Water-assisted injection molded cross-car beam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10759099-B2
Application number	US-201815911982-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2018
Priority date	Mar 5, 2018
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A method of forming a cross-car beam is provided. A composite is melted to form a viscous polymer. The polymer is injected into a mold. Pressurized fluid is injected into the mold to evacuate a portion of the viscous polymer from the mold and to form a channel therethrough. The remaining viscous polymer is cooled within the mold to form a cross-car beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a cross-car beam, comprising the steps of:
melting a composite material to form a viscous polymer;
injecting the viscous polymer into a mold;
injecting a pressurized fluid into the mold to evacuate a portion of the viscous polymer from the mold and to form a narrow channel therethrough to accommodate a greater load stress, wherein the channel has first and second ends and defines a hollow chamber therebetween; and
cooling the remaining viscous polymer within the mold to form a cross-car beam.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of cooling the viscous polymer such that a solid layer of composite material is formed around the viscous polymer within the mold at least concurrently with the step of injecting pressurized fluid into the mold.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of cooling the viscous polymer occurs prior to the step of injecting pressurized fluid into the mold.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a layer of the viscous polymer within the mold is at least 210° C. at the time the pressurized fluid is injected into the mold.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of injecting pressurized fluid into the mold includes injecting pressurized fluid into the mold via at least one injection line coupled to the mold at least one connection port to form one or more channels through the mold.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of cooling the evacuated viscous polymer to reform the composite material for use in subsequent injection molding applications.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composite material comprises at least one of a nylon, a polypropylene, an epoxy, a polyester, a vinyl ester, a polyetheretherketone, a poly(phenylene sulfide), a polyetherimide, a polycarbonate, a silicone, a polyimide, a poly(ether sulfone), a melamine-formaldehyde, a phenol-formaldehyde, and a polybenzimidazole.

8. The method of forming a cross-car beam, comprising the steps of:
melting a composite material to form a viscous polymer;
injecting the viscous polymer into a mold, the mold comprising a cavity that remains unfilled with viscous polymer;
injecting a pressurized fluid into the mold in order to force a portion of viscous polymer into the cavity to form a narrow channel enclosed by a layer of solid composite material, wherein the narrow channel is configured to accommodate a greater load stress; and
cooling the viscous polymer within the mold to form a cross-car beam.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising a step of cooling the viscous polymer such that a solid layer of composite material is formed around the viscous polymer within the mold at least concurrently with the step of injecting pressurized fluid into the mold.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of cooling the viscous polymer occurs prior to the step of injecting pressurized fluid into the mold.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein a volume of the channel is proportionate to a volume of the cavity.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of injecting pressurized fluid into the mold includes injecting pressurized fluid into the mold via at least one injection line coupled to the mold at least one connection port to force a portion of viscous polymer into a cavity to form one or more channels through the mold.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of inserting pressurized fluid into the mold is performed while the solid layer of composite material has formed around the viscous polymer.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the viscous polymer is at least 210° C. during the step of inserting pressurized fluid into the mold.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Busuioc Dan
• Marchetti Bernard Gerard
• Mullen Gary D
• Mazzocchi Nicholas Andrew

Classifications

• B29C2045/172

  making roof racks for vehicles or parts thereof · CPC title

• B29C45/1711

  and removing excess material from the mould cavity by the introduced fluid, e.g. to an overflow cavity · CPC title

• B29C45/1706 Primary

  using particular fluids or fluid generating substances · CPC title

• B62D29/043

  Superstructures (B62D25/161 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C2045/1707

  using a liquid, e.g. water · CPC title