PRODUCTION AND POSITIONING METHOD FOR SEALING PROFILES

Abstract

In order to improve manufacturing tolerances, a method for producing a positionable sealing profile for vehicle doors and a positioning method using sealing profiles with a positioning pin are proposed. In the production method in which a positioning pin is also injection-molded, at least two injection-molding processes are carried out before the tool is re-opened and/or without the sealing profile being alternatively reclamped in another tool. In the corresponding positioning method, the positioning pin may be moved against the stop and/or introduced into a recess, such that the positioning pin and thereby the sealing profile retain a defined position in relation to the tool.

Claims

1. A method for producing a positionable sealing profile for vehicle doors, comprising a first profile being introduced and retained in a tool, the tool being a receiving device and/or a mold for receiving sealing profiles in a retained manner and for further processing thereof, such as for injection-molding further profiles and/or profile parts in an injection-molding machine and/or for cutting to length the sealing profiles, and subsequently at least two injection-molding processes are carried out before the tool is opened again and/or without the sealing profile alternatively being reclamped in a different tool, wherein during one of the at least two injection-molding processes a further profile part is injection-molded onto the first profile, and in a further of the at least two injection-molding processes a positioning pin is injection-molded at a side onto the first profile and/or onto the further profile part, the positioning pin being configured to be used as a stop for positioning on a vehicle and/or in a different tool.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioning pin is injection-molded from a different material from the profile part.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the profile part is injection-molded on one end of the first profile so that a sealing profile corner is formed.

4. A method for positioning a sealing profile for vehicle doors in a tool, the tool being a receiving device and/or a mold for receiving sealing profiles in a retained manner and for the further processing thereof, such as for injection-molding further profiles and/or profile parts in an injection-molding machine and/or for cutting to length the sealing profiles, by using a sealing profile with a positioning pin attached thereto, wherein the tool used comprises a stop and/or a recess, and the positioning pin is moved against the stop and/or introduced into the recess, such that the positioning pin and thereby the sealing profile retain a defined position in relation to the tool.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein a sealing profile with a positioning pin is used as the sealing profile, the positioning pin being injection-molded onto a profile part of the sealing profile.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein a sealing profile with a positioning pin is used as the sealing profile, the positioning pin being produced from a different material from the profile part onto which it is injection-molded.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the positioning pin is injection-molded from a different plastics material from the profile part.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the different plastics material is polypropylene.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the positioning pin is produced from a different plastics material from the profile part.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the different plastics material is polypropylene.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings and are described in more detail hereinafter with the disclosure of further details and advantages.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows an arrangement of a receiving device in an injection-molding machine;

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a mold of a receiving device;

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a further arrangement of a receiving device in an injection-molding machine;

[0024] FIG. 4 shows a mold with a stop for a positioning pin; and

[0025] FIG. 5 shows a mold with a recess for receiving a positioning pin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a receiving device 1, a first central profile 2 being introduced therein. The receiving device 1 comprises two molds 3a and 3b, wherein the first profile at its left-hand end is mounted in the mold 3a and at its second end is mounted in the mold 3b. The profiles 4, 5, 6, and 7 are intended to be injection-molded onto the first profile 2, wherein to this end the profiles 4, 5 may be mounted in the mold 3a and injection-molded at the end, whilst the profiles 6, 7 may be connected to the first profile 2 via the mold 3b. During the injection-molding process, additionally a positioning pin 8 is injection-molded in the mold 3a. The positioning pin 8 is injection-molded with a different component from the profiles 4, 5, 6 and 7.

[0027] A connecting device 9 is arranged between the molds 3a and 3b. Each of the molds 3a, 3b has a receiving opening 10a, 10b, both the corresponding end of the first profile 2 and the corresponding part of the connecting device 9 being introduced therein. The first profile 2 is mounted in a dimensionally stable manner between the two molds, by the profile bearing against the connecting device 9. The connecting device 9 in turn is easily displaceable between the stops 11a and 11b, so that correspondingly a simple adaptation of the spacing between the two molds 3a and 3b may also be carried out and selected according to the length of the first profile 2 and according to the spacing of the two injection-molding machines 12, 13.

[0028] The two injection-molding machines 12, 13 are positioned fixedly relative to one another and have a defined spacing. Moreover, fixedly defined spacings are thus predetermined in the region of the first profile 2, a more accurate tolerance being able to be achieved overall by the distribution of the spacings. For example, proceeding from the left-hand stop in the region of the mold 3a, a positioning may take place relative to the positioning pin 8, for example. The profiles 6 and 7 may, in principle, be positioned relative to two reference points, namely firstly relative to the left-hand stop inside the mold 3a and secondly relative to the positioning pin 8. The profiles 4, 5, 6, 7 are injection-molded in the connecting region with the first profile in each case at the points 14, 15 and 16. These points 14, 15, 16 are injection-molded with one/a plurality of thermoplastic elastomer/s.

[0029] In the present case, it is also possible to injection-mold two different components in one of the molds 3a and/or 3b or even with one another in the respective molds. This injection-molding may take place simultaneously and this is also advantageously possible when the processing time is of variable length. The positioning pin 8 is injection-molded with a different plastics material, for example PP (polypropylene).

