FORMING METHOD FOR A VEHICLE SPEAKER GRILLE

Abstract

A forming process for a vehicle speaker grille is disclosed.The disclosed molding process for a vehicle speaker grille comprises a molding process for transferring a printed film onto an injection-molded product; and a post-process for processing the injection-molded product onto which the printed film is transferred, wherein the molding process includes loading a printed film between a first mold and a second mold, closing the first mold and the second mold, injecting a resin between the printed film and a concave section of the irregularity, transferring a section of the printed film, opening the first mold and the second mold, and removing the injection-molded product; and the post-process includes removing the transferred section, which is not the top surface of the injection-molded product, from the transferred printed film by injecting air into the top surface of the removed printed film.

Description

BACKGROUND area

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a molding method for a vehicle speaker grille, and more particularly to a molding method for a vehicle speaker grille with improved process efficiency compared to a painting process. Description of the state of the art

[0002] A vehicle is equipped with an audio system, and a speaker grille is provided inside the vehicle as part of a speaker assembly. The speaker grille is a cover for a speaker assembly and serves to protect a speaker unit while simultaneously emitting speaker sound to the outside.

[0003] Typically, the vehicle speaker grille is made of plastic or metal, but recently, as the vehicle interior has become more important, speaker grilles with improved aesthetics are being manufactured by combining plastic and metal. Specifically, an inner cover is made of plastic, an outer cover is made of metal, and the outer cover is stacked on top of the inner cover to create the vehicle speaker grille.

[0004] The automotive speaker grille was traditionally manufactured by painting (coating) the outer cover onto the inner cover. However, the painting process not only involves many processing steps but also generates volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the materials used in the painting process, causing health problems for workers and air pollution.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a molding process and a post-process that can replace the conventional painting process in the molding process for manufacturing a vehicle speaker grille, thereby increasing the efficiency and stability of the process and providing an environmentally friendly molding process. SUMMARY

[0006] An object to be achieved by the present disclosure is to provide a molding method for a vehicle speaker grille capable of producing the vehicle speaker grille with improved aesthetics.

[0007] An object to be achieved by the present disclosure is to provide a molding method for a vehicle speaker grille with improved process efficiency.

[0008] An object to be achieved by the present disclosure is to provide a molding method for a vehicle speaker grille with improved integrity of the products.

[0009] An object to be achieved by the present disclosure is to provide a molding method for a vehicle speaker grille with improved process reliability.

[0010] An object to be achieved by the present disclosure is to provide an environmentally friendly molding method for a vehicle speaker grille.

[0011] A molding method for a vehicle speaker grille according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a molding process for transferring a printed film to an injection-molded product; and a post-process for processing the injection-molded product to which the printed film is transferred, the molding process including loading a printed film between a first mold provided with a film molding groove part and a second mold provided with an insert part facing the film molding groove part and provided with a plurality of irregularities, mold-closing the first mold and the second mold so that an upper surface of the irregularity is in contact with the printed film, injecting a resin between the printed film and a concave portion of the irregularity, and transferring a portion of the printed film in contact with the injection-molded product.to the injection-molded product side by heat of the injection-molded product, and the mold opening of the first mold and the second mold and removing the injection-molded product to which the printed film is transferred, and the post-process includes removing the transferred portion, which is not the upper surface of the injection-molded product, from the transferred printed film by injecting air into the upper surface of the removed printed film.

[0012] The post-process may further include removing microburrs from the printed film by rubbing the upper surface of the removed printed film with a brush.

[0013] The forming process may further include curing the removed printed film.

[0014] The forming process may further include vacuum forming the loaded printed film into the film forming groove portion.

[0015] The molding process may include moving a support member provided on an outer side of the second mold to the first mold to press and fix the loaded printed film.

[0016] The concave portion may be provided in the form of a hole recessed in the second mold, and the molding process may further include processing the transferred printed film such that a size of the hole in the transferred printed film is smaller than that of the hole in the injection-molded product.

[0017] In the forming process, the printed film may be provided with a metallic material.

