Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
The present invention relates broadly to shaped and ab-
ricated parts, and to a method for produclng such parts. More
particularly, it has to do with articles that consist of or in-
clude a layer of relatively thick flexible sheet materlal tha~
has been shaped by cutting or shaving away predetermined portions
-; thereof, with a method of fabricating such articles that involves
a particular skiving procedure.
In the past it has been customary to provide trIm mate-
rials for automobiles in the form of quite thin sheets, so that
the edges of these sheet materials could be slid into or und r, and
pinched or otherwise held in, moldings, window frames and the like,
or be buttoned onto trim moldings.
According to the present invention, however, there are
provided automotive trim and lining parts in sheet form that have
the a~vantage of incorporating a relatively heavy insulating or
padding layer, such as acoustical plastic foam or other llght~eight
permeable material, oi as much as one inch or more in thickness,
without it being necessary to discard or redesign the currently
used automotive trim moldings in order to install them.
Briefly stated, this is accomplished by thinn~ng the
mnrgins of the relatively thic~ insulating sheet or layer and, at
the same time, removing any other portions thereof that,-for ap-
pearance or mechanical reasons, it may be desired to remove in order
to accommodate pressure-areas, or to shape the layer to a predeter-
mined contour; and by doing this by a skiving operation that is per-
formed while the flexible layer is posit.ioned by, and retained in
contact with, a holding fixture.
Accordlngly, it is an important obJect of the invention
to provide a relatively thick sheet-like trim or lining of a special
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shape, including thinned marginal and/or other designated areas, and
designed to meet specific contour requirements.
Another object is the provision, by reason of incorporating
such a part or article, of improved insulating and crash resisting
properties in autom~biles, along with increased head room, softness,
pleasing hand feel, and concealment of necessary reinforcements,
m~unting brackets and the like.
Another object is to provide parts of this general character
and usable for these purposes that, even in large sizes, can be readily
introduced through a door or wind~ of an automobile, then unfolded
inside the car, and quickly inserted into coves and side rails, over
doors or headers, and into large flat areas over rear windows, and other
difficult to reach and cover areas.
Another object is the provision of a skiving system capable
of producing parts and articles of the above character by a cutting or
shaving procedure.
In one particular aspect the present invention provides a
~ethod of fabricating an article, which comprises deforming a flexible
sheet to locate selected portions thereof at one side and other portions
thereof at the other side of a predetermined plane, moving a cutting tool
along the plane and in cutting engagement with the deformed sheet to
re~move only the other portions from the sheet, and retaining the cut
flexible sheet in the deformed state by securing a backing to the æeas
of the selected portions of the sheet that were at the one side of the
plane during the movement of the cutting tool while the cut flexible sheet
is in the deformed state.
In another p æ ticular aspect the present invention provides
an article comprising a backing layer, with a normally flat flexible
sheet having portions that have been cut away
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` in~ardly from one surface thereof and tha~ has been deformed
to bring the one surface and surfaces o the rut away portions
into contact with the backing layer, and in which ~e surfaces
of the " sheet are secured to the backing layer and the backing
layer acts to retain the flexible sheet in the deformed s~ate.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 ls a perspective view of an automotive trim
part that is exemplary of one type of article csntemplated by
the invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an apparatus that can
be employed in fabrica~ing the trim part shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a blank or sheet of
flexible material to be skived and fabrlcated into the finished
- tri~ part;
Fig. 4 is a transverse, sectional view, taken sub-
stantially along the line 4--4 in Fig. 2, but showing the
sheet of Fig. 3 located on the holding fixture preparatory
to beginning the skiving procedure;
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Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views similar to Fig. 4, but de-
picting successlve steps in the skivlng phase of the complete fab-
ricating procedure;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the sheet of Fig. 3
` after the skiving step has been completed;
Fig. 9 i3 a perspective view9 showing the appllcation
: of an adhesive to the skived sheet;
¦ Figs. 10 and 11 are views similar ~o Figs. 4 through 7,
¦ but depicting the assembly phase of the abricating procedure;
Fig. 12 is a view9 showing an alterna~e type of an assem-
bly procedure;
Fig. 13 is a sectional vi~ew of a specific form of skived
lining and trim part p~oduced in accordance with the invention;
Fig. 14 is a similar view of the part of Fig. 13 provided
with 8 two-way stretch backing ~herefor; and
Fig. 15 is a fragmentary view of an interior rear quarter
of an automobile with an article such as shown in Pigs. 13 and 14
in use as a roof and side liner part.
