Method for producing a trim part of a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11485060-B2
Application number	US-202016780306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2020
Priority date	Aug 3, 2017
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

A method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped trim part of a motor vehicle, which has a visible side and a mounting side. A flowable material is injected with pressure into a chamber of an injection molding tool, which has at least two mold shells, which, when assembled, form the chamber with a negative mold of the trim part, wherein at least one first of the mold shells forms the visible side and at least one second of the mold shells forms the mounting side of the trim part. The material is hardened in the chamber. A gas pressure is generated that acts in a planar manner between the second mold shell and the material during the hardening. The hardened material is removed as a trim part from the chamber of the injection molding tool.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped trim part of a motor vehicle having a visible side and a mounting side, the method comprising:
injecting a flowable material with pressure into a chamber of an injection molding tool that has at least two mold shells, which, when assembled, form the chamber with a negative mold of the trim part, wherein at least one first mold shell of the at least two mold shells forms the visible side and at least one second mold shell of the at least two mold shells forms the mounting side of the trim part;
hardening the material in the chamber to form a hardened material;
producing a gas pressure that acts in a planar manner between the at least one second mold shell and the material during the hardening of the material;
removing the hardened material from the chamber of the injection molding tool, the hardened material removed from the chamber being the trim part,
wherein the at least one first mold shell is cooled during the hardening of the material, and
wherein the at least one first mold shell is provided with coolant channels through which coolant flows to cool the at least one first mold shell during the hardening of the material, such that a side of the material facing the at least one first mold shell cools faster than a side of the material facing the at least one second mold shell.

2. The method according to the claim 1 , wherein the gas pressure is only produced after an end of an initial hardening phase of the material.

3. The method according to the claim 1 , wherein the gas pressure is produced until an end of a hardening time required for the hardening of the material.

4. The method according to the claim 1 , wherein at least one structural element or a stiffening rib and/or at least one holding projection, are molded or formed on the mounting side of the trim part.

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Ostwald Stefan

Classifications

• B29C2045/7343

  heating or cooling different mould parts at different temperatures · CPC title

• B29C45/78

  of temperature · CPC title

• B29C45/37

  Mould cavity walls {, i.e. the inner surface forming the mould cavity, e.g. linings} · CPC title

• B29C45/1703 Primary

  Introducing an auxiliary fluid into the mould (B29C45/1701 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C45/174 Primary

  Applying a pressurised fluid to the outer surface of the injected material inside the mould cavity, e.g. for preventing shrinkage marks · CPC title