Method for manufacturing a padded interior component for a vehicle and interior component

Abstract

The invention relates, among other things, to a method for manufacturing a padded interior part (10) of a vehicle with a base element (11) having a filling opening (15) and a cover (12) as well as with a filling device (18) with a nozzle (17) with outlet opening (23) for filling a foam material (22) to produce the upholstery foam (22) as well as with a tool mold (20) with a mold cavity (14). The special feature of the procedure consists of the following procedural steps. - Providing the base element (11) and attaching the cover (12) to the base element (11) in such a way that a filling space (27) is formed bounded by the base element (11) and the cover (12), which is accessible via the filling opening (15), - Inserting the assembly consisting of base element (11) and reference (12) into the tool mold (20), - Positioning the nozzle (17) of the filling device (18) on the side of the filling opening (15) of the base element (11) facing away from the filling chamber (27), - Pouring the foaming material (22) into the filling chamber (27), - Closing the filling opening (15) by means of a sealing closing element (35), - Curing of the foam material (22) to form a cushioning foam (26), - Removal of the component (10) from the mold (20).

Description

[0001] The invention relates firstly to a method for manufacturing a vehicle equipment component.

[0002] For the purposes of this invention, a vehicle can be a land, air or water vehicle.

[0003] Such a process is known from prior use. The vehicle component is manufactured using an in-situ process; that is, a cover is attached to a base element, creating a filling chamber, and foam is then poured into this chamber. The mixing head of the filling device has a filling nozzle with an outlet opening from which the foaming material for foam production emerges. The filling nozzle has a diameter that ensures rapid material input. To prevent material from escaping the workpiece after the foam has been poured, the filling opening in the base element was kept small. High pressure was necessary for filling to ensure efficient material input into the filling chamber and to prevent premature solidification of areas of the liquid foaming material.

[0004] The difference between the diameter of the nozzle's outlet and the filling opening was bridged with a nozzle, which was placed on the nozzle and inserted through the filling opening into the filling chamber. The nozzle was disposed of as waste after each filling process. This incurred costs and harmed the environment. Furthermore, a significant amount of foam remained in the discarded nozzle, which also represented a loss. Additionally, the nozzle tip formed a kind of mold core, so that after the nozzle was removed, the foam in the component exhibited a void-like cavity, which was undesirable.

[0005] When using the nozzle, the low flow rates posed a risk of premature solidification in some areas of the cushion, while in other areas the foam material remained liquid. This uneven solidification could lead to structural changes and inhomogeneities. Interfaces could form in the solidified cushion foam where unconnected material zones abutted one another.

[0006] US Pat. No. 6,068,338 concerns a headrest manufactured using the in-situ process. The openings for inserting a support rod bracket are designed to be kept small.

[0007] EP 1 842 648 A2 describes a headrest comprising a base body, a cover, and a filling material which is filled into a cavity using an in-situ process. The description also covers the attachment and bonding of the cover to the base body using the foam.

[0008] German patent DE 10 2014 207 577 B4 describes a headrest produced using an in-situ method. The cover is placed around a base body so that it rests against a side of the base body facing away from the filling area. This prevents the foam from escaping in this area.

[0009] According to a first aspect, the object of the invention was to create a method for manufacturing a vehicle equipment part in which faster filling of the foaming agent is possible and which is improved in terms of quality, cost and ecological aspects.

[0010] The problem was solved by a method having the features of claim 1.

[0011] In the method according to the invention for producing an upholstered vehicle trim part, a base element having a filling opening and, in addition, a cover are provided. Furthermore, a filling device is provided with a nozzle having an outlet opening, which is intended for filling with a foam material to produce the upholstery foam. The term "foam material" refers to the material that forms a foam through the reaction of the components, which solidifies to form an upholstery foam. The foam material is generally liquid when poured into the filling chamber. Furthermore, a mold with a shaping mold cavity is provided, with which an upholstery part can be produced using the in-situ process.

[0012] First, the base element is prepared, and the cover is attached to it in such a way that a filling chamber is formed between the base element and the cover, which is accessible via the base element's filling opening. The cover is attached in such a way that no foam material can escape between the cover and the base element. For example, the cover is clamped or glued to the base element. In principle, however, any suitable attachment method can be used.

