Abstract: An instrument panel and associated inflatable restraint door, capable of producing a "hinging effect" preferential opening of the door upon deployment of an air bag concealed in the instrument panel, has locating peripheral surfaces with a dielock angle which is flared five degrees along one edge and between fifteen and twenty degrees along the opposite edge to impove door release action.

Abstract: A mold assembly for molding vinyl skin shell-covered and foam-filled products, such as an automotive instrument panel, wherein waste portions of the shell and foam are eliminated from the molded product. This eliminates having to manually trim such portions from the finished product after molding. Specifically, compressible foam or silicone rubber gaskets or spacers of predetermined shaped, such as the shape of an opening suitable for a radio speaker, are placed in the mold and compressed between the mold lid and the bottom surface of the mold cavity.

Abstract: A cover for an airbag unit includes first and second separate door members each having a polyvinyl chloride outer shell, a urethane foam pad and a yieldable thin metal back plate with a side flange connecting each of the first and second door members to an airbag housing to define a soft-feel horn hub within a steering wheel having a styling line thereacross; the two members are adhered to a rigid urethane foam member to prevent separation therebetween. The rigid urethane foam member fills between the door members and the airbag unit such that deployment of the airbag unit will immediately impact thereon to cause the thin metal back plates to hinge outwardly with respect to the housing to open the two separate door members for airbag deployment.

Abstract: A door assembly for an opening through which an inflatable restraint safety device may be deployed including a frame for supporting an inflatable restraint safety device and an opening presented in the frame, a door is disposed in the opening and is capable of rapidly moving so that the inflatable restraint device may be deployed through the opening, the door includes an impact plate portion and a foam portion bonded to the impact plate portion with the foam portion including a microcellular component having a first predetermined density and an integral outer skin component distinct from the microcellular component and formed integral with the microcellular component and which has a second predetermined density which is greater than the first predetermined density of the microcellular component for providing an aesthetically pleasing non-separable surface on the microcellular component.

Abstract: A plunger of a known mass is held in a guide sleeve of a test device at a predetermined height over the sample of settable plastic material being tested. The plunger is gently released onto the sample without impact to apply a static force thereon similar to a "handgrip" pressure applied on a molded part during handling. The static pressure is applied on the sample released at selected times and places after reactive components of the sample are mixed for reaction to effect a series of indentations on the sample whose depths are measured and plotted as points on a depth versus time graph to define a cure curve of the sample. Curing rate is determined from the initial slope of the curve. Cure completion is determined where the curve levels off. A measure of the likelihood of handling damage is established by the portion of the indentations after a given time period.

Abstract: A method for integrally molding a preassembled door within an instrument panel to provide a cover for a safety air cushion device includes the steps of molding the plastic instrument panel about and over the door in situ of a mold cavity and thereafter the step of removing a portion of the instrument panel which overlies the door to provide an opening therein to expose the door for opening movement with respect to the instrument panel upon deployment of the air cushion device. The invention further includes the resultant structure of an integrally molded door and instrument panel assembly having an opening formed in the instrument panel assembly for both defining a ledge to support the door and to define a path for impacting an air cushion device against the door to cause the door to be lifted from its integrally molded seat relationship on the ledge for further deployment of the air cushion device into the passenger compartment of a vehicle.

Abstract: An instrument panel assembly, for mounting between the front support pillars of a vehicle, includes a panel body with openings for supporting and displaying instruments and gages and extending transversely between two front support pillars of a vehicle, with the panel body having first and second ends, and the panel body further includes adjustable, compressible bellows disposed at the terminal ends of the panel body for adjustment between extended and compressed positions to provide flush engagement with the front support pillars of the vehicle.

