阅读说明：本技术 装饰件、用于制造装饰件的方法和设备 (Decorative element, method and device for producing a decorative element ) 是由 S.奥斯特瓦尔德 于 2019-06-03 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种装饰件(1)、尤其车辆的仪表板的装饰件(1),所述装饰件(1)具有至少一个与装饰件(1)一体式构造的空气通道(2),其中,所述空气通道(2)由装饰件(1)的多个壁段(3、4、5)限定边界,并且其中,所述装饰件(1)通过注塑方法制造。在此规定,填充通道(7)沿多个壁段中的至少一个壁段(4)延伸,所述填充通道(7)一体式地与该壁段(4)融合并且具有由内压产生的空腔(8)。本发明还涉及一种用于制造装饰件的方法和设备。(The invention relates to a decorative element (1), in particular a decorative element (1) of a dashboard of a vehicle, wherein the decorative element (1) has at least one air duct (2) which is formed integrally with the decorative element (1), wherein the air duct (2) is delimited by a plurality of wall sections (3, 4, 5) of the decorative element (1), and wherein the decorative element (1) is produced by an injection molding method. It is provided that a filling channel (7) extends along at least one wall section (4) of the plurality of wall sections, said filling channel (7) being integrally fused to the wall section (4) and having a cavity (8) which is generated by an internal pressure. The invention also relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a decorative element.)

1. A trim part (1), in particular a trim part (1) of an instrument panel of a vehicle, the trim part (1) having at least one air duct (2) which is formed integrally with the trim part (1), wherein the air duct (2) is delimited by a plurality of wall sections (3, 4, 5) of the trim part (1), and wherein the trim part (1) is produced by an injection molding method, characterized in that a filling duct (7) extends along at least one wall section (4) of the plurality of wall sections, the filling duct (7) being integrally fused with this wall section (4) and having a cavity (8) which is generated by an internal pressure.

2. A decorative item according to claim 1, wherein the filling channel (7) extends along the wall section (4) over the longitudinal extension of the air channel (2).

3. A decorative item according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the filling channel (7) extends at least substantially the entire length of the air channel (2).

4. A decorative item according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the filling channel (7) is at least substantially centrally formed in the respective wall section (4), in particular the bottom wall section, of the air channel (2).

5. A decorative item according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of wall segments (3, 4, 5) have a reduced wall thickness compared to the remaining region of the decorative item (1), in particular are designed as thin walls.

6. A method for producing a decorative element (1), in particular a decorative element (1) of a dashboard of a vehicle and in particular a decorative element (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the decorative element (1) has at least one air duct (2) which is formed integrally with the decorative element (1), the air duct (2) being delimited by a plurality of wall sections (3, 4, 5) of the decorative element (1), wherein the decorative element (1) is produced by an injection molding method, characterized in that at least one filling duct (7) is produced in the injection molding method, the filling duct (7) extends along at least one wall section (4) of the plurality of wall sections and is integrally fused with this wall section (4), and a pressure medium is introduced into the filling duct (7) before the decorative element (1) has hardened, in order to press the still flowable material of the decorative element (1) out of the filling channel (7) into the wall section (4) while forming a cavity (8) of the filling channel (7).

7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that compressed gas is introduced into the filling channel (7) as a pressure medium.

8. Method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the pressure medium is heated and subsequently introduced into the filling channel (7).

9. Method according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the filling channel (7) is formed over a longitudinal extension of the air channel (2), so that the filling channel (7) extends in particular over the entire length of the air channel (2).

10. An apparatus (9) for producing a decorative element (1), in particular according to one of claims 1 to 5, the apparatus (9) being in particular for carrying out a method according to one of claims 6 to 9, having a multi-part mold (10), the mold (10) forming a chamber (13), the contour of the chamber (13) corresponding at least substantially to a negative of the decorative element (1) to be produced, the apparatus (9) further having a device for introducing a still flowable material of the decorative element (1) into the chamber (13) and a device for producing an air channel (2) guided along the decorative element (1), characterized in that at least one mold part (11) of the mold (10) forming a wall section (4) of the air channel (2) is designed with a recess (14) forming the filling channel (7), wherein the recess (14) is provided with an injection device (15), for introducing a particularly gaseous pressure medium into the filling channel (7) in order to press the still flowable material of the decorative element (1) out of the filling channel (7) onto the wall segment (4).

