Composite Article of an Automotive Vehicle and Method of Making the Same

This invention relates to a composite article of an automotive vehicle such as an automotive trim strip having and icon secured thereto, and to a method of making the same.

According to conventional practice, an icon mounted on an article such as a trim strip for an automotive vehicle, is simply secured to the surface of the article by a suitable bonding agent or fastener. Because the icon is exposed around the edges, it is often damaged or chipped away and in some cases actually stripped off when the vehicle is washed or waxed. A more secure, protected form of attachment is needed.

In accordance with the present invention, the article is a composite composed of a supporting member, a shell covering at least a portion of the supporting member, and an icon embedded in a recess in the exposed surface of the shell. Preferably, the icon is flush with the surrounding surface of the shell and thus protected from being damaged or detached.

In accordance with a preferred method of making the article, the icon is adhered to the front of a shell formed of a heat-softenable material. The shell with the adhered icon is placed in a mold cavity in a position such that the front of the shell and the front of the icon face a surface of a mold cavity. Then a flowable hot melt material is introduced into the mold cavity to form the supporting member and, at the same time, by the heat of the hot melt material, bond the shell to the supporting member and soften the shell enough to cause the icon to become embedded in the shell. Preferably, the icon has a roughened surface to improve its adherence to the shell.

Further in accordance with the method of this invention, the icon is adhered to the front of the shell by an adhesive which is cured by the heat of the hot melt material to provide a bond between the shell and the embedded icon. The adhesive is preferably a thermoplastic material which may, for example, be a polyamide or polyester. Preferably, the shell is formed of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) or some other thermoplastic material.

One object of this invention is to provide a composite article of the type described above having the foregoing features and capabilities, and a method of making the article.

Another object is to provide a composite article which is rugged and durable in use, and is capable of inexpensive manufacture in accordance with the method of the invention.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds, especially when considered with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an open vacuum mold for manufacturing a sheet of shells for the supporting member of an automotive trim strip, in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view showing the sheet of shells applied over the lower vacuum mold part in FIG. 1, with parts in elevation.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a finished sheet in which a plurality of shells have been molded in the mold of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the shells after it has been trimmed from the sheet in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an icon shown attached to a carrier strip.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6--6 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view showing the icon applied to a surface of the shell.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an open injection mold with the shell and applied icon of FIG. 7 inserted in one of the mold parts.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing the injection mold of FIG. 8 after the mold parts have been closed and a hot melt material has been introduced into the mold.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the composite article consisting of the icon embedded in the shell and the shell applied to a surface of the supporting member formed in the mold.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and especially to FIGS. 9 and 10, the composite article 20 of this invention comprises an elongated supporting member 22, and an elongated shell 24 covering the front surface of the supporting member. The supporting member 22 and the shell 24 together make up the trim strip of an automotive vehicle. An icon 26 is secured to the exposed front surface of the shell 24.

FIG. 4 shows the shell 24 and FIGS. 1-3 show a vacuum mold 28 for forming a plurality of shells from a sheet 30 of thermoplastic material. The shells 24 are simultaneously formed from the sheet 30 in the vacuum mold and then individually cut from the sheet. The thermoplastic sheet 30 may, for example, be made of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS).

The vacuum mold 28 comprises a lower mold part 32 and an upper mold part 34. The lower mold part 32 is in the form of a rectangular box-shaped housing 36 having a vacuum chamber 38 therein. The top wall 40 of the housing 36 has a plurality of elongated, laterally spaced apart, raised mold forms 42 of like configuration to form and shape a plurality of shells. Vacuum passages 44 in the top wall 40 extend from the vacuum chamber through the mold forms 40. A vacuum line 46 leads to the chamber 38.

The upper mold part 34 is in the form of a rectangular box-shaped housing 50 of about the same size as the lower mold part 34 and contains an elongated heating element 51.

To form the shells to shape from the sheet 30, the sheet, which may be preheated if desired, is laid over the mold forms 42 on the top wall 40 of the lower mold part, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The upper mold part is brought down on the lower mold part to close the vacuum mold, and the heating element 51 is energized to a temperature sufficient to soften the sheet 30. Vacuum applied to chamber 38 draws the sheet down tightly on the mold forms 42 as in FIG. 2. After a period of time required for the softened sheet to take the form of the mold forms, the mold is opened and the sheet is allowed to cool after which it is removed. The finished sheet is shown in FIG. 3 and retains the configuration imparted to it in the vacuum mold. The individual shells 24 may be cut or trimmed from the sheet and appear as shown in FIG. 4. The shells are preferably on the order of about 0.020" thick.

The icon 26 is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The icon may be any image, symbol, design or words or a combination thereof or any other representation that may be desired. In FIG. 5, the icon is the design of an eagle. The icon may be made of metal and may, for example, be chrome-plated nickel or gold-plated nickel, as desired. The icon is very thin. For convenience, the icon may initially have its front side adhered to a transfer strip 52. The transfer strip 52 may be a transparent plastic such, for example, as Mylar which is a brand name for a polyester.

A plurality of spaced-apart globs 60 of an adhesive is applied to the exposed back of the icon 26. The globs 60 are preferably formed of a heat-curable adhesive of a type which is at least tacky at room temperature and cures at the higher temperature of a subsequent injection molding operation to be described hereinafter. The adhesive may be a polyamide or a polyester.

The icon 26 is applied to the front surface of the shell 24 by pressing its adhesive coated back against the shell and peeling away the Mylar carrier strip. FIG. 7 shows the icon applied to the shell after the Mylar carrier strip has been peeled away.

Next, the shell with the icon adhered to its front surface is placed in an injection mold 70. The injection mold 70 is composed of two parts 72 and 74. The shell with the icon adhered to it is placed in the upper mold part as shown in FIG. 8 with its front surface, and the front surface of the icon, facing a mold surface 76. This mold surface 76 is configured to match the configuration of the shell.

The injection mold is closed by bringing the mold parts 72 and 74 together as shown in FIG. 8 defining a mold cavity beneath the shell in which the supporting member 22 of the composite article is formed and molded. As seen in FIG. 8 a thermoplastic hot melt material, such as ABS, may be introduced into the injection mold through the inlet 80. The hot melt material is heated to be flowable and fills the mold to form the sturdy supporting member 22. The hot melt material is introduced under enough pressure to force the shell 24 into full surface-to-surface contact with the mold surface 76 of the mold part 72. The hot melt material and shell are compatible and bond to one another on the rear surface of the shell. The heat of the hot melt material is sufficient to soften the shell 24 and cause the icon 26 to form a recess 82 in the shell and the icon to become embedded in the recess. At the same time, the heat of the hot melt material is sufficient to cure the adhesive 60 to form a strong bond between the back of the icon and the bottom of the recess. This bond is increased by the ridges 54 and grooves in the back of the icon. The heat of the molding operating will vary depending upon the hot melt material used but may be about 400.degree. F. This degree of heat is enough to soften the shell and cause the icon to become fully embedded in the shell with the front surface of the icon substantially flush with the front surface of the shell.

After a period of time sufficient to permit cooling and setting and bonding together of the hot melt material and shell, the mold is opened and the composite article consisting of the supporting member 22, shell 24 and icon 26, is removed.

The icon in the finished composite article is protected on all sides around its periphery by reason of the fact that it is fully embedded in the shell with its front surface flush with the front surface of the shell. The edges 86 of the icon abut the edges of the recess and are protected and will not be chipped or damaged and the icon will not be inadvertently peeled away.