US 12,134,371 B2
One-piece vehicle roof rail
Thomas Hawkins, Spring Lake, MI (US); Paul Nikandrou, Caledonia, MI (US); Ryan Lacks, Grand Rapids, MI (US); and Nick Hrnyak, Grand Rapids, MI (US)
Assigned to Lacks Enterprises, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI (US)
Filed by Lacks Enterprises, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI (US)
Filed on Oct. 28, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/513,530.
Application 17/513,530 is a division of application No. 16/896,739, filed on Jun. 9, 2020.
Application 16/896,739 is a continuation of application No. 15/932,220, filed on Feb. 16, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/459,862, filed on Feb. 16, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0048438 A1, Feb. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 45/00 (2006.01); B29C 45/16 (2006.01); B29C 45/17 (2006.01); B29C 45/37 (2006.01); B29C 48/13 (2019.01); B29C 48/154 (2019.01); B29C 48/16 (2019.01); B29C 48/18 (2019.01); B60R 9/04 (2006.01); B29K 105/04 (2006.01); B29L 31/30 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 9/04 (2013.01) [B29C 45/1642 (2013.01); B29C 45/1704 (2013.01); B29C 45/37 (2013.01); B29C 48/13 (2019.02); B29C 48/154 (2019.02); B29C 48/16 (2019.02); B29C 48/18 (2019.02); B29C 2045/0043 (2013.01); B29C 2045/172 (2013.01); B29K 2105/04 (2013.01); B29L 2031/30 (2013.01); B29L 2031/3005 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of forming a roof rail for a vehicle including:
injection molding with at least two thermoplastic materials an elongated main body portion extending between a pair of ends, and a pair of connecting portions each at one of the ends of the main body portion, wherein the main body portion and the connecting portions are integral with one another;
wherein the main body portion and the connecting portions combine to define an upper surface, a bottom surface in spaced relationship with the upper surface and two opposing side surfaces each extending between the upper and bottom surfaces, wherein the upper surface is substantially continuous and wherein the side surfaces are each substantially continuous between the upper surface and the bottom surface, and
wherein the main body portion and the connecting portions are comprised of an outer portion formed of a first thermoplastic material covering an inner portion formed of a second thermoplastic material,
wherein the first thermoplastic material the outer portion does not include a glass filler, and wherein the first thermoplastic material of the outer portion is formed of a plateable material; and
electroplating a metal plating layer onto the outer portion of the main body portion including along the upper surface and the side surfaces to provide an appearance of a metal roof rail.
 
11. A method of forming a roof rail for a vehicle including:
molding an inner portion of an elongated main body portion with a first thermoplastic material, molding an outer portion of the elongated main body portion with a second thermoplastic material;
wherein the elongated main body portion extends between a pair of closed ends;
wherein the elongated main body portion has a pair of connecting portions each at one of the ends of the main body portion and configured to connect the roof rail to the vehicle; and
wherein the main body portion and the connecting portions are formed as a single unitary one piece component with an upper surface, a bottom surface in spaced relationship with the upper surface and two opposing side surfaces each extending between the upper and bottom surfaces, wherein the upper surface is substantially continuous and wherein the side surfaces are each substantially continuous between the upper surface and the bottom surface, and wherein the main body portion and the connecting portions are comprised of the inner portion formed of the first thermoplastic material surrounded by the outer portion formed of the second thermoplastic material, wherein the inner portion is formed entirely of the first thermoplastic material from a center of the roof rail radially outwardly to the outer portion of the second thermoplastic material, wherein the thermoplastic material of at least the outer portion does not include a glass filler, and wherein at least the second thermoplastic material is formed of a plateable material; and
electroplating a metal plating layer onto substantially an entirety of the outer portion of the main body including along the upper surface and the side surfaces to provide an appearance of a metal roof rail.
 
15. A method of constructing a roof rail for a vehicle, the method comprising:
performing a co-injection molding process and defining an elongated main body of an elongated roof rail extending between a pair of ends, wherein a pair of connecting portions are each located at one of the ends and integral with the elongated main body portion;
injecting a first material into a first mold cavity to define an outer portion of the elongated main body portion, wherein the first material the outer portion does not include a glass filler, and wherein the first material of the outer portion is formed of a plateable material; and
injecting a second material into the first material in the first mold cavity to define an inner portion of the elongated main body portion;
wherein the main body portion and the connecting portions combine to define an upper surface, a bottom surface in spaced relationship with the upper surface and two opposing side surfaces each extending between the upper and bottom surfaces, wherein the upper surface is substantially continuous and wherein the side surfaces are each substantially continuous between the upper surface and the bottom surface, and
electroplating a metal plating layer onto the outer portion of the main body portion including along the upper surface and the side surfaces to provide an appearance of a metal roof rail.