt, are provided at the bottom surface of the air spoiler
10
. The attachment members
16
serve to space the air spoiler
10
from the upper surface of the trunk lid
14
by a predetermined interval. The respective securement screws
16
a
for fitting the air spoiler
10
on the trunk lid
14
of the vehicle
12
, are buried integrally in the corresponding attachment member
16
in the process of molding the air spoiler
10
. Here, according to an exemplary process for manufacturing the prior art air spoiler, raw material, for example, thermoplastic resin from a source tank is passed through a rotary feeding screw via a hopper of the spoiler molding machine. At this time, the raw material is heated to be melted. Then, the melted raw material is passed through a head of the spoiler molding machine to be changed in cylindrical shape and supplied, in turn, between a core mold and a cavity mold which are open at present.
Referring now to
FIG. 2
, while the core mold is designed to form an upper part of the air spoiler
10
, the cavity mold is to form a lower part including the attachment member
16
of the air spoiler
10
, centering around a mold mating surface
18
.
Consequently, when the cylindrical raw material has been supplied into the core and cavity molds via the head of the spoiler molding machine, the core and cavity molds are tightly closed. Then, an air cylinder of the spoiler molding machine moves forward and a plurality of blow pins of the spoiler molding machine form a plurality of air-blowing holes on the surface of the raw material supplied into the core and cavity molds in order to blow air through the air-blowing holes of the raw material for a predetermined period.
When the air blowing is completed, the air cylinder of the spoiler molding machine moves backward to its original position. Then, the core and cavity molds open slowly and a molded product, that is, a molded product of air spoiler is taken out by means of a product taking-out machine. The molded air spoiler is subjected to remove undesirable refuses, such as burr. Subsequently, an end-product, a desired air spoiler including attachment members formed integrally is obtained.
In such a conventional process for manufacturing the air spoiler, the respective attachment member
16
have the securement screws
16
a
such as a T-bolt buried integrally at the bottom surface of the air spoiler
10
so as to attach the air spoiler
10
onto the trunk lid
14
of the automotive vehicle
12
.
When the raw material of the air spoiler is subjected to an air blowing stage, where the core mold is tightly closed with the cavity mold, in order to manufacture the aforementioned structure of the air spoiler
10
, the raw material for molding the air spoiler
10
must be uniformly injected into the area where the attachment members
16
are to be formed on the cavity mold along the depth direction of the attachment members
16
. However, in fact, during air-blowing process the raw material for molding the air spoiler
10
is injected irregularly into the attachment members
16
to be formed on the cavity mold. That is, undesirably, the raw material for molding the air spoiler
10
is gradually thinly injected into the area where the attachment members
16
are to be formed on the cavity mold as seen from a symmetric sectional view of FIG.
2
.
If the thickness of the attachment members
16
is irregularly molded, durability of the area where the securement screws
16
a
are buried on the attachment members
16
is disadvantageously deteriorated. Accordingly, when the air spoiler
10
having the weakened area on the attachment member
16
is mounted on the surface of the trunk lid
14
of the automotive vehicle
12
, the area of the attachment members
16
where the securement screws
16
a
are buried may be damaged or destroyed unexpectedly. Further, when the poor quality air spoiler
10
having the weakened attachment members
16
is mounted on the trunk lid
14
of the automotive vehicle
12
, the stability of the automotive vehicle
12
is also deteriorated undesirably during running at high speed. Besides, it brings restriction on designing the molding process of the air spoiler
10
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide of an air spoiler for an automotive vehicle, on which separate reinforcement members are integrally molded around the area where the air spoiler is mounted onto the rear side surface of the automotive vehicle so as to assure the sufficient durability of the air spoiler when being mounted to the automotive vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an air spoiler for an automotive vehicle by disposing separate reinforcement members within an air spoiler forming mold, a cavity mold for example and injecting raw material such as thermoplastic resin into the reinforcement members.
In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an air spoiler to be fitted on the upper surface of the trunk lid of an automotive vehicle includes a plurality of separate reinforcement members, being disposed around the area where the air spoiler is attached onto the trunk lid of the automotive vehicle, and formed integrally together with the raw material injected to be an end-product.
Advantageously, each of the reinforcement members has an elliptical main body part and a trumpet-shaped flange part outwardly enlarged from the main body part. And, at least a securement means is buried on the bottom surface of the main body part of the corresponding reinforcement member. Besides, an engagement portion is formed at the periphery of the flange part of the reinforcement member.
According to the present invention, proper engagement reinforcing means for enhancing the engagement force of the reinforcement member to the raw material for forming the air spoiler is further provided inside the main body part of the reinforcement member. Here, preferably, an adhesive tape is employed as the engagement reinforcing means to be adhered in ring-shaped on the inside wall surface of the main body part of the reinforcement member. Alternatively, proper plastic primer may be employed to be injected into the main body part of the reinforcement member.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an air spoiler for an automotive vehicle, comprising a step of positioning a plurality of separate reinforcement members onto the positions of the cavity mold corresponding to the area where the air spoiler is fitted on the trunk lid of the automotive vehicle; a step of injecting the raw material for manufacturing the air spoiler to the inside of the reinforcement member under the discharge of air remaining in t
Lilling & Lilling P.C.
Moya Plastics Co. Ltd.
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