Simulated leather accessory and method of making same

Claim 1

A method of producing an edge on a thermoplastic item having the appearance of turned-edge leather construction comprising: (a) forming a blank of thermoplastic material having a body portion and a projecting flap, said flap being joined to said body portion along a score line; (b) positioning said blank in a fixture, said fixture having, (i) a first die member having a recess of predetermined depth defining the shape of the item to be produced; (ii) a second die member having a projecting edge in alignment with said recess; and (iii) aligning and retaining means associated with said fixture; (c) folding said flap along said score line to overlie the body portion of said blank forming an assembly with said assembly engaged by said aligning and retaining means; and (d) bringing said die members together with said projecting edge and contacting said flap and applying pressure and thermal energy to said blank in the projected flap area along a line substantially parallel to said score line and along a plane substantially perpendicular to said blank thereby fusing said blank flap and body and causing said assembly to at least partially compress into said recess in said first die member fusing the layers along a generally perpendicular edge thereby forming a thin separable tear seal intermediate of the upper and lower faces of said assembly leaving a turned edge having a surface devoid of fusion lines.

Claim 2

A method of producing an edge on a thermoplastic item having the appearance of turned-edge leather construction comprising: (a) forming a blank of thermoplastic material having a body portion and a projecting flap, said flap being joined to said body portion along a score line; (b) positioning said blank in a fixture, said fixture having, (i) a first die member having a recess of predetermined depth defining the shape of the item to be produced; (ii) a second die member having a projecting edge in alignment with said recess; and (iii) aligning and retaining means associated with said fixture; (c) folding said flap along said score line to overlie the body portion of said blank forming an assembly with said assembly engaged by said aligning and retaining means; and (d) bringing said die members together with said projecting edge and contacting said flap and applying pressure and thermal energy to said blank in the projected flap area along a line substantially parallel to said score line and along a plane substantially perpendicular to said blank thereby fusing said blank flap and body and causing said assembly to at least partially compress into said recess in said first die member fusing the layers along a generally perpendicular edge thereby forming a thin separable tear seal intermediate of the upper and lower faces of said assembly leaving a turned edge having a surface devoid of fusion lines.