Molding method for making a monolithic component internally provided with at least one cavity inside

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12508750-B2
Application number	US-202118003378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2021
Priority date	Jul 8, 2020
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

A molding method for making a monolithic component made of C-SMC and internally including a cavity, including preparing a press including first and second half molds and movable side carriages defining a molding space, and placing a core inside the molding space. The core comprises a membrane, delimiting a containing space shaped to form the cavity, and at least one connector engaged with the membrane. The method includes wrapping a charge of material to be molded around the core, fixing the core inside one between the first and the second half molds, and filling the containing space of the membrane with a filling material. After closing the half molds, applying a molding pressure and then emptying the containing space of the filling material and, after opening the half molds, removing the core from the molded monolithic component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A molding method for making a monolithic component internally including at least one cavity, comprising the following steps:
providing that the monolithic component internally including the at least one cavity is made of C-SMC; providing a press comprising a first half mold and a second half mold, with one between the first half mold and the second half mold being a movable half mold and the other between the first half mold and the second half mold being a stationary half mold, the first half mold and the second half mold defining between them a molding space, the press also comprising movable side carriages acting in conjunction with the first half mold and the second half mold to define the molding space; providing an oil circuit containing oil and configured for using the oil to move the movable half mold to open and close the molding space; placing at least one core inside the molding space, wherein the core comprises a membrane, the membrane delimiting a containing space which is shaped to form the at least one cavity of the monolithic component, and at least one connector engaged with the membrane and configured to allow filling the containing space; wrapping a charge of material to be molded around the core so that the core is at least partly immersed in the charge of material; fixing the core inside the stationary half mold; filling the containing space of the membrane with a filling material through the connector; after closing the first half mold and the second half mold using the oil from the oil circuit, applying a molding pressure on the charge of material to form the monolithic component; and, after these steps, emptying the containing space of the filling material; after opening the first half mold and the second half mold using the oil from the oil circuit, removing the core from the molded monolithic component; in the step of filling the containing space of the membrane, placing the containing space in fluid communication with a delivery section of the oil circuit to create a feed flow of a predetermined quantity of the oil from the oil circuit to the containing space, the predetermined quantity of oil acting as the filling material for the containing space, and/or in the step of emptying the containing space, placing the containing space in fluid communication with a return section of the oil circuit to create a return flow whereby the predetermined quantity of oil, acting as the filling material for the containing space, flows back from the containing space to the oil circuit; providing that the membrane has, on an exterior of the containing space, a smooth, polished surface.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the delivery section and the return section of the oil circuit coincide with each other.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the molding pressure comprises feeding an additional quantity of oil into the containing space of the membrane to dilate the membrane so that the membrane applies the molding pressure on the charge of material.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein between the step of wrapping the charge of material around the core and the step of applying the molding pressure there is a step of raising a temperature of the charge of material.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of fixing the core in the stationary half mold, the at least one connector is engaged with the stationary half mold to allow creating a flow of the filling material during the steps of filling and emptying the membrane.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein after the step of emptying the containing space and opening the first half mold and the second half mold; the method comprises the following steps:
disengaging the at least one connector from the stationary half mold; expelling the molded monolithic component from the press together with the at least one connector.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of removing the core comprises:
removing the at least one connector from the molded monolithic component; extracting the membrane at least partly from an opening left by the at least one connector on the molded monolithic component.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the step of removing the core is followed by a step of finishing a zone of the molded monolithic component adjacent the opening left by the at least one connector.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of removing the core from the molded monolithic component comprises:
making at least one opening on the monolithic component, the at least one opening being configured to allow totally or partly extracting the membrane; raising a temperature of the molded monolithic component to soften the membrane.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of opening the first half mold and the second half mold is preceded by a step of driving a vacuum circuit made on at least one between the first half mold and the second half mold and communicating with the molding space to create a negative pressure action to detach the membrane from an inside surface of the molded monolithic component.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in the step of filling the containing space of the membrane, the placing of the containing space in fluid communication with the delivery section of the oil circuit to create the feed flow of the predetermined quantity of the oil from the oil circuit to the containing space dilates the membrane, and/or wherein, in the step of emptying the containing space, the placing of the containing space in fluid communication with the return section of the oil circuit to create the return flow whereby the predetermined quantity of oil flows back from the containing space to the oil circuit allows compression of the membrane.

12 . A machine for molding a hollow monolithic made of C-SMC, the machine being configured to implement a method according to one or more of the preceding claims and comprising:
a press comprising a first half mold and a second half mold, one between the first half mold and the second half mold being a movable half mold and the other between the first half mold and the second half mold being a stationary half mold, the first half mold and the second half mold defining between them a molding space, the press preferably also comprising movable side carriages acting in conjunction with the first half mold and the second half mold to define the molding space;
at least one core placed inside the molding space and comprising a membrane, the membrane delimiting a containing space which is shaped to form the at least one cavity of the monolithic component, the core also comprising at least one connector engaged with the membrane and configured to allow filling the containing space;
an oil containing oil circuit operatively connected to, and configured to move, via the oil, whichever of the first half mold or the second half is the movable half mold;
a vacuum circuit configured to create a negative pressure action in the molding space;
wherein the oil circuit comprises a delivery section and a return section placed inside the stationary half mold, the delivery section and the return section being selectively connectable, via the at least one connector, with the containing space to create a fluid communication between the oil circuit and the containing space to respectively create a delivery oil flow from the oil circuit to the containing space and a return oil flow from the containing space to the oil circuit;
wherein the membrane has, on an exterior of the containing space, a smoo

Assignees

• Automobili Lamborghini Spa

Inventors

• Gallo Jaramillo Juan Pablo

Classifications

• B29L2022/00

  Hollow articles (tubular articles B29L2023/00; pneumatic tyres B29L2030/00) · CPC title

• B29C2043/3665

  cores or inserts, e.g. pins, mandrels, sliders · CPC title

• B29C2043/3652

  Elastic moulds or mould parts, e.g. cores or inserts · CPC title

• B29C43/50

  Removing moulded articles · CPC title

• B29C43/12

  using bags surrounding the moulding material {or using membranes contacting the moulding material} · CPC title