Antimicrobial, molded laminate shopping cart part and method of manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10583593-B2
Application number	US-201414227113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2014
Priority date	Apr 27, 2011
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

An antimicrobial, molded laminate shopping cart part and method of manufacturing same are provided. The part, such as a small child seat, includes a structural carrier made from a thermoplastic resin and having an outer surface. The part further includes a formed plastic film sheet having upper and lower surfaces. The lower surface is bonded to the outer surface of the carrier. The film sheet includes an outer clear plastic layer including at least one antimicrobial agent disbursed throughout the plastic layer. The antimicrobial agent exhibits controlled migration through the clear plastic to the outer surface of the clear plastic layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing an antimicrobial molded laminate shopping cart child seat, the method comprising:
providing a formed plastic pre-painted film sheet having top and bottom surfaces and providing a warning or advertisement, the top surface being covered by a clear plastic layer, the clear plastic layer having an outer surface and comprising at least one antimicrobial agent dispersed throughout the clear plastic layer, wherein the antimicrobial agent exhibits controlled migration throughout the clear plastic layer to the outer surface of the clear plastic layer, the plastic pre-painted film sheet including one or more layers of color in contact with a layer of polyvinylidene fluoride overlaying and protecting the one or more layers of color, wherein the clear plastic layer is in contact with and protects the layer of polyvinylidene fluoride;
placing the film sheet in a mold cavity of an injection mold having a shape defining the shopping cart child seat; and
injecting a thermoplastic resin into the mold cavity of the injection mold at a temperature and pressure sufficient to melt the bottom surface of the film sheet to generate a structural carrier for the film sheet, the carrier including an attachment portion for removably attaching the seat to a shopping cart, the generation of the structural carrier creating sufficient pressure and heat to bond the structural carrier to the bottom surface of the film sheet to form the molded laminate seat.

2. A method of manufacturing an antimicrobial molded laminate part, wherein the part comprises a shopping cart child seat, the method comprising:
providing a painted film sheet including at least one layer of printing, a layer of polyvinylidene fluoride applied over the at least one layer of printing, and an acrylic clear coat layer in contact with and overlaying the layer of polyvinylidene fluoride, the acrylic clear coat layer includes an anti-microbial agent dispersed throughout the acrylic clear coat layer, wherein the antimicrobial agent exhibits controlled migration throughout the acrylic clear coat layer to an outer surface of the acrylic clear coat layer;
forming the painted film sheet and acrylic clear coat layer in a vacuum forming mold to form a preform;
cutting the preform to form an applique preform having top and bottom surfaces, the top surface being the clear plastic layer;
placing the applique preform in a mold cavity of an injection mold having a shape defining the molded laminate part; and
injecting a thermoplastic resin into the mold cavity of the injection mold at a temperature and pressure sufficient to melt the bottom surface of the film sheet to generate a structural carrier, wherein the thermoplastic resin is injected with sufficient pressure and heat to melt a bottom surface of the applique preform and bond the structural carrier to the applique preform to form the shopping cart child seat.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the painted film sheet is selected from the group consisting of:
polyurethane, and
polycarbonate.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the film sheet is a pre-painted film sheet which provides a warning or advertisement.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the polyvinylidene fluoride comprises more than 50 percent of the total thickness of the film sheet.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the part comprises a shopping cart child seat.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the total thickness of the film sheet is less than 1.0 mils.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the structural carrier includes an attachment portion for removably attaching the part to a shopping cart.

Assignees

• Global Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Preisler Darius J

Classifications

• Y10T428/31797

  Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers · CPC title

• B29C45/14811

  Multilayered articles (B29C45/14827 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62B5/069

  Removable sleeves on handle bars, e.g. for protection against germs · CPC title

• B29L2031/771

  Seats · CPC title

• B62B2501/04

  Production features · CPC title