[0013] The assembly consisting of the base element and the reference is then arranged relative to a mold in such a way that at least one area of ​​the reference can adhere to the mold wall of the mold cavity, so that the area of ​​the fitting part, after the foam has hardened, takes on a shape that is reflected in the shape of the mold cavity.

[0014] A nozzle of the filling device, with an outlet opening for feeding the foaming material, is positioned on the area of ​​the filling opening of the base element facing away from the filling chamber, such that the outlet opening of the nozzle and the filling opening of the base element are aligned. The nozzle can be positioned manually or by means of a drive mechanism.

[0015] The liquid foaming material, which reacts after being poured to form a foam cushion, is injected into the filling chamber. This is done, for example, under high pressure, so that a certain amount of material is conveyed per second.

[0016] After a sufficient amount of foaming material has been filled into the filling chamber, the nozzle of the filling device is removed from the filling opening.

[0017] The component remains in the mold for a defined period of time to allow the material to harden into a cushioning foam.

[0018] The finished fitting is then removed from the mold.

[0019] The inventive method offers the advantage that, due to the larger filling opening, more material can be filled into the filling chamber per unit of time. Therefore, a higher throughput of parts is possible. Due to the larger quantity of foaming material conveyed and the improved flow dynamics, premature solidification of areas within the filling chamber does not occur, so that no inhomogeneities are present in the produced component.

[0020] No nozzle is required to adapt the outlet opening to the filling opening, resulting in cost savings and the elimination of plastic waste. The costs associated with providing the nozzles are also avoided, as is the material loss caused by residue in the nozzle. Furthermore, the manufactured component is free of any void created by the nozzle tip in the solidified upholstery foam. In other words, the invention improves both quality and cost-effectiveness. The process is also advantageous from an environmental perspective due to the elimination of the nozzles and improved material utilization.

[0021] For example, the filling chamber is filled with a material flow of 300–500 g / s of foam material through the filling opening. This filling time far exceeds that of a conventional filling method using a filling nozzle. Filling can therefore be carried out more quickly, and inhomogeneities in the upholstery foam are avoided due to the almost uniform solidification of the foam material throughout the entire filling chamber.

[0022] To prevent the foam material from leaking out of the filling opening, it is sealed with a closing element after the filling chamber is filled with foam material, thus preventing any material from escaping. The closing element can remain with the product or alternatively be reused after the upholstery foam has hardened. For example, the closing element can be attached to the base element – ​​e.g., by clipping it on. Once hardened, no more upholstery foam will escape from the filling opening.

[0023] The closing element is held to the filling opening, for example, by a device. The device can, for example, merely fix the closing element in position. Additionally, the device can, for example, press the closing element against the base element in such a way that pressure exerted by the filling chamber cannot dislodge the closing element from the filling opening.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the process, the locking element is removed from the base element after the upholstery foam has solidified and reused. It can be part of the mold or a separate device. This saves costs because a locking element does not need to be provided for every component to be produced.

[0025] For example, the filling opening is approximately the same size as the outlet opening of the nozzle or larger. These features ensure that no material impacts a surface adjacent to the filling opening and therefore does not enter the filling chamber. Preferably, the filling opening is larger than the outlet opening, so that even with small positioning tolerances, it is ensured that no material reaches the adjacent surface. The filling opening has, for example, a diameter of 10 mm or more.

[0026] The nozzle rests on the base element for filling purposes, for example. This contact can provide centering, for example. It can also prevent splashes of material from hitting the edge of the filling opening.

[0027] For example, an edge region of the filler opening of the base element has a centering structure that interacts with the filler neck during filling. The centering structure can be formed, for example, by a bead or a conical depression. The centering contour is designed such that the outlet opening and the filler opening are aligned with each other.

[0028] The piece of equipment is, for example, an armrest, an armrest support, a console with armrest support, or a headrest.

[0029] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a vehicle equipment component. Such an equipment component is, for example, a headrest for a vehicle seat, a center console, or an armrest for a vehicle seat.

[0030] To manufacture a component, the in-situ method was used, as described above in relation to the first aspect of the invention, in accordance with prior use. During the manufacturing process, a filling nozzle was used, the end of which was connected to a port of the filling device. A seat of the nozzle was then fitted onto the port. The nozzle formed an adapter that reduced the large outlet opening of the port for dispensing the foaming material to a small outlet opening corresponding to the filling opening of the base element.

