Patent US570901A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5000990A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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One piece molded composite part and method of manufacture
Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Budd Co
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Filing: 1988-10-14
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Granted: 1991-03-19
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Expires: 2008-10-14
Abstract
Abstract A hollow fiber reinforced part, especially body closures for vehicles, is made by applying preforms to a hollow, thin-walled support which has been preshaped to the general configuration of the body closure. The support is then depressurized and the support/preform subassembly placed into a mold. The mold is closed and the support again pressurized. Then, resin is injected into the mold to impregnate the fibrous pieces of the preforms. Once the resin cures, the mold is opened and the part removed.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard B. Freeman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 17:33
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60J; B60J5/00; B60J5/04; B60J5/0463; B29; B29C; B29C33/00; B29C33/0011; B29C33/0016; B29C51/00; B29C51/10; B29C70/00; B29C70/04; B29C70/28; B29C70/30; B29C70/34; B29C70/342; B29C70/40; B29C70/42; B29C70/44; B29C70/443; B60J5/048; B60J5/0481; B60K; B60K15/00; B60K15/03; B60K15/077; B62; B62D; B62D29/00; B62D29/04; B29C43/00; B29C43/02; B29C43/10; B29C43/12; B29L; B29L2022/00; B29L2024/00; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/30; B29L2031/3055; B60K2015/03328; B60K2015/03453; B60K2015/03467; B60K2015/0777; B60R; B60R21/00; B60R21/02; B60R21/16; B60R21/23; B60R21/231; B60R2021/23123; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49826; Y10T29/49888; Y10T29/4998; Y10T29/49982; Y10T29/49984; Y10T29/49995; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/13; Y10T428/1352; Y10T428/1362
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
In a method of forming a hollow fiber-reinforced part the improvement comprising: providing a hollow, one-piece, thin-walled, pressurizable support of sufficient rigidity to substantially maintain its shape; attaching a plurality of preforms of fibrous pieces directly to the support to form a subassembly; placing the subassembly in a mold; closing the mold, the support being sufficiently deformable to enable the mold to close easily; pressurizing the supports; impregnating the fibrous pieces with resin; curing the resin to form a hollow part; opening the mold; and removing the part from the mold.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
91 words
In a method of forming a hollow fiber-reinforced part the improvement comprising: providing a hollow, one-piece, thin-walled, pressurizable support of sufficient rigidity to substantially maintain its shape; attaching a plurality of preforms of fibrous pieces directly to the support to form a subassembly; placing the subassembly in a mold; closing the mold, the support being sufficiently deformable to enable the mold to close easily; pressurizing the supports; impregnating the fibrous pieces with resin; curing the resin to form a hollow part; opening the mold; and removing the part from the mold.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 which further comprises: pressurizing the support while applying the preforms thereto; depressurizing the support before the mold is closed; and repressurizing the support prior to impregnating the preforms with resin.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the support is made by vacuum forming sheets of thermoplastic material having a thickness of between 0.010 and 0.030.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the support defines a hollow interior of a vehicle door.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of forming a hollow fiber reinforced part, said method comprising: providing a thin, hollow support which substantially has the shape of the desired part, said support having sufficient rigidity to substantially maintain its shape; applying pressure to the interior of the support; laying preforms of fibrous pieces on the exterior of support to form a subassembly; pressurizing the support; placing the subassembly into a mold; closing the mold; repressurizing the support; injecting resin into the mold to impregnate the fibrous pieces; curing the resin; and removing the part from the mold.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of forming a hollow fiber reinforced part, said method comprising: providing a thin, hollow support which substantially has the shape of the desired part, said support having sufficient rigidity to substantially maintain its shape; applying pressure to the interior of the support; laying preforms of fibrous pieces on the exterior of support to form a subassembly; pressurizing the support; placing the subassembly into a mold; closing the mold; repressurizing the support; injecting resin into the mold to impregnate the fibrous pieces; curing the resin; and removing the part from the mold.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said support is made by vacuum forming thermoplastic sheets having a thickness of 0.010 to 0.030 inch.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 6 wherein said support is in the form of a vehicle door having a mirror stalk.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 7 wherein said preforms surround the support so that the part removed from the mold provides a door with an outer panel integrally attached to an inner panel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 8 which further comprises: trimming the part; and inserting door hardware into the interior of the support between the outer panel and inner panel.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
129 words
A method of forming a vehicle door, said method comprising: forming a thin, hollow support having a thickness of 0.010 to 0.030 inch which is substantially in the shape of a vehicle door including a mirror stalk; applying a first preform to a top surface of the support to thereby generally define an outer panel for the door; applying a second preform to the lower surface of the support to generally define an inner panel for the door; applying a third preform to the mirror stalk portion of the support; depressurizing the support; placing the support and the preforms attached thereto into a mold; closing the mold; repressurizing the support; injecting resin into the mold to impregnate the preforms; curing the resin; and removing the part from the mold.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
129 words
A method of forming a vehicle door, said method comprising: forming a thin, hollow support having a thickness of 0.010 to 0.030 inch which is substantially in the shape of a vehicle door including a mirror stalk; applying a first preform to a top surface of the support to thereby generally define an outer panel for the door; applying a second preform to the lower surface of the support to generally define an inner panel for the door; applying a third preform to the mirror stalk portion of the support; depressurizing the support; placing the support and the preforms attached thereto into a mold; closing the mold; repressurizing the support; injecting resin into the mold to impregnate the preforms; curing the resin; and removing the part from the mold.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
83 words
A molded vehicle door part comprising: a unitary hollow structure having an integrally connected outer and inner panel both made of fiber reinforced material impregnated with essentially the same plastic resin, and a thin, one-piece, hollow, pressurizable support of sufficient rigidity to substantially maintain its shape defining interior portions of the door, the fiber reinforced material being attached directly to the support, and the support being constructed so that it is sufficiently deformable during mold closure to enable the mold to close easily.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
83 words
A molded vehicle door part comprising: a unitary hollow structure having an integrally connected outer and inner panel both made of fiber reinforced material impregnated with essentially the same plastic resin, and a thin, one-piece, hollow, pressurizable support of sufficient rigidity to substantially maintain its shape defining interior portions of the door, the fiber reinforced material being attached directly to the support, and the support being constructed so that it is sufficiently deformable during mold closure to enable the mold to close easily.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The part of claim 11 wherein the thin support is a thermoplastic material about 0.010-0.030 inch thick.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-03-18 | 1994-09-17 | 1995-03-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-03-18 | 1998-09-17 | 1999-03-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-03-18 | 2002-09-17 | 2003-03-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |