Slush molding process

Claim 1

A process for slush molding hollow thin-walled articles comprising the steps of: a. applying a relatively thin liquid plastisol coating to the interior surfaces of an open mold, the application of said coating being accomplished by at least partially filling the mold with plastisol and thereafter inverting the mold to drain any excess liquid plastisol from the mold; b. imparting a rocking motion to the inverted mold about a given axis while the plastisol coating remains in a liquid state, the motion imparted to the mold about said axis being such as to promote continued dRainage of excess liquid plastisol from the mold while preventing the same from accumulating in mold undercuts and recesses; c. gelling said relatively thin plastisol coating by impinging hot gas directly onto the exterior mold surfaces while the mold remains inverted and in rocking motion about said axis; d. increasing the thickness of the previously gelled plastisol coating by refilling the mold with liquid plastisol, allowing the latent heat stored in the mold wall as a result of the previous heating step to gel additional plastisol, and thereafter emptying the mold of any remaining liquid plastisol; e. fusing the gelled plastisol coating by impinging hot gaseous products of combustion onto both the exterior mold surfaces and the gelled plastisol coating, while the mold is in rotating motion; and, f. thereafter removing the resulting hollow thin-walled molded article from said mold.