High-efficiency automobile steering wheel cover injection device

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of injection molding equipment, specifically to a high-efficiency injection molding device for automotive steering wheel covers. The device includes an injection molding machine tool with two molds and a drive mechanism for mold opening and closing. Each of the two molds has a cavity on its opposite side, containing a semi-circular module. These modules abut against each other during mold closing to form a mold core, which, in turn, forms the cavity required for the injection molding of the steering wheel cover. This invention divides the mold core into two semi-circular modules. During mold opening, an elastic mechanism detaches the modules from the mold, and a rotating mechanism drives the modules to rotate in the opposite direction, automatically removing the steering wheel cover. Workers only need to perform a simple part removal operation, significantly reducing manual labor. The automated demolding method also shortens the demolding time for a single product, improving the overall production efficiency of the device and meeting the needs of large-scale production of automotive steering wheel covers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of injection molding equipment, and more specifically, to a high-efficiency injection molding device for automotive steering wheel covers. Background Technology

[0002] As an important component of automotive interiors, steering wheel covers not only improve the grip of the steering wheel but also protect the wheel itself and extend its lifespan, thus finding wide application in automotive manufacturing and the aftermarket. Currently, steering wheel covers are primarily manufactured using injection molding. The injection molding unit, as the core production equipment, directly impacts production efficiency, product quality, and production costs.

[0003] In existing technologies, the core components of an automotive steering wheel cover injection molding device include an injection molding machine and a mold. The mold typically contains a core and a cavity. The core forms the inner hole structure of the steering wheel cover, while the cavity shapes its outer shape. During injection molding, molten plastic material is injected into the gap between the cavity and the core, and after cooling and solidification, a complete automotive steering wheel cover is formed. However, the core in existing injection molding devices often adopts a one-piece molding structure, meaning the core is a complete circular structure fixedly installed inside the mold cavity.

[0004] The aforementioned one-piece molded core design has significant technical flaws, severely impacting the efficient production of automotive steering wheel covers. Specifically, after the injection molding process, the automotive steering wheel cover, formed by the cooling and solidification of the plastic raw material, is tightly fitted onto the outside of the one-piece mold core. Due to the tight fit between the steering wheel cover and the mold core, and the fact that the mold core cannot be separated, workers must manually pry the steering wheel cover off the mold core to complete the demolding operation. This demolding method not only consumes a large amount of manpower, increasing the labor intensity of workers, but also suffers from low demolding efficiency, leading to a longer production cycle for a single steering wheel cover and failing to meet the demands of large-scale, high-efficiency production. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution.

[0006] An efficient automotive steering wheel cover injection molding device includes an injection molding machine tool with two molds arranged opposite each other. The injection molding machine tool also includes a drive mechanism for driving the two molds to move away from or towards each other to achieve mold opening or closing. Each of the two molds has a mold cavity on its opposite surface, and a semi-circular module is provided within the mold cavity. The module in the two molds abuts against each other to form a mold core when the mold is closed. The mold core forms the cavity required for injection molding the steering wheel cover. Each of the two molds has a mold through-hole, and a mounting post is slidably disposed in the mold through-hole. One end of the mounting post is connected to the module in its respective mold, and the other end of the mounting post extends out of the mold through-hole. The injection molding machine tool is provided with an elastic mechanism to push the mounting post so that the module is pushed out of the mold cavity when the mold is opened.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the driving mechanism includes two support seats, which are respectively disposed on the outside of the two molds. Each of the two molds is provided with a base, and a hydraulic push rod is provided at the support seat. The end of the piston rod of the hydraulic push rod is connected to the adjacent base to drive the mold to move.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an optical axis is provided between the two support seats, and an optical axis through hole is provided at the base to fit the optical axis with a clearance and allow the optical axis to pass through.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base is provided with a base through hole, the other end of the mounting post extends out of the base through hole, the end of the mounting post extending out of the base through hole is provided with a mounting post flange, the elastic mechanism includes a mounting bracket provided at the base, and the elastic mechanism also includes a spring provided on the mounting post and located between the mounting bracket and the mounting post flange.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an adjustment plate is provided between the base and the mounting bracket, and a guide post is also provided between the base and the mounting bracket. The adjustment plate is provided with an adjustment plate through hole that is clearance-fitted with the guide post. The guide post passes through the adjustment plate through hole. The end of the mounting post that extends out of the base through hole is provided with a thread. The mounting post is provided with an adjustment bolt that is fitted with the thread to adjust the spring compression.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mounting bracket and the base are bolted together.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mounting bracket is provided with a rotating mechanism for driving the mounting column to rotate during mold opening. The rotating mechanism includes a drive motor disposed at the mounting bracket, a drive gear disposed at the shaft of the drive motor, and a rack that meshes with the drive gear disposed at the flange of the mounting column.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a bearing mounting groove is provided at the end of the base through hole adjacent to the rack, and a thrust bearing is provided at the bearing mounting groove.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an operating port is provided at the injection molding machine tool, and a sealing door for closing the operating port is slidably provided at the injection molding machine tool.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0016] 1. This invention splits the mold core into two semi-circular modules. When the mold is opened, the modules are detached from the mold through an elastic mechanism, and then the modules are driven to rotate in the opposite direction through a rotating mechanism to achieve automatic removal of the steering wheel cover. Workers only need to complete a simple part removal operation, which greatly reduces the workload of manual operation. At the same time, the automated demolding method shortens the demolding time of a single product and improves the overall production efficiency of the device, which can meet the needs of large-scale production of automotive steering wheel covers.