[0031] The tip of the nozzle was therefore designed with a smaller diameter than the outlet opening of the spout. The tip was inserted into a filling opening in the base. This opening was kept small to prevent plastic from leaking out during or after filling. In other words, the nozzle served to adapt between the diameter of the spout's outlet opening and the smaller diameter of the filling opening on the base or cover.

[0032] The nozzle tip was inserted approximately 3 to 5 cm into the filling chamber to inject the foam material. The nozzle tip formed a mold-like placeholder, around which a cavity was created in the foam of the upholstery component after the foam had hardened and the nozzle was removed. Furthermore, due to the relatively low material feed rate per second into the filling chamber, inhomogeneity could occur in the upholstery foam, as areas of already injected foam solidified faster than areas injected later. This could result in unconnected foam zones within the upholstery component.

[0033] The void caused by the tip of the nozzle, as well as the inhomogeneity, represented a quality disadvantage of the upholstery. The consumption of nozzles and the foam material they contained during disposal constituted a financial loss and, from an ecological perspective, could be improved.

[0034] The purpose of the invention was to create a cushioning component that allows for faster filling of the foam material. Furthermore, the finished component was intended to be improved upon the prior art in terms of cost, quality, and environmental impact.

[0035] The problem was solved by a component with the features of claim 8.

[0036] The vehicle accessory component comprises a base element with a filling opening through which foam material can be added via a nozzle of a filling device, and a cover attached to the base element. The cover is attached to the base element in such a way that a filling chamber is formed in which a filling material in the form of upholstery foam is arranged.

[0037] The diameter of the filling opening is at least 10 mm so that the foam can be filled into the filling chamber without reducing the diameter of the outlet opening of the nozzle of a filling device.

[0038] The diameter corresponds, for example, to the diameter of the outlet opening of the filling device's nozzle or is larger. Liquid foaming material can be poured into the filling opening via this outlet opening. The diameter of the outlet opening of a standard filling device's nozzle is, for example, 10 mm or larger, particularly 12 mm. If the outlet opening has a diameter matching that of the filling opening, its positioning must be precise. If the filling opening is larger than the outlet opening, even a slight misalignment will prevent the foaming material from reaching any edge area adjacent to the filling opening.

[0039] The base element is equipped, for example, with a centering structure designed to work in conjunction with the filling nozzle to center the material during filling. These features prevent the alignment of the outlet and filling openings from being disrupted due to inaccurate positioning of the nozzle or movement of the base element during filling, thus preventing foam material from flowing onto the base element next to the filling opening.

[0040] The opening is dimensioned, for example, to allow a material flow rate of 300-500 g / s. This high material input per second prevents uneven solidification and the resulting inhomogeneities.

[0041] The component has no voids in the area of ​​the upholstery foam that would otherwise be caused by the core effect of the grommet. This results in a higher quality component.

[0042] The foam in the filling chamber of the fitting is homogeneous. This means that there are no boundary areas within the foam where unconnected foam zones meet. A loss of quality in the in-situ molded foam part, which could manifest itself, for example, as defective dimensional stability of the fitting, is thus avoided.

[0043] The equipment component is in particular an armrest, a console or a headrest, each with a basic element, a cover and a cushioning foam.

[0044] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in the following description of the figures, also with reference to the drawings. For the sake of clarity, identical or comparable parts, elements, or areas are designated with the same reference numerals, sometimes with the addition of lowercase letters, even where different embodiments are concerned.

[0045] Features described only in relation to one embodiment can also be provided in any other embodiment of the invention. Such modified embodiments are included in the invention, even if they are not shown in the drawings.

[0046] All disclosed features are essential to the invention in their own right. The disclosure of the application hereby fully incorporates the disclosure content of the cited documents and the described prior art devices, also for the purpose of incorporating individual or multiple features of these documents into one or more claims of the present application.

