Prepreg paving preforming tool

Abstract

The utility model provides a prepreg paving preforming tool. An auxiliary mold with a paving face being a convex face and complementary with the paving face of a forming female mold in shape is manufactured through an original forming female mold; an auxiliary mold is arranged at the opening end of the base, and a heating device is arranged in a first space formed by the base; in the working process, the heating device heats the auxiliary mold to the proper temperature, the prepreg is laid on the laying face of the auxiliary mold according to the sequence opposite to the original design laying layer, and after laying is completed and after the prepreg is cooled and shaped, the prepreg is transferred into the original forming female mold for forming work. Compared with the prior art, the prepreg preforming tool provided by the utility model is provided with the auxiliary mold, the whole paving surface of the auxiliary mold is in an outwards-convex shape, the area which is not beneficial to manual paving such as a concave area and a narrow area does not exist, during paving, appearance lines of a product can be conveniently observed for adjustment, wrinkles are not prone to occurring, and it is guaranteed that the product is fully paved in place.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of prepreg laying, and in particular to a prepreg laying preformed tooling. Background Art

[0002] The unique texture and high-end feel of carbon fiber materials make them widely used in automotive interior and exterior decoration. It can be used to make center consoles, door panels, steering wheels, rearview mirrors, spoilers, rear wings and other parts to create a high-quality atmosphere for the car. At present, most of the textured carbon fiber products are made by prepreg laying and autoclave curing. For products with textured appearance, in order to achieve the best appearance, the forming female mold is generally used for laying. The laying of prepreg in the forming female mold is basically done by hand. The surface texture of the product cannot be seen during laying. Some narrow areas are not easy to lay in place and wrinkles are easily formed. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of the above-mentioned defects or deficiencies in the prior art, the present application aims to provide a prepreg paving preforming tooling, comprising:

[0004] A base having an open end and forming a first space therein;

[0005] An auxiliary mold, the auxiliary mold is arranged at the open end of the base and has thermal conductivity; the auxiliary mold has a first paving surface for paving prepreg on a side away from the base, the first paving surface is convex in a direction away from the first space, and the first paving surface is complementary in shape to the paving surface of the molding female mold for paving prepreg; the molding female mold is used to mold the prepreg;

[0006] A heating device is located in the first space; the heating device is used to heat the auxiliary mold to preform the prepreg laid on the first laying surface.

[0007] According to the technical solution provided in certain embodiments of the present application, the heating device includes a fan and a heating wire, and the heating wire is located on a side of the fan close to the auxiliary mold and in the exhaust direction of the fan.

[0008] According to the technical solution provided in certain embodiments of the present application, an air temperature probe is arranged on the side of the heating wire away from the fan, and the air temperature probe is used to monitor the air temperature and generate an air temperature signal. The air temperature probe is electrically connected to a controller, and the controller is used to adjust the temperature of the heating wire according to the air temperature signal.

[0009] According to the technical solutions provided in certain embodiments of the present application, the heating device is provided with a cylindrical cover with openings at both ends; an air outlet gap exists between the opening at one end of the cover close to the auxiliary mold and the auxiliary mold.

[0010] According to the technical solution provided in certain embodiments of the present application, the auxiliary mold is concave on one side close to the first space to form a concave surface, and the distance between each part of the concave surface and the first paving surface is equal.

[0011] According to the technical solution provided in some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of heat sinks are arranged and distributed on one side of the auxiliary mold close to the first space.

[0012] According to the technical solution provided in certain embodiments of the present application, a tooling temperature probe is provided on the auxiliary mold, and the tooling temperature probe is used to collect the temperature of the auxiliary mold and generate a mold temperature signal. The tooling temperature probe is electrically connected to a controller, and the controller is used to control the start and stop of the heating wire according to the mold temperature signal.

[0013] According to the technical solution provided in certain embodiments of the present application, the base includes a bottom plate and four side plates slidably connected to the bottom plate; the first space formed by the four side plates surrounding the bottom plate is a rectangular space; every two opposing side plates form a group, and the two side plates in a group can slide in directions away from or close to each other, respectively.

