Method of forming a contoured shape

Claim 1

A method of forming a permanently deep drawn contour in a thermoplastic sheet, said method comprising: (a) releasably clamping said thermoplastic sheet in a frame assembly, said frame assembly having opposed spaced side members, clamping means releasably clamping a marginal edge of said thermoplastic sheet to said side members, and said frame assembly having a hinged portion hingedly attached to said side members, said frame assembly hinged portion located adjacent the area where the deepest draw is to be formed in said thermoplastic sheet; (b) heating said thermoplastic sheet in said frame assembly to soften said thermoplastic sheet to the forming temperature; (c) placing said frame assembly and heated thermoplastic sheet in a die press having a contoured die member, said die member receivable between said frame assembly side members and having an area of greatest contour adjacent said frame assembly hinged portion; (d) relatively moving said die member into forming engagement with said heated thermoplastic sheet between said frame side members, said frame assembly hinged portion floating relative to said side members as said thermoplastic sheet is formed by said die member to approximately midway between the areas of greatest and least contour of said die member; and (e) cooling to harden said thermoplastic sheet in the contoured shape of said die member.

Claim 2

A method of forming a permanently deep drawn contour in a thermoplastic sheet, said method comprising: (a) releasably clamping said thermoplastic sheet in a frame assembly, said frame assembly having opposed spaced side members, clamping means releasably clamping a marginal edge of said thermoplastic sheet to said side members, and said frame assembly having a hinged portion hingedly attached to said side members, said frame assembly hinged portion located adjacent the area where the deepest draw is to be formed in said thermoplastic sheet; (b) heating said thermoplastic sheet in said frame assembly to soften said thermoplastic sheet to the forming temperature; (c) placing said frame assembly and heated thermoplastic sheet in a die press having a contoured die member, said die member receivable between said frame assembly side members and having an area of greatest contour adjacent said frame assembly hinged portion; (d) relatively moving said die member into forming engagement with said heated thermoplastic sheet between said frame side members, said frame assembly hinged portion floating relative to said side members as said thermoplastic sheet is formed by said die member to approximately midway between the areas of greatest and least contour of said die member; and (e) cooling to harden said thermoplastic sheet in the contoured shape of said die member.

Claim 7

A method of forming a permanently deep drawn contour in a laminate having a woven finish sheet permanently bonded on a thermoplastic sheet, said method comprising the following steps: (a) forming a laminate by bonding a woven finish sheet having outer sides along at least two opposed sides on a larger thermoplastic sheet having outer sides along at least two opposed sides, said woven finish sheet having a width which is less than the width of said thermoplastic sheet, whereby said outer sides of said woven finish sheet are spaced apart from said outer sides of said thermoplastic sheet to separate said woven finish sheet from said thermoplastic sheet by side margins of said thermoplastic sheet on opposed sides of said woven finish sheet; (b) releasably clamping said thermoplastic sheet in a frame assembly, said frame assembly having opposed spaced side members, clamping means releasably clamping said side margins of said thermoplastic sheet to said side members and said frame assembly including a hinged portion hingedly attached to said side members independently supporting a portion of said laminate, said frame assembly hinged portion located adjacent the area where the deepest draw is to be formed in said laminate; (c) heating said laminate in said frame assembly to soften said thermoplastic sheet to the forming temperature; (d) placing said frame assembly and heated laminate in a die press having at least one contoured die member, said die member receivable between said frame assembly side members and said die member having an area of greatest contour adjacent said frame assembly hinged portion; (e) relatively moving said die member into forming engagement with said heated laminate between said frame assembly side members, said woven finish sheet floating on said thermoplastic sheet as said thermoplastic sheet is formed by said die member and said frame assembly hinged portion moving relative to said side members to approximately midway between the areas of greatest contour of said die member; and (f) cooling to harden said laminate in the contoured shape of said die member.