[0047] It shows Fig. 1 a cross-section through a tool mold during the in-situ production of a headrest according to the prior art, with a filling device and a filling nozzle, Fig. 2 the tool shape from the prior art according to Fig. 1, wherein a nozzle of the filling device and the nozzle were removed, Fig. 3 a sectional view of a basic element of a piece of equipment with a cover attached to it, Fig. 4 a sectional view of a tool shape into which the base part is inserted according to Fig. 3 including cover was inserted, Fig. 5 the sectional view according to Fig. 4, wherein the nozzle of a filling device was positioned at the filling opening of the base element, Fig. 6 the sectional view according to Fig. 4, wherein a closing element was arranged on the filling opening of the base element, Fig. 7 a sectional view according to Fig. 4, whereby the locking element was removed and the fitting part with the hardened foam was taken out of the tool mold.

[0048] From prior public use, fittings 10' are known that were manufactured using the in-situ process. In the process, for example, a base element 11 - in the present case, the base element of an armrest of a vehicle seat - was provided with a cover 12 by attaching the cover 12 to the base element 11 by means of a fastening 13, so that a filling space 27 was formed (see Fig. 1).

[0049] In the case of a headrest as an accessory component, the basic element 11 was, for example, previously provided with support rods or a support rod bracket. The basic element 11 was then positioned relative to a mold 20 such that the cover 12 could rest against an inner wall 28 of a mold cavity 14 of the mold 20 in order to form the outer shape of at least one area of ​​the accessory component.

[0050] A nozzle 17 of a filling device 18 with an outlet opening 23 for dispensing foaming material 22 was provided at one end 29 with a filling nozzle 16. A pin section 32 of the filling nozzle 16 had a channel 31 with a diameter d'. The filling nozzle 16 formed a nozzle which reduced the diameter D' of the outlet opening 23 to the diameter d'.

[0051] The channel 31 extended from the seat 24 to at least one outlet 19 in the pin region 32. The outlet 19 of the channel 31 was located at an end region 33 of the filler spout 16. The outer diameter d of the pin region 32 was therefore also reduced compared to that of the nozzle 17. This was due to the formation of a small filler opening 15' in the base element 11.

[0052] A section of the pin area 32 was inserted, for example, through the opening 15' of the base element 11 into the filling space 27 and a foam material 22 was filled from an outlet opening 23 of the nozzle 17 via the channel 31 into the filling space 27.

[0053] The reduction of the diameter D' of the outlet opening to a diameter d' of a channel 31 of the pin area 32 was carried out to keep the opening 15' small, with the aim of minimizing the amount of foaming material 22 escaping from the opening 15' after filling. The end section 33 of the filling nozzle 16 was left in the filling chamber 27 until the foaming material 22 solidified into a foam 26 and was then removed.

[0054] The foaming material 22 also solidified in the filling nozzle 16, necessitating its replacement and disposal after each foaming process. Over the course of many foaming processes, the solidified foaming material 22 in the filling nozzle 16 represented a significant loss. This was in need of improvement from both economic and environmental perspectives. Furthermore, the filling nozzle 16 itself represents a considerable loss of material and costs when a large number of products are manufactured.

[0055] In addition, the filling nozzle 16 left an undesirable cavity 25 after the foam 26 had solidified and was removed from the filling chamber 27 (see Fig. 2) in the equipment part 10', which represented a quality defect.

[0056] The reduced diameter of the channel 31 compared to the outlet opening 23 allowed only a limited throughput of foaming material 22. This could lead to zones of differently solidified foam 26 within the filling chamber 27, resulting in material inhomogeneity. Interfaces 34 formed, bordering unconnected foam areas. These disadvantages warranted improvement from a quality, cost, and environmental perspective.

[0057] The method according to the invention, which is described in Fig. The method shown in Figures 3 to 7 improves these deficiencies. This is described below.

[0058] According to Fig. 3, a base element 11 and a cover 12 are provided. The cover 12 is attached to the base element 11 by means of a fastener 13 such that a filling chamber 27 is formed. The base element 11 has a filling opening 15, which is slightly larger than an outlet opening 23 of a nozzle 17 for filling with a foam material 22. The nozzle 17 is part of a filling device 18, which is not shown in detail here. For example, the outlet opening 23 has a diameter of approximately 12 mm and the filling opening 15 has a diameter of approximately 14 mm.

[0059] The basic element 11 with the reference 12 is positioned relative to a tool shape 20 in a seat 24 such that the reference can rest against an inner wall 28 of a mold cavity 14 of the tool shape 20 (see Fig. 4) The nozzle 17 is movable and can be positioned by a drive (not shown) such that the outlet opening 23 of the nozzle 17 is aligned with the filling opening 15 (see Fig. 5).

