Abstract: A cured resin and fiber part generally can be manufactured by providing a mold that defines a cavity having at least one shape-defining surface. An in-mold paint sheet having a bonding side and a finish side can be positioning in the cavity of the mold such that the finish side of the in-mold paint sheet is positioned adjacent to the shape-defining surface of the mold. A mixture of a thermoset resin and a plurality of reinforcing fibers are then introduced into the cavity of the mold such that the resin and fiber mixture contacts the bonding side of the in-mold paint sheet. The in-mold paint sheet and resin and fiber mixture are then compressed in the mold while being heated causing the resin and fiber mixture to be cured and bonded to the in-mold paint sheet resulting in a part having the finish side of the in-mold paint sheet as a finished surface of the part.

Abstract: The invention relates to reinforced composite vehicle load floors of the sandwich-type having a cellular core. In a method for making a load floor of the invention, a stack is formed that is made up of: a load-bearing upper skin made of a reinforced thermoplastics material; an upper skeletal frame structure of reinforcing slats each of which is made of a reinforced thermoplastic composite or pultrusion; a cellular core made of a thermoplastic material; a lower skeletal frame structure of reinforcing slats each of which is also made of a reinforced thermoplastic composite or pultrusion; and a bottom skin made of a reinforced thermoplastic material. Each of the frame structures of reinforcing slats has a surface area that is smaller than the surface area of each of the skins. The frame structures of reinforcing slats are positioned symmetrically about a plane formed by the cellular core against the skins.

Abstract: Compositions, apparatus and methods of the present invention concern the manufacturing parts that remain strong and dimensionally stable after exposure to e-coat painting conditions. Such manufacturing includes providing a molding compound having about 55-65% by weight polyethylene terephthalate content, about 35-45% by weight filler content, and optionally about 1% by weight blowing agent content. When an injection molding machine is provided, the molding compound can be fed into the injection molding machine to form a raw part. The raw part can then be removed from the injection mold and quenched in a quenching bath to produce a hardened part. The hardened part can then be secured to a partially assembled vehicle. The hardened part, along with the rest of the partially assembled vehicle can then be electro-coated, painted, and baked to produce a final vehicle or sub-assembly thereof.

Abstract: An assembly for enclosing and protecting a plurality of meters for storage or transportation purposes and carrier and pallet for use therein are provided. The assembly includes a plurality of carriers. Each of the carriers includes a base unit having upper and lower surfaces for receiving and retaining a plurality of meters in a predetermined spaced relationship thereon and a cover unit movable between a closed position for enclosing, protecting and immobilizing the meters within the base unit and an open position to allow storage or retrieval of one or more meters to or from the base unit, respectively. The assembly also includes a pallet having a load-bearing, upper surface and a tine-engaging, lower surface and an array of apertures extending between the load-bearing, upper surface and tine-engaging, lower surface for receiving and retaining lower portions of the meters in the predetermined spaced relationship thereon when the carriers are supported on the load-bearing, upper surface of the pallet.

Abstract: A molding method and a metal-covered plastic component such as partial or entire fascia, body side moldings, and the like, which have bright surface requirements and which includes a film sheet and a one-piece thermoplastic elastomeric structural carrier are provided. The film sheet includes a decorative layer of metal such as chrome. A plastic layer of the film sheet on which the layer of metal is formed is selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyurethane and polycarbonate. A bottom contact surface of the film sheet bonds with a front contact surface of the structural carrier by diffusion between the contact surfaces thereof within a mold cavity of an injection mold separate from the step of forming a preform which is securely positioned within the injection mold during injection molding to form the plastic part.

Abstract: A method and system for co-molding a thermoplastic material with a thermoplastic sandwich material to form a thermoplastic sandwich article having a thermoplastic inner portion are provided. In one embodiment, the thermoplastic material may be a composite material and the article is a deep-drawn article. In this embodiment, the method and system include a female die having an article-defining cavity defined by inner surfaces of the female die and an outer male die for forcing an inner portion of a blank of thermoplastic sandwich material having a cellular core and a predetermined amount of thermoplastic composite material placed on the blank into the female die along a substantially vertical axis and against the inner surfaces of the female die to obtain deep-drawn sandwich material. In a second embodiment in which the article formed is not deep-drawn, the outer male die is not required.

