Manufacture Of An Article Having A Decorative Cover Sheet Overlying A Substrate

摘要

A method of forming a decorative article comprising placing a decorative cover sheet comprising an untextured skin layer, a cushion foam layer and an adhesive layer in a mold space between a front mold half and a rear mold half, placing a substrate on the rear mold half, heating a textured front mold surface and the skin layer with a first heater arrangement between the front mold half and the cover sheet, heating the cover sheet and the substrate with a second heater arrangement between the cover sheet and the rear mold half, forming the skin layer of the decorative cover sheet into contact with the textured front mold surface, forming into the skin layer a textured surface from the textured front mold surface, pressing the substrate against the adhesive layer of the decorative cover sheet, and bonding the cover sheet to the substrate with the adhesive layer.

主权项

1. A method of forming a decorative article 10 comprising:
providing a mold 130 comprising a front mold half 132 and a rear mold half 134 to form the decorative article 10, the front mold half 132 comprising a mold cavity 136 and a front mold surface 140, the front mold surface 140 comprising a textured front mold surface; arranging the mold 130 such that a mold space 135 is provided between the front mold half 132 and the rear mold half 134; placing a substrate 20 on the rear mold half 134, the substrate 20 having a substrate front surface 22; placing a decorative cover sheet 12 in the mold space 135 between the front mold half 132 and the rear mold half 134, the decorative cover sheet 12 comprising a untextured skin layer 14, a cushion foam layer 16 and an adhesive layer 18; retaining the decorative cover sheet 12 with a clamping arrangement 170, the decorative cover sheet 12 oriented in the clamping arrangement 170 such that the skin layer 14 faces the textured front mold surface 140; introducing a first heater arrangement 200 and a second heater arrangement 202 in the mold space 135 between the front mold half 132 and the rear mold half 134, the first heater arrangement located between the front mold half 132 and the decorative cover sheet 12 and the second heater arrangement located between the decorative cover sheet 12 and the rear mold half 134; heating the textured front mold surface 140 of the front mold half 132 and the skin layer 14 of the decorative cover sheet 12 with the first heater arrangement 200; heating the adhesive layer 18 of the decorative cover sheet and the substrate front surface 22 with the second heater arrangement 202; removing the first heater arrangement 200 and the second heater arrangement 202 from the mold space 135 between the front mold half 132 and the rear mold half 134; moving at least one of the front mold half 132 and a rear mold half 134 towards each other in a closing direction; forming the skin layer 14 of the decorative cover sheet 12 into contact with the textured front mold surface 140; forming into the skin layer 14 a textured skin surface produced from the textured front mold surface 140; pressing the substrate 20 against the adhesive layer 18 of the decorative cover sheet 12; and bonding the cover sheet 12 to the substrate 20 with the adhesive layer 18.