Abstract: A process for forming a multi-colored integral vinyl skin shell including a heated mold and dual powder box arrangement wherein the mold is formed to include alternately positioned tear surfaces and recessed surfaces. After the first powder box supplies a layer of powder to cover all the surfaces to form a shell, the strips of shell on the tear surfaces are removed, after which the first powder box is replaced by a second powder box. The second powder box has a plurality of spaced dams or dividers formed therein such that the dams cooperate with the respective recessed surfaces of the mold to provide clearances therewith that permit different colored powders in the compartments between the dams to cover the previously cleared tear surfaces and to flow past the selectively formed free ends of the dams to become integrally secured to the adjacent edge portions of the shell segments remaining in the areas of the recessed surfaces of the mold, forming the multi-colored, integral plastic shell.

Abstract: This disclosure illustrates and describes a test mold for the quantitative measure of the effects of formulation and/or process variable changes on some kinds of surface problems of a molded part caused by different degrees of imperfection or voiding underneath the part surface. The molded part can be single component or composite, solid or foamed. One example of the surface problem is the so-called "measles or cellulite" problem observed on the vinyl surface of a vinyl/foam composite due to the voids or rattiness within the foam. To accomplish this result, the mold has various sized, spaced apart, aligned openings formed in each of the front and rear walls of the mold, but with the centers thereof at different elevations in the respective front and rear walls. Removable rods inserted through the aligned mold wall openings produce longitudinal openings through the part which is molded around the rods, permitting the effect thereof on the surface of the molded part to be evaluated.

Abstract: A fastener system for connecting first and second parts together includes a female fastener having a retention slot therein with an entrance portion, a stop portion and a fastener gripping segment located intermediate said entrance portion and said stop portion; a male fastener has an integral extension thereon insertable into said entrance portion and movable laterally of the slot to an interlocked position at the stop portion. The male fastener includes first surface means thereon engageable with the gripping segment for holding the male fastener in a stop position, and said male fastener further includes second surface means thereon to interlockingly connect the female fastener to the male fastener. The component parts of the fastener system are configured to be formed by use of die members separable in a straight draw.

Abstract: Apparatus for manufacturing thin-walled hollow shells for parts such as automobile door panels, control and instrument panels and the like includes a charge box or powder box for supplying dry thermoplastic material to separate casting surfaces on a heated mold selectively connected to the charge box during a casting process. A selectively pressurizable inflatable seal gasket is connected to the charge box for sealing a division surface on the heated mold which surface separates the casting surfaces of the mold. The inflatable seal gasket includes a base portion fixed to the charge box; an inflatable core with expandable walls to bridge the distance between the charge box and the division surface and a seal bead that sealingly engages the division surface when the seal gasket is inflated to keep the division surface clean for a subsequent application of material to form a connector bond between previously cast two tone colored segments.

Abstract: A process for molding plastic parts includes the steps of providing two or more colors of pigmented powder particles of thermoplastic material; casting the particles against a heated surface to form non-patterned layers of particles with voids therebetween; heating the layers to form color blended fused fringe zones between the particles which fill the voids to form a solid, multi-colored, three-dimensional article while each particle retains its discrete particle core which maintains each particle's central or original color concentration and which cores have discernible light transmissive properties.

Abstract: A locking assembly (10) having a female member (12) and a male member (22) particularly suited for use in an automotive arm rest. The female member (12) has a receiving cavity (14) with opposing and spaced walls (16a, 16b) extending along a receiving axis (18). The female member defines a plurality of locking recesses (20) spaced along the axis (18) on one wall (16a) of the cavity (14). The male member (22) has a plurality of tines (24) spaced apart longitudinally therealong for snapping into the recesses (20) to retain the male member (22) in the cavity (14). The assembly (10) is characterized by the female member (12) presenting a plurality of biasing beams (26) independent from one another and spaced along the opposite wall (16b) of the cavity (14) for respectively engaging the tines (24) to retain one tine (24) in each of the recesses (20 ).