Abstract: A plastic shopping cart is disclosed. In accordance with certain aspects of the present invention, all of the components of a shopping cart are formed from a moldable material such as, for example, a thermoplastic resin by means of an injection molding process or the like. The shopping cart is configured so that any metallic parts that are used to connect the various plastic components together are shielded from the ambient environment. This virtually eliminates any rusting and corrosion of any metallic parts that are used to connect the various components of the shopping cart together.

Abstract: A method of making a molded plastic component having enhanced surface finish uses a mold having at least one metal base, a mold cavity, and at least one self-lubricating surface layer which defines the plastic component within the mold cavity. The self-lubricating surface layer includes a porous metallic skin integrally connected to and extending from an interior surface of the at least one metal base and lubricating particles disposed on the skin and in pores of the skin. The lubricating particles are bonded together to form a sealed surface of the at least one self-lubricating surface layer such that the molded plastic component has the enhanced surface finish. The metallic skin includes a plurality of spaced, sinusoidally-shaped projections of autocatalytic nickel alloy. The lubricating particles are preferably submicron-sized particles of low friction fluoropolymers. The mold may be an injection mold, a compression mold, a blow mold or a vacuum mold.

Abstract: A reinforced composite pallet assembly of the sandwich-type having a cellular core which is locally crushed is provided. The assembly includes a pair of substantially flat decks having front, back and side edges. Each of the decks includes a load-bearing skin made of a reinforced thermoplastics material, a grid of reinforcing slats, a cellular core made of a thermoplastics material, and a tine-engaging skin made of a reinforced thermoplastics material. The grid of reinforcing slats is positioned at predetermined places against the tine-engaging skins. The distance between the skins of each deck is reduced during molding of the deck which molding locally crushes the core at the predetermined places. A plurality of supports support the decks at the predetermined places against the reinforcing slats so that tines can lift and support the pallet assembly at the tine-engaging skin. The resulting assembly is ultra light weight, meeting all forecasted government weight restrictions.

Abstract: A method and device of treating an irregularly shaped article to prepare the article for painting is provided. The device includes a burner which can produce an adjustable flame tongue which can fit into crevices, openings and other irregular topographical features of an item to be painted or otherwise coated. The burner device further provides means to apply a grafting chemical on a freshly oxidized surface. Further, the invention provides means to colorize treated objects so that they may be recognized as having been treated. In another embodiment, the grafting chemicals may be enhanced with electrolytic solutions such that electrostatic methods of painting may be subsequently employed on the item. In an alternate embodiment, the burner is adapted to spray a powder inside of a generally enclosed flame, and is used in conjunction with chop guns to manufacture glass or carbon fiber preforms.

Abstract: A molded plastic component having enhanced surface finish is molded within a mold having at least one metal base, a mold cavity, and at least one self-lubricating surface layer which defines the plastic component within the mold cavity. The self-lubricating surface layer includes a porous metallic skin integrally connected to and extending from an interior surface of the at least one metal base and lubricating particles disposed on the skin and in pores of the skin. The lubricating particles are bonded together to form a sealed surface of the at least one self-lubricating surface layer such that the molded plastic component has the enhanced surface finish. The metallic skin includes a plurality of spaced, sinusoidally-shaped projections of autocatalytic nickel alloy. The lubricating particles are preferably submicron-sized particles of low friction fluoropolymers. The mold may be an injection mold, a compression mold, a blow mold or a vacuum mold.

Abstract: A method and system for co-molding a thermoplastic material with a thermoplastic sandwich material to form a thermoplastic sandwich article having a thermoplastic inner portion are provided. An inner male die forces the thermoplastic composite material and the sandwich material within the peripheral edge portion together at a temperature and pressure sufficient to fuse the materials together to form a thermoplastic composite inner portion of the sandwich material.

Abstract: A method and system for molding thermoplastic sandwich material to form a deep-drawn article utilizing a unique clamping technique and mechanism are described. The method includes the steps of positioning a blank of thermoplastic sandwich material having a cellular core over a female die having an article-defining cavity defined by inner surfaces of the female die. Then, an inner portion of the blank is forced into the female die along a substantially vertical axis and against the inner surfaces of the female die to obtain deep-drawn material. During the step of forcing at least one outer portion of the blank immediately adjacent the female die is clamped to guide the at least one outer portion of the blank to travel into the article-defining cavity at an acute angle with respect to the vertical axis. Thickness of at least one side wall of the deep-drawn material is substantially the same as thickness of the blank of thermoplastic sandwich material.

