Process for making a thermoformed shell for a luggage case

Details Process for making a thermoformed shell for a luggage case Process for making a thermoformed shell for a luggage case

A - Human Necessities

45

C

A45C 5/02 (2006.01) B29C 43/18 (2006.01) B29C 43/20 (2006.01) B29C 43/28 (2006.01) B29C 51/02 (2006.01) B29C 51/08 (2006.01) B29C 51/14 (2006.01)

Patent

CA 2051785

Hardsided luggage cases have used thermoformed shells of generally tray- like shape. The thermoforming process usually includes the step of vacuum forming. This vacuum forming inherently causes the corner regions at the intersection of the main face and side faces of the tray-like shells to be of a thinner material than the rest of the case, leading to mechanical failure when the luggage case is abused during use. The outer face of the shell is also subject to scratching and abrasion. The disclosed process (Fig. 5) forms a thermoformable preform (11) by pressure laminating a layer of cloth fabric (44) to one face of the thermoplastic substrate (42), preferably as the substrate is extruded and while still hot from the extrusion process. This fabric/thermoplastic laminated preform (11) can be easily processed in a matched mold press (64). The fabric (44) should be of a non-stretch type. This non-stretch characteristic, together with its intimate bonding to the thermoplastic substrate (42), prevents the substrate from thinning in the corner regions. Indeed, because the intimately bonded fabric (44) drags or pulls the substrate (42) from a number of directions as the corner regions are formed, the thermoplastic substrate (42) accumulates and actually thickens in the corner regions, leading to a shell (12) which is remarkably durable and aesthetically pleasing.

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