Device and Method for Decorating Plastic Parts

Abstract

There is described an apparatus for performing the in-mold decoration method with an injection tool (1). The injection tool (1) has a first tool portion (11) having a first mold recess (13) and a second tool portion (12) having a second mold recess (15) corresponding to the first mold recess. The second tool portion (12) has at least one injection passage (12e), wherein a portion of an endless decorative film (16) can be arranged between the first tool portion (11) and the second tool portion (12). The mold recess (13) of the first tool portion (11) has a raised edge region (14) extending in a closed configuration around the mold recess (13) and having an end face (14s) which is flattened or rounded or pointed in cross-section. The second tool portion (12) has a corresponding end face (12s) parallel to the end face (14s) of the raised edge region (14). When the injection tool (1) is closed there is a spacing (s) between the end face (14s) of the raised edge region (14) of the first tool portion (11) and the corresponding end face (12s) of the second tool portion (12) at least over a subregion, wherein the spacing is sealed by the decorative film (16). A method for same is further described.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. An in-mold decoration method using an apparatus, wherein the apparatus has an injection tool including a first tool portion having a first mold recess and a second tool portion wherein the first or the second tool portion has an injection passage, wherein the following steps are cyclically performed: a) providing a portion of the decorative film on the first tool portion or the second tool portion in such a way that, when the injection tool is closed, the decorative film lies on an end face of the raised edge region which delimits the first mold recess and which extends around the mold recess; b) closing the injection tool to such an extent that in the region of the end face of the raised edge region between the first tool portion and the second tool portion there is a gap between the end face of the raised edge region of the first tool portion and the corresponding end face of the second tool portion at least over a subregion and the gap is sealed off by the interposed decorative film which is pinched in the region of the gap; c) injecting a plastic melt through the injection passage into the injection tool, wherein the plastic melt is injected behind the decorative film in the region surrounded by the raised edge region without plastic melt passing through the sealed gap so that a decorated plastic part is produced; d) opening the injection tool by moving the first and second tool portions relatively away from each other and removing the decorated plastic part from the injection tool; and e) removing the residual portion of the decorative film and preparing a further portion of the decorative film.

15. A method as set forth in claim 14, wherein in step b), the decorative film is firstly partially severed by pinching and/or cutting upon cooperation of the raised edge region of the mold recess of the first tool portion with the corresponding end face of the second tool portion.

16. A method as set forth in claim 14, wherein, upon pinching and/or severing of the decorative film in step b), the decorative film is compressed to less than 50% of its thickness.

17. A method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the raised edge region of the first tool portion is at least region-wise in the form of a stamping edge.

18. A method as set forth in claim 14, wherein, in step a), the decorative film is so arranged that its decoration is remote from the plastic melt which is injected in step c).

19. A method as set forth in claim 14, wherein a lamination film is used as the decorative film.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19, wherein a knitted fabric of natural fibers and/or synthetic fibers and/or paper is used as the lamination film.

21. A method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the lamination film has a stretchability in the range of between 12% and 20%.

22. A method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the lamination film is of a thickness in the range of between 20 m and 500 m.

23. A method as set forth in claim 14, wherein an at least partially and/or region-wise transparent or translucent plastic melt is used.

Description

[0049] The invention will now be described in greater detail by means of embodiments by way of example. In the drawing:

[0050] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an injection tool according to the invention,

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a view of the FIG. 1 injection tool in section along section line II-II,

[0052] FIG. 3 shows a view on an enlarged scale of a detail III in FIG. 2,

[0053] FIG. 4 shows a perspective exploded view of the FIG. 1 apparatus,

[0054] FIG. 5 shows the detail III in FIG. 2 with inserted decorative film,

[0055] FIG. 6 shows the detail III in FIG. 2 with decorative film with plastic material injected therebehind, and

[0056] FIG. 7 shows the detail HI in FIG. 3 with the injection tool opened.

[0057] FIG. 1 shows an injection tool 1 which is fitted into an apparatus for performing the in-mold decoration method. The term in-mold decoration is used to denote a method of decorating injection-molded plastic parts in which a decorative film is placed in an injection tool and then has plastic material injected therebehind. That definition applies both for the method used in relation to the present invention and also for the known conventional in-mold methods. Unlike the method according to the invention, the conventional method provides that the decorative film is stamped out by stamping edges which come into contact with each other, and optionally pre-shaped, if non-flat surfaces of the injection-molded plastic part are to be decorated. In preferred conventional configurations involving a transfer film only layers of the decorative film are transferred onto the injection-molded plastic part, for example a print image, that is to say one or more color layers which can be arranged on a transparent protective layer. For that purpose in those conventional methods, relatively expensive transfer films are used.

[0058] Of the injection tool 1 according to the invention the Figures only show the mold inserts. As FIG. 2 shows the injection tool 1 has a movable mold insert 11 with a first mold recess 13 and a fixed mold insert 12 with a second mold recess 15, the fixed mold insert 12 being provided with an injection passage 12e.