11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the means have an injection system for introducing a pressure medium, in particular gaseous, for generating the air channel (2) into the still flowing material.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a decorative element, in particular a decorative element of a dashboard of a vehicle, having at least one air duct formed integrally with the decorative element, wherein the air duct is delimited by a plurality of wall sections of the decorative element, and wherein the decorative element is produced by an injection molding method.

The invention further relates to a method for producing such a decorative element, wherein the decorative element is produced by means of an injection molding method.

The invention further relates to a device for producing such a decorative element, in particular for carrying out the aforementioned method, wherein the device has a multi-part mold, wherein the assembled mold parts form a cavity, the contour of which corresponds at least substantially to the negative of the connecting element to be produced, wherein the device further has means for introducing a still flowable material of the decorative element into the cavity and means for producing an air channel which is guided along the decorative element.

Background

Decorative elements, methods and apparatuses for producing decorative elements are known from the prior art. For example, DE 4209600 a1 discloses an injection-molded part made of thermoplastic material for use as an interior component of a motor vehicle, which injection-molded part has at least one cavity that is open at the end and serves for guiding an air flow, which cavity can also serve as an air duct. The cavity is produced simultaneously with the injection molding of the component by means of a gas internal pressure-assisted injection method known per se, in which a pressure medium is introduced into the not yet hardened material in order to form the cavity. This makes it possible to produce an air duct which is integrally molded with the decorative part, which air duct then lies on the decorative part in a space-saving manner and can be produced at low cost without additional reworking of the decorative part.

furthermore, DE 102008002408 a1 discloses a housing for a heating and air conditioning system of a motor vehicle, the walls of which have a rigid support region and a non-support region with a small wall thickness. Furthermore, WO 2017/8654 a1 discloses a roof rack for a motor vehicle, which has at least one storage surface with a cut-in edge, wherein at least one injection channel is provided in the cut-in edge. The interlocking edge is formed as a hollow body by the injection channel, which increases the rigidity and the rigidity.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved decorative element which ensures a thin-walled design of the air duct and thus a weight-saving embodiment of the decorative element.

The object is achieved according to the invention by a decorative element, in particular a decorative element of an instrument panel of a vehicle, having at least one air duct formed integrally with the decorative element, wherein the air duct is delimited by a plurality of wall sections of the decorative element, and wherein the decorative element is produced by an injection molding method, wherein a filling duct extends along at least one of the wall sections, is integrally fused with the wall section, and has a cavity which is generated by an internal pressure. The decorative element according to the invention has the advantage that it is ensured by simple additional measures that a material sufficient for the complete construction of the decorative element is provided for the plurality of wall sections, wherein the material is prevented from hardening in advance before the shaping of the respective wall section, so that the wall section can be reliably produced in an injection molding process despite the thin-walled design of the wall section. To this end, according to the invention, a filling duct extends along at least one of the wall segments, said filling duct being integrally fused to the wall segment and having a cavity which is generated by an internal pressure. During the production of the decorative element, the filling channel is also filled with the material of the decorative element, wherein the still flowable material is discharged from the filling channel by the internal pressure and is pressed into the associated wall section. The filling channel has a greater thickness than the wall segments, so that the material in the filling channel remains flowable for a longer time than the material in the associated wall segments. The flowable material can thus be injected into the filling channel, so that it extends along the wall section, and can be hardened in the wall section by introducing an internal pressure into the wall section to press the flowable material from the filling channel into the wall section. This prevents premature cooling of the material in the thin-walled wall section and thus reliably achieves that the air duct is completely formed before the material has hardened. By means of the air duct, thin-walled wall sections can be produced, which are located on the decorative part in a weight-saving and space-saving manner.

In particular, the filling duct extends along the wall section over a longitudinal extension of the air duct. As a result, the wall section can be formed from material in a reliable manner as a whole.

In particular, the filling channel extends at least substantially over the entire length of the air channel. This makes it possible to reliably form the entire air channel by means of a single filling channel. Alternatively, it is preferred that two or more filling channels extend over the entire length of the air duct, which filling channels each extend over a longitudinal extension of the air duct, in order to form a plurality of mutually adjacent wall segments of the air duct.