Abstract: The present invention involves an air bag deployment chute and panel assembly for deploying an air bag through a panel member having a groove. The deployment chute comprises a stationary portion and one or more door portions depending on the shape of the prescribed tear pattern (i.e., “I”, “H” or “U”). The stationary portion includes a base and a peripheral wall integrally connected thereto. The base has a first surface attached to an inner surface of the panel member and an opening to define an inner periphery of the base. The inner periphery is positioned against a structurally weakened area of the panel member defined by the groove so that outer portions of the groove are supported by the base to prevent inadvertent pivotal movement of the one or more door portions toward the air bag when force is applied on the outer surface of the panel member.

Abstract: A vehicle plastic panel includes a plastic panel body and a speaker grille integrally injection molded with a plastic panel body. The speaker grille has a plurality of sound passages formed therethrough from a front surface to a rear surface, and has a cross-hatched upstanding rib pattern extending from the rear surface.

Abstract: A cross-arm member constructed of lightweight plastics or resins and comprising a structural member providing a lightweight means of supporting electrical transmission wires. The cross-arm member of the preferred embodiment is constructed using a single mold design, having a tongue and groove configuration, such that the number of different members is reduced and construction of the cross-arm is facilitated and the end device is strengthened. The device is designed in a modular manner permitting the rapid and easy exchange of key components. Key components are further held in place by simple friction fittings.

Abstract: A combination vehicle passenger seat/child stroller apparatus is adapted to be releasably secured to floor-board seat tracks of a vehicle. The apparatus is selectively convertible between a stroller mode for use outside the vehicle and a seat mode for supporting an adult or child passenger inside the vehicle. The apparatus includes an upright body portion and a corresponding first cushion, a bottom body portion and a corresponding second cushion, where the bottom body portion is operatively coupled to the upright body portion. Also included are front wheels and rear wheels, and front arms and rear arms each having proximal and distal ends. The distal ends of the front arms are operatively connected to the front wheels, and the distal ends of the rear arms operatively connected to the rear wheels. The proximal ends of the arms are pivotally connected to either the upright body portion or the bottom body portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to reinforced composite pallet assemblies of the sandwich-type having a cellular core. In a method for making a deck of the assembly, a stack is formed that is made up of: a load-bearing skin made of a reinforced thermoplastics material; an upper grid of reinforcing slats each of which is made of a reinforced thermoplastic composite or pultrusion; a cellular core made of a thermoplastic material; a lower grid of reinforcing slats each of which is also made of a reinforced thermoplastic composite or pultrusion; and a tine-engaging skin made of a reinforced thermoplastic material. Each of the grids of reinforcing slats has a surface area that is smaller than the surface area of each of the skins. The grids of reinforcing slats are positioned symmetrically about a plane formed by the cellular core against the skins. After the stack is processed to form the deck, a plurality of supports or spacers are affixed to the tine-supporting skin such as by an in-mold process.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing articles utilizing a composite material having a high density of small particles such as microspheres in a matrix material is disclosed. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, at least first and second layers of flanking material are disposed in a generally non-parallel relationship with respect to each other and then are pulled through a die. While the flanking material layers are being pulled through the die, a composite material is injected into a space defined between the at least first and second layers of flanking material. The composite material and the at least first and second layers of flanking material are heated as they pass through the die to cure the composite material and bond the at least two flanking material layers to the composite material, thereby forming a cured article.

Abstract: A molding method and an impact resistant automotive part such as a bumper beam resulting from the molding method are obtained wherein a thermoplastic reinforced fiber structure at least partially forms a pair of attachment portions of the part and continuously extends between the attachment portions to link the attachment portions. The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of blanks, heating the plurality of blanks, and stacking the plurality of blanks to form a stack of blanks. The stack is then stamped to form the part including the pair of attachment portions spaced a predetermined distance apart. The thermoplastic reinforced fiber structure has tows of fibers wetted by a resin material such as polypropylene. Preferably, the fibers are woven glass fibers.