[0030] Moreover, in principle, plastics may also be injection-molded in the end region of profiles, whether in the end region of the first central profile or in the end region of a different adjacent profile. Such regions, which in the present case could also have been previously injection-molded, are located for example at the end regions of the profile 4 at the point 17, and in the end region of the profile 7 at the point 18. In the present case, the entire profile, which consists of the individual profiles 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, is a sealing profile for a vehicle door, wherein the part in the region of the mold 3a is used for the B-pillar and the region in combination with the mold 3b is used for the C-pillar.

[0031] The method according to the present invention, both the production method and also the positioning method, may in principle also take place without the connecting device 9. In the example according to FIG. 1, however, the tool is configured to carry out a dual injection-molding process on two injection-molding machines adjacent to one another.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a mold 30 with an upper part 31 and a lower part 32, wherein the upper part 31 comprises a pusher 33 for pushing the profile 2. The position of the profile 2 is determined and positioned via an optical distance sensor 34 operated by a laser. An ejector 35 is integrated in the lower part 32. The profile 2 is injection-molded with EPDM in the region of the mold part 36. The positioning pin in turn is injection-molded in the region of the mold part 38. Insulating regions 37 are provided for the insulation. The injection-molding with EPDM in the mold part 36 takes place at substantially higher temperatures than with PP in the region 38. An end region 56 may, for example, also be used as a stop for positioning. In principle, advantageously, cutting tolerances generally have no effect on the length dimensions. Whilst on one side an end (for example, the end 56) may serve as a stop for positioning, wherein in the present case according to FIG. 2 in any case an injection-molding takes place there, on the opposing side monitoring of the length may be undertaken by means of an optical distance sensor 34. Since the positioning pin 8 may be used as a profile receiver, once again a more accurate positioning of the profile is possible during production. The mechanical drive for the ejector 35 may be implemented by a cylinder 39 and/or mechanically. The flap valves 40 provide support against the injection-molding pressure.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a top profile 50 which is mounted between two molds 51, 52 and is held in a dimensionally stable manner via a connecting device 53. A profile is clamped in the regions 54, 55. In the right-hand region of the profile 50 (according to FIG. 3) an injection-molding 56 has been undertaken at the end thereof. This end 56 of the profile 50 serves as a stop in the mold 52 for further positioning. At the other end of the profile 50 a monitoring of the length/positioning is carried out via the optical sensor 34. The molds 51, 52 are respectively pushed onto the top profile 50 on both sides in each case. The accuracy of the positioning is, as a result, generally particularly good. The positioning may be carried out fully automatically. Advantageously, TPE, which requires a different process sequence, and EPDM may be injection-molded simultaneously (simultaneous injection-molding).

[0034] FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate exemplary embodiments of positioning methods according to the present invention: both show schematic views of tool molds 3 and/or 3, in each case a first profile 2 and/or 2 and a further profile part 4 and/or 4 being clamped therein. The further profile parts 4 and 4 are injection-molded in the respective molds 3 and 3 onto the first profile 2 and/or 2 and namely in the regions (injection-moldings) 14 and 14. On the first profile 2, 2, in each case a positioning pin 8, 8 is injection-molded. If the mold 3 in FIG. 4 is pushed onto the first profile 2, the region A serves as a stop, so that when the profile 2 bears with the positioning pin 8 against the stop A, a defined position of the profile 2 in the tool 3 is present. In FIG. 5, the positioning pin 8 may be alternatively inserted in the manner of a tab into the recess B in order to gain the desired positioning of the profile 2 in the tool 3.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0035] 1 Receiving device [0036] 2 First/central profile [0037] 2 First/central profile [0038] 2 First/central profile [0039] 3a Mold [0040] 3b Mold [0041] 3 Mold [0042] 3 Mold [0043] 4 Additional profile [0044] 4 Profile part to be injection-molded [0045] 4 Profile part to be injection-molded [0046] 5 Additional profile [0047] 6 Additional profile [0048] 7 Additional profile [0049] 8 Positioning pin [0050] 8 Positioning pin [0051] 8 Positioning pin [0052] 9 Connecting device [0053] 10a Receiving opening [0054] 10b Receiving opening [0055] 11a Stop [0056] 11b Stop [0057] 12 Injection-molding machine [0058] 13 Injection-molding machine [0059] 14 Injection-moldings for profile connection [0060] 14 Injection-moldings for profile connection [0061] 14 Injection-moldings for profile connection [0062] 15 Injection-moldings for profile connection [0063] 16 Injection-moldings for profile connection [0064] 17 End injection-moldings [0065] 18 End injection-moldings [0066] 30 Mold [0067] 31 Upper part [0068] 32 Lower part [0069] 33 Pusher [0070] 34 Optical path sensor [0071] 35 Ejector [0072] 36 EPDM injection-molding/mold part [0073] 37 Insulation [0074] 38 Mold part (positioning pin) [0075] 39 Cylinder mechanism [0076] 40 Flap valves [0077] 50 Top profile [0078] 51 Mold [0079] 52 Mold [0080] 53 Connecting device [0081] 54 Profile clamp [0082] 55 Profile clamp [0083] 56 End stop [0084] A Stop [0085] B Recess