Method of making flexible implement grip with surface texture and printing

Abstract

In one version of the method of making a flexible grip, a thin film carrier with negative of desired colored image is laminated to an uncured skin sheet and flat cured in a mold to heat transfer the image to the skin sheet and concurrently form a textured surface. The carrier is peeled away and the skin sheet wrapped and adhesively bonded to a cured underlist. In another version, the thin film carrier with negative of desired image is laminated on an uncured skin sheet which is wrapped on a cured underlist. The wrapped underlist is cured in a textured mold cavity to concurrently, in a single molding operation, heat transfer the image of the skin sheet from a textured surface and cure the skin sheet in place on the underlist.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A method of making a flexible grip for an implement handle comprising:
 (a) forming a hollow underlist of cured elastomeric material;   (b) forming a skin sheet of uncured material selected from one of (i) thermosetting polymer and (ii) thermoplastic polymer;   (c) providing a thin film carrier of one of (i) thermoplastic material and (ii) coated paper and imposing a negative image of heat transferrable material on a surface of the carrier;   (d) disposing the imaged surface of the carrier on a surface of the skin sheet and wrapping the skin sheet on the underlist;   (e) providing a mold with a grip forming cavity having a textured surface and disposing the wrapped underlist in the cavity; and, (f) concurrently curing the skin sheet on the underlist, heat transferring the image to the skin sheet, forming the textured surface on the skin sheet and bonding the skin to the underlist.   
     
     
         11 . The method defined in  claim 10 , wherein providing a carrier includes providing a layer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material. 
     
     
         12 . The method defined in  claim 10 , wherein curing the skin sheet on the underlist includes heat and compression curing. 
     
     
         13 . The method defined in  claim 10 , wherein forming an underlist includes forming of one of (i) styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) material, (ii) EPDM material, (ii) natural rubber and (iv) a combination from (i), (ii) and (iii). 
     
     
         14 . The method defined in  claim 10 , wherein imposing an image includes imposing with material selected from one of (i) ink and (ii) paint. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein imposing an image includes imposing of material selected from (i) printing ink, (ii) metallic ink, (iii) color change ink, (iv) heat transfer ink, (v) rubber based ink, (vi) acrylic ink, (vii) polyurethane (PU) ink. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein imposing an image includes imposing a multi-colored image.