PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A COMPOSITE COMPONENT

Abstract

A process produces a composite component, which includes an insert and a plastics part made of a thermoplastic polymer. The plastics part at least partly encloses the insert. The process includes (a) placing at least one part of the insert or the insert into an injection mold, (b) closing the injection mold, and (c) injecting the thermoplastic polymer into the mold thereby overmolding the insert at least partly. The insert is modified before placing it into the injection mold or the insert is modified in the injection mold before the injection mold is opened to remove the composite component.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10: A process for producing an energy-absorbing component comprising an insert and a plastics part made of a thermoplastic polymer, wherein the plastics part at least partly encloses the insert and the energy-absorbing component is established for controlled dissipation of kinetic energy, the process comprising: (a) placing at least one part of the insert or the insert into an injection mold, (b) closing the injection mold, (c) injecting the thermoplastic polymer into the mold thereby overmolding the insert at least partly, wherein the insert is modified before placing it into the injection mold or wherein the insert is modified in the injection mold before the injection mold is opened to remove the energy-absorbing component, and wherein the insert is modified by introducing dints, corrugations, folds, or openings into the insert.

11: The process according to claim 10, wherein the insert comprises at least two parts and wherein the insert is modified by joining the at least two parts forming one insert.

12: The process according to 10, wherein the insert is split and is modified by joining the split insert.

13: The process according to claim 10, wherein the insert is modified by adding bolts, screws, or pins.

14: The process according to claim 10, wherein a contour is cut in at least one edge of the insert.

15: The process according to claim 10, wherein the insert is manufactured from a metal, a polymer, or a ceramic.

16: The process according to claim 10, wherein the plastics part is made of a reinforced thermoplastic polymer.

17: The process according to claim 10, wherein the energy-absorbing component has a force-displacement curve which is constant, or which rises in a constant manner.

18: The process according to claim 11, wherein the at least two parts forming one insert are separately placed into the injection mold, and wherein the at least two parts are joined on closing the injection mold, or after the injection mold has been closed.

19: The process according to claim 11, wherein each of the at least two parts comprises a groove along a first edge and a tongue along a second edge, and wherein the tongue of one of the at least two parts is configured to insert into the groove of an adjacent part of the at least two parts.

20: The process according to claim 11, wherein the at least two parts have the same shape.

21: The process according to claim 10, wherein the energy-absorbing component has a force-displacement curve which is constant, or which rises in a constant manner, in a frontal direction, and wherein the energy-absorbing component has a force-displacement curve which is constant, or which rises in a constant manner, in a direction which comprises a transverse or lateral component.

22: The process according to claim 15, wherein the insert is manufactured from a polymer reinforced with continuous-filament fibers.

23: The process according to claim 10, wherein the insert is a hollow body.

24: The process according to claim 10, wherein the dints, corrugations, folds, or openings are introduced by pressing a forming die of the mold into the insert, then retracting the forming die back into the mold.

25: The process according to claim 10, wherein the insert or a part thereof has a tubular shape, a conical shape, a semicircular shape, a zig-zag-shape, an angular shape, an elliptical shape, an undulating shape, or a rectangular shape.

Description

[0041] In the figures:

[0042] FIG. 1 shows one part of an insert,

[0043] FIG. 2 shows an insert formed from the part shown in FIG. 1,

[0044] FIGS. 3a to 3c show schematically a process to produce a composite part,

[0045] FIGS. 4a to 4d show different cross sections of insert parts.

[0046] In FIG. 1 a part of an insert is shown in a cross-sectional view.

[0047] A part 1 of an insert as shown in FIG. 1 has the shape of a semi-circle. This shape allows a production of the part 1 of the insert in a simple manner by extrusion. Particularly, in difference to the production of a hollow body the part 1 of the insert can be formed without using a core in the extrusion die. The part 1 of the insert comprises two edges 3, extending along the part 1 of the insert in axial direction. One of the edges 3 is formed as a tongue 5 and the other edge 3 is formed as a groove 7.

[0048] To form the insert, two of the parts as illustrated in FIG. 1 can be connected, forming a tubular hollow body 9. Such a hollow body is shown in the way of example in FIG. 2. To form the hollow body, the tongue 5 of one part 1 of the insert is inserted into the groove 7 of the second part 1 of the insert and the tongue 5 of the second part 1 of the insert is inserted into the groove 7 of the first part 1 of the insert, thus forming a tubular hollow body.

[0049] The connection of the two parts 1 of the insert can be carried out before placing the insert into an injection mold into which a thermoplastic polymer is injected forming the plastics part or in the mold.

[0050] A process to produce the composite part is schematically shown by way of example in FIGS. 3a to 3c.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment the parts 1 forming the insert are connected in the injection mold 11 as shown in FIG. 3a. To connect the parts 1 of the insert in the mold, one part 1 of the insert is placed in one part 13 of the mold 11 and a second part 1 of the insert is placed in a second part 15 of the mold 11. After placing the parts 1 of the insert into the parts 13, 15 of mold 11, the mold 11 is closed as shown in FIG. 3b. By closing the mold 11, the parts 1 placed into the parts 13, 15 of the mold 11 are connected, forming a hollow body 9 as an insert. In a next step, shown in FIG. 3c, a thermoplastic polymer is injected into the mold, thereby enclosing at least partly the insert and forming the plastics part 17. To enclose the insert, in FIG. 3c the hollow body 9, the mold preferably comprises retractable dies 19. The parts 1 of the insert then are placed on the retractable dies 19 to allow forming the insert and after the insert has been formed by connecting the parts 1 of the insert, the retractable dies 19 are retracted opening a space between the insert and the surface of the mold into which thermoplastic polymer can be injected. If the form of the retractable dies does not correspond to the form of the plastics part it is possible for example to further retract the retractable dies 19 and to move an additional part which is not shown here into the mold. Such constructions of molds are well known to a skilled person and already used particularly for producing components made of different polymers which are injected one after the other into the mold.

[0052] Additionally or as an alternative it is also possible to modify the insert in a different way in the mold, for example by introducing dints, corrugations, folds or openings into the insert and/or by adding bolts, screws or pins.

[0053] The dints, corrugations, folds or openings are introduced for example by pressing a forming die of the mold into the insert and afterwards retract the forming die back into the mold to allow the thermoplastic polymer being injected into the mold for forming the plastics part.

[0054] If it is intended to form a contoured edge in the insert, it is possible to provide the mold with a cutter which can cut the contour into the edge of the insert. In this case it is preferred to remove the part cut off the insert from the mold before injecting the thermoplastic polymer. However, depending of the geometry of the composite component it is also possible to keep the part cut off the insert in the mold and remove it after the composite component is removed from the mold.

[0055] Besides a semi-circular cross-sectional shape of the part 1 of the insert, the part 1 of the insert can have any other shape. The shape of the part of the insert thereby depends on the features the composite component should fulfil and can be designed by a simulation calculation. Suitable shapes of the part 1 of the insert are shown by way of example in FIGS. 3a to 3d.

[0056] The cross-sectional shape of the part 1 of the insert for example can be rectangular as shown in FIG. 3a or rectangular with rounded edges as shown in FIG. 3b. Further possible shapes are zigzagged as shown in FIG. 3c or undulated as shown in FIG. 3d. However, besides the shown shapes any other shape of the part of the insert is possible.

[0057] To form the insert from at least two parts 1 of the insert it is possible to connect at least two identical parts or in the alternative to connect parts 1 of the insert having different shapes. If the parts to connect have different shapes, it is only important that the geometry of the parts 1 of the insert is such that the distance between the tongue and the groove is the same on both parts to connect. The same distance between tongue and groove allows to connect two parts by inserting the tongues of the parts into the grooves of the respective other part. This possibility to connect parts having different shapes allow for achieving different features of the composite component. Besides different shapes it is also possible to connect parts 1 having a similar shape but different cross sectional areas. This also allows adapting the features of the composite component to fulfil preset requirements.