METHOD FOR PRODUCING A LUMINESCENT 3D RADAR-MODULE COVER, AND INJECTION-MOLDING SYSTEM

Abstract

A method and a system for producing a luminescent 3D radar-module cover for a radiator grille of a motor vehicle. A three-dimensional structure including an optical conductor is produced from a light-dispersing first plastic material in separate method steps using a first injection mold. The three-dimensional structure is metallized and metal-coated. A subsequent separation of the gating takes place. A cover element is produced from a second plastic material using a second injection mold, which at least partially covers the metallized three-dimensional structure in a planar manner in a position of use. A contour of the three-dimensional structure is left free. The gating is subsequently severed. The three-dimensional structure is metallized together with the cover element disposed thereon and is embedded in a third plastic material with the aid of a third injection mold while molding a mount for a radar module and fastening points on the molded component.

Claims

1. A method for producing a luminescent 3D radar-module cover to be placed in the area of a radiator grille of a motor vehicle, the method comprising: producing a three-dimensional structure having at least one optical conductor, from a light-dispersing first plastic material with the aid of a first injection mold; metallizing and metal-coating the three-dimensional structure with subsequent severing of a gating; producing a cover element, which at least partially covers the metallized three-dimensional structure in a planar manner in a position of use, and on which the contour of the three-dimensional structure has been left open, from a second plastic material with the aid of a second injection mold with subsequent severing of a gating; and embedding the metallized three-dimensional structure together with the cover element disposed thereon in a third plastic material with the aid of a third injection mold while simultaneously molding a mount for a radar module and a plurality of fastening points on the molded component.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a transparent thermoplastic plastic material is used as the first plastic material.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein one of a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), a polycarbonate (PC) or a polysiloxane is used as the thermoplastic plastic material.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional structure having the at least one optical conductor is provided and set up with at least one receptacle, on which at least one LED is disposed and connected to the optical conductor in the position of use.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional structure is metallized using a metal that is transparent to radar waves, using one of indium, tin or gold.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a layer of evaporated metal, whose thickness is between 20 and 50 nm, is applied on the three-dimensional structure.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional structure is molded as a molded part in the first injection mold with a rod-type gating, which is used as a retainer during the metallization and is mechanically severed from the molded part after the metallization has been finished.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the cover element is produced in the second injection mold from a thermoplastic plastic material, the thermosplastic plastic material being one of PMMA, or a polymer blend.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the polymer blend is formed by a blend of a polycarbonate together with a thermoplastic terpolymer, the terpolymer being an acrylonitrile butadiene styrole copolymer, or together with a polyester, the polyester being polybutylene terephthalate.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a molten mass of the plastic material used for producing the cover element is dyed using at least one dye that is transparent to radar waves, the dye being color pigments.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one pusher is provided and set up on the third injection mold during the embedding in the third plastic material, on whose surface region facing the metallized three-dimensional structure a thermoplastic polymer is placed, the thermoplastic polymer being a layer or an insert of Teflon (PTFE).

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the third plastic material is formed by a transparent cross-linking varnish, in which the metallized three-dimensional structure and the cover element disposed thereon are completely embedded.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the cross-linking varnish is formed by a transparent synthetic resin, the transparent synthetic resin being one of polyurethane, an elastomer, or polyuria.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the cross-linking varnish is injected into the third injection mold at an internal mold pressure that is less than 50 bar.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the third plastic material cross-links at a mold temperature in a range between 70 C. and 100 C.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a mount is molded during the embedding, on which a radar module is disposed and reversibly connected to and retained by the finished component with the aid of a snap-lock connection.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein, after the radar module and the at least one light source have been placed, the produced component is mounted in the area of the radiator grille using the fastening points provided on the component.

