VENTILATION FLAP ARRANGEMENT, METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF AND EMBOSSING DIE USED IN THIS METHOD

Abstract

A ventilation flap arrangement, in particular for venting a motor vehicle interior, comprises one or a plurality of flexible cover flaps and a frame for holding the cover flaps, the frame having a receiving groove for a cover flap, the receiving groove being formed by two side cheeks, and the cover flap being non-detachably connected, at its longitudinal edge, with the receiving groove of the frame by embossing. This embossed connection acts upon the cover flap in a clamping manner in a longitudinal-edge clamping area thereof. In each case one or a plurality of openings are provided close to the longitudinal edge at least on one side of the longitudinal-edge clamping area of the cover flap, with the side cheek projecting therein with in each case one embossed projection without applying a clamping force.

Claims

1. A ventilation flap arrangement, comprising one of the group comprising one and a plurality of flexible cover flaps and a frame for holding the cover flaps, the frame having a receiving groove for a cover flap, the receiving groove being formed by two side cheeks, and the cover flap being non-detachably connected, at its longitudinal edge, with the receiving groove of the frame by embossing, wherein this embossed connection acts upon the cover flap in a clamping manner in a longitudinal-edge clamping area thereof, and one of the group comprising one and a plurality of openings formed close to the longitudinal edge are in each case provided at least on one side of the longitudinal-edge clamping area of the cover flap, with at least one side cheek projecting therein with in each case one embossed projection without applying a clamping force.

2. The ventilation flap arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein it is configured for venting a motor vehicle interior.

3. The ventilation flap arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover flap is acted upon in a clamping manner in a longitudinal-edge central area configured as clamping area, and the in each case one of the group comprising at least one and the plurality of openings formed close to the longitudinal edge are provided on both sides thereof to hold the cover flap without applying a clamping force.

4. The ventilation flap arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the openings are each configured as one of the group comprising elongate holes and punched slots the longitudinal extension direction of which runs parallel to the adjacent edge of the cover flap.

5. The ventilation flap arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein the punched slots are provided with notched relief holes at their ends.

6. The ventilation flap arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clamping area of the cover flap, which is acted upon in a clamping manner, has a length of approx. 10% to 15% of the longitudinal dimension of the cover flap.

7. The ventilation flap arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the central area of the cover flap, which is acted upon in a clamping manner, has a length of approx. 10% to 15% of the longitudinal dimension of the cover flap.

8. The ventilation flap arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein said length amounts to approx. 1 cm to 1.5 cm.

9. The ventilation flap arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein two to six openings provided on both sides of the central area of the cover flap.

10. The ventilation flap arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein four openings are provided on both sides of the central area of the cover flap.

11. The ventilation flap arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover flaps are made of a soft elastic material, which is selected from one of the group comprising an extruded EPDM, an extruded thermoplastic elastomer such as one of the group comprising TPS, TPO, TPV, TPC, TPU and TPA, and a thermoplastic elastomer processed to form the cover flap by one of the group comprising injection molding and compression injection molding.

12. The ventilation flap arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving grooves are configured such as to taper in the direction of their groove base.

13. A method of producing a ventilation flap arrangement, comprising the following method steps: providing one of the group comprising one and a plurality of flexible cover flaps, providing a frame for holding the cover flaps, wherein the frame has a receiving groove for a cover flap, the receiving groove being formed by two side cheeks, inserting an edge of the cover flap between the two side cheeks of the receiving groove of the frame, and non-detachably connecting the cover flap with the receiving groove by embossing, wherein the embossing operation is carried out in such a way that the cover flap is acted upon in a clamping manner only in its longitudinal-edge clamping area, and on both sides of the longitudinal-edge clamping area of the cover flap, the at least one side cheek projects, with in each case one embossed projection, in one of the group comprising one and a plurality of openings formed close to the longitudinal edge without applying a clamping force.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the embossing operation is carried out in such a way that the cover flap is acted upon in a clamping manner only in its central area.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein on both sides of the central area of the cover flap, the at least one side cheek projects, with in each case one embossed projection, in one of the group comprising one and a plurality of openings formed close to the longitudinal edge without applying a clamping force.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the application of a force on the side cheeks for clamping the clamping area of the cover flap and the formation of the embossed projections is produced by one of the group comprising an embossing die acting thereon on one side and an embossing die pair acting thereon on both sides.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the application of a force on the side cheeks for clamping the central area of the cover flap and the formation of the embossed projections is produced by one of the group comprising an embossing die acting thereon on one side and an embossing die pair acting thereon on both sides