[0018] In the molding process, the injection-molded product may be made of a resin having a color that contrasts with a color of the printed film.

[0019] The film molding groove part may be recessed in the first mold, and the insert part may protrude toward the first mold, and the film molding groove part is larger than the insert part, and in the molding process, when a resin is injected between the printed film and the concave portion of the irregularity, and when the portion of the printed film in contact with the injection-molded product is transferred to the injection-molded product side by the heat of the injection-molded product, the resin may also be injected between the concave portion provided on an outermost side of the insert part and an inner side surface of the film molding groove part.

[0020] The molding process may use ultraviolet rays when curing the removed printed film.

[0021] The present disclosure provides a molding method for a vehicle speaker grille capable of producing the vehicle speaker grille with improved aesthetics.

[0022] The present embodiment provides a molding method for a vehicle speaker grille with improved process efficiency.

[0023] The present embodiment provides a molding method for a vehicle speaker grille with improved product integrity.

[0024] The present embodiment provides a molding method for a vehicle speaker grille with improved process reliability.

[0025] The present disclosure provides an environmentally friendly molding method for a vehicle speaker grille.

[0026] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned above will be obvious to a person skilled in the art from the following description.

[0027] The objects to be achieved by the present disclosure, the means for achieving the objects, and the effects of the present disclosure described above do not indicate essential features of the claims, and thus the scope of the claims is not limited to the disclosure of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The above and other aspects, features and other advantages of the present disclosure will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a state before an injection-molded product and a printed film are assembled in a vehicle speaker grille according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view illustrating a surface of the vehicle speaker grille according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when the injection-molded product and the printed sheet are assembled; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a step in which the printed film is loaded during a molding process of the vehicle speaker grille according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a step of vacuum forming the printed film during the molding process of the vehicle speaker grille according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a step of mold closing a first mold and a second mold during the molding process of the vehicle speaker grille according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a step of injecting a resin and transferring a printed film during the molding process of the vehicle speaker grille according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a step in which the first mold and the second mold are mold-opened during the molding process of the vehicle speaker grille according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a step of curing the extracted printed film during the molding process of the vehicle speaker grille according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an air shower step during a post-process of the vehicle speaker grille according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a brushing step during the post-process of the vehicle speaker grille according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

[0029] Hereinafter, the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and exemplary embodiments as follows. Scales of components illustrated in the accompanying drawings differ from actual scales for the purpose of description, so the scales are not limited to those illustrated in the drawings.

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are presented in order to sufficiently convey the idea of ​​the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. The present disclosure is not limited only to the embodiments shown below, but may also be embodied in other forms. In order to clarify the present disclosure, parts unrelated to the description may be omitted, and a size of components may be slightly exaggerated to facilitate understanding.

[0031] Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a state before an injection-molded product 100 and a printed film 200 are assembled in a vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view illustrating a surface of the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when the injection-molded product 100 and the printed sheet 200 are assembled.

[0032] With reference to the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure consists of an outer cover and an inner cover having a plurality of holes. The outer cover is disposed toward a passenger inside the vehicle and is mainly made of a metallic material, and the inner cover is disposed behind the outer cover and is mainly made of a plastic material.

[0033] When the inner cover and the outer cover are coupled, an inner peripheral surface of a hole in the inner cover can be seen through a hole in the outer cover, as shown in Fig. 2. In other words, a hole 110 in the injection-molded product is exposed to the vehicle's passengers through a hole 210 in the printed film, which will be described later. Therefore, a color of the inner cover can be provided to contrast with a color of the outer cover, thereby enhancing the aesthetics of the speaker grille 10.

[0034] Conventionally, the outer cover on the inner cover was formed through a painting process, but this process is complex and generates volatile organic compounds (VOCs), causing health problems for workers and air pollution. Therefore, embodiments of the present disclosure solve the conventional problems by replacing the painting process with a molding process and a post-process.

