Method for producing an opening in a fiber composite component

Abstract

A method is provided for introducing an opening on at least one component (B) of fiber composite material. The method includes introducing an opening (7) into the component (B) placed in a mold (1; 20). A form (4; 27) then is fashioned in the same mold (1; 20) in the vicinity of the opening. The method then includes filling a vicinity of the opening with plastic. The plastic forms a surround (5, 26) around the peripheral region of the component (B) that forms the opening (7).

Claims

1. A method for introducing an opening into at least one component of fiber composite material so that the opening has a specified inside diameter, comprising: providing a needle with a tip, a cross-sectionally large portion spaced from the tip and a cross-sectionally small portion between the cross-sectionally large portion and the tip, the cross-sectionally large portion having an outside diameter equal to the specified inside diameter; placing the component between a die and a punch of a mold, the punch having a cavity of a specified form; introducing an opening into the component placed in the mold by closing the punch against the component and forcing the tip, the cross-sectionally small portion and part of the cross-sectionally large portion of the needle through the component; retracting the needle relative to the punch sufficiently so that the cross-sectionally small portion of the needle is in the opening in the component; and filling plastic into the form in the punch of the mold, so that the plastic flows into the opening and around the cross-sectionally small portion of the needle so that the plastic forms a surround around the needle and around the peripheral region of the opening in the component; and separating the needle and the punch from the component, thereby leaving the surround attached to the component and with the opening having an inside diameter equal to the outside diameter of the cross-sectionally small portion of the needle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the component is a sheet-like component and wherein the step of introducing the opening into the component is performed in the mold by moving the needle substantially perpendicularly with respect to the sheet-like component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a mold for performing the method according to the invention in a first embodiment.

(2) FIG. 2 shows the mold as shown in FIG. 1 in a second position of the method.

(3) FIG. 3 shows the mold as shown in FIG. 1 in a third position of the method.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of a mold for performing the method according to the invention in a first position of the method.

(5) FIG. 5 shows the mold as shown in FIG. 4 in a second position of the method.

(6) FIG. 6 shows the mold as shown in FIG. 4 in a third position of the method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) The mold 1 in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes a punch 2 and a die 3. The punch 2 is movable with respect to the die 3. To perform the method of the invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a fiber composite component B is placed in the mold 1 and fixed there. A form 4 is fashioned in the punch 2 and corresponds to the contour of the desired surround 5 of the opening 7.

(8) A needle 6 is arranged in the punch 2. The punch 2 is movable substantially perpendicularly with respect to the die 3, and the needle 6, which is likewise movable substantially perpendicularly with respect to the sheet-like fiber composite component B and with respect to the die 3.

(9) The needle 6 has a first needle section 6.1 that corresponds to the ultimately desired opening diameter or the opening contour thereof, that is to say the opening cross section of the surrounded opening 7.1. This needle section 6.1 goes over via a section 8 into a second needle section 6.2 that corresponds in its contour or its diameter to the opening cross section of the opening 7.2 that is necessary to create a gap that is to be filled with plastic in the next step. The difference between the two needle sections therefore corresponds to the thickness of the layer of plastic that surrounds the peripheral region of the opening 7. A further section 9 on the needle 6 serves for sealing (see FIG. 3) when the plastic is introduced.

(10) FIG. 2 shows the method step in which the needle 6 has been moved until the section 6 comes up against the fiber composite component B. The opening 7.2 has now been formed in the fiber composite component B. After completion of this method step, as shown in FIG. 2, the needle is mechanically or hydraulically retracted into the punch 2, in the position shown in FIG. 3, and to this extent the needle section 6.1 is brought into the operative position. Now plasticpreferably heatedis introduced (injected) via the feed hole 10 in the punch 2 and completely fills the form 4 and the opening formed by the needle region 6.2 in the fiber composite component B to form the surround 5. In this way, the peripheral region of the opening 7.2 is sealed.

(11) FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show an alternative structure of the mold 20. This mold too consists of a punch 21 and a die 22. However, as a difference from the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 3, the movable needle 23 is mounted in the die 22 rather than in the punch 21. As a further difference from the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 3, the fiber composite component B is not placed on the die and fixed, but is moved onto the die 22 by the punch 21 that is movable toward the die 22. Otherwise, the sequence of the method is substantially the same as the sequence of the method as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. As soon as the openings in the sheet-like component B have been formed by the needle 23 (FIG. 5), the needle is retracted from the opening in the sheet-like component B, specifically only to the extent that its section 24 tightly seals the opening, so that, by introducing heated plastic via the feed holes 25, the surround 26 can be formed in the form 27 fashioned in the punch 21, including the covering of the walls of the opening.

(12) To remove the fiber composite component B together with the surround 5 or 26, the punch 2 or 21 and the needle 6 or 23 are retracted.

(13) It goes without saying for a person skilled in the art that the form 4 or 27 and also the widened openings formed by the sections 8 and 24 may be provided in any desired form that is structurally required. Forms for injecting plastic may of course also be provided both in the punch and in the die, so that not only does the formed plastic component cover the opening and just one side of the sheet-like component, but also formations are provided on both sides around the opening with respect to the sheet-like component B.