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there
20 i9 illustrated in Fig. 2 a preferred form of apparatus for use in
producing the finished trim part 10 as shown in Fig. 1 and which
i~ specifically for an automobileO
Among the important features in the shape of the part 10
are the angularly thinned or gradually tapering ma~ginal portions
11 which permit the ed~es of this relatively,thick sheet-like part
~ to be received by and secured within a relatively thin metal or
¦ plastic channel or molding; and the thinned central area 12, with
! its decoratively-tapered sides 13, that can answer an e~thetic or
a utilitarian purpose with equal facility.
~` 30 To produce such an article in accordance with the pres-
ent invention there 18 provided, a~ best shown in Fig~ 29 a skiving
or holding fixture 14 which ~ay be in the form of a rectangular9
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open box type structure having four sides 15, rising from a bottom
16 and each of which sides i8 made up of a vertical outside wall
17, a horizontal upper edge 18, and an inside wall 19 that slopes
downwardly and inwardly from the edge 18 to the bottom 16. Central-
ly of the bottom 16 ~here riAes a generally rectangular protrusion
j20 having a flat top 21 and four side walls 22 each of which slopes
downwardly and outwardly from the top 21 to the bottom 16.
¦Also, the bottom 16 is provided with a plurality of rela-
tively small, vertically disposed passageways 23 extending there-
through snd uniformly distributed to open, no~ only throughout the
horizontal upper face of the bottom 16, but also throughout the
upper faces of the sloping inside walls 19, and of the side walls
22 and top 21 of the protrusion 20. The fixture 14 can be made of
¦wood where material economy, make-up time9 handling ease and light-
weight ars of importance9 or of metal where greater precision is
a factor; and9 to render it usable for it~ intended purpose9 it ls
mounted on a sultable base9 framework or carriage, such as shown
at 24, and which is provided with a suitable vacuum or exhaust cham-
be~ 25 connected to adequate air exhaust means and controls (not
shown).
With the fixture 14 and its supporting structure set up
in this way, the part 10 can be fabricated thereon as illustrated
in Figs. 4 through lO. Thus9 a3 shown at 26 in Fig. 39 there is
first provided a relatively heavy~ flexible sheet which9 for exam-
ple, may be one inch in thickness of plastic foam, and that has
~jbeen die cut or otherwise shaped or made to conform to the outline
1desired in the finished article~ Where plastic foam is used it
may be the so-called acous~ical foam9 or practically any other
available commercial foamed plastic sheeting that i8 both flexible
and porous; and it preferably ha~ a decorative face 27 at one sur-
face which will be hereinafter referred to as the face side of the
shset. This face side is characterized by being embossed, or by
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having 8 vinyl or other plastic sheet adhered to it which may be
plain, embossed, perforated or otherwi3e rendered decorative.
In any event, however decorated, the sheet 26 of plastic
foam to be fabricated into a trim part i9 first laid over and lo-
cated on the fixture 14, with its face side down9 as shown in Fig.
4. When properly loca~ed, the sheet 26 completely covers all areas
of the fixture 14 into which the pas~ageways 23 open so thatg as
air is exhausted through these passageways, a vacuum will be pulled
against;the entire overlying sheet which will act to deform the
1 10 sheet and draw it into the depressions in, and in~o full contact
wlth the bottom 16 and inside walIs 19 of, the open box struc~ure
of the fixture 14. At the same ~ime, i~ will act to hold the shee~
tightly agsinst the flat top 21 and the side walls 22 of the pro-
trusion 20, all as shown in Fig. 5. The action of the air in de-
formlng the sheet 26 to the necessary extent can be assisted, where
necessary or desired, by physical pressure agalnst the upper sur-
face (back side~ of the shee~ until it is completely conformed to,
and is securely and tightly held in full contact with ~he fix~ure
14 by air pressure alone.
With the 90 deformed sheet 26 held firmly in place on the
fixture, a combined roller,and blade assembly 289 normally located
to one side of the fixture 14 (Figs. 4 and 5), is moved across the
fixture in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5 to skive or slice
off all po`rtions of the sheet 26 that protrude above the plane or
line of the top of the fixture 14 from the body portion of the
sheet, as illustrated in Fig. 6. Upon completion of the cutting
movement of the roller and blade assembly, and release of the
vacuum, the roller and blade will be beyond the fixture, and the
3heet 26 will return ~o lts na~ural flat form as shown in Fig~ 7.