Preferably, the filling duct is at least substantially centrally formed in the respective wall section, in particular the bottom wall section, of the air duct. This ensures that the material is pressed from the filling channel uniformly into the wall segment and the wall segment is formed completely.

It is particularly preferred that the filling channel has a U-shaped, V-shaped, semicircular or elliptical profile in order to ensure good guidance of the flowable material and that the temperature or flowability of the material remains sufficiently long. Preferably, the plurality of wall segments have a reduced wall thickness compared to the remaining region of the decorative part, in particular, as described above, are designed as thin-walled. The function of these wall sections is thereby limited to the air guiding function, while the remaining wall sections of the decorative part serve as carrier or support sections with an increased wall thickness. This ensures that the air duct is formed on the decorative part in a weight-saving manner.

The object is also achieved according to the invention by a method for producing a decorative element, in particular a decorative element for a dashboard of a vehicle and in particular a decorative element according to the aforementioned type, wherein the trim piece has at least one air passage integrally configured with the trim piece, the air passage bounded by a plurality of wall segments of the trim piece, wherein the decorative element is produced by an injection molding method, characterized in that at least one filling channel is produced in the injection molding method, the filling channel extends along at least one of the wall segments and is integrally fused therewith, and a pressure medium is introduced into the filling channel before the decorative element is hardened, so that, in the case of a cavity forming the filling channel, pressing the still flowable material of the decorative piece from the filling channel to the wall section. The aforementioned advantages are thereby obtained.

In particular, compressed gas is introduced as pressure medium into the filling channel. The compressed gas, in particular compressed air, can be simply removed after the decorative element has hardened. Furthermore, the compressed gas does not add to the weight of the decorative element or hardly adds to the weight of the decorative element when the compressed gas remains in the filling channel after the material has hardened.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the pressure medium is heated and subsequently introduced into the filling channel. As a result, the material of the decorative element present in the filling channel can be protected against hardening for a longer time and against premature hardening. This reliably ensures that the material of the decorative element remains flowable until the corresponding wall segment is formed.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the filling channel is formed on a longitudinal extent of the air channel, so that the filling channel extends in particular at least substantially over the entire length of the air channel.

The object is also achieved according to the invention by an apparatus for producing decorative elements, in particular of the type mentioned above, in particular for carrying out a method of the aforementioned type, having a multi-part mold, the mold forming a cavity whose contour corresponds at least substantially to a negative of the decorative element to be produced, the device also has a device for introducing the still flowable material of the decorative element into the chamber and means for producing an air channel leading along the decorative element, characterized in that at least one mould part of the mould forming the wall section of the air passage is designed with a recess forming the filling passage, wherein the recess is provided with an injection device for introducing a pressure medium, in particular in a gaseous state, into the filling channel, in order to press the still flowable material of the decorative element from the filling channel to the wall segment. The aforementioned advantages are thereby obtained.

The device has in particular a further injection system for introducing a pressure medium, in particular in a gaseous state, for generating the air channel into the still flowable material of the decorative element in the chamber. Known injection systems, which are known for forming air channels in injection molding processes, can be used here.

Drawings

Further advantages and preferred features and combinations of features result, inter alia, from the above description and from the claims. The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a top view of an advantageous trim part of a motor vehicle,

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the trim part of FIG. 1, an

Fig. 3A to 3C show an apparatus for producing decorative parts in a plurality of method steps.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a simplified plan view of a trim part 1 for a motor vehicle. The trim part 1 is designed in particular as a component of a dashboard of a motor vehicle and serves, on the one hand, for fastening information devices such as a speedometer, tachometer or the like and, on the other hand, for guiding an air flow, in particular of an air conditioner, which is provided by an air conditioning system and which is to be supplied, for example, into the vehicle interior. For this purpose, the decorative element 1 has an integrated air duct 2, the air duct 2 extending substantially over the entire width of the decorative element 1, the air duct 2 being delimited on its outer circumference by a plurality of wall segments 3, 4 and 5, wherein the wall segments 3 and 5 are in particular side wall segments and the wall segment 4 is a bottom wall segment.

Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the garnish 1 taken along the line a-a in fig. 1. It can be seen here that the air duct 2 is U-shaped and open to one side. This side is covered, for example, by a ventilation grille and/or by further decorative elements. It can also be seen in fig. 2 that the wall segments 3, 4 and 5 have a reduced thickness compared to the remaining decorative elements. Thus, the region 6 of the decorative element 1 which is different from the air passage 2 has a greater thickness and therefore greater firmness and rigidity. In contrast, the air duct 2 is of thin-walled design and is implemented in the decorative element 1 with reduced weight and installation space. The decorative part 1 is designed as a whole as an injection-molded part which is produced or can be produced in a mold shown in detail in connection with fig. 3.

In order to ensure that the air duct 2 is reliably formed during injection molding, the air duct 2 is provided with an additional filling duct 7, as shown in fig. 1 and 2. In the hardened state, the filling channel 7 has a cavity 8, as shown in fig. 2, whereby the filling channel 7 is particularly lightweight and only adds little additional weight to the overall weight of the finished decorative element 1. However, the thin-walled wall sections 3, 4, 5 of the air duct 2 are reliably formed in a simple and reliable manner by means of the filling duct 7. For this purpose, the filling channel 7 extends over the entire length of the air channel 2, as is shown in particular in fig. 1.

Fig. 3A to 3C show a number of steps of an advantageous method for producing a decorative element 1 by means of an advantageous device 9. The apparatus 9 has a mold 10 which is constructed in at least two parts, the mold 10 having mold parts 11 and 12. The mould parts 11 and 12 in the assembled state form a chamber 13 between them, which chamber 13 essentially corresponds to a negative mould of the decorative part 1. For this purpose, the die parts 11, 12 also have regions which form the wall segments 3, 4, 5 of the air duct 2, as shown in fig. 3A. The mold part 11 has a semicircular or V-shaped recess 14, as shown in fig. 3A, associated with the base wall section or wall section 4, the recess 14 being designed to form the filling duct 7.

At the start of the process, the two mould parts 11, 12 are assembled, as shown in fig. 3A, so as to constitute the negative of the middle 1. In a subsequent step, as shown in fig. 3B, the flowable material of the decorative element 1 is introduced into the chamber 13, in particular simultaneously at a plurality of locations. In particular, only material is introduced into the decorative element 1 or into the thick-walled region of the cavity 13 and into the recess 14 of the filling channel 7. The material is shown in fig. 3B with hatching. By injection molding, the material also penetrates into the region adjoining the thick-walled region, so that the material, for example, already partially enters the thin-walled section of the chamber 13. But the material is essentially pre-deposited in the thick-walled segment. Due to the large volume of the filling channel 7 or the recess 14, the material remains there longer in a flowable state. After the introduction of the material into the chamber 13, in a step before the material has completely hardened, a pressure medium, in particular compressed gas, is injected into the region of the recess 14 or the filling channel 7 by means of an injection device 15, which injection device 15 has one or more injection needles 16 which project into the recess 14. In this case, a high pressure is applied to the pressure medium, so that the still flowable material of the decorative part 1 is forced out of the recess 14 into the thin-walled section of the chamber 13, in order to form the thin-walled sections 3, 4, 5. While a cavity 8 as mentioned in connection with fig. 2 is created in the recess 14. As the material on the surface of the die parts 11, 12 cools rapidly, the material remains on this surface, so that when the pressure medium is injected, the outer contour of the filling channel 7 is still obtained and only the flowable material is pressed into the thin section of the chamber 13 in order to form the thin-walled wall sections 3, 4, 5.

The still flowable material is thus pressed into the thin-walled section of the chamber 13 and the air channel 2 is thereby completely formed before the material has completely hardened. Since the material is pressed into the thin-walled section by the injection device 15 over the length of the air duct 2, preferably at several points along the air duct 2, simultaneously by the pressure medium, the thin-walled wall sections 3, 4, 5 are formed in a short time before the material has completely hardened. The thin-walled segment and the filling channel 7 remain on the decorative element, but their weight is negligible. The device 9 thus produces the decorative element 1 in a simple and cost-effective manner by means of the method, wherein the air duct 2 is weight-saving and thin-walled, while the other sections or regions 6 of the decorative element 1 are thick-walled and therefore robust and load-bearing.

List of reference numerals

1 decorative item

2 air channel

3 wall segment

4 wall segment

5 wall segment

6 region

7 filling the channel

8 cavity

9 device

10 mould

11 mould part

12 mould part

13 chamber

14 concave part

15 injection device

16 injection needle