[0017] 2. In this invention, the mounting post and the mold through hole are in sliding fit. The module can move axially with the mounting post. If there is a slight positional deviation between the two modules when the mold is closed, the module can adaptively adjust through the sliding of the mounting post, avoiding module damage caused by rigid collision and effectively extending the service life of the mold core component.

[0018] 3. During demolding, the two modules move back to back with the mold, which will exert a slight pulling force on the steering wheel sleeve fitted on it. If the steering wheel sleeve has insufficient structural strength due to injection molding defects, it will crack or break during this pulling process. The staff can directly judge the finished product as unqualified by this phenomenon, realizing the integration of demolding and quality inspection, eliminating the need for a separate quality inspection process, reducing production and quality inspection costs to a certain extent, and also timely screening out unqualified products, improving the overall yield of the products leaving the factory. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device in Example 1;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device in Example 1;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device in Example 1;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the mold and base in Example 1;

[0023] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the mold and base in Example 1;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the mold structure in Example 1;

[0025] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the mounting column and mold core in Example 1.

[0026] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0027] 110. Injection molding machine tool; 120. Operating port; 130. Sealing door; 210. Mold; 220. Mold core; 230. Cavity; 240. Mounting column; 250. Support base; 260. Base; 270. Hydraulic push rod; 280. Optical axis; 290. Mounting bracket; 310. Mold cavity; 320. Module; 330. Mold through hole; 340. Optical axis through hole; 410. Base through hole; 420. Mounting column flange; 430. Spring; 440. Adjusting plate; 450. Guide column; 460. Adjusting plate through hole; 470. Thread; 480. Adjusting bolt; 490. Drive motor; 4100. Drive gear; 4110. Rack; 4120. Bearing mounting groove; 4130. Thrust bearing. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To further understand the content of this invention, a detailed description of the invention will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the embodiments are merely illustrative and not limiting of the invention.

[0029] Example 1, as Figure 1-7 As shown, this embodiment provides a high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device, which includes an injection molding machine 110. The injection molding machine 110 is provided with two opposing molds 210. The injection molding machine 110 is also equipped with a drive mechanism for driving the two molds 210 to move away from or towards each other to achieve mold opening or mold closing. Each of the two molds 210 has a mold cavity 310 on its opposing surface. The mold cavity 310 has a semi-circular module 320. The modules 320 on the two molds 210 can abut against each other when the mold is closed. A mold core 220 is formed, which cooperates with the mold cavity 310 to form the cavity 230 required for injection molding of the car steering wheel cover. Both molds 210 are provided with mold through holes 330. A mounting post 240 is slidably fitted in the mold through hole 330. One end of the mounting post 240 is connected to the module 320 on the mold 210, and the other end extends out of the mold through hole 330. The injection molding machine tool 110 is provided with an elastic mechanism for pushing the mounting post 240 to push the module 320 out of the mold cavity 310 when the mold is opened.

[0030] The aforementioned driving mechanism includes two support seats 250 respectively disposed on the outside of the two molds 210. Each mold 210 is fixedly provided with a base 260. A hydraulic push rod 270 is fixedly installed on the support seat 250. The end of the piston rod of the hydraulic push rod 270 is connected to the adjacent base 260. The mold 210 can be driven to move axially by the extension and retraction of the hydraulic push rod 270. An optical axis 280 is horizontally supported between the two support seats 250. An optical axis through hole 340 is opened at the base 260, which is clearance-fitted with the optical axis 280. The optical axis 280 passes through the optical axis through hole 340, providing a guiding function for the movement of the base 260 and the mold 210.

