Abstract: A method for producing a multilayer molded article in which an skin material having nap on the outer surface thereof is integrally molded with a substrate of a synthetic resin, using a mold comprising a pair of male and female mold halves. In this method, after the fabric skin material and the molten resin are clamped in the mold and primary cooling is carried out, the mold is opened halfway to form a predetermined gap between the mold halves, and the molten synthetic resin undergoes secondary cooling and hardens while the mold is held in the half-open state. In the present invention, the time period for the operation to open the mold halfway is set at one second or less. By limiting the half-opening operation time period to the short period of one second or less, recovery of the nap is reliably achieved without the nap tending to stay flattened.

Abstract: A method for producing a multilayer molded article in which an skin material having nap on the outer surface thereof is integrally molded with a substrate of a synthetic resin, using a mold comprising a pair of male and female mold halves. In this method, after the fabric skin material and the molten resin are clamped in the mold and primary cooling is carried out, the mold is opened halfway to form a predetermined gap between the mold halves, and the molten synthetic resin undergoes secondary cooling and hardens while the mold is held in the half-open state. In the present invention, the time period for the operation to open the mold halfway is set at one second or less. By limiting the half-opening operation time period to the short period of one second or less, recovery of the nap is reliably achieved without the nap tending to stay flattened.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fiber reinforced polypropylene-based composite material comprising reinforcing fibers and a matrix resin, wherein the reinforcing fibers and the matrix resin are made of different polypropylene-based resins and wherein a melting point, Tm(F), of the polypropylene-based resin which is the material forming the reinforcing fibers and a melting point, Tm(M), of the polypropylene-based resin which is the matrix resin satisfy Tm(F)−Tm(M)>10° C. Since the fiber reinforced polypropylene-based composite material of the present invention contains reinforcing fibers and a matrix resin both of which are made of polypropylene-based resins, adhesiveness of the reinforcing fibers and the matrix resin is excellent and therefore the composite material exhibits excellent mechanical strength.

Abstract: A foamed thermoplastic resin sheet has a foaming ratio of not less than 2.5, and cells, existing in an interior part which extends inward from a depth of 20 percent a whole thickness of the sheet from the front and rear surfaces thereof respectively in a thickness direction thereof and from 15 percent a width of the sheet from both side edges respectively, satisfy the following expressions (1) and (2): 0.5≦D/C≦0.9  (1) 0.5≦E/C≦0.9  (2) where C represents a mean cell diameter in the thickness direction of the foamed thermoplastic resin sheet, D represents a mean cell diameter in an extrusion direction (MD) of the same, and E represents a mean cell diameter in the width direction (TD) of the same. The foamed thermoplastic resin sheet thus arranged has a high foaming ratio, and is formed thick.

Abstract: A mold clamping unit employed in an injection molding apparatus for opening and closing a mold having a movable mold plate and a fixed mold plate. The mold clamping unit comprises a mold clamping cylinder, mold opening means for applying a mold opening force of a predetermined magnitude to the movable mold plate in the direction from the closed position to the fully open position and moving the movable mold plate from the closed position to the predetermined half-open position located between the closed position and fully open position, and switching means for switching the mold clamping force generated by the mold clamping cylinder between the first mold clamping force which is larger than the mold opening force and a second mold clamping force which is smaller than the mold opening force by switching the supply pressure of working fluid supplied to the mold clamping cylinder.

Abstract: A multilayer polyolefin foamed sheet comprises a foamed layer and a non-foamed layer. The foamed layer is composed of polyolefin and the non-foamed layer is composed of one of the polyolefins, a polypropylene with a long-chain branch and a polyolefin-based adhesive resin with a long-chain branch. In another aspect, a multilayer polyolefin foamed sheet comprises a foamed sheet having at least one polyolefin foamed layer and a gas barrier resin sheet having at least one barrier resin layer laminated thereon, wherein the gas barrier resin sheet has a thickness of from 10 to 300 &mgr;m and has a thickness distribution, Tmax/Tmin, of from 1 to 1.2 in an area of at least 25 cm2.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system in which carbon dioxide is supplied to a pressure chamber of a molten resin preparing apparatus which has established a certain temperature environment to diffuse the carbon dioxide in a material synthetic resin in a molten state. After turning the material synthetic resin into a gas-dissolving-resin in the pressure chamber, the gas-dissolving-resin is supplied to a mold space of a molding apparatus for compression molding. The pressure inside the mold space is quickly lowered by raising an upper mold of the molding apparatus quickly, whereby a foamed article is produced from the gas-dissolving-resin in the mold space.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hollow foamed polyolefin-based resin container comprising an inner layer and an outer layer, at least one of the inner and outer layers being formed of a foamed polyolefin-based resin sheet, wherein at least a side wall part of the container has a hollow portion between the inner and outer layer and a process for produciong the same, and the like. The hollow foamed polyolefin-based resin container can be used as containers for retorted food products and other containers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to foamed thermoplastic resin moldings which can be used, for example, as food product containers which can contain retort food products, etc., household electrical appliance parts and automotive interior parts, and to a process for producing the same, said foamed thermoplastic resin molding prepared by shaping a foamed thermoplastic resin sheet, the molding comprising a general part and a thick part wherein these parts differ from each other in thickness wherein the mean expansion ratio of the thick part is not less than 1.2 times the mean expansion ratio of the general part and wherein the maximum thickness of the thick part is not less than 1.5 times the thickness of the general part.

