Claims
- 1. A method for making a trim piece assembly for attachment to a vehicle surface comprising a contoured support member having a contoured shape including a central portion and side portions extending to said vehicle surface at an acute angle and terminating at an edge, a pad, and a flexible covering, comprising the steps of:
- selecting a die having upper and lower die halves;
- placing said pad and said cover upon said support member and between the die halves so that said pad is disposed intermediate said cover and said support member and so that said cover extends at least slightly outwardly of said edge;
- compressing, between the upper and lower die halves, said assembly of said support member, pad, and cover at said side portions adjacent said edge;
- applying heat energy to the face of said side portions adjacent said edge for effecting a bond between said cover and said face side of said side portions contiguous to said edge but leaving a portion of the cover extending at least slightly outwardly of said edge with such outwardly extending portion of said cover not being bonded to said support member;
- the die selecting step being carried out by selecting a die in which said lower die half has a first formed die portion which closely mates with said side portions of said contoured support member and said upper die half has a second formed die portion defining an acute angle with the first formed die portion so the second formed die portion only contacts said cover adjacent the edge of the support member where said bond is effected; and
- trimming said cover contiguous and slightly beyond said edge without enveloping said edge so that, upon attachment of said trim piece to said surface, said outwardly extending unbonded portion of said cover engages said surface substantially at the termination of said cover.
- 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein one die half has at least one alignment pin and the other die half has a corresponding alignment sleeve to assure alignment of said die halves.
- 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said edge of said assembly is compressed between said upper and lower die halves by applying a substantially vertical force to said upper and lower die halves.
- 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said pad has a pad edge which is sized to end inwardly of said edge of said support member.
- 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said heat energy is passed from a source between said upper and lower die halves to heat said assembly and provide a functional dielectric bond on said face adjacent said edge of said support member.
- 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said heat energy is of a radio-frequency energy type.
- 7. A method according to claim 1, wherein one die half has at least one alignment peg, said alignment peg being received by a correlative alignment opening in said support member.
- 8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said terminating is accomplished in a fixture having an upper half with knife edges mounted to define said finished edge of said trim piece and a lower half with shearing slots positioned in registration with said knife edges to provide a vertical shear of said flashing material from said trim piece.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 520,941, filed Aug. 8, 1983 and now abandoned, which is a division of application Ser. No. 268,794, filed June 1, 1981, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,944.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0032669 |
Jan 1980 |
JPX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
268794 |
Jun 1981 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
520941 |
Aug 1983 |
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