[0031] A base through hole 410 is provided at the base 260. The end of the mounting post 240 away from the module 320 extends out of the base through hole 410, and a mounting post flange 420 is integrally formed at this end. The aforementioned elastic mechanism includes a mounting bracket 290 disposed at the base 260 and a spring 430 sleeved on the outside of the mounting post 240. The spring 430 is sandwiched between the mounting bracket 290 and the mounting post flange 420. An adjusting plate 440 and a guide post 450 are also provided between the base 260 and the mounting bracket 290. An adjustment plate through hole 460 is provided at the adjustment plate 440, which is clearance-fitted with the guide post 450. The guide post 450 passes through the adjustment plate through hole 460. The end of the mounting post 240 extending out of the base through hole 410 is provided with a thread 470. An adjustment bolt 480 that mates with the thread 470 is screwed onto the mounting post 240. The compression of the spring 430 can be adjusted by rotating the adjustment bolt 480. The mounting bracket 290 and the base 260 are fixedly assembled by bolt connection.

[0032] The mounting bracket 290 is provided with a rotating mechanism for driving the mounting column 240 to rotate circumferentially during mold opening. The rotating mechanism includes a drive motor 490 fixedly mounted on the mounting bracket 290. A drive gear 4100 is fixedly mounted on the end of the shaft of the drive motor 490. A rack 4110 that meshes with the drive gear 4100 is provided on the outer side wall of the mounting column flange 420. A bearing mounting groove 4120 is provided at the end of the base through hole 410 adjacent to the rack 4110. A thrust bearing 4130 is fixedly embedded in the bearing mounting groove 4120. An operation port 120 for operation and part removal is provided on the side wall of the injection molding machine tool 110. A sealing door 130 for closing or opening the operation port 120 is also slidably fitted on the injection molding machine tool 110.

[0033] The specific working principle of this device is as follows:

[0034] First, the mold closing operation is performed. The hydraulic push rod 270 of the drive mechanism is activated, causing its piston rod to extend and push the base 260 to move towards each other along the axial direction of the optical axis 280. This causes the two molds 210 to move closer to each other. During this process, the spring 430 of the elastic mechanism is in a pre-compressed state. The elastic force generated by the spring pushes the mounting post 240 to keep the module 320 in the preset position of the mold cavity 310 until the two molds 210 complete the mold closing action. The two semi-circular modules 320 precisely abut against each other to form a complete mold core 220, which surrounds the mold cavity 310 to form a closed cavity 230, providing molding space for injection molding. Moreover, the sliding fit between the mounting post 240 and the mold through hole 330 allows the module 320 to make adaptive position adjustments, avoiding rigid collisions caused by misalignment of the two modules 320 during mold closing.

[0035] After mold closing, molten plastic material is injected into cavity 230. Once cavity 230 is full, it is cooled and solidified, forming a steering wheel cover within the cavity. During this process, sealing door 130 remains closed, sealing the operating port 120 and ensuring environmental stability during injection molding. After injection molding, mold opening is performed. The piston rod of hydraulic push rod 270 is retracted, driving two molds 210 to move in opposite directions along optical axis 280. Initially, due to the elastic force of spring 430, mounting post 240 does not move synchronously with mold 210, thus keeping module 320 in its original position and gradually detaching it from cavity 310. The molded steering wheel cover separates from mold 210 along with module 320.

[0036] The mold 210 continuously moves in opposite directions along the optical axis 280. When the mounting post flange 420 abuts against the thrust bearing 4130, the mounting post 240 and module 320 begin to move in opposite directions synchronously with the mold 210 until the distance between the two modules 320 is slightly greater than the thickness of the steering wheel sleeve. At this point, the hydraulic push rod 270 stops moving, and the mold 210 also stops moving. At this time, the drive motor 490 of the rotation mechanism is activated. The drive motor 490 drives the drive gear 4100 to rotate. Through the meshing transmission between the drive gear 4100 and the rack 4110, the two mounting posts 240 are driven to rotate circumferentially. The two mounting posts 240 rotate in opposite directions, and the rotation angle is 180°. The module 320 rotates synchronously with the mounting post 240, so that the steering wheel sleeve fitted on the outside of the mold core 220 naturally separates from the module 320, completing the demolding operation.