At this time, too9 as a result of the skiving9 the sheet 26 will
exhibit the cut shape shown in Flgs. 7 and 8~ and the scrap mate-
risl removed by the skivlng can be used elsewhere 8~ a padding9
build-up material and the like.
Following the skiving operation, a coating or layer o
adheQive 29 i9 applied to the back or skived side of the sheet 26.
This is preferably done by spraying glue or the like uniformly over
the surface to be coated as shown in Fig. 9, but it may be brushed
on or otherwlse applied, ei~her ln a 3eparate area away ~rom the
fixture 14 as indicated in Fig. 9 or while the skived sheet is
still on the fixture as in Fig. 7. If the ormer procedure is used,
the adhesive coated sheet is returned to the fixture ~o that, in
either case, the coated sheet will be positioned on the fixture 14
I lO as shown in broken lines in Fig. lO for the next OT backing step
of its fabricat10n. Thereafter air is again exhausted from the
chamber 25 to reapply a vacuum to the glue coated, skived sheet
and cause it to return to its Fig. 6 position, as shown in full
lines in Fig. 10, and at which ~ime the upper surface or adhesive
coated back side of the sheet 26 will be flat.
This facilitates application of a foundation board or
backing layer to the skived and glue coated sheet 26 to provide
the complete and finished trim part desired as the end product.
More specifically, a sheet of fiber board or the like 30 that has
been die cut or otherwise shaped to the required æi~e is arranged
over and then moved downwardly in the direction of the arrows into
contact with the adhesive coating 29 on ~he sheet 26 as indicated
in Fig. 10. With the foundation board in con~act with or pressed
against the adhesive coating, the ac~ion of the air being exhaust-
ed through the chamber 25 will be to sustain the pressure of the
board 30 against the coated ~heet 26 and this can be maintained
until the adhesive has set and the two are firmly adhered together.
Alternatively, of course, the foundation board may be ap-
plied against the adhesive coated shee~ before drawing a vacuum and
while the sheet 26 is in the broken line position of Fig. 10. In
this case when the vacuum is drawn it will serve to more or less
simultaneously pull the sheet 26 into the full line position shown
snd to pre~H the board and coated sheet together.
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Also, the skived and glue coated sheet can be assembled
with tha foundation board wlthout ~he dual use of the skivlng fix
ture as a holding fixture. Thus, as shown in Fig. 12, with the
i foundation board 30 resting on a suitable support 31~ the skived
sheet 26 can be located over, and the central area of its glue
coated back side forced down and aga~nr~t9 the board and with its
face sida up. The next step is to force margins of the c?heet down
; to also bring their tapered portions 11 against the foundation
board and simultaneously press the board and the entire glue coat-
ed side and faces of the sheet together, and to allow the glue to
set up.
As a further modification, the sheet 26 may be so de-
formed, prior to skiving, that portions thereof, such as the cen-
tral portion 12~ can be thinned to a greater or lesser extent,
otherwise shaped, or even completely removed during the skiving
procedure.
As already indicated, among the advantages of the arti-
cles of ~he invention is the fact that they can be used as bent or
curved as well as flat sheets. For example, in automobiles, when
employed as hood liners or trunk lids, they serve as insulation,
sound deadeners and fire retardants, and can be employed in both
flat and bent shapes~ Similarly, as crash pads for sun visors, as
well as in other location~, they may be hinged or folded upon
themselves 80 as to cover both sides and at least one edge. ~hile9
when used as roof liners, they must be so deformable as to fit
exactly the contour of the roof and àd~acent slde wall of the auto-
mobile.
?~ Nevertheles~, even in the latter instance, the skiving
~ procedure conforms to the method already described~ and a flat
~0 sheet 329 of the acoustical foam for example9 may bz produced ~ith
edges 33 of reduced thickne~s as ~hown in Fig~ 13. Preferably~
this sheet 32 iB ~hen provided wlth 8 backi.ng 34 of any of the
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¦ well known flexible and/or two-way ~tretch materials available.
In any event, the sheet 32, which has preferably been precut to an
outline contour conforming with that of a part of the roof and/or
¦ wall space to be covered or lined before being skived, i8 then
¦ folded to an extent sufficient to permit it to be lntroduced
through a window or door opening ln an automobile 35, an interlor
rear quarter of which is illustrated in Fig. 15. Inside the car
the folded sheet or part 32 i8 permitted to open, the reduced edge
portions 33 are inserted behind the molding or internal trim mold-
I lO ing 36, and the body of the sheet is forced into conformity wi~h
j the interior of the roof 37 and s1de wall 38 of the car.
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