Abstract: An apparatus for depositing a layer of thermoplastic material onto a surface bearing a recessed logo or other decorative design of a logo plaque mold, wherein the apparatus includes a cylindrical housing enclosing a rotatable shaft and spray gun extension. The rotatable shaft may be operatively connected to the housing for rotation along the centerline thereof, and the spray gun extension in secured to a side of the shaft such that the axis of the extension is parallel to the axis of the shaft so as to be rotated concentrically with the shaft when the latter is rotated. Thus, a suitable thermoplastic material is deposited on the recessed logo or design of an associated mold surface, providing for the retention of segments in the recesses for being bonded onto a subsequent base layer of thermoplastic material.

Abstract: A rotational molding process for slush casting mold with plastisol includes providing a conveyor having a plurality of spaced reversing arm assemblies, each arm assembly having opposite ends carrying molds thereon; providing first and second conveyor paths for the molds on the opposite ends of each arm assembly and locating one of the first and second conveyor paths inside the outer perimeter of the other of the first and second conveyor paths; preheating a mold on one of the arm assemblies on the first conveyor path and filling the preheated mold with an excessive charge of plastisol to form a gel layer thereon while on the first conveyor path and thereafter dumping plastisol from the preheated mold for return to a supply source of plastisol; and simultaneously curing a gel layer on another of the arm assemblies by directing the mold through the second conveyor path as the preheated mold on the other end of the arm assembly is being filled and dumped whereby the movement of an arm assembly produces simultane

Abstract: Apparatus and a process for manufacturing plastic shells having decorative features thereon includes a method for casting thermoplastic material against a heated mold by use of a combination mask and container unit (hereinafter referred to as the combination unit) that is joined to a known heated mold to deposit a first semi-cured deposit on the mold from supplies of material in the combination mask and container; the mask is configured to have a plurality of wire reinforced foot portions with sealing edges configured to be aligned with the sharp edges of recesses in the mold surface defining the decorative feature; when the combination unit is inverted it casts material only on the recesses to form a semi-fused deposit of a first color. The combination unit is separated from the mold which is then processed to a higher fusion temperature and a base layer of contrasting thermoplastic material is cast thereon to be bonded to the recess material prior to cooling and stripping the mold.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a multi-colored integral vinyl skin shell including a heated mold and dual powder box arrangement wherein the mold is formed to include alternately positioned tear surfaces and recessed surfaces. The powder box has a plurality of spaced dams or dividers formed therein such that the dams cooperate with the respective recessed surfaces of the mold to provide clearance therewith that permit different colored powders in the compartments between the dams to cover the previously cleared tear surfaces and to flow past the selectively formed free ends of the dams to become integrally secured to the adjacent edge portions of the shell segments remaining in the areas of the recessed surfaces of the mold, forming the multi-colored, integral plastic shell.

Abstract: A vehicle interior part such as a glove box door or console door and its method of manufacture includes an outer shell backed by foam material which is bonded to a mold insert that reinforces the part and defines an exposed back. The insert includes a peripheral edge spaced with respect to a continuously formed raw peripheral edge of the shell and further includes a flange portion that is post formed so as to be bonded to and located in a net out relationship with the raw edge to define a finished surface appearance.

Abstract: Apparatus for manufacturing a multitude of thin walled hollow plastic shells for parts such as automobile door panels, controls and instrument panels from dry thermoplastic powders includes a mold heating chamber with a tube sheet heating assembly operative to provide a hot air flow pattern with a profile which matches the outer profile of one of a plurality of molds that are selectively placed in the mold heating chamber thereby to uniformly heat a casting surface of the mold by an energy efficient process.

Abstract: Apparatus for manufacturing plastic shells having decorative features thereon includes a combination mask and container unit that is joined to a known heated mold to deposit a first semi-cured deposit on the mold from supplies of material in the combination mask and container; the mask is configured to have a plurality of wire reinforced foot portions with seal edges configured to be aligned with the sharp edges of recesses in the mold surface defining the decorative feature; when the combination unit is inverted it casts material only on the recesses to form a semi-fused deposit.