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the clamping of the clamping area of the cover flap and the formation of the embossed projections are carried out at the same time in one manufacturing step by means of one of the group comprising an embossing die and an embossing die pair acting thereon on both sides.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the clamping of the central area of the cover flap and the formation of the embossed projections are carried out at the same time in one manufacturing step by means of one of the group comprising an embossing die and an embossing die pair acting thereon on both sides.

20. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the area of the at least one side cheek to be embossed is exposed to ultrasound.

21. An embossing die for use in a method as claimed in claim 13 for the production of a ventilation flap arrangement, wherein the embossing die has an embossing edge with protruding embossing teeth.

22. The embossing die as claimed in claim 21, wherein the embossing teeth providing the clamping of one of the group comprising the clamping area and the central area protrude slightly beyond the remaining embossing teeth.

23. The embossing die as claimed in claim 22, wherein the embossing teeth providing the clamping of one of the group comprising the clamping area and the central area protrude beyond the remaining embossing teeth in the range of a tenth of a millimeter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0022] FIGS. 1 and 2 show cross-sectional views of a ventilation flap arrangement in various embodiments,

[0023] FIGS. 3 to 6 show plan views of cover flaps in various embodiments,

[0024] FIG. 7 shows an enlarged detail cross-sectional view of a cover flap during its attachment to a frame in a first intermediate production step,

[0025] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view, analogous to FIG. 7, in the region of an edge opening of the cover flap in a subsequent intermediate production step with a one-sided embossing operation,

[0026] FIG. 9 shows an even more enlarged cross-sectional view, analogous to FIG. 8, with a formed side cheek of a receiving groove,

[0027] FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view, which is offset in relation to FIG. 9, of a cover flap in the central area with a formed side cheek, and

[0028] FIG. 11 shows a partly cut view of an embossing die.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] The ventilation flap arrangements shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 have a frame 1, 1a with a plurality of support ribs 2 and a plurality of receiving grooves 3 to hold cover flaps 4, each receiving groove 3 being formed by two side cheeks 5, which are molded in one piece with the frame 1, 1a.

[0030] The frame 1, 1a has an assembly shoulder 7 for attaching the ventilation flap arrangement in a venting channel, in particular of a motor vehicle. A seal 9 may be provided in the assembly shoulder 7 for air-tight sealing of a vehicle interior 8 with respect to the venting channel. To attach the ventilation flap arrangement in the venting channel to vent a vehicle interior 8, the ventilation flap arrangement is inserted into the venting channel along an assembly direction 10, 10a. An assembly of the ventilation flap arrangement from an opening of the venting channel opposing the vehicle interior 8 in the direction of the motor vehicle interior 8 takes place in the assembly direction 10 and an assembly of the ventilation flap arrangement from the motor vehicle interior 8 into the venting channel takes place in the assembly direction 10a. The assembly shoulder 7 is used for a defined positioning of the ventilation flap arrangement in the venting channel.

[0031] The cover flaps 4 made of flexible, extruded EPDM material having a thickness of 0.5 mm, for example, are each held by a receiving groove 3, which is formed by two side cheeks 5 provided on a support rib 2, the cover flaps 4 in the rest state, i.e. there is no venting, resting in a sealing manner on a support rib 2 adjacent to the support rib 2 being used to hold the cover flap 4. This ensures that the ventilation flap arrangement allows an escape of air from the vehicle interior 8 into the venting channel in the manner of a check valve and simultaneously prevents air flowing from the venting channel into the vehicle interior 8.

