Patent US3993156A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6180195B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automobile body formed of interconnected molded plastic articles
Assignee: Soliant LLC
•
Filing: 1999-06-29
•
Granted: 2001-01-30
•
Expires: 2019-06-29
Abstract
Abstract Molded articles having contoured, decorative outer surfaces are disclosed. The articles comprise a molded polymer substrate and a decorative surfacing film adhered to one side of the substrate. The decorative surfacing film comprises a substantially molecularly unoriented cast polymer film formed from a weatherable polymer. The articles are particularly suited for use as automobile body panels and the like. Also disclosed is a method for making such articles, and a method for making sets of such articles for assembly into automobile bodies and the like.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas M. Ellison
- 👤 Brian M. Keith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 04:37
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R13/00; B60R13/04; B29; B29C; B29C45/00; B29C45/14; B29C45/1418; B29C45/14311; B29C45/14778; B29C45/14811; B29C51/00; B29C51/14; B29C70/00; B29C70/68; B29C70/78; B32; B32B; B32B27/00; B32B27/06; B32B27/08; B60R13/02; B62; B62D; B62D29/00; B62D29/04; B62D29/043; B29C43/00; B29C43/02; B29C43/18; B29C2043/185; B29C2043/187; B29C2043/188; B29C2045/14237; B29C45/16; B29C45/1657; B29C2045/166; B29C2045/1662; B29K; B29K2633/00; B29K2633/04; B29K2633/08; B29K2715/00; B29K2715/006; B29K2995/00; B29K2995/0018; B29K2995/002; B29K2995/0022; B29K2995/0026; B29K2995/0037; B29K2995/0072; B29L; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/30; B29L2031/3055; B29L2031/722; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/10; Y10T156/1002; Y10T156/1043; Y10T156/1044; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49826; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/14; Y10T428/1424; Y10T428/1429; Y10T428/16; Y10T428/162; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24628; Y10T428/24736; Y10T428/24802; Y10T428/24893; Y10T428/24909; Y10T428/25; Y10T428/256; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/3154; Y10T428/31544; Y10T428/31855; Y10T428/31909; Y10T428/31928; Y10T428/31935
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
An automobile body comprising a set of interconnected molded polymer articles, each of said molded articles of said set comprising a molded polymer substrate having a contoured three-dimensional surface and a preformed decorative sheet material adhered to and conforming to said contoured three-dimensional surface, said decorative sheet material comprising a molecularly unoriented polymer film layer formed of an alloy of an acrylic polymer and polyvinylidene fluoride and a bonding layer formed from a polymer different from said molecularly unoriented polymer film, said bonding layer being adhered to one side of said molecularly unoriented polymer film and adhered to said contoured three-dimensional surface of said substrate, wherein said molecularly unoriented polymer film is the same for every article in said set, and wherein said bonding layer in each of said articles is formed of a polymer preselected to adhere to the particular polymer of each of said molded polymer substrates.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
149 words
An automobile body comprising a set of interconnected molded polymer articles, each of said molded articles of said set comprising a molded polymer substrate having a contoured three-dimensional surface and a preformed decorative sheet material adhered to and conforming to said contoured three-dimensional surface, said decorative sheet material comprising a molecularly unoriented polymer film layer formed of an alloy of an acrylic polymer and polyvinylidene fluoride and a bonding layer formed from a polymer different from said molecularly unoriented polymer film, said bonding layer being adhered to one side of said molecularly unoriented polymer film and adhered to said contoured three-dimensional surface of said substrate, wherein said molecularly unoriented polymer film is the same for every article in said set, and wherein said bonding layer in each of said articles is formed of a polymer preselected to adhere to the particular polymer of each of said molded polymer substrates.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
An automobile body as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the molded polymer substrates of said articles are all formed from the same moldable polymer material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
An automobile body as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the molded polymer substrates of said set are not all formed from the same moldable material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