[0014] According to the technical solution provided in certain embodiments of the present application, four sliding bars corresponding to the four side panels are provided on the bottom plate, and a plurality of limiting holes are provided on the sliding bars along their length direction; a groove is provided on one end of the side panel close to the bottom plate, and the groove is slidably connected to the sliding bar; the side panel is provided with connecting holes that penetrate the groove walls on both sides of the groove and are connected to the inside of the groove, and the positions of the side panel and the sliding bar are fixed by bolts passing through the corresponding connecting holes and the limiting holes.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present application are as follows: the present application provides a prepreg paving preforming tooling, which uses the original molding female mold to make an auxiliary mold with a paving surface that is convex and complementary in shape to the paving surface of the molding female mold; the auxiliary mold is arranged at the open end of the base and a heating device is arranged in the first space formed by the base; when working, the heating device heats the auxiliary mold to a suitable temperature, and lays the prepreg on the paving surface of the auxiliary mold in an order opposite to the original design of the paving layer. After the paving is completed and the prepreg is waiting for the temperature to be cooled and shaped, the prepreg is transferred to the original molding female mold for molding. The prepreg paving preforming tooling provided in the present application is provided with an auxiliary mold and a heating device. The prepreg product is preformed before being formed. The paving surface of the auxiliary mold is convex as a whole, and there are no concave or narrow areas that are not conducive to manual paving. During paving, it is convenient to observe the appearance and texture of the product and make adjustments at any time to ensure that all parts can be paved in place; after the paving is completed and the prepreg product is cooled and initially shaped, it is transferred to the original forming female mold for forming; the product obtained by the present application can well avoid wrinkles that appear during paving, and also has a better appearance texture.

[0016] It should be understood that the description of technical features, technical solutions, beneficial effects or similar language in this application does not imply that all features and advantages can be realized in any single embodiment. On the contrary, it is understood that the description of features or beneficial effects means that specific technical features, technical solutions or beneficial effects are included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, the description of technical features, technical solutions or beneficial effects in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the technical features, technical solutions and beneficial effects described in the present embodiment can also be combined in any appropriate manner. Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment can be realized without one or more specific technical features, technical solutions or beneficial effects of a specific embodiment. In other embodiments, additional technical features and beneficial effects can also be identified in a specific embodiment that does not embody all embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a prepreg paving preform tooling provided in Example 1 of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a base for a prepreg paving preformed tooling provided in Example 2 of the present application.

[0020] The text annotations in the figure represent:

[0021] 1. Auxiliary mold; 2. Base; 3. Heating wire; 4. Fan; 5. Tooling temperature probe; 6. Air temperature probe; 7. Heat sink; 8. Cover; 9. Slide bar; 21. Side panel; 22. Bottom panel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present application, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The description in this section is only exemplary and explanatory and should not have any limiting effect on the protection scope of the present application. Specifically, the described embodiments are only embodiments of a part of the present application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following figures, so once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0024] Example 1

[0025] As mentioned in the background technology, in view of the problems in the prior art, this embodiment provides a prepreg paving preform tooling, including:

[0026] A base 2, wherein the base 2 has an open end and forms a first space inside;

[0027] An auxiliary mold 1, the auxiliary mold 1 is arranged at the open end of the base 2 and has thermal conductivity; the auxiliary mold 1 has a first paving surface for paving prepreg on a side away from the base 2, the first paving surface is convex in a direction away from the first space, and the first paving surface is complementary in shape to the paving surface of the molding female mold for paving prepreg; the molding female mold is used to mold prepreg;

[0028] A heating device is located in the first space; the heating device is used to heat the auxiliary mold 1 to preform the prepreg laid on the first laying surface.

[0029] Please refer to Figure 1 The base 2 is a rectangular shell with an open end, and the open end of the base 2 faces the auxiliary mold 1; the auxiliary mold 1 is a metal forming positive mold made based on the original forming negative mold; the forming positive mold has a geometric shape opposite to that of the original forming negative mold and the first paving surface is complementary in shape to the paving surface of the forming negative mold; the heating device is connected to an external power supply and is used to heat the auxiliary mold 1 on the side close to the base 2.

[0030] Before using the molding female mold to lay out and shape the prepreg product, the prepreg is first preformed using the prepreg laying preforming tooling provided in this embodiment, so that the prepreg is initially shaped and then transferred to the molding female mold for laying and subsequent molding work; when in use, the heating device is started, and the heating device continuously heats the auxiliary mold 1. When the auxiliary mold 1 is heated to a suitable temperature, the prepreg is laid on the first paving surface of the auxiliary mold 1; after the laying is completed, the heating device is turned off to allow the prepreg to cool down and shape, and then the prepreg product that has been initially shaped is transferred to the molding female mold for subsequent molding work.

[0031] In the present application, the auxiliary mold 1 and the heating device are provided to lay the prepreg on the first paving surface for pre-forming. The convex shape of the first paving surface does not have any concave or narrow areas that are not conducive to manual paving, and wrinkles are not easy to appear during paving, so that all parts can be fully laid in place. The auxiliary mold 1 uses metal material to have better thermal conductivity. When the heating device heats the auxiliary mold 1, the various parts of the auxiliary mold 1 can be heated evenly, reducing the temperature difference between the various areas.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the heating device includes a fan 4 and a heating wire 3 , and the heating wire 3 is located on a side of the fan 4 close to the auxiliary mold 1 and in the exhaust direction of the fan 4 .

