Injection molded plastic article with integrated weatherable pigmented film surface

Abstract

Molded articles having contoured, decorative outer surfaces are disclosed. The articles comprise a molded polymer substrate and a decorative surfacing film adhered to one side of the substrate. The decorative surfacing film comprises a substantially molecularly unoriented cast polymer film formed from a weatherable polymer. The articles are particularly suited for use as automobile body panels and the like. Also disclosed is a method for making such articles, and a method for making sets of such articles for assembly into automobile bodies and the like.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A structure comprising a set of molded articles, each of said molded articles of said set comprising a molded polymer substrate having a contoured three-dimensional surface and a preformed decorative surfacing film adhered to and conforming to said contoured three-dimensional surface, said decorative surfacing film comprising a preformed molecularly unoriented liquid-cast weatherable polymer film and a bonding layer formed from a preselected polymer different from said cast polymer film, said bonding layer being adhered to the inner surface of said cast polymer film and adhered to said contoured three-dimensional surface of said substrate, said cast polymer film having pigments therein providing a uniform layer of color to the outer surface of said article, wherein said cast film is the same for every article in said set, and wherein said bonding layer in each of said articles is formed of a polymer preselected to adhere to said moldable polymer of each of said articles, so that said articles have uniformly colored decorative outer surfaces and the need for painting said structure is eliminated. 
     
     
       2. A structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the articles of said set are all formed from the same moldable material. 
     
     
       3. A structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the articles of said set are not all formed from the same moldable material. 
     
     
       4. A molded automobile exterior body part having a contoured decorative outer surface, comprising a molded polymer substrate and a molded decorative sheet material adhered to and covering one side of said substrate and conforming to said contoured surface and imparting to said body part a high grade decorative finish having the appearance of an automotive quality painted finish, said decorative sheet material comprising a substantially molecularly unoriented cast weatherable polymer film comprising an alloy of polyvinylidene fluoride and an acrylic polymer, said cast polymer film having pigments therein, and a thermoformable bonding layer adhered to the inner surface of said cast polymer film, said bonding layer comprising a thermoformable layer of a polymer different from said cast polymer film, and an adhesive layer between said thermoformable layer and said cast polymer film adhering said thermoformable layer to said cast polymer film, and said bonding layer also being adhered to said contoured three-dimensional outer surface of said substrate. 
     
     
       5. A body part as claimed in claim 4, wherein said molecularly unoriented cast polymer film has reflective pigments therein. 
     
     
       6. A body part as claimed in claim 4, wherein said bonding layer is formed of an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer. 
     
     
       7. A body part as claimed in claim 6, wherein said molded polymer substrate is an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer. 
     
     
       8. A body part as claimed in claim 4, wherein said bonding layer is formed of a polyolefin. 
     
     
       9. A body part as claimed in claim 8, wherein said bonding layer is formed of chlorinated polyolefin. 
     
     
       10. A body part as claimed in claim 9, wherein said molded polymer substrate is a polyolefin. 
     
     
       11. A body part as claimed in claim 4 wherein said adhesive comprises an acrylate adhesive. 
     
     
       12. A body part as claimed in claim 4, wherein said decorative sheet material has regions thereof which have been subjected to an elongation of about 25% or more. 
     
     
       13. A body part as claimed in claim 4, wherein said molecularly unoriented cast weatherable polymer film comprises an outer transparent layer of high gloss and an underlying opaque layer containing said pigments. 
     
     
       14. A structure comprising a plurality of the automobile exterior body parts of claim 4, wherein the molded polymer substrate of at least one of said plurality of body parts is formed of a different polymer composition from the molded polymer substrate of another one of said body parts. 
     
     
       15. A structure as claimed in claim 14, wherein the molded polymer substrate of one of said body parts is formed of a thermoplastic olefin polymer and the molded polymer substrate of another one of said body parts is made of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer. 
     
     
       16. A structure as claimed in claim 14, wherein the bonding layer of at least one of said plurality of body parts is formed of a different polymer composition from the bonding layer of another one of said body parts. 
     