An automobile body as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the molded polymer substrate of at least one of said articles is a polyolefin and the bonding layer of that article is formed of a polyolefin.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
An automobile body as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said molded polymer substrate is formed of a thermoplastic olefin polymer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
An automobile body as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said bonding layer is formed of chlorinated polyolefin.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
An automobile body as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said decorative sheet material has regions thereof which have been subjected to an elongation of about 25% or more.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
158 words
An automobile body comprising a set of interconnected molded polymer articles, each of said molded articles of said set comprising a molded polymer substrate having a contoured three-dimensional surface and a preformed decorative sheet material adhered to and conforming to said contoured three-dimensional surface, said decorative sheet material comprising a molecularly unoriented polymer film layer formed of an alloy of an acrylic polymer and polyvinylidene fluoride and a bonding layer formed from a polymer different from said molecularly unoriented polymer film, a layer of acrylic adhesive adhering said bonding layer to one side of said molecularly unoriented polymer film, and said bonding layer also being adhered to said contoured three-dimensional surface of said substrate, wherein said molecularly unoriented polymer film is the same for every article in said set, and wherein said bonding layer in each of said articles is formed of a polymer preselected to adhere to the particular polymer of each of said molded polymer substrates.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
158 words
An automobile body comprising a set of interconnected molded polymer articles, each of said molded articles of said set comprising a molded polymer substrate having a contoured three-dimensional surface and a preformed decorative sheet material adhered to and conforming to said contoured three-dimensional surface, said decorative sheet material comprising a molecularly unoriented polymer film layer formed of an alloy of an acrylic polymer and polyvinylidene fluoride and a bonding layer formed from a polymer different from said molecularly unoriented polymer film, a layer of acrylic adhesive adhering said bonding layer to one side of said molecularly unoriented polymer film, and said bonding layer also being adhered to said contoured three-dimensional surface of said substrate, wherein said molecularly unoriented polymer film is the same for every article in said set, and wherein said bonding layer in each of said articles is formed of a polymer preselected to adhere to the particular polymer of each of said molded polymer substrates.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2313985A
Cited
US2880542A
Cited
US3257266A
Cited
US3122598A
Cited
US3270101A
Cited
US3459834A
Cited
US3338617A
Cited
US3549405A
Cited
GB1232971A
Cited
US3524906A
Cited
US3551232A
Cited
US3655840A
Cited
US3679506A
Cited
US3579485A
Cited
US3880690A
Cited
US3616192A
Cited
FR2085615B1
Cited
US3697070A
Cited
US3679510A
Cited
CA929984A
Cited
US3654062A
Cited
US3949139A
Cited
US3988494A
Cited
US3806397A
Cited
US3914482A
Cited
US4201820A
Cited
US4141927A
Cited
US4126727A
Cited
US4086118A
Cited
US4369157A
Cited
US4248917A
Cited
US4248762A
Cited
US4215170A
Cited
US4263077A
Cited
US4201612A
Cited
US4211590A
Cited
US4415519A
Cited
US4317860A
Cited
US4368224A
Cited
US4507342A
Cited
US4303697A
Cited
US4311757A
Cited
US4307149A
Cited
US4364886A
Cited
US4414731A
Cited
US4403003A
Cited
GB2079182B
Cited
US4314004A
Cited
US4349592A
Cited
US4515649A
Cited
GB2084513A
Cited
US4451522A
Cited
US4359491A
Cited
US4396680A
Cited
US4486478A
Cited
US4409280A
Cited
US4396672A
Cited
US4623413A
Cited
US4446179A
Cited
US4482586A
Cited
US4451597A
Cited
US4769265A
Cited
US4587160A
Cited
US4501852A
Cited
US4578426A
Cited
US4574103A
Cited
US4652470A
Cited
US4560956A
Cited
US4548857A
Cited
US4584231A
Cited
US4664859A
Cited
US4656098A
Cited
US4585701A
Cited
US4533592A
Cited
US4719132A
Cited
DE3441906A1
Cited
US4654239A
Cited
US4681811A
Cited
US4678690A
Cited
EP0232959A2
Cited
US4818589A
Cited
EP0230364A2
Cited
US4734312A
Cited
US4828637A
Cited
EP0251546B1
Cited
US4734230A
Cited
US4769100A
Cited
US4699814A
Cited
US5514427A
Cited
US4931324A
Cited
US5342666A
Cited
US4810540A
Cited
US4832991A
Cited
US4913970A
Cited
US4902557A
Cited
US4872270A
Cited
US4824506A
Cited
US4913760A
Cited
US5055346A
Cited
US4959189A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-01-30 | 2004-07-31 | 2005-01-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-01-30 | 2008-07-31 | 2009-01-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-01-30 | 2012-07-31 | 2013-01-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |