Method for producing an interior trim part of a vehicle and molding tool

Abstract

A molding tool and method for producing an interior trim part. A cavity is embodied between a first element and a second element, and a slide is displaceably connected to the first element. A decorative layer is arranged on the first element and a backing is arranged on the second element. A foamable mixture is added to the hollow area between the backing and a reverse side of the decorative layer, such that a foam layer fills the hollow area. A distance between the first element and the second element is increased to enlarge the hollow area. During this process, the slide is pressed against a side facing away from the reverse side of the decorative layer, such that the hollow area is sealed with the reverse side of the decorative layer pressed against a lateral surface of the backing and/or against a lateral surface of the second element.

Claims

1. A method for producing an interior trim part of a vehicle, the method comprising: providing a molding tool comprising a first molding tool element, a second molding tool element, and a slide, wherein a cavity is formed between the first molding tool element and the second molding tool element and wherein the slide is displaceably connected to the first molding tool element; arranging a decorative skin with a visible side of the decorative skin on the first molding tool element and arranging a backing on the second molding tool element such that a hollow area is formed between the backing and a reverse side of the decorative skin facing away from the visible side of the decorative skin; pressing the reverse side of the decorative skin against a lateral surface of the backing by displacing the slide along the first molding tool element so as to seal the hollow area; adding a foamable mixture to the hollow area; foaming the mixture such that a foam layer that fills the sealed hollow area is formed; and increasing a distance, in a direction that is different from a displacement direction of the slide, between the first molding tool element and the second molding tool element prior to and/or during the foaming process, so that the hollow area is enlarged by sliding the lateral surface of the backing along the reverse side of the decorative skin.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the reverse side of the decorative skin slides along on the lateral surface of the backing and a lateral surface of the second molding tool element during the increasing.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, during the increasing of the distance, the displacement direction of the slide is essentially perpendicular to the direction that is different from the displacement direction of the slide.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a surface of the slide in contact with the decorative skin during said pressing has elevations for reinforcing static friction between the decorative skin and the slide.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the first molding tool element and the second molding tool element is increased during the foaming process until a resulting height of the hollow area corresponds to a thickness of the foam layer being produced.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the reverse side of the decorative skin is pressed by the slide against the lateral surface of the backing, and not against a lateral surface of the second molding tool element, as soon as the resulting height is reached.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: deaerating the hollow area while the foamable mixture is being added to the hollow area by displacing the slide to a withdrawn position or leaving the slide in a withdrawn position with respect to the first molding tool element and hollow space.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said pressing takes place prior to said increasing.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said pressing of the slide takes place horizontally along an upper surface of the first molding tool element, and said increasing takes place by moving the second molding tool element vertically away from the first molding tool element.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said pressing presses the slide against the visible surface of the decorative skin and presses the reverse side of the decorative skin against both of the lateral surface of the backing and a lateral surface of the second molding tool element.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the lateral surface of the second molding tool element slides out of contact with the reverse side of the decorative skin as a result of said increasing.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the slide is one of a plurality of slides arranged laterally around the hollow area, each of the slides being in an open or withdrawn position during said adding, with said pressing taking place subsequent to said adding, and with the slides remaining in the position provided by said pressing during said foaming and increasing steps.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments of the disclosure shall be described using the following figures.

(2) FIG. 1 depicts a molding tool, according to embodiments of the disclosure;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic view during a method step in the production of an interior trim part of a vehicle, according to embodiments of the disclosure;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic view during another method step in the production of the interior trim part of a vehicle, according to embodiments of the disclosure;

(5) FIG. 4 is an enlarged depiction of an area in FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic view during another method step in the production of the interior trim part of a vehicle, according to embodiments of the disclosure;

(7) FIG. 6 is an enlarged depiction of an area in FIG. 5; and

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic view during another method step in the production of the interior trim part of a vehicle, according to embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) FIG. 1 depicts a molding tool 1. The molding tool 1 comprises a first molding tool element 2 and a second molding tool element 3. A cavity 4 is formed between the first molding tool element 2 and the second molding tool element 3. The cavity 4 is delimited on a top side by the second molding tool element 3 and on a bottom side by the first molding tool element 2.

(10) The molding tool 1 also comprises two slides 5, 5, which are each displaceably connected to the first molding tool element 2. The slides 5, 5 laterally delimit the cavity 4 and in the depicted embodiment are linearly displaceable to the left and right. Displacement of the slides 5, 5 may be driven, for instance, by an electric motor (not shown).

(11) In addition, the second molding tool element 3 may be displaced upward and downward relative to the first molding tool element 2 such that a height of the cavity 4 may be increased by displacing the second molding tool element 3 upward.

(12) In a central area, the second molding tool element 3 has an opening 6 that is provided for adding a foamable mixture to the cavity 4. A filling device (not shown) may be connected to the second molding tool element 3 in the area of the opening 6 for this purpose.

(13) FIG. 2 depicts a method step during the production of an interior trim part of a vehicle. Features that recur in this and subsequent figures are provided with the same reference numbers. A decorative skin 7 has been arranged on the first molding tool element 2 such that a visible side 8 of the decorative skin 7 faces the first molding tool element 2. The decorative skin 7 is a slush skin, for instance.