18. An injection-molding system for producing luminescent 3D radar-module covers, comprising: a metallization device; at least one gating-severing device; and a plurality of injection molds, wherein a first one of the injection molds forms a three-dimensional structure having at least one optical conductor from a first light-dispersing plastic material, a second one of the injection molds forms a second plastic material a cover element, which at least partially covers the previously metallized three-dimensional structure in a planar manner in a position of use, and on which cover element the contour of the three-dimensional structure is left open, and a third one of the injection molds embeds the three-dimensional structure after its metallization by the metallization device together with the cover element disposed thereon in a third plastic material and additionally molds a mount for a radar module and a plurality of fastening points.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG. 1a-c shows a sectional side view (FIG. 1a) of a first injection mold with a three-dimensional structure including an optical conductor situated therein, a planar top view (FIG. 1b) of the three-dimensional structure, and a sectional side view of the structure including the optical conductor from FIG. 1b in a side view, produced according to a first variant of the present method.

[0039] FIG. 2a, b show a sectional side view (FIG. 2a) of a second injection mold with a cover element situated therein, and a planar top view (FIG. 2b) of the cover element with a contour of the three-dimensional structure left open, produced according to one further variant of the present method.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a sectional side view of a third injection mold with a cross pusher and a Teflon insert, including a packet that is situated therein and made up of the three-dimensional structure with the optical conductor and cover element with the contour of the three-dimensional structure left open, produced according to one further variant of the present method.

[0041] FIG. 4a, b show a sectional side view (FIG. 4a) and a planar side view (FIG. 4b) of the component produced by the production steps of the present method, including the radar module and light sources situated thereon.

[0042] FIG. 5 shows a planar top view of the component from FIG. 4 including fastening points for mounting the component in the area of a radiator grille.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0043] Identical or functionally equivalent elements and devices have been provided with the same reference numerals unless otherwise noted.

[0044] In a general view, different sub-steps of the method according to the present invention, and the injection-molding system are illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5 with the aid of schematic diagrams.

[0045] FIG. 1a-c shows an illustration of the method step of producing three-dimensional structure 2 together with at least one light conductor 4 from a light-dispersing first plastic material with the aid of a first injection mold 10. FIG. 1a shows three-dimensional structure 2 in the form of a molded part of this method step lying in injection mold 10; three-dimensional structure 2 forms a disk-shaped contour, which can be seen more readily in the planar top view in FIG. 1b and in the side view of FIG. 1c. There, structure 2 is seen as a transparent body, which has receptacles 6 for light sources 8 (not yet shown here) on two ends lying opposite from each other. Casting mold 12, which can be subdivided into a gating side 12a and an ejector side 12b at separation plane 14, is visible on first injection mold 10. Accordingly, a rod-type gating 16 is shown in the illustration of FIG. 1a. In addition, a plurality of ejectors 18, which are situated on top of one another and point in the direction of the gating side, are visible on ejecting side 12b. Ejectors 18 are used for releasing three-dimensional structure 2, whose raised regions 3 are molded in mold cavities 15 of the gating side, from ejector side 12b following the first injection-molding process.

[0046] The production of cover element 42, which subsequently at least partly covers three-dimensional structure 2 in a planar manner in the position of use, is carried out in a separate second injection mold 20, shown in FIG. 2a. Left open on cover element 42, which is visible in a top view in FIG. 2b, is the contour of three-dimensional structure 2 with cutout 44. Cover element 42 is produced from a second plastic material with the aid of second injection mold 20, including the subsequent severing of gating 26. Separation plane 24, which separates gating side 22a and ejector side 22b, can also be seen on second injection mold 20. Cover element 42, which is situated in casting mold 22 in FIG. 2a, is essentially molded in a mold cavity 25 of ejector side 22b, while projections 23 leave room for the contour of three-dimensional structure 2 for its coverage by cover element 42. Once again, ejectors 28 ensure that cover element 42 is able to be released from ejector side 22b of casting mold 22. In addition, another rod-shaped gating 26 can be seen, along whose extension the second plastic material is injected into casting mold 22. At coverage points 45, cover element 42 at least partially covers three-dimensional structure 2 or 2 in the position of use (not shown in FIG. 2).

