METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A MOLDING TOOL FOR PRODUCING AN EQUIPMENT PART AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING AN EQUIPMENT PART AND EQUIPMENT PART

Abstract

A method for producing a head support, including the steps of providing a mold having at least two mold parts and a cavity, wherein the mold includes at least regions of the inner surface of the cavity which are configured to produce an outer surface of an equipment part and have a structure which is in the form of a negative structure, which is to be produced, of a structure of the outer surface of the equipment part, coating the inner surface of the cavity with a first complex of material, drying the first complex, introducing a second material into a mold part of the open mold and then closing the mold, opening the mold after the second complex has cured.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A method for producing a molding tool having at least two mold parts and a cavity for production of at least one part of an equipment part, comprising the steps of: providing a dataset relating to the mold parts; supplementing the dataset using texturing software so that a structure is added to at least one surface of the cavity of the molding tool for producing at least one outer surface having a structure of the equipment part; and manufacturing an entire dataset relating to the mold parts on a 3D printer.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the structure forms an imitation leather, an imitation textile, or at least one imitation seam.

19. The method according to claim 17, further including, after the step of 3-D printing, shot-blasting the mold parts.

20. The method according to claim 17, further including applying a dark color to the mold parts heat absorption purposes.

21. The method according to claim 17, further including wedding the cavity with a sealant.

22. The method according to claim 17, further including subjecting the molding tool in a closed position to heat treatment in a constrained position.

23. The method according to claim 17, including producing the mold from a plastics material or a metal or a composite material.

24. A method for producing a vehicle equipment part, comprising the steps of: providing a molding tool having at least two mold parts, wherein a cavity of the molding tool comprises at least regions of an inner surface that are configured for producing at least one outer surface of an equipment part and comprise a structure that forms a negative structure of the structure that is to be produced of the at least one outer surface of the equipment part; coating an inner surface of a part-cavity of each mold part with a first complex of material; drying the first complex, introducing a second complex of material into the part-cavity and closing the molding tool, or introducing the second complex into the closed molding tool through a gate of the molding tool; and opening the mold after the second complex has cured.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising the step of applying a release agent onto the inner surface of the cavity prior to the step of coating with the first complex.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the step of drying the first complex includes drying with at least one infra-red radiator after the step of applying the first complex.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the step of drying the first complex includes arranging the mold parts in a heating chamber after the step of applying the first complex.

28. The method according to claim 24, further comprising the step of masking at least sealing faces of the mold parts prior to the step of applying the first complex.

29. The method according to claim 24, comprising the first complex of material comprises a polyurethane foam, a polyurethane-reaction injection molding material or a polyurethane-reinforced reaction injection molding material.

30. The method according to claim 24, including the step of selecting at least one material of the first complex and at least one material of the second complex so that the first complex bonds to the second complex at least at a contact surface.

31. The method according to claim 24, including the step of selecting the material of the first complex so that it has high extensibility and/or deformability.

32. An equipment part for a vehicle, comprising an outer surface having at least one region provided with a structure, wherein the outer surface is formed by an outer skin of a plastics material, wherein the outer skin is carried by a filling material, and wherein the outer skin and the filling material are firmly bonded to one another.

Description

[0043] In the drawings:

[0044] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first mold part of a molding tool for producing an equipment part in the form of a head support, comprising a first part of a cavity,

[0045] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a second mold part of the molding tool comprising a second part of a cavity,

[0046] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the second mold part according to FIG. 2, wherein a holding bar bracket is fastened to the mold part,

[0047] FIG. 4 is a front view of the mold part which has been produced,

[0048] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the mold part which has been produced,

[0049] FIG. 6 is a sectional view along cutting line A-A in FIG. 5.

[0050] FIG. 1 shows a first mold part 11 of a molding tool 10 which is used to carry out the method according to the invention according to the second aspect of the invention. By means of the method, a cushioned upholstered equipment part of a vehicle can be produced, in which the outer surface is provided at least in part with a structure. For example—as in the present exemplary embodiment—the appearance and optionally the haptics of another material are imitated. The equipment part which is to be produced in the molding tool 10 is in the present example a head support.

[0051] The mold parts of the molding tool were produced in accordance with the first aspect of the invention. In this case, a CAD dataset was generated for producing the mold parts. By means of additional software, the dataset was supplemented with a negative structure at defined surfaces of a mold cavity of the mold, which structure is reproduced in the outer surface of the outer surface of the equipment part to be produced. The mold was then printed by means of a 3D printer.