[0060] An optional centering structure 21—here in the form of an annular bead—provides, for example, a positioning aid. If the positioning device for the nozzle 17 is highly accurate, the centering structure 21 can be omitted. The filling chamber 27 is then filled with foam material 22 via the filling opening 15 directly from the outlet opening 23, with the cover 12 resting against the inner wall 28 and the shape of a portion of the fitting 10 being molded from the mold cavity 14.

[0061] Once the filling chamber 27 has been sufficiently filled, the nozzle 17 is removed from the base element 11, and a closing element 35 is sealingly positioned on the filling opening 15 so that no foam material 22 can escape from the filling chamber 27. The closing element 35 is held on the filling opening 15, for example, with a device 36 or, alternatively, fastened with conventional fastening means.

[0062] In the present example, the locking element 35 is part of the tool and is reused. Therefore, a locking element 35 does not need to be provided for each component 10 to be produced.

[0063] Alternatively, a locking element is used which remains attached to the base element. This can, for example, be clipped onto the base element 11 or attached to the base element 11 in another way.

[0064] A curing period follows, during which the foam material 22 reacts to form a solid foam 26. After the foam 26 has cured, the closure element 35 is removed. It is then reused indefinitely. The fitting part 10 is then removed from the mold.

[0065] Alternatively, a locking element can be used which is attached to the base element and remains on the fitting. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] US 6,068,338

[0006] EP 1 842 648 A2

[0007] DE 10 2014 207 577 B4

[0008]

Claims

[1] Method for producing an upholstered equipment part (10) of a vehicle with a base element (11) having a filling opening (15) and a cover (12) and with a filling device (18) with a nozzle (17) with an outlet opening (23) for filling in a foam material (22) to produce the upholstery foam (22) and with a tool mold (20) with a mold cavity (14), characterized by following procedural steps - Providing the base element (11) and fastening the cover (12) to the base element (11) in such a way that a filling space (27) is formed, which is accessible via the filling opening (15), delimited by the base element (11) and the cover (12), - Inserting the assembly consisting of the base element (11) and the cover (12) into the tool mould (20), - positioning the nozzle (17) of the filling device (18) on the side of the filling opening (15) of the base element (11) facing away from the filling chamber (27), - Filling the foam material (22) into the filling chamber (27), - closing the filling opening (15) by means of a sealing closing element (35), - hardening the foam material (22) to form a cushioning foam (26), - Removal of the fitting part (10) from the tool mould (20). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that the filling chamber (27) is filled with a material flow of 300-500 g / s through the filling opening (15). [3] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the closing element (35) is held on the filling opening (15) by a device (36). [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the closing element (35) is removed from the base element (11) after the filling process and reused. [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the filling opening (15) corresponds approximately to or is larger than an outlet opening (23) of the nozzle (17). [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the nozzle (17) for filling rests on the base element (11). [7] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the base element (11) is provided with a centering structure (21) which interacts with the nozzle (17) to center it during filling. [8] Equipment part of a vehicle with a base element (11) having a filling opening (15) through which foam material (22) can be filled by means of a nozzle (17) of a filling device (18), with a cover (12) fastened to the base element (11), wherein the cover (12) is fastened to the base element (11) in such a way that a filling space (27) is formed in which a filling material in the form of a cushioning foam (26) is arranged, characterized bythat the diameter of the filling opening (15) is at least 10 mm, so that foam material (22) can be filled into the filling space (27) without reducing the diameter of the outlet opening (23) of the nozzle (17), wherein the cured cushioning foam (26) is formed free of cavities (25) which are formed due to the core effect of a filling tool. [9] Equipment part according to claim 8, characterized by that the base element (11) is provided with a centering structure (21) which is designed to cooperate with the nozzle (17) in a centering manner during filling. [10] Equipment part, characterized by that the upholstery foam (26) of the equipment part (10) is homogeneous. [11] Equipment part, characterized by that the filling opening (15) is dimensioned such that it allows a material flow of 300 - 500 g / s. [12] Equipment part according to one of the preceding claims and designed as an armrest, console or headrest.

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