[0032] In FIGS. 3 to 6, flexible cover flaps 4 of this type are now shown in various embodiments. Basically all cover flaps 4 shown have a rectangular outline. The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 has a plurality of elongate openings 12 arranged close to one of its longitudinal edges 11, the openings 12 being formed at equal distances in a row from one corner in the direction of the other corner, with a clamping area K being formed in front of that corner where no such openings 12 are provided.

[0033] In the embodiments shown in FIG. 4, these openings 12 provided close to the longitudinal edge are in each case arranged in groups of four. The longitudinal extension direction of the openings 12 runs parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cover flap 4. In the central area M of the longitudinal edge 11, which forms the clamping area K in these embodiments, no such openings 12 are provided.

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a cover flap 4, which is similar to the flap shown in FIG. 4, said cover flap 4 having openings configured as punched slots 12 with a corresponding orientation formed close to the longitudinal edge, which are again arranged in two groups of four with a central area M where no such openings are provided.

[0035] In the embodiment according to FIG. 6, the punched slots 12 of the cover flap 4 are additionally provided with notched relief holes 13 at their ends.

[0036] The dimensions of the openings 12 or punched slots 12 are in the singledigit millimeter range. The clamping area K or central area M of the cover flaps 4, 4 shown has a length of approx. 10% to 15% of the dimension of the cover flaps 4, 4 in the longitudinal direction. Typical lengths of the central area are thus in the range of 1.0 cm to 1.5 cm.

[0037] FIG. 7 shows the attachment of a cover flap 4 according to FIG. 4 to a frame 1 in a first production step. For this purpose, the cover flap 4 is inserted in a receiving groove 3, which is formed by two side cheeks 5 and tapers toward a groove base 6 (not shown explicitly), so the insertion of the cover flap 4 into the receiving groove 3 is facilitated additionally.

[0038] FIG. 8 then shows a one-sided embossing process for the non-detachable connection of the cover flap 4 with the receiving groove 3 on a support rib 2 by means of an embossing die 16. The geometry of the embossing die 16 is adapted to the respective shape of the support ribs 2, of the frame 1, of the receiving groove 3, and of the cover flap 4 as well as to the material to be embossed. The embossing direction 17 may also be selected in accordance with a desired visibility of an embossing.

[0039] The embossing die 16 as shown in FIG. 11 has embossing teeth 18 along its embossing edge 14, whichin the case of the embossing direction 17 shown in FIG. 8act on the side cheek 5 from outside. The embossing teeth 18 are arranged such that in each case two groups of four teeth are provided on both sides of the center in such a way that the openings 12 or punched slots 12 are in line with each other, with the result that embossed projections 19 are formed by the embossing operation, which project into these openings 12 or punched slots 12. This is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The connection between the cover flap 4 and the receiving groove 3 is thus provided with a play S there, so thermal expansions of the cover flap 4 will cause less deformation.

[0040] The cross-section of FIG. 9 was performed through the central area M of the cover flap according to FIG. 4 where the central embossing teeth 18 of the embossing die 16 each produce an embossed projection 19, which acts upon the cover flap 4 in a clamping manner there so as to ensure that the cover flap 4 is held securely in the receiving groove 3.

[0041] An illustration similar to FIG. 10 is obtained if the cross-section is performed through the clamping area K of a cover flap 4 according to FIG. 3.

[0042] In order to obtain a complete description of the embossing die 16 with reference to FIG. 11, it shall be noted that the two central embossing teeth 18 acting upon the respective cover flap 4 in the central area M protrude a few tenths of a millimeter, for example 0.2 mm, beyond the teeth 18 arranged at the sides. Different arrangements of these embossing teeth 18 such as an arrangement without protrusion or even with a recess are conceivable. Moreover, the embossing die 16 is configured as a sonotrode so embossing takes place under the influence of ultrasound.