[0059] FIG. 3 shows a detail view on an enlarged scale of the configuration of the two mold inserts 11 and 12 of the injection tool 1.

[0060] A first mold recess 13 is provided in the movable mold insert 11, the mold recess being defined by a ring-shaped edge region 14. The ring-shaped edge region 14 has a flat ring-shaped end face 14s. In the outer edge portion adjoining the edge region 14 the end face of the movable mold half 12 is set back so that only the end face 14s of the edge portion 14 forms a contact surface for the decorative film 16 placed in the injection tool 1 (see FIG. 4).

[0061] The fixed mold insert 12 has a flat end face 12s extending parallel to the end face 14s of the edge portion 14 of the movable mold insert 11. In the closed injection tool 1, a gap remains between the end face 12s and the end face 14s, the gap being of a width s which in the FIG. 3 example can be between 20 m and 50 m. The gap width s is advantageously so selected that it is in the range of between 10% and 20% of the thickness of the uncompressed decorative film 16. The smallest possible value is determined by the production tolerances of the two mold inserts 11 and 12.

[0062] FIG. 4 shows an exploded perspective view of the open injection tool 1 with an inserted portion of the decorative film 16. The subportion of the decorative film 16, that is required for decoration, is emphasized by hatching.

[0063] The decorative film 16 is an endless film which is provided on a supply roll and which can be fed by a transport device (not shown).

[0064] If now as shown in FIG. 5 the injection tool 1 is closed with the decorative film 16 inserted therein, by the movable mold insert 11 being moved in the direction of the fixed mold insert 12, the decorative film 16 is pinched and partially severed in the region of the end face 14s of the edge region 14 of the movable mold insert 11.

[0065] Now, as shown in FIG. 6, a plastic melt 17 is injected behind the decorative film 16, wherein, as a consequence of the injection pressure of the plastic melt which is injected into the second mold recess 15, the decorative film 16 comes to bear against the inside wall of the first mold recess 13 of the injection tool 1. It is essential that the gap remaining when the tool is closed, between the mold inserts 11 and 12, is sealed off by the interposed decorative film, that is to say it is sealingly closed at least to such an extent that no plastic melt can escape through the gap.

[0066] The decorative film 16 is preferably fitted into the injection tool 1 in each case in such a way that the decorative side faces away from the injected plastic melt 17s. With that arrangement, no reactions between the decorative layer and the plastic melt 17s occur, as would be possible in the case of the conventional in-mold decoration method in which the decorative layer is towards the plastic melt. Advantageously the decorative film 16 can be a lamination film which for example can involve a PET film but also printed paper, knitted fabric of natural fibers or synthetic fibers or natural materials such as leather or parchment. The thickness of the lamination film can be in the range of between 20 m and 500 m but a preferred thickness is one which makes it possible for the gap width s of the closed injection tool 1 to be set in the range of between 10 and 20% of the thickness of the decorative film 16. It will be noted however that it has been found in tests that it is also possible to process decorative films whose thickness approximately corresponds to the gap width s. An essential material parameter of the decorative film 16 is stretchability which, depending on the material used, should advantageously be in the range of between 12% and 20%, preferably in the range of between 15% and 20%. A stretchability of about 20% for example has proven desirable for PET films.

[0067] FIG. 7 shows the injection tool which is opened after the injected plastic melt 17s has become cold and from which it is possible to remove an injection-molded plastic part 17 which is decorated with the decorative film 16. In the region of the end face 14s of the ring-shaped edge region 14n of the movable mold insert, in particular due to previous squeezing of the decorative film 16, the decorative film 16 has a desired-fracture location whereby there remains a residual portion 16r of the decorative film 16, which can be wound onto a winding-on roll. Depending on the respective nature of the decoration and the configuration of the injection-molded plastic part 17, it is possible to provide auxiliary devices for feeding the decorative film in accurate register relationship and positioning it in the injection tool 1 in accurate register relationship. The injection-molded plastic part 17 can be for example a housing top part of an electronic device in which a display and keys are to be decorated, for which reason deviations in position between the decoration and the housing top part are definitely to be avoided. The injection-molded plastic part 17 can also be for example an individual part which is a component part of an end product made up of a plurality of individual parts and wherein the decorations on the individual parts, when brought together, give a preferably almost seamless composite overall decoration. The overall decoration can be for example an endless decoration (for example a regular endless pattern or an irregular veneer) or an individual image decoration (for example a painting, an embellishment or an ornament, or a pattern).

[0068] The end product can be for example a building kit, in particular a model kit, for example for a toy. In that case the individual part can be a part of that kit.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0069] 1 injection tool [0070] 11 movable mold half [0071] 12 fixed mold half [0072] 12e injection passage [0073] 12s end face [0074] 13 first mold recess [0075] 14 ring-shaped edge region [0076] 14s end face [0077] 15 second mold recess [0078] 16 decorative film [0079] 16r residual portion [0080] 17 injection-molded plastic part [0081] 17s plastic melt