METHOD FOR PRODUCING A HOLLOW BODY COMPOSITE COMPONENT, AND MANDREL FOR USE IN SUCH A METHOD

Abstract

A hollow body composite component is produced by a method using an injection mold, wherein a cavity of the injection mold is filled at least partially with a flowable material by injection of the flowable material, and a mandrel is driven through the flowable material to form a hollow body. Using the mandrel, at least one strip-shaped reinforcing element is introduced into a hollow body interior and is arranged on a surface of the hollow body facing the hollow body interior.

Claims

1. A method for producing a hollow body composite component using an injection mold, wherein a cavity of the injection mold is filled at least partially with a flowable material by injection of the flowable material, and a mandrel is driven through the flowable material to form a hollow body, and wherein, using the mandrel, at least one strip-shaped reinforcing element is introduced into a hollow body interior and is arranged on a surface of the hollow body facing the hollow body interior.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one strip-shaped reinforcing element comprises fibers embedded in a matrix of plastic.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the fibers comprise unidirectionally aligned fibers.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the matrix of plastic is a thermoplastic.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein two strip-shaped reinforcing elements are arranged on the surface of the hollow body facing the hollow body interior such that the two strip-shaped reinforcing elements are opposite one another.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a two-part injection mold is used, and wherein the at least one strip-shaped reinforcing element is arranged at a point on the surface of the hollow body facing the hollow body interior which is arranged in a parting plane of the injection mold during injection molding.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one strip-shaped reinforcing element is arranged in the cavity of the injection mold before the injection of the flowable material.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one strip-shaped reinforcing element is fixed inside the cavity of the injection mold by at least one end of the at least one strip-shaped reinforcing element.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one strip-shaped reinforcing element is fixed outside the cavity of the injection mold by at least one end of the at least one strip-shaped reinforcing element.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of strip-shaped reinforcing elements is arranged in layers in the cavity of the injection mold and, during injection molding, the plurality of strip-shaped reinforcing elements are separated from one another by the mandrel and are arranged on the surface of the hollow body facing the hollow body interior.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one strip-shaped reinforcing element is guided in a channel formed by the mandrel.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one strip-shaped reinforcing element is stored in an interior of the mandrel.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one strip-shaped reinforcing element is stored by a dispensing device which is arranged in the interior of the mandrel and on which the strip-shaped reinforcing element is rolled up.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the at least one strip-shaped reinforcing element is unrolled from the dispensing device when the mandrel is driven through the flowable material and is guided out through an outlet of the mandrel.

15. The method according to claim 1, where the mandrel further comprises a storage device for storing two strip-shaped reinforcing elements in an interior of the mandrel, wherein the storage device comprises two rotatably mounted rollers on which the two strip-shaped reinforcing elements are stored rolled up.

16. A method for producing a hollow body composite component using an injection mold, wherein a cavity of the injection mold is filled at least partially with a flowable material by injection of the flowable material, and a mandrel is driven through the flowable material to form a hollow body, wherein, using the mandrel, at least one tubular reinforcing element is introduced into the hollow body interior, and wherein the at least one tubular reinforcing element is expanded by the mandrel to a diameter of the hollow body.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein two tubular reinforcing elements are arranged on a surface of the hollow body facing the hollow body interior such that the two tubular reinforcing elements are opposite one another.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein a two-part injection mold is used, and wherein the at least one tubular reinforcing element is arranged at a point on a surface of the hollow body facing the hollow body interior which is arranged in a parting plane of the injection mold during injection molding.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one tubular reinforcing element is arranged in the cavity of the injection mold before the injection of the flowable material.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one tubular reinforcement element is selected from a group consisting of a woven hose, a mesh hose, a hose with a lattice structure, and a hose made of stretchable material.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0031] Further features and advantages of the disclosure will be found in the following description of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, which are not to be understood in a restrictive manner and which will be explained in greater detail below with reference to the drawings. In these drawings:

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of one variation of a hollow body composite component produced according to the method of the present disclosure with a strip-shaped reinforcing element introduced by a mandrel;

[0033] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration relating to the insertion of two layered strip-shaped reinforcing elements into a hollow body composite component according to another variation of the present disclosure; and

[0034] FIG. 3. is a schematic illustration relating to the storage of two strip-shaped reinforcing elements in the interior of a mandrel according to yet another variation of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 1, a hollow body composite component produced by a method according to the present disclosure is shown. A mandrel 1 is driven through a flowable material 3 by a fluid 2 after injection of the flowable material 3 into a cavity of an injection mold. During this process, the mandrel 1 takes up the strip-shaped reinforcing element 4 and guides it through the guide channel 5 in the surface of the mandrel 1 to the position in which the strip-shaped reinforcing element 4 is to remain in the hollow body composite component to be produced. In this case, the orientation in space of the strip-shaped reinforcing element 4 can be freely changed by the mandrel 1. The plane 7 can correspond, for example, to a parting plane of a multi-part injection mold and, therefore, the strip-shaped reinforcing element 4 reinforces the parting plane in the finished hollow body composite component.

[0037] Referring now to FIG. 2, a variation of the present disclosure in which two layered strip-shaped reinforcing elements 4 are introduced into a hollow body composite component is shown. The mandrel 1 is driven through the flowable material 3 (not shown) with the aid of the fluid 2 and, in the process, separates the layered strip-shaped reinforcing elements 4 in order to bring them into positions at which the strip-shaped reinforcing elements 4 are to be arranged in the hollow body composite component to be produced. The positions may be opposite, as shown in FIG. 2, or may also be arranged asymmetrically.

[0038] Referring now to FIG. 3, a further variation of a mandrel 1 according to the present disclosure with a device for storing two strip-shaped reinforcing elements 4 in the interior of the mandrel 1 is shown. The storage device comprises two rotatably mounted rollers 6, on each of which a strip-shaped reinforcing element 4 is stored rolled up. The strip-shaped reinforcing elements 4 are fixed at their free end in such a way that the rolling resistance of the rollers 6 can be overcome and the strip-shaped reinforcing elements 4 are unrolled as the mandrel 1 is driven forward in the flowable material 3 (not shown). A holding means can take over this task, for example. In this way, the strip-shaped reinforcing elements 4 are positioned on the inside of the hollow body and introduced into the flowable material 3.

[0039] Unless otherwise expressly indicated herein, all numerical values indicating mechanical/thermal properties, compositional percentages, dimensions and/or tolerances, or other characteristics are to be understood as modified by the word “about” or “approximately” in describing the scope of the present disclosure. This modification is desired for various reasons including industrial practice, material, manufacturing, and assembly tolerances, and testing capability.

[0040] As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”

[0041] The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the substance of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.