[0052] The first mold part 11 comprises a part-cavity which together with a further part not shown in FIG. 1 forms the cavity 14. The equipment part is formed at least in part in the cavity 14. in which the equipment part

[0053] The mold part 11 additionally has centering attachments 17 with which the first mold part 11 can be aligned in a defined desired position relative to a second mold part 12 (see FIG. 2). In FIG. 1 there can further be seen a sealing face 15 which cooperates with a sealing face 16 of the second mold part 11.

[0054] An inner surface 18 of the part-cavity 13a is provided with a structure 19, also referred to as a texture. The structure 19 comprises regions 20 which visually and haptically imitate the structure of a leather skin, and regions 21 which visually imitate a seam.

[0055] On the first mold part 11 there are formed depressions 22 in which an integral part, in this exemplary embodiment end regions of a holding rod bracket, can be received in part, in order that another region, projecting into the cavity 14, of the holding rod bracket can later be formed in the equipment part. Cut-outs 23 serve to receive fasteners with which the holding rod bracket can be fastened to the second mold part 12.

[0056] In the second mold part 12 there is likewise formed a part-cavity 13b, which together with the part-cavity 13a forms the cavity 14 of the molding tool 10. A sealing face 16 is also formed on the second mold part 12. An inner surface 24 of the part-cavity 13b is provided with a structure 19 which has regions 20 of the imitation of a leather skin. The structure 19 has the shape of a negative and when molded is presented as a positive structure on the outer surface of the molded equipment part.

[0057] In a manner not shown, the mold parts 11 and 12 are mounted on a movable mold carrier with which the mold parts are movable between an open position and a closed position. In the closed position, the sealing faces 15 and 16 are in contact with one another and the cavity forms a substantially closed hollow space. In the open position, the two mold parts 11 and 12 are moved apart such that access to both mold parts 11 and 12 is possible.

[0058] For example, the mold parts 11 and 12 are moved apart vertically by a relative movement. One of the mold parts is stationary and the other mold part is movable, for example. In the present example, the mold part 12 is stationary and the part-cavity 13b faces upwards. The mold part 11 is movable and the part-cavity 13a faces downwards and is arranged above the part-cavity 13b.

[0059] First of all, in the open position, the sealing faces 15 and 16 are masked so that they remain free of any material which is applied onto the inner surfaces 18 and 24 of the part-cavities 13a and 13b. This prevents the sealing faces from leaks and material from escaping from the cavity 14. The inner surfaces 18 and 24 are then provided with a release agent which facilitates subsequent demolding of the equipment part which has been produced.

[0060] There is then applied onto the inner surfaces 18 and 24 a first complex of material which in a simple case, as in this exemplary embodiment, comprises a polyurethane paint. This complex, which can comprise one or more layers and which can have one or more materials, later forms an outer surface of the equipment part provided with the desired structure.

[0061] Drying of the first complex is then carried out. Drying takes place, for example, by means of at least one infra-red radiator which irradiates the inner surfaces 18 and 24.

[0062] A holding rod bracket 25 having free end regions 27a and 27b and a cross-piece 27c is then (see FIG. 3) arranged, for example, relative to the bottom second mold part 12. In the present example, the holding rod bracket 25 is fastened to the mold part 12 by means of a fastener 26.

[0063] A second complex of material is then introduced into the part-cavity 13b. The molding tool is then moved into the closed position and remains in the closed position until the second complex has cured and the second complex has bonded to the first complex. After curing, the molding tool 10 can be moved into the open position and the equipment part which has been produced can be removed from the bottom mold part 12.

[0064] FIG. 4 is a front view of an equipment part 28 in the form of a head support 30, which has been produced in the cavity 14. The head support comprises the holding rod bracket 25 and also a head part 29 having a front surface 31, which comprises the head-rest surface and was molded by the inner surface 18, and also a rear surface 32 (see FIG. 5), which was molded by the inner surface 24 of the cavity 14. The front surface 31 and the rear surface 32 contain the structure 19 having the regions 20 which imitate a leather skin. In this example, the front surface 31 additionally contains the regions 21 which imitate a double seam.

[0065] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the head support 30. The head part 29 comprises an outer skin 33, which has been formed by the first complex of material, and a filling material 34, which has been formed by the second complex of material and which partially encloses regions of the holding rod bracket 25.

[0066] The outer skin 33 provided with the structure 19 adheres to the filling material, that is to say the first complex and the second complex have firmly bonded together.

[0067] In the present exemplary embodiment, the haptics of the first complex of material forming the outer skin 33 has also imitated the haptics of a leather skin.