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the heating device includes a controller, and the controller is electrically connected to the fan 4 and the heating wire 3. The controller is used to control the opening and closing of the heating wire 3 and the fan 4; the heat is generated when the heating wire 3 works and then the fan 4 conducts the heat to the auxiliary mold 1; after the prepreg paving work is completed, the controller turns off the heating wire 3 and keeps the fan 4 to continue to supply air to the auxiliary mold 1, thereby accelerating the cooling and shaping process of the prepreg and improving the work efficiency.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, an air temperature probe 6 is arranged on the side of the heating wire 3 away from the fan 4, and the air temperature probe 6 is used to monitor the air temperature and generate an air temperature signal. The air temperature probe 6 is electrically connected to a controller, and the controller is used to adjust the temperature of the heating wire 3 according to the air temperature signal.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, the optimal laying temperature of the prepreg is generally 35-40°C. In order to make the first laying surface reach the optimal laying temperature, the air supply temperature of the heating device is usually set to be about 10°C higher than the first laying surface; the controller adjusts the temperature of the heating wire 3 through the air temperature signal generated by the air temperature probe 6, so that the air supply temperature of the heating device is maintained at about 50°C.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, the heating device is outer-mounted with a cylindrical cover 8 with openings at both ends; an air outlet gap exists between the opening at one end of the cover 8 close to the auxiliary mold 1 and the auxiliary mold 1 .

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the cover shell 8 is sleeved outside the heating device; a hot air diffusion channel is formed between the opening of the cover shell 8 at one end close to the auxiliary mold 1 and the auxiliary mold 1; the cover shell 8 is fixed to the side of the base 2 away from the auxiliary mold 1; an air inlet channel is formed between the opening of the cover shell 8 at one end away from the auxiliary mold 1 and the base 2; the hot air generated by the heating device can be as shown in Figure 1 As shown by the middle arrow, a circulation is formed inside the base 2, so that the gas in the first space is quickly heated up, thereby improving the heating efficiency.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the auxiliary mold 1 is concave on one side close to the first space to form a concave surface, and the distance between each part of the concave surface and the first paving surface is equal. Figure 1 As shown, during operation, the auxiliary mold 1 can be heated evenly, reducing the temperature difference between various parts of the auxiliary mold 1.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of heat sinks 7 are arranged and distributed on one side of the auxiliary mold 1 close to the first space. Figure 1 As shown, the heat sink 7 can increase the contact area between the auxiliary mold 1 and the air, reduce the time required for the auxiliary mold 1 to be heated and dissipate heat, and improve work efficiency.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, a tooling temperature probe 5 is provided on the auxiliary mold 1, and the tooling temperature probe 5 is used to collect the temperature of the auxiliary mold 1 and generate a mold temperature signal. The tooling temperature probe 5 is electrically connected to a controller, and the controller is used to control the start and stop of the heating wire 3 according to the mold temperature signal.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, the heating device heats the auxiliary mold 1. When the tooling temperature probe 5 detects that the auxiliary mold 1 has reached a temperature suitable for paving, the controller turns off the heating wire 3 according to the mold temperature signal generated by the tooling temperature probe 5, and stops heating the auxiliary mold 1; when the tooling temperature probe 5 detects that the temperature of the auxiliary mold 1 drops, the controller restarts the heating wire 3 to continue heating the auxiliary mold 1; the temperature of the auxiliary mold 1 is monitored by the tooling temperature probe 5 to control the start and stop of the heating wire 3, so that the temperature of the auxiliary mold 1 is maintained in a suitable range during the paving process.

[0042] The prepreg paving preforming tooling provided in the present application is convenient for observing the appearance texture of the product and making adjustments during paving by setting an auxiliary mold with a convex paving surface, so that the various parts of the prepreg product can be better laid in place without wrinkles; by setting a heat sink on the auxiliary mold made of metal material, the efficiency of heat conduction of the auxiliary mold can be increased, saving working time; by setting an air temperature probe and a tooling temperature probe, a controller is used to control the heating device, and the working state of the heating device is adjusted according to the temperature signals fed back by the air temperature probe and the tooling temperature probe, thereby improving the heating efficiency and saving energy.

[0043] Example 2

[0044] This embodiment provides a prepreg paving preformed tooling. The similarities between this embodiment and embodiment 1 are not repeated here. The difference is that:

[0045] The base 2 includes a bottom plate 22 and four side plates 21 slidably connected to the bottom plate; the first space formed by the four side plates 21 surrounding the bottom plate 22 is a rectangular space; every two opposite side plates 21 form a group, and the two side plates 21 in a group can slide in directions away from or close to each other.

