Molding method for stabilizing the location of a skin insert

摘要

A skin or shell for use in a mold process in which the skin or shell is placed in a mold in which foam precursors are directed onto the skin for reaction thereagainst to form a foam layer thereon; the skin includes integral connector features thereon adapted to be connected to the mold for stabilizing the location of the skin within the mold so as to prevent wrinkling of the skin during the mold process. Apparatus for stabilizing the location of the skin or shell in a mold cavity part includes recesses formed on the mold adapted to be interconnected with the integral skin connector features for producing the desired stabilization and a method is described which includes the steps of preforming a skin from dry cast thermoplastic or liquid plastisol material to have integral connector features thereon; providing a mold with recesses therein engageable with the cast integral connector features for producing the desired stabilization; closing the mold and foaming the shell to form a foam pad on the backside of the shell.