     
       17. A molded automobile exterior body part having a contoured decorative outer surface, comprising a molded polymer substrate formed of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer having a contoured three-dimensional outer surface and a molded decorative sheet material adhered to and covering one side of said substrate and conforming to said contoured surface and imparting to said body part a high grade decorative finish having the appearance of an automotive quality painted finish, said decorative sheet material having regions thereof which have been subjected to an elongation of about 25% or more, and said decorative sheet material comprising a substantially molecularly unoriented liquid-cast weatherable polymer film comprising an alloy of a polyvinylidene fluoride polymer and an acrylic polymer, said cast polymer film having pigments therein, and a thermoformable bonding layer adhered to the inner surface of said cast polymer film, said bonding layer comprising a thermoformable layer of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer, and an adhesive layer between said thermoformable layer and said cast polymer film adhering said thermoformable layer to said cast polymer film, and said bonding layer also being adhered to said contoured three-dimensional outer, surface of said substrate. 
     
     
       18. A molded automobile exterior body part having a contoured decorative outer surface, comprising a molded polymer substrate formed of polyolefin polymer having a contoured three-dimensional outer surface and a molded decorative sheet material adhered to and covering one side of said substrate and conforming to said contoured surface and imparting to said body part a high grade decorative finish having the appearance of an automotive quality painted finish, said decorative sheet material having regions thereof which have been subjected to an elongation of about 25% or more, and said decorative sheet material comprising a substantially molecularly unoriented liquid-cast weatherable polymer film comprising an alloy of a polyvinylidene fluoride polymer and an acrylic polymer, said cast polymer film having pigments therein, and a thermoformable bonding layer adhered to the inner surface of said cast polymer film, said bonding layer comprising a thermoformable layer of a polyolefin polymer, and an adhesive layer between said thermoformable layer and said cast polymer film adhering said thermoformable layer to said cast polymer film, and said bonding layer also being adhered to said contoured three-dimensional outer surface of said substrate. 
     
     
       19. A molded automobile exterior body part having a contoured decorative outer surface, comprising a molded polymer substrate and a molded decorative sheet material adhered to and covering one side of said substrate and conforming to said contoured surface and imparting to said body part a high grade decorative finish, said decorative sheet material comprising a substantially molecularly unoriented liquid-cast weatherable preformed self-supporting polymer film, said cast polymer film having pigments therein providing a uniform layer of color to the outer surface of said part with the appearance of an automotive quality paint finish, and a bonding layer comprising a thermoformable polymer different from said cast polymer film, said bonding layer being adhered to the inner surface of said cast polymer film and also being adhered to said contoured three-dimensional outer surface of said substrate. 
     
     
       20. A molded article in the form of an automobile outer body panel having a contoured decorative outer surface, comprising a molded polymer substrate selected to provide properties suited to the specific end use of the particular outer body panel, and a molded high-quality decorative sheet material with an appearance suitable for use on an automobile body panel adhered to one side of said substrate and conforming to said contoured surface to provide an outer surface which is uniformly colored in accordance with a predetermined color scheme, wherein said decorative sheet material comprises a substantially molecularly unoriented liquid-cast weatherable thermoformable polymer film which on its own is a preformed self-supporting sheet, said liquid-cast polymer film having pigments uniformly distributed therein and providing a uniform layer of color to the outer surface of said article, the polymer of the pigmented film being selected to provide a pigmented film which will maintain a paint-like appearance when stretched and elongated and which will not significantly fade, peel, chalk or crack when exposed to the environment for the intended life of the body panel, and a thermoformable bonding layer of a material which has been preselected to adhere to the particular moldable polymer from which the outer body panel is made, comprising a polymer different from the polymer of the liquid-cast film, adhering the inner surface of the liquid-cast polymer film to the molded polymer substrate. 
     
     
       21. A molded article according to claim 20 wherein the tear strength of the liquid-cast film is less than the bond strength of the cast film to the molded polymer substrate, whereby the film will flake off in small particles when disrupted by nicks and scratches from stones and other flying particles as routinely confront automobile surfaces. 
     
     
       22. A molded article according to claim 20 wherein said thermoformable bonding layer comprises a preformed film of thermoformable polymer and an adhesive layer adhering the preformed film to the inner surface of the cast polymer film.