[0046] In a preferred embodiment, four slide bars 8 are provided on the bottom plate 22, respectively corresponding to the four side plates 21, and the slide bar 8 is provided with a plurality of limiting holes along its length direction; a groove is provided at one end of the side plate 21 close to the bottom plate 22, and the groove is slidably connected to the slide bar 8; the side plate 21 is provided with a connecting hole that passes through the groove walls on both sides of the groove and is connected to the inside of the groove, and the position of the side plate 21 and the slide bar 8 is fixed by bolts passing through the corresponding connecting holes and the limiting holes.

[0047] like Figure 2As shown, by slidingly connecting the four side panels 21 with the corresponding slide bars 8 respectively, the position of the side panels 21 on the bottom plate 22 can be adjusted; the position of the side panels 21 on the bottom plate 22 is fixed by bolts; the base 2 can support auxiliary molds of different sizes and shapes, thereby improving the applicability of the device.

[0048] The prepreg preforming tooling provided in the present application realizes the function of the base being able to carry auxiliary molds of different shapes and sizes by setting the four side panels and the bottom plate of the base to be slidingly connected, and using bolts to fix the side panels and the bottom plate at different positions.

[0049] This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and its core ideas of this application. The above is only the preferred implementation method of this application. It should be pointed out that due to the limitations of textual expression and the objective existence of infinite specific structures, ordinary technicians in this technical field can make several improvements, modifications or changes without departing from the principles of the present invention, and can also combine the above technical features in an appropriate manner; these improvements, modifications, changes or combinations, or the direct application of the inventive concept and technical solution to other occasions without improvement, should be regarded as the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A prepreg paving preform tooling, characterized in that: include: A base (2), the base (2) having an open end and forming a first space inside; An auxiliary mold (1), the auxiliary mold (1) being arranged at the open end of the base (2) and having heat-conducting properties; the auxiliary mold (1) having a first paving surface for paving prepreg on a side away from the base (2), the first paving surface convex in a direction away from the first space, the first paving surface and the paving surface of the molding female mold for paving prepreg having complementary shapes; the molding female mold is used to mold prepreg; A heating device is located in the first space; the heating device is used to heat the auxiliary mold (1) so as to preform the prepreg laid on the first laying surface.

2. The prepreg paving preforming tooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating device comprises a fan (4) and a heating wire (3), wherein the heating wire (3) is located on a side of the fan (4) close to the auxiliary mold (1) and in the exhaust direction of the fan (4).

3. The prepreg paving preforming tooling according to claim 2, characterized in that: An air temperature probe (6) is arranged on a side of the heating wire (3) away from the fan (4), and the air temperature probe (6) is used to monitor the air temperature and generate an air temperature signal. The air temperature probe (6) is electrically connected to a controller, and the controller is used to adjust the temperature of the heating wire (3) according to the air temperature signal.

4. The prepreg paving preforming tooling according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heating device is provided with a cylindrical cover (8) with openings at both ends; an air outlet gap exists between the opening at one end of the cover (8) close to the auxiliary mold (1) and the auxiliary mold (1).

5. The prepreg paving preforming tooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The auxiliary mold (1) is concave on one side close to the first space to form a concave surface, and the distance between each part of the concave surface and the first paving surface is equal.

6. The prepreg paving preforming tooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The auxiliary mold (1) is provided with a plurality of heat sinks (7) arranged and distributed on one side close to the first space.

7. The prepreg paving preforming tooling according to claim 2, characterized in that: A tooling temperature probe (5) is provided on the auxiliary mold (1), and the tooling temperature probe (5) is used to collect the temperature of the auxiliary mold (1) and generate a mold temperature signal. The tooling temperature probe (5) is electrically connected to a controller, and the controller is used to control the start and stop of the heating wire (3) according to the mold temperature signal.

8. The prepreg paving preforming tooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base (2) comprises a bottom plate (22) and four side plates (21) slidably connected to the bottom plate; a first space formed by the four side plates (21) surrounding the bottom plate (22) is a rectangular space; every two opposite side plates (21) form a group, and the two side plates (21) in a group can slide in directions away from or close to each other.

9. The prepreg paving preforming tooling according to claim 8, characterized in that: The bottom plate (22) is provided with four slide bars (9) corresponding to the four side plates (21) respectively, and the slide bar (9) is provided with a plurality of limiting holes along its length direction; a groove is provided at one end of the side plate (21) close to the bottom plate (22), and the groove is slidably connected to the slide bar (9); the side plate (21) is provided with a connecting hole that passes through the groove walls on both sides of the groove and is connected to the inside of the groove, and the position of the side plate (21) and the slide bar (9) is fixed by bolts passing through the corresponding connecting holes and the limiting holes.

Images