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Primary Examiner—-William Krynski
Assistant Examiner—Abraham Bahta
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP
Intellectual Property Group
[57] ABSTRACT
An article including a panel-like structure constructed to be mounted in an automobile vehicle to form a part ol the interior thereol, and a process for making the same. According to this process, an outer layer defining at least a portion ol the exposed exterior surface ol the structure is prepared by applying a water-dispersed thermoplastic polyurethane composition and a heat-activated reactive crosslinking monomer onto a mold surface and thereafter drying the composition. Next, a rapidly reacting composition is sprayed onto an inner surface ol the outer layer while the outer layer is retained on the mold surface to form a polyurethane elastomer inner layer that is interfacially chemical bonded to the outer layer. The inner layer with the outer layer interfacially chemically bonded thereto is then united with the rigid substrate so that the rigid substrate serves to reinforce the outer layer. The exposed exterior surface ol the panel-like structure simulates the appearance and leel ol authentic leather, while the inner layer and an optional semi-rigid polyurethane cellular foam intermediate layer provide a compressing leel to the exposed portion ol the outer layer.
21 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