[0047] FIG. 3 shows third injection mold 30 for embedding three-dimensional structure 2, which is now metallized following a metallization process (not shown further), together with cover element 42 disposed thereon, in a varnish layer 33 as the third plastic material with the aid of a third injection mold 30. At the same time, a mount 52 for a standardized radar module 60 is molded, which is not shown in FIG. 3, as are a plurality of fastening points 54 on molded component 50. It can be seen that the combined packet of metallized three-dimensional structure 2 and cover element 42 disposed thereon is completely embedded in a varnish layer 33. Furthermore, it can be gathered that a mold cavity 35 on gating side 32a of casting mold 32 of the third injection-molding process accommodates the raised regions of said packet. In contrast to the first two casting molds 12, 22, gating 36 runs parallel, rather than transversely, to separation plane 34 in the casting mold of FIG. 3. Facing away from separation plane 34, a mount 52 is developed on component 50 produced during the third injection-molding process, which accommodates a radar module 60, which is not visible in FIG. 3. Since mount 52 is provided with undercuts 53, which form a detent groove 56 for the placement of said radar module 60 (not shown in FIG. 3), a cross pusher 37 is provided on casting mold 32, which opens up another unmolding direction on casting mold 32. Cross pusher 37 is provided with a planar Teflon insert 39 on its surface facing said packet. In addition, ejectors 38 are once again visible on ejector side 32b of casting mold 32, which engage with the edge regions of component 50 from ejector side 32b when casting mold 32 is opened in order to release component 50 from casting mold 32.

[0048] FIG. 4a shows finished component 50, i.e., 3D radar-module cover 50. In this figure, component 50 is shown in a sectional side view, metallized three-dimensional structure 2 including optical conductor 4 together with cover element 42 being embedded in varnish layer 33, and radar module 60 being disposed on component 50, while FIG. 4b shows component 50 only in a side view. The latter view shows radar module 60 with an additional protective sealing cap 66, as well as with a light-source connection 64, which connects radar module 60 to an LED light source 8 that is situated in receptacle 6 of three-dimensional structure 2. In addition to the connection to LED light source 8, FIG. 4a shows component 50 with the packet of metallized three-dimensional structure 2 and cover element 42 embedded in varnish layer 33. Only in the sectional view of FIG. 4a does mount 52 form legs 53, on whose ends detent grooves 56 are disposed as fastening elements, with which locking tabs 62 projecting from module housing 61 of radar module 60 engage in the position of use. Locking tabs 62 and detent grooves 56 jointly form a fastener 63.

[0049] FIG. 5 finally shows the complete component as a 3D radar-module cover 50, generally known as a radome, having a metallized three-dimensional structure 2 including optical conductor 4 with cover element 42 disposed thereon embedded in varnish layer 33. Evenly distributed along the periphery of component 50 on varnish layer 33 are four fastening points 52, by which component 50 is able to be mounted in the region of a radiator grille (not shown) of a motor vehicle.

[0050] Accordingly, the present invention described above thus relates to a method and to a system suitable for carrying out the method, each provided to produce a luminescent 3D radar-module cover 50 that is meant to be placed in the area of a radiator grille of a motor vehicle. In separate method steps, a three-dimensional structure 2 including at least one optical conductor 4 and made from a light-dispersing first plastic material is produced with the aid of a first injection mold, and three-dimensional structure 2 is metallized and metal-coated, whereupon gating 16 is severed. Using a second plastic material and a second injection mold 20, a cover element 42 is produced, which at least partially covers the metallized three-dimensional structure in a planar manner in the position of use and on which the contour of three-dimensional structure 2, 2 is left open, whereupon gating 26 is severed. Metallized three-dimensional structure 2, together with cover element 42 disposed thereon, is embedded in a third plastic material with the aid of a third injection mold 30 while a mount 52 for a radar module 60 and a plurality of fastening points 54 are molded on molded component 50 at the same time.

[0051] Although the present invention has been described on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments above, it is not restricted to these exemplary embodiments, but may be modified in a variety of ways. In particular, the present invention is able to be changed or modified in a multitude of ways without departing from the core of the present invention.