Appeal No. 2005-0361
Application 10/252,177
THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method of making a unitary
composite air bag cover. Representative claim 18 reads as
follows:
18. A method of making a unitary composite air bag cover for
an inflatable air bag system, the method comprising the steps of:
injecting a first molten plastic into a mold cavity of a
first mold having a shape defining a body of the air bag cover,
wherein the body has a contact surface layer that contacts
substantially an entire bottom contact surface of a front panel
of the cover;
permitting the resulting body to cool to a temperature
beneath the softening point of the first plastic;
removing the body from the first mold;
inserting the body into a mold cavity of a second mold
having a shape defining the entire air bag cover;
injecting a second molten plastic into the mold cavity of
the second mold at a temperature and pressure sufficient to melt
the contact surface layer of the body;
permitting the resulting air bag cover to cool to a
temperature beneath the softening point of both plastics so that
a molecular concentration gradient is formed at an interface
between the first an second plastics comprising the body contact
surface layer and the front panel bottom contact surface to bond
the first and second plastics by diffusion; and
removing the completed air bag cover from the second mold.
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