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US6660195B2 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Process for producing a skin material-laminated foamed thermoplastic resin molding

Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Co Ltd
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Filing: 2001-03-01
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Granted: 2003-12-09
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Expires: 2021-03-01
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention relates to a process for producing a skin material-laminated foamed thermoplastic resin molding and to foamed thermoplastic resin moldings, said process comprising a skin material and a thermoplastic resin foam integrally laminated with the skin material, wherein the process uses a mold comprising a male and female mold members which are mutually slidable and whose cavity clearance (t) is adjustable, the process comprising the following steps (1)-(5): (1) skin material supply step, (2) resin injection step, (3) compression step, (4) foaming step and (5) cooling and releasing step, and said moldings that are a panel-shaped foamed thermoplastic resin molding comprising a substrate and a projection standing on the substrate wherein the projection has a mean expansion ratio of not greater than 1.1 times and the substrate has a mean expansion ratio of not less than 1.3 times.

Inventors

  • 👤 Nobuhiro Usui
  • 👤 Takeo Kitayama

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 08:39
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C44/00; B29C44/34; B29C44/36; B29C44/38; B29C44/381; B29C44/02; B29C44/12; B29C44/14; B32; B32B; B32B27/00; B32B27/12; B32B27/32; B32B5/00; B32B5/18; B29L; B29L2009/00; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31855; Y10T428/31909

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 280 words
A process for producing a foamed thermoplastic resin molding comprising a skin material and a thermoplastic resin foam integrally laminated with the skin material, wherein the process uses a mold comprising a male and female mold members which are mutually slidable and whose cavity clearance (t) is adjustable, the process comprising the following steps (1)-(5): (1) skin material supply step for supplying a skin material between the female and male mold members while said members are open with respect to each other; (2) resin injection step including bringing the male mold member and the female mold member close together to make the t to be a resin injection clearance less than (C+5) mm, wherein C is the thickness of the skin material before molding, and injecting a foaming agent-containing molten polyolefin-based resin through a resin supply opening provided in one of the male and female mold members to between the skin material and the mold member, wherein the injection step is commenced at a resin injection clearance of less than (C+5); (3) compression step for shaping the injected polyolefin-based resin by filing it up to an end of a mold cavity by making the t smaller than the resin injection clearance by compression, and simultaneously laminating the skin material integrally with the polyolefin-based resin; (4) foaming step for forming a foamed thermoplastic resin molding by forming a foamed layer through foaming the polyolefin-based resin injected in its molten state through elongating the t after the completion of the shaping of the polyolefin-based resin; and (5) cooling and releasing step including cooling the foamed thermoplastic resin molding in the mold, then opening the mold and taking out the foamed thermoplastic resin.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 280 words
A process for producing a foamed thermoplastic resin molding comprising a skin material and a thermoplastic resin foam integrally laminated with the skin material, wherein the process uses a mold comprising a male and female mold members which are mutually slidable and whose cavity clearance (t) is adjustable, the process comprising the following steps (1)-(5): (1) skin material supply step for supplying a skin material between the female and male mold members while said members are open with respect to each other; (2) resin injection step including bringing the male mold member and the female mold member close together to make the t to be a resin injection clearance less than (C+5) mm, wherein C is the thickness of the skin material before molding, and injecting a foaming agent-containing molten polyolefin-based resin through a resin supply opening provided in one of the male and female mold members to between the skin material and the mold member, wherein the injection step is commenced at a resin injection clearance of less than (C+5); (3) compression step for shaping the injected polyolefin-based resin by filing it up to an end of a mold cavity by making the t smaller than the resin injection clearance by compression, and simultaneously laminating the skin material integrally with the polyolefin-based resin; (4) foaming step for forming a foamed thermoplastic resin molding by forming a foamed layer through foaming the polyolefin-based resin injected in its molten state through elongating the t after the completion of the shaping of the polyolefin-based resin; and (5) cooling and releasing step including cooling the foamed thermoplastic resin molding in the mold, then opening the mold and taking out the foamed thermoplastic resin.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 35 words
The process for producing a foamed thermoplastic resin molding according to claim 1 wherein the skin material comprises a cushion layer having a compression modulus of not greater than 0.3 MPa and a backing layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
The process for producing a foamed thermoplastic resin molding according to claim 2 wherein the backing layer of the skin material is a non-woven fabric.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 32 words
The process for producing a foamed thermoplastic resin molding according to claim 1 further comprising a step for compressing by slightly reducing the t after the completion of the foaming step (4).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 21 words
The process for producing a foamed thermoplastic resin molding according to claim 1 wherein the polyolefin-based resin is a polypropylene-based resin.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 26 words
The process for producing a foamed thermoplastic resin molding according to claim 1 wherein one of the female and male mold members has a projection-forming cavity.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5252269A Cited
US5304579A Cited
US5281376A Cited
JPH06344362A Cited
US5437823A Cited
US5972259A Cited
US6129870A Cited
US6146562A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2006-12-08 2007-06-09 2007-12-09 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2010-12-08 2011-06-09 2011-12-09 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2014-12-08 2015-06-09 2015-12-09 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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