Claim 8

A method of forming a permanently deep drawn contour in a laminate having a woven finish sheet permanently bonded on a thermoplastic sheet, said method comprising the following steps: (a) forming a laminate by bonding a woven finish sheet having outer sides along at least two opposed sides on a larger thermoplastic sheet having outer sides along at least two opposed sides, said woven finish sheet having a width which is less than the width of said thermoplastic sheet, whereby said outer sides of said woven finish sheet are spaced apart from said outer sides of said thermoplastic sheet to separate said woven finish sheet from said thermoplastic sheet by side margins of said thermoplastic sheet on opposed sides of said woven finish sheet; (b) releasably clamping said thermoplastic sheet in a frame assembly, said frame assembly having opposed spaced side members, clamping means releasably clamping said side margins of said thermoplastic sheet to said side members and said frame assembly including a hinged portion hingedly attached to said side members independently supporting a portion of said laminate, said frame assembly hinged portion located adjacent the area where the deepest draw is to be formed in said laminate; (c) heating said laminate in said frame assembly to soften said thermoplastic sheet to the forming temperature; (d) placing said frame assembly and heated laminate in a die press having at least one contoured die member, said die member receivable between said frame assembly side members and said die member having an area of greatest contour adjacent said frame assembly hinged portion; (e) relatively moving said die member into forming engagement with said heated laminate between said frame assembly side members, said woven finish sheet floating on said thermoplastic sheet as said thermoplastic sheet is formed by said die member and said frame assembly hinged portion moving relative to said side members to approximately midway between the areas of greatest contour of said die member; and (f) cooling to harden said laminate in the contoured shape of said die member.

Claim 13

A method of forming a permanently deep drawn contour in a laminate, said laminate having a carpet and a thermoplastic sheet permanently bonded to said carpet, said method comprising the following steps: (a) forming said laminate by permanently bonding a thermoplastic sheet having an outer edge around the entire circumference thereof on the back of a carpet having an outer edge around the entire circumference thereof, said thermoplastic sheet having a greater width and length than said carpet and said method including bonding said carpet to said thermoplastic sheet, whereby said outer edge of said woven finish sheet is spaced from at least a portion of said outer edge of said thermosetting sheet and separated along the sides and at least one end of said thermoplastic sheet with said thermoplastic sheet having an end margin and side margins; (b) releasably clamping said thermoplastic sheet of said laminate in a frame assembly, said frame assembly having opposed spaced side members and at least one hingedly end portion, said hinged end portion including side portions hingedly attached to said spaced side members and a free end portion, and said frame assembly including clamping means releasably clamping said side and end margins of said thermoplastic sheet to said side members of said frame assembly and said free end portion of said hinged portion, respectively; (c) heating said laminate in said frame assembly to soften said thermoplastic sheet to the forming temperature; (d) placing said frame assembly and heated laminate in a die press having at least one relatively movable contoured die member, said die member receivable between said side members and said free end portion of said hinged portion and said die member having an area of greatest contour adjacent said hinged end portion of said frame assembly; (e) relatively moving said frame member and die member bringing said die member into forming engagement with said heated laminate, said carpet floating on said thermoplastic sheet as said die member is brought into forming contact with said laminate and said frame assembly free end portion rotating about the hinged connection to said side members to approximately midway between the areas of greatest and least contour of said die member; and (f) cooling to harden said laminate in the contoured shape of said die member.

Claim 14

A method of forming a permanently deep drawn contour in a laminate, said laminate having a carpet and a thermoplastic sheet permanently bonded to said carpet, said method comprising the following steps: (a) forming said laminate by permanently bonding a thermoplastic sheet having an outer edge around the entire circumference thereof on the back of a carpet having an outer edge around the entire circumference thereof, said thermoplastic sheet having a greater width and length than said carpet and said method including bonding said carpet to said thermoplastic sheet, whereby said outer edge of said woven finish sheet is spaced from at least a portion of said outer edge of said thermosetting sheet and separated along the sides and at least one end of said thermoplastic sheet with said thermoplastic sheet having an end margin and side margins; (b) releasably clamping said thermoplastic sheet of said laminate in a frame assembly, said frame assembly having opposed spaced side members and at least one hingedly end portion, said hinged end portion including side portions hingedly attached to said spaced side members and a free end portion, and said frame assembly including clamping means releasably clamping said side and end margins of said thermoplastic sheet to said side members of said frame assembly and said free end portion of said hinged portion, respectively; (c) heating said laminate in said frame assembly to soften said thermoplastic sheet to the forming temperature; (d) placing said frame assembly and heated laminate in a die press having at least one relatively movable contoured die member, said die member receivable between said side members and said free end portion of said hinged portion and said die member having an area of greatest contour adjacent said hinged end portion of said frame assembly; (e) relatively moving said frame member and die member bringing said die member into forming engagement with said heated laminate, said carpet floating on said thermoplastic sheet as said die member is brought into forming contact with said laminate and said frame assembly free end portion rotating about the hinged connection to said side members to approximately midway between the areas of greatest and least contour of said die member; and (f) cooling to harden said laminate in the contoured shape of said die member.