[0037] After the demolding operation is completed, the sealing door 130 is slid open, and the operator can remove the detached steering wheel cover through the operating port 120, completing a single injection molding operation. If continuous production is required, the hydraulic push rod 270 is restarted to perform the mold closing operation and the above process is repeated. In addition, during the daily use of the device, the adjusting plate 440 can be moved axially along the guide column 450 by rotating the adjusting bolt 480 and using the engagement of the adjusting bolt 480 and the thread 470, thereby changing the compression of the spring 430 and adjusting the elastic thrust applied by the spring 430 to the mounting column 240. The bolt connection between the mounting bracket 290 and the base 260 also facilitates the disassembly, inspection, and maintenance of the elastic mechanism and the rotating mechanism.

[0038] The high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device in this embodiment, through the above-described technical solution, can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0039] 1. In traditional devices, the integrated mold core fits tightly to the steering wheel cover. During demolding, workers need to manually peel the finished product off the mold core, which not only consumes a lot of manpower but also results in slow demolding speed and extended production cycle of a single product. The high-efficiency automotive steering wheel cover injection molding device in this embodiment splits the mold core 220 into two semi-circular modules 320. When the mold is opened, the elastic mechanism causes the module 320 to detach from the mold 210, and then the rotating mechanism drives the module 320 to rotate in the opposite direction to achieve automatic removal of the steering wheel cover. Workers only need to complete a simple part removal operation, which greatly reduces the workload of manual operation. At the same time, the automated demolding method shortens the demolding time of a single product, improves the overall production efficiency of the device, and can meet the needs of large-scale production of automotive steering wheel covers.

[0040] 2. In the high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device of this embodiment, the mounting post 240 and the mold through hole 330 are in sliding fit. The module 320 can move axially with the mounting post 240. If there is a slight positional deviation between the two modules 320 during mold closing, the module 320 can adaptively adjust through the sliding of the mounting post 240, avoiding damage to the module 320 caused by rigid collision and effectively extending the service life of the mold core component. The spring 430 of the elastic mechanism does not have a single function. It not only provides elastic thrust in the initial stage of mold opening, allowing the module 320 to smoothly detach from the mold cavity 310, laying the foundation for subsequent demolding operations, but also, in the mold closing stage, the pre-tightened elastic force of the spring 430 can push the module 320 to maintain a preset position, ensuring that the two modules 320 can accurately abut to form a complete mold core 220, realizing the multi-functional utilization of a single structure.

[0041] 3. Traditional devices require a separate quality inspection process to test the structural strength of the steering wheel cover after demolding, which adds to the production process and production and quality inspection costs. In this embodiment, the high-efficiency automotive steering wheel cover injection molding device, during demolding, causes a slight pulling effect on the steering wheel cover fitted on it as the two modules 320 move back and forth with the mold 210. If the steering wheel cover has insufficient structural strength due to injection molding defects, it will crack or break during this pulling process. The staff can directly judge the finished product as unqualified by observing this phenomenon, realizing the integration of demolding and quality inspection, eliminating the need for a separate quality inspection process, reducing production and quality inspection costs to a certain extent, and also promptly screening out unqualified products, improving the overall yield of the finished products.

[0042] 4. In the high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device of this embodiment, the clearance fit structure between the optical shaft 280 and the optical shaft through hole 340 in the drive mechanism provides precise guidance for the movement of the base 260 and the mold 210, so that the two molds 210 always move along the preset axis during the mold closing and opening process, avoiding the misalignment between the mold core 220 and the mold cavity 310 caused by the offset of the mold 210, ensuring the molding accuracy of the cavity 230, thereby reducing the problem of unqualified steering wheel sleeve shape caused by cavity deviation, and effectively improving the overall molding quality of the injection molded product.

[0043] 5. In the high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device of this embodiment, the operating port 120 opened on the injection molding machine tool 110 provides sufficient operating space for the injection of injection raw materials and the removal of finished products, while the sealing door 130 can close the operating port 120 during injection molding to ensure the stability of the injection molding environment; the bolt connection between the mounting bracket 290 and the base 260 can realize the quick assembly and disassembly of the mounting bracket 290, which is convenient for workers to inspect, replace and perform daily maintenance on core components such as the spring 430 of the elastic mechanism and the drive motor 490 of the rotating mechanism, reducing the maintenance difficulty and later use cost of the device.

[0044] The workflow of the high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device in this embodiment is as follows:

[0045] According to the specifications of the steering wheel cover to be produced, rotate the adjusting bolt 480 to adjust the compression of the spring 430 and the pushing and positioning force of the adapter module 320; close the sealing door 130 and check the connection and movement status of each mechanism to ensure the normal operation of the equipment.

