Method for forming plastic molded panels with inserts

Claim 1

A method for forming molded plastic panels, having inserts, for use as trim panels or interior door panels, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a thin, flexible, plastic sheet to a predetermined size and shape to provide a blank having an outer surface and an inner surface; (b) positioning at least one, initially separate, panel shaped insert upon one of the surfaces of the blank and integrally bonding at least a substantially continuous narrow edge band portion, which defines a peripheral edge of the insert, to a blank portion which said edge band portion overlaps to form a laminated narrow border strip which surrounds a portion of the blank that underlays the insert; removing the portion of the blank that underlays the insert within the narrow border strip such that a space is formed in said blank and such that said insert fills said space; (d) positioning the blank and insert within a mold with outer faces of the blank and insert positioned against a wall of the mold and with said border strip overlying a substantially continuous frame means formed on said mold wall for folding the border strip into a narrow, U-shaped in cross-section, continuous channel with the insert edge band portion arranged within and forming part of the interior of said channel; (e) applying and bonding a relatively thick plastic substrate against the inner surface of the blank and exposed inner surfaces of the insert for bonding together overlapping surfaces of the blank, insert and substrate; and (f) thereafter, removing the molded panel form the mold to provide a composite plastic panel having an exposed exterior surface formed of outer surfaces of the blank and the insert and with the peripheral edges of the insert visually concealed within the channel that opens outwardly of the channel and which channel surrounds the insert and forms a border for the insert.

Claim 2

A method for forming molded plastic panels, having inserts, for use as trim panels or interior door panels, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a thin, flexible, plastic sheet to a predetermined size and shape to provide a blank having an outer surface and an inner surface; (b) positioning at least one, initially separate, panel shaped insert upon one of the surfaces of the blank and integrally bonding at least a substantially continuous narrow edge band portion, which defines a peripheral edge of the insert, to a blank portion which said edge band portion overlaps to form a laminated narrow border strip which surrounds a portion of the blank that underlays the insert; removing the portion of the blank that underlays the insert within the narrow border strip such that a space is formed in said blank and such that said insert fills said space; (d) positioning the blank and insert within a mold with outer faces of the blank and insert positioned against a wall of the mold and with said border strip overlying a substantially continuous frame means formed on said mold wall for folding the border strip into a narrow, U-shaped in cross-section, continuous channel with the insert edge band portion arranged within and forming part of the interior of said channel; (e) applying and bonding a relatively thick plastic substrate against the inner surface of the blank and exposed inner surfaces of the insert for bonding together overlapping surfaces of the blank, insert and substrate; and (f) thereafter, removing the molded panel form the mold to provide a composite plastic panel having an exposed exterior surface formed of outer surfaces of the blank and the insert and with the peripheral edges of the insert visually concealed within the channel that opens outwardly of the channel and which channel surrounds the insert and forms a border for the insert.

Claim 8

A method for forming molded plastic panels having a decorative surface formed of different materials, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a predetermined size and shape blank out of a thin, flexible, plastic sheet having an outer surface and an inner surface; (b) positioning a sheet-like insert formed of a different material than said blank sheet, upon one of the surfaces of the blank and bonding the insert to the blank along an edge defining portion of the insert to form a laminated, relatively narrow, strip with the overlapped portions of the blank which surrounds a portion of the blank that overlays the insert; (c) removing the portion of the blank that overlays the insert within the narrow strip; (d) positioning the blank and insert within a mold, with outer faces of the blank and insert positioned against a wall of the mold which forms the exterior, exposed surface of the finished panel; (e) molding a relatively rigid, plastic substrate in the mold against an inner surface of the blank and exposed inner surface of the insert, for simultaneously bonding together overlapped surfaces of the blank; insert and substrate; and (f) thereafter removing the molded panel from the mold to provide a finished plastic panel having an exposed exterior surface formed of the outer surface of the blank and insert; and further including: providing a substantially continuous, channel forming means upon said wall of the mold and positioned to overlap the narrow strip formed by bonded portions of the insert and sheet; and bending said border strip with the channel forming means into a narrow, U-shaped in cross-section, continuous channel of narrow width, with the channel opening outwardly towards said wall, and with the narrow strip being arranged within and forming part of said channel and the edge defining portion of the insert being entirely within the channel; whereby after the substrate is molded within the mold, peripheral edges of the insert are visually concealed within the channel and the channel completely surrounds the insert and forms a decorative edging, in an exposed surface of the panel, around the insert.

Claim 9

A method for forming molded plastic panels having a decorative surface formed of different materials, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a predetermined size and shape blank out of a thin, flexible, plastic sheet having an outer surface and an inner surface; (b) positioning a sheet-like insert formed of a different material than said blank sheet, upon one of the surfaces of the blank and bonding the insert to the blank along an edge defining portion of the insert to form a laminated, relatively narrow, strip with the overlapped portions of the blank which surrounds a portion of the blank that overlays the insert; (c) removing the portion of the blank that overlays the insert within the narrow strip; (d) positioning the blank and insert within a mold, with outer faces of the blank and insert positioned against a wall of the mold which forms the exterior, exposed surface of the finished panel; (e) molding a relatively rigid, plastic substrate in the mold against an inner surface of the blank and exposed inner surface of the insert, for simultaneously bonding together overlapped surfaces of the blank; insert and substrate; and (f) thereafter removing the molded panel from the mold to provide a finished plastic panel having an exposed exterior surface formed of the outer surface of the blank and insert; and further including: providing a substantially continuous, channel forming means upon said wall of the mold and positioned to overlap the narrow strip formed by bonded portions of the insert and sheet; and bending said border strip with the channel forming means into a narrow, U-shaped in cross-section, continuous channel of narrow width, with the channel opening outwardly towards said wall, and with the narrow strip being arranged within and forming part of said channel and the edge defining portion of the insert being entirely within the channel; whereby after the substrate is molded within the mold, peripheral edges of the insert are visually concealed within the channel and the channel completely surrounds the insert and forms a decorative edging, in an exposed surface of the panel, around the insert.