There is provided a skin foam-in-place foamed article comprising a pad (15) and a bag-like outer material (20) covering the pad (15). The outer material (20) has a top layer (21) and a liner layer (22) made of a foamed resin. The liner layer (22) has a closed cell structure. A pad-side skin layer (27a) having a density higher than that of a bulk layer (26) is provided on the liner layer (22), on a side of the pad (15). A corona treatment is applied to the pad-side skin layer (27a).

Systems and methods for improving adhesion of an insulating foam to a molded polymeric insulating structure through use of ozone gas for functionalization of molded polymeric surfaces of an internal cavity of the insulating structure.

A trim component for vehicle interior is disclosed. A method for forming the trim component is also disclosed. The trim component comprises a cover material, a base layer, a foamed plastic, and a support element. The base layer is intended to prevent foamed plastic from penetrating into the pores of the cover material. Foamed plastic is injected between the base layer and the support element to form the trim component. The method comprises the steps of producing a base layer, applying and fixing at least part of the cover material to the base layer to form a pre-laminate, introducing the pre-laminate into a foaming mold with the base layer between the cover material and a foam chamber (between the pre-laminate and the support element) within a foaming mold and introducing foamed plastic into the foam chamber to form the trim component.

Expandable components for aerial vehicles may include an outer structure formed of carbon fiber, an adhesive bladder disposed within the outer structure, and expanding foam materials inserted into the adhesive bladder. The expandable components may be configured to transform from a compressed configuration to an expanded configuration upon application of heat and/or pressure. For example, in the compressed configuration, the outer structure, adhesive bladder, and expanding foam materials may be folded, rolled, or compressed for storage or transport. In the expanded configuration, the expanding foam materials may expand and cure within the adhesive bladder, the adhesive bladder may expand, bond, and cure inside the outer structure, and the outer structure may expand and cure to a desired shape or size.

Manufacturing systems for expandable components may include a controller, a heat and/or pressure source, and a transfer line. For example, the expandable components may be configured to transform from a compressed configuration to an expanded configuration upon application of heat and/or pressure. In addition, the controller may activate the heat and/or pressure source to release heat and/or gases that are directed to the expandable components via the transfer line. Further, the manufacturing system may also include an igniter, a manifold, and a valve to further control the release of heat and/or gases. Moreover, at least a portion of the heat and/or gases may be recaptured in a closed chamber and redirected to additional expandable components in other closed chambers. Furthermore, various post-processing may be performed on the components in their expanded configurations.

The invention relates to a process for producing complex, mould-foamed rigid foam materials, more particularly of poly(meth)acrylimide (P(M)I) cores, preferably of polymethacrylimide (PMI) cores, which may be employed, for example, in carmaking or aircraft construction. A feature of the process is that through use of a particulate core during foam, it is possible to achieve an additional weight saving relative to foam materials or sandwich materials of the prior art.

There is provided a skin foam-in-place foamed article comprising a pad (15) and a bag-like outer material (20) covering the pad (15). The outer material (20) has a top layer (21) and a liner layer (22) made of a foamed resin. The liner layer (22) has a closed cell structure. A pad-side skin layer (27a) having a density higher than that of a bulk layer (26) is provided on the liner layer (22), on a side of the pad (15). A corona treatment is applied to the pad-side skin layer (27a).

A vehicle interior panel includes a decorative skin layer and a backing layer. The backing layer can include a barrier material that helps prevent outgassing of a plasticizer of the decorative skin layer in a direction toward an underlying substrate of the panel. The backing layer can be formed by vacuum coating and/or formed while a slush molded layer remains on a slush molding tool surface on which it was formed. in some cases, a slush molding tool thus finds new uses in a vacuum coating process or in some other process apart from slush molding.

A seat for vehicles including a seat cushion, a seat back, and a head rest has the following arrangement to ensure that a surface member can be relatively easily but positively removed from a urethane pad if a foam molding defect is found in the urethane pad in integral molding of the urethane pad and the surface member. In the seat for vehicles, any one of the seat cushion, seat back, and head rest has a configuration where a surface of the urethane pad is covered with the surface member. The urethane pad and the surface member are partially bonded together by integral molding.

A method for fabricating emulated wood with pores and fibers, comprising: immersing a plurality of synthetic fibers configured parallel in a plane into a resin so that the resin is coated on the surfaces of the plurality of synthetic fibers and in the gaps between the plurality of synthetic fibers; placing the plurality of synthetic fibers between two sheets, wherein the two sheets are planar sheets made from a uniform composition comprising a thermoplastic elastomer, a foaming agent, and a crosslinking agent; carrying out a heat-press process on the two sheets so that the foaming agent undergoes microcellular foaming and forms dense closed pores in the two sheets, and so that the composition on inner surfaces of the two sheets expands towards the plurality of synthetic fibers and penetrates through the gaps between the plurality of synthetic fibers; and cooling the two sheets to yield an emulated wood board.