[0046] The hydraulic push rod 270 is activated to drive the two molds 210 to move towards each other and close the mold. The two modules 320 precisely abut against each other to form the mold core 220 and surround the mold cavity 310 to form the cavity 230. Molten plastic raw material is injected into the cavity 230. After the injection is completed, it is left to stand so that the raw material can cool and solidify in the cavity 230.

[0047] The hydraulic push rod 270 is activated to drive the mold 210 to move in opposite directions to open the mold. The spring 430 pushes the module 320 to separate from the mold 210. After the mounting post flange 420 abuts against the thrust bearing 4130, the module 320 separates synchronously with the mold 210. When the distance between the two modules 320 is slightly greater than the thickness of the steering wheel cover, the mold stops moving. The drive motor 490 is activated, and the two mounting posts 240 are driven to rotate 180° in opposite directions through gear and rack transmission, which drives the module 320 to rotate and cause the steering wheel cover to fall off automatically.

[0048] Slide open the sealing door 130, and the staff can take out the detached steering wheel cover from the operating port 120. At the same time, the preliminary quality inspection of the finished product is completed (observing whether there are cracks or breaks). After taking out the finished product, start the hydraulic push rod 270 to drive the mold 210 to close and reset, and prepare for the next injection molding operation to realize continuous production.

[0049] In summary, the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made within the scope of the claims of the present invention should be covered by the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device, characterized in that: The system includes an injection molding machine (110), which has two molds (210) arranged opposite to each other. The injection molding machine (110) also includes a drive mechanism for driving the two molds (210) to move away from or towards each other to achieve mold opening or closing. Each of the two molds (210) has a mold cavity (310) on its opposite surface, and a semi-circular module (320) is provided in each mold cavity (310). The modules (320) in the two molds (210) abut together during mold closing to form a mold core (220). (220) is used to form the cavity (230) required for injection molding of steering wheel sleeve with the mold cavity (310); both molds (210) are provided with mold through holes (330), and mounting posts (240) are slidably provided in the mold through holes (330). One end of the mounting post (240) is connected to the module (320) in the mold (210) where it is located, and the other end of the mounting post (240) extends out of the mold through hole (330). The injection molding machine (110) is provided with an elastic mechanism to push the mounting post (240) so that the module (320) is pushed out of the mold cavity (310) when the mold is opened.

2. The high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving mechanism includes two support seats (250), which are respectively located on the outside of the two molds (210). Each of the two molds (210) is provided with a base (260). A hydraulic push rod (270) is provided at the support seat (250). The end of the piston rod of the hydraulic push rod (270) is connected to its adjacent base (260) to drive the mold (210) to move.

3. The high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device according to claim 2, characterized in that: An optical axis (280) is provided between the two support bases (250), and an optical axis through hole (340) is provided at the base (260) to fit the optical axis (280) with a clearance and to allow the optical axis (280) to pass through.

4. The high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The base (260) is provided with a base through hole (410), and the other end of the mounting post (240) extends out of the base through hole (410). The end of the mounting post (240) extending out of the base through hole (410) is provided with a mounting post flange (420). The elastic mechanism includes a mounting bracket (290) provided at the base (260), and the elastic mechanism also includes a spring (430) provided on the mounting post (240) and located between the mounting bracket (290) and the mounting post flange (420).

5. The high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device according to claim 4, characterized in that: An adjusting plate (440) is provided between the base (260) and the mounting bracket (290). A guide post (450) is also provided between the base (260) and the mounting bracket (290). The adjusting plate (440) is provided with an adjusting plate through hole (460) that is clearance-fitted with the guide post (450). The guide post (450) passes through the adjusting plate through hole (460). The end of the mounting post (240) that extends out of the base through hole (410) is provided with a thread (470). The mounting post (240) is provided with an adjusting bolt (480) that is fitted with the thread (470) to adjust the compression of the spring (430).

6. The high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The mounting bracket (290) is bolted to the base (260).

7. The high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The mounting bracket (290) is provided with a rotating mechanism for driving the mounting column (240) to rotate when the mold is opened. The rotating mechanism includes a drive motor (490) located at the mounting bracket (290), a drive gear (4100) located at the shaft of the drive motor (490), and a rack (4110) located at the flange (420) of the mounting column that meshes with the drive gear (4100).

8. The high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A bearing mounting groove (4120) is provided at the end adjacent to the rack (4110) at the base through hole (410), and a thrust bearing (4130) is provided at the bearing mounting groove (4120).

9. The high-efficiency automotive steering wheel sleeve injection molding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An operating port (120) is provided at the injection molding machine tool (110), and a sealing door (130) is slidably provided at the injection molding machine tool (110) for closing the operating port (120).

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