In-the-mold coating apparatus and method

Claim 1

In an apparatus for forming a glass fiber reinforced thermoset resin part having (a) a mold having a lower die (2) and an upper die (4) and a ram for opening and closing the mold; (b) a means for parting one of the mold dies from the part while maintaining the mold sealed, in a timed sequence after the part is cured; (c) a timer to control the timed sequence; (d) an injector (6) having a water cooled injection nozzle permanently attached to one of the two dies for the purpose of injecting a coating resin upon the glass fiber reinforced resin part formed between the two dies only during the parting; (e) the means to control the timed sequence consisting of the timer of the mold used to control the molding cycle; wherein the improvement comprises (f) the injector being positioned in the die so that a stream which flows from the injector flows parallel from the injector onto the surface of the part; (g) the parting means consisting of the ram which forces the mold closed; (h) the means to control the timed sequence of the mold parting step consisting of the timer of the mold used to control the degass cycle; and (i) wherein a roughened surface on the die is the surface of the die which forms the more visible surface of the part.