(14) Moreover, a backing 9 has been attached to the second molding tool element 3. The backing 9 is extended flat horizontally and is produced as an injection molding part made of plastic. In a center area the backing 9 has an opening 10. The backing 9 is embodied and arranged such that the opening 10 of the backing 9 overlaps the opening 6 of the second molding tool element 3.

(15) The backing 9 and the decorative skin 7 do not completely fill the cavity 4. Instead, a bottom side 11 of the backing 9 and a reverse side 12 of the decorative skin 7 are spaced apart from one another such that a hollow area 13 is formed between the backing 9 and the decorative skin 7.

(16) FIG. 3 depicts another method step in the production of the interior trim part of a vehicle. For forming a foam layer, first a liquid foamable mixture 14 is added from above to the hollow area 13 between the backing 9 and the decorative skin 7 through the opening 6 of the second molding tool element 3 and through the opening 10 of the backing 9. Because of gravity and/or injection pressure, the liquid foamable mixture 14 distributes on the reverse side 12 of the decorative skin 7 and fills, for example, about 65 percent of the volume of the hollow area 13. The foamable mixture 14 is, for example, a reactive foamable polymer that is set up to react to polyurethane.

(17) While the foamable mixture 14 is being added to the hollow area 13, the slides 5, 5 are in an opened or withdrawn position, i.e., the left slide 5 has been displaced to the left and the right slide 5 has been displaced to the right.

(18) FIG. 4 depicts and enlarged view of an area of the arrangement depicted in FIG. 3 and identified with the reference number 15. The decorative skin 7 has been arranged on the first molding tool element 2 such that the decorative skin 7 is oriented nearly vertical in an edge area 16. The edge area 16 of the decorative skin 7 is laterally enclosed by the slide 5 and a lateral surface 17 of the backing 9 and a lateral surface 18 of the second molding tool element 3.

(19) An area of the visible side 8 or the side of the decorative skin 7 facing away from the reverse side 12 is positioned against a surface 19 of the slide 5. At this surface 19 the slide has elevations, of which two are identified with reference numbers 20 and 20 as examples.

(20) Formed between the reverse side 12 of the decorative skin 7 and the lateral surface 17 of the backing 9 or of the lateral side 18 of the second molding element 13 is a gap 21. Air escapes from the hollow area 13 through the gap 21 when the foamable mixture 14 is added to the hollow area 13.

(21) Once a desired quantity of the foamable mixture 14 has been added to the hollow area 13, the slides 5, 5 are displaced inwardly, as is indicated in FIG. 5 by the arrows labeled with reference numbers 22 and 22.

(22) FIG. 6 depicts an enlarged view of the area identified in FIG. 5 with reference number 23. The edge area 16 of the decorative skin 7 is pressed to the left by the displacement of the slide 5. This presses the reverse side 12 of the decorative skin 7 in the edge area 16 against the lateral surface 17 of the backing 9 and against the lateral surface 18 of the second molding tool element 13. Thus the gap 21 is closed and the hollow area 13 is sealed.

(23) In another method step, the previously liquid foamable mixture 14 foams. During the foaming process, the second molding tool element 3, together with the backing 9, is moved upward, so that the cavity 4 and the hollow area 13 enlarge. It may also be provided that the second molding tool element 3, together with the backing 9, is moved upward even prior to the foaming process. During the foaming process, the slides 5, 5 remain in the position illustrated in FIG. 6, so that the hollow area 13 remains sealed.

(24) FIG. 7 depicts the arrangement at a point in time after the second molding tool 3 has been moved upward in the direction of the arrow labeled with the reference number 25. The cavity 4 is enlarged in this manner until a height of the hollow area 13 corresponds to a desired thickness of a foam layer 24 to be produced. In this arrangement, the reverse side 12 of the decorative skin 7 is merely pressed against the lateral surface 17 of the backing 9, but not against the lateral surface 18 of the second molding tool element 3.

(25) The foam layer 24 is formed from the previously liquid foamable mixture 14 due to the foaming process. During the foaming process, the volume of the mixture 14 increases so that the foam layer 24 in the example depicted completely fills the hollow area 13. During the foaming process, the foam layer 24 is connected to the bottom side 11 of the backing 9 and to the reverse side 12 of the decorative skin 7. The increase in the volume of the mixture is associated with a decrease in the density of the mixture so that the foam layer 24 has a comparatively low density of, for instance, less than 150 g/L.

(26) While the distance between the first molding tool element 2 and the second molding tool element 3 is increasing, the reverse side 12 of the decorative skin 7 in the edge area 16 of the decorative skin 7 slides along on the lateral surface 17 of the backing 9 and along the lateral surface 18 of the second molding tool element 3, wherein the lateral surfaces 17, 18 move upward. The elevations 20, 20 on the surface 19 of the slide 5 produce sufficient static friction between the slide 5 and the decorative skin 7 so that the latter does not move relative to the slide 5 or moves only slightly.

(27) In another step, the finished interior trim part of a vehicle, which comprises the decorative skin 7, the foam layer 24, and the backing 9, may be removed from the molding tool 1.

(28) Features of the various embodiments may be combined with one another and claimed individually.

(29) Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this disclosure also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.