Roll Top and Method for the Production Thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a roll top for a storage compartment in a center console of a motor vehicle and proposes to injection mold lamellae of the roll top in two layers from a hard plastic, and to subsequently mold joints made of an elastomer onto one of the two layers. A distance between a layer of the lamellae and the joints prevents the soft plastic of the joints, which is liquid during injection molding, from flowing onto this layer. As a result, a visible side of the roll top can be kept free of the soft plastic of the joints, and the soft plastic is prevented from flowing beneath a decorative layer applied by way of in-mold.

Claims

1. A roll top comprising lamellae made of hard plastic, which are connected in an articulated manner by joints made of soft plastic, wherein the lamellae are integrally joined to the joints by injection molding of the lamellae and of the joints, at least one lamella being injection molded in at least two layers, and a layer of the at least one lamella being located at a distance from the joints.

2. The roll top according to claim 1, wherein the at least two layers of the at least one lamella are made of the same plastic material.

3. The roll top according to claim 1, wherein a layer of the lamellae is located at a distance from the joints on a visible side of the roll top.

4. A roll top according to claim 1, wherein a layer of the at least one lamella which is molded first is located on a visible side of the roll top.

5. A roll top according to claim 1, wherein the at least one lamella comprises a decorative layer on a visible side, which is applied by way of in-mold decoration.

6. A roll top according to claim 1, wherein layer thicknesses of the at least two layers of the at least one lamella are at least 7% of the thickness of the at least one lamella.

7. A method for producing a roll top comprising lamellae made of hard plastic, which are connected in an articulated manner by joints made of soft plastic, wherein the lamellae are injection molded in two layers, and thereafter the joints are injection molded, and a layer of the lamellae is located at a distance from the joints.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, prior to injection molding the lamellae, a decorative layer is introduced into an injection mold.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The invention will be described in more detail hereafter based on an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings. In the drawings:

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a roll top according to the invention in a side view; and

[0017] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged illustration of the roll top in the region of a joint.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The roll top 1 according to the invention shown in the drawing is provided, for example, to close a storage compartment (not shown) in a center console of a motor vehicle. It comprises strip-shaped, mutually parallel lamellae 2 in a planar and/or curved surface, which are articulated by joints 3. The lamellae 2 are made of a hard plastic, such as polycarbonate (PC) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) copolymer, and the joints 3 are made of a soft plastic, for example an elastomer, and in particular a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

[0019] The roll top 1 is injection molded, which is to say the lamellae 2 and the joints 3 are injection molded, wherein the joints 3 made of the soft plastic are molded to the lamellae 2, which were previously injection molded in two layers from the hard plastic, so that the joints 3 integrally join and connect the lamellae 2 in an articulated manner, which is to say connect these so as to pivot with respect to one another. On a side of the roll top 1 referred to as the visible side here, the roll top 1 comprises a film as a decorative layer 4, which is applied by way of in-mold decoration. In-mold decoration means that the decorative layer 4 is introduced into an injection mold (not shown) prior to injection molding the lamellae 2, and subsequently, on a side of the decorative layer 4, the hard plastic primary-shaping the lamellae 2 is injected into the injection mold and onto the one side of the decorative layer 4. The hard plastic causes the decorative layer 4 to adhere to a surface of a cavity of the injection mold.

[0020] In a first so-called shot, a first layer 5 of the lamellae 2 is molded onto the decorative layer 4 on the visible side of the roll top 1. The visible side of the roll top 1 is the side comprising the decorative layer 4. In a second shot, a further layer 6 of the lamellae 2 is molded onto a side of the first layer 5 facing away from the decorative layer 4 and the visible side of the roll top 1, this further layer integrally joining with the first layer. By replacing the mold half facing away from the decorative layer 4, the further layer 6 can be molded in a cavity that becomes available as a result of the replacement. The two layers 5, 6 of the lamellae 2 of the roll top 1 are made of the same hard plastic and can be injection molded using the same extruder. The further layer 6 of the lamellae 2 protrudes over the first layer 5 of the lamellae 2 in the direction of adjoining lamellae 2, so that the first layer 5 is located at a distance d from the joints 3.

[0021] Spaces, into which the soft plastic which primary-shapes the joints 3 is injected in a third, further shot, are present between the lamellae 2 of the roll top 1 after the two layers 5, 6 of the lamellae 2 have been injection molded. The joints 3 can be molded in a further injection mold or, after cores 7 have been pulled, in the same mold as the further layer 6 of the lamellae 2. Such a core 7 is shown in FIG. 2 without the remaining injection mold. Pulling means moving the cores 7 out of the injection mold by a thickness of the joints 3. The soft plastic primary-shaping the joints 3 is molded onto mutually facing surfaces of the further layers 6 of the lamellae 2 of the roll top 1 and integrally bonds with the further layers 6, so that the joints 3 connect the lamellae 2 in an articulated manner as a result of the elasticity of the soft plastic. The distance d between the first layer 5 of the lamellae 2 and the joints 3 prevents the soft plastic of the joints 3, which is liquid during injection molding, from flowing beneath the decorative layer 4 onto the first layer 5 of the lamellae 2. Even if the lamellae 2 are produced without a decorative layer 4, the distance d between the first layer 5 of the lamellae 2 and the joints 3 prevents the soft plastic primary-shaping the joints 3 during injection molding from flowing onto the first layer 5 of the lamellae 2. Thus, one side of the roll top 1 and of the lamellae 2 remains free of the soft plastic of the joints 3, at least in the region of the first layer 5 of the lamellae 2. This side can be used as the visible side.

[0022] The film forming the decorative layer 4 may be imprinted or metallized, or may be a metal foil, for example. The list is by way of example and not exhaustive. The film can also comprise a paint layer or an imprint, and can be removed from the roll top 1 after injection molding, so that the paint layer or the imprint remains as a decorative layer 4 on the visible side of the roll top 1. As shown, the film can extend across the lamellae 2 and the joints 3 or, in contrast to what is shown, can be applied only to the lamellae 2 and be interrupted at the joints 3.

[0023] In the exemplary embodiment, the two layers 5, 6 of the lamellae 2 of the roll top 1 have approximately the same thickness outside of reinforcement ribs 8, which protrude from a side of the further layer 6 of the lamellae 2 facing away from the first layer 5.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

Roll Top and Method for the Production Thereof

[0024] d distance [0025] 1 roll top [0026] 2 lamella [0027] 3 joint [0028] 4 decorative layer [0029] 5 first layer [0030] 6 further layer [0031] 7 core [0032] 8 reinforcement rib