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.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a multilayer molded article comprising a step of supplying a skin material having at least a foam layer between a pair of a male mold half and a female mold half, supplying a molten thermoplastic resin between the skin material and the molding surface of one of the male mold half and the female mold half, a step of laminating the skin material onto at least a part of the surface of a substrate made from the thermoplastic resin and a step of forming a recess in the skin material laminating region, wherein the thickness, t (mm), of the foam layer in the skin material before molding is 0.6 R or less wherein R represents the minimum radius (mm) of the recess on the skin material laminating side of the substrate in the skin material laminating region of the multilayer molded article.

Abstract: The present process includes a mold for producing a thermoplastic resin molded article, comprising paired sliding female and male mold members, which mutually slide at the time of mold closing. A product-forming portion and a non-product-forming portion are provided in the cavity of the mold, the mold further including a resin-supplying opening. A gate portion located at a boundary between the product-forming portion and non-product-forming portion interconnects the two portions. At closing of the mold, the width of the gate at the product-forming side is less than the thickness of the formed product, and stepwise or continuously widens toward the non-product-forming side. Using this mold, a thermoplastic resin molded article, with or without a laminated skin material, can be molded in good efficiency and low cost, further having a non-product-forming portion, which can be readily trimmed from the product-forming portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a wood-filled thermoplastic resin composition comprising wood meal, thermoplastic resin particles and a binder solution, and a process for producing the same.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a multilayer molded article having a skin material laminated with at least a part of the surface of a substrate formed of a thermoplastic resin. The process has steps of supplying a skin material to between a pair of mold halves and supplying a molten thermoplastic resin to between the skin material and the molding surface of one of the mold halves. The process uses, as the skin material, a skin material which has at least a foamed urethane layer and a nonfoamed backing layer wherein the product of the density, &rgr; (g/cm3), of the foamed urethane layer and the weight, W (g/m2), of the backing layer is not less than 2. This process prevents crush of the foamed urethane layer and can produce a multilayer molded article with good appearance.

Abstract: A foamed thermoplastic resin sheet manufacturing device is provided with (i) an extruder for melting and kneading a thermoplastic resin and a foaming agent to form a melted/kneaded mixture and extruding the melted/kneaded mixture, (ii) a die which is provided at a front end of said extruder and forms the melted/kneaded mixture into a sheet-like foamy thermoplastic resin material, (iii) a vacuum chamber in which the foamy thermoplastic resin material extruded through said die expands under a reduced pressure, and (iv) a facing-wall section composed of a pair of walls of said vacuum chamber which face each other in a thickness direction of the foamy thermoplastic resin material, at least one of the walls in pair being a movable wall provided so as to move in directions in which said walls approach and separate each other. By this arrangement, foamed thermoplastic resin sheets with various thicknesses can be produced.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hollow foamed polyolefin-based resin container comprising an inner layer and an outer layer, at least one of the inner and outer layers being formed of a foamed polyolefin-based resin sheet, wherein at least a side wall part of the container has a hollow portion between the inner and outer layer and a process for produciong the same, and the like. The hollow foamed polyolefin-based resin container can be used as containers for retorted food products and other containers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hollow foamed polyolefin-based resin container comprising an inner layer and an outer layer, at least one of the inner and outer layers being formed of a foamed polyolefin-based resin sheet, wherein at least a side wall part of the container has a hollow portion between the inner and outer layer and a process for produciong the same, and the like. The hollow foamed polyolefin-based resin container can be used as containers for retorted food products and other containers.

Abstract: A method for producing a multilayer molded article in which an skin material having nap on the outer surface thereof is integrally molded with a substrate of a synthetic resin, using a mold comprising a pair of male and female mold halves. In this method, after the fabric skin material and the molten resin are clamped in the mold and primary cooling is carried out, the mold is opened halfway to form a predetermined gap between the mold halves, and the molten synthetic resin undergoes secondary cooling and hardens while the mold is held in the half-open state. In the present invention, the time period for the operation to open the mold halfway is set at one second or less. By limiting the half-opening operation time period to the short period of one second or less, recovery of the nap is reliably achieved without the nap tending to stay flattened.

Abstract: A mold clamping unit employed in an injection molding apparatus for opening and closing a mold having a movable mold plate and a fixed mold plate. The mold clamping unit comprises a mold clamping cylinder, mold opening means for applying a mold opening force of a predetermined magnitude to the movable mold plate in the direction from the closed position to the fully open position and moving the movable mold plate from the closed position to the predetermined half-open position located between the closed position and fully open position, and switching means for switching the mold clamping force generated by the mold clamping cylinder between the first mold clamping force which is larger than the mold opening force and a second mold clamping force which is smaller than the mold opening force by switching the supply pressure of working fluid supplied to the mold clamping cylinder.

Abstract: A mold for molding a thermoplastic resin comprising a pair of a male mold and a female mold in that a molten mass of a thermoplastic resin is supplied into a molding cavity formed by the male and female molds through a conduit for a resin melt, and after the completion of the supply of the resin, the supplied resin is shaped while shutting off the conduit for a resin melt with a pin for opening and closing the conduit for a resin melt, in which the conduit has a through-mouth of a nozzle, and a warmed conduit connected with the upstream side of the through-mouth, and the mold has a movable pin for opening and closing the conduit for a resin melt, the first heater to heat the wall of the conduit for a resin melt, and the second heater to heat the through-mouth.