[0035] The molding method for the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure largely includes the molding process and the post-process. The molding process is a process for transferring the printed film 200, which will become the outer cover, to the injection-molded product 100, which will become the inner cover, and the post-process is a process for increasing the integrity of the products by processing the injection-molded product 100 to which the printed film 200 is transferred after the molding process.

[0036] The Fig. 3 to Fig. 8 illustrate the molding process of the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and the Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 illustrate the post-process of the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a step in which the printed film 200 is loaded during the molding process of the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] With reference to Fig. 3, the components for molding the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure include a first mold 300 and a second mold 400.

[0039] One of the first mold 300 and the second mold 400 is a fixed mold, and the other is a movable mold. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first mold 300 is provided as a fixed mold, and the second mold 400 is provided as a movable mold.

[0040] The first mold 300 includes a film mold groove portion 310 recessed on a mold closing surface, and the second mold 400 includes an insert portion 410 protruding from a mold closing surface. The insert portion 410 faces the film mold groove portion 310 but is provided with a plurality of irregularities 411. The irregularity 411 includes a convex portion 411B protruding toward the first mold 300 and a concave portion 411A recessed toward the second mold 400 based on the insert portion 410.

[0041] When the first mold 300 and the second mold 400 are opened, the printed film 200 is loaded between the first mold 300 and the second mold 400. The printed film 200 may be provided in a roll-to-roll manner on the mold closing surface of the first mold 300. The printed film 200 may be made of a metallic material. The metallic material refers to a metal material mainly composed of metal elements or metal alloys, and therefore, a metallic film refers to a thin film composed of metal layers. However, the printed film 200 of the present disclosure is not limited to the metallic material and includes non-metallic materials or non-metallic materials that look like metallic materials.

[0042] The printed film 200 can be formed by stacking a plurality of layers. Specifically, the printed film 200 can be layered with a carrier film, a release layer, a colored layer, and an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer can serve to increase the bond strength with the injection-molded product 100, and the release layer can serve to separate the transferred printed film 200 from the carrier film.

[0043] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a step of vacuum forming the printed film 200 during the molding process of the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] With reference to Fig. 4, the loaded printed film 200 can be vacuum formed into the film forming groove part 310. In this case, the printed film 200 can be vacuum formed to adhere to an inner surface of the film forming groove part 310 and conform to the shape of the inner surface.

[0045] The loaded printed film 200 can be pressed and fixed before or simultaneously with vacuum forming with a support member 420 provided on an outer side of the second mold 400. Specifically, the support member 420 can pressurize and fix the loaded printed film 200 by moving toward the first mold 300 by a mechanical or electronic method. Therefore, the next process can be performed stably by fixing the position of the loaded printed film 200 on the mold closing surface of the first mold 300.

[0046] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the mold closing step of the first mold 300 and the second mold 400 during the molding process of the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a step of injecting a resin and transferring the printed film 200 during the molding process of the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] With reference to the Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the second mold 400, which is a movable mold, moves toward the first mold 300, which is a fixed mold, and the first mold 300 and the second mold 400 are mold-closed. In this case, the support member 420 is inserted into a receiving portion provided in the second mold 400 so that a surface of the support member 420 forms the same area as the mold-closing surface of the second mold 400.

[0048] Next, the resin is injected between the printed sheet 200 and a concave portion 411A of the irregularity 411 to become the injection-molded product 100. The resin may be a plastic resin formed by a polymerization reaction, and the injected molten resin has high heat. Accordingly, the portion of the printed sheet 200 that is in contact with the injection-molded product 100 in the printed sheet 200 is transferred to the injection-molded product 100 by the heat of the injection-molded product 100.

[0049] A concave portion 411A of the irregularity 411 serves as a cavity into which the resin is injected, and a convex portion 411B of the irregularity 411 serves to block between the concave portion 411A and the concave portion 411B. When the concave portion 411A is provided in the form of a hole recessed in the second mold 400, the injection-molded product 100 is formed with a hole 110 in the injection-molded product, and the transferred printed film 200 is also provided with a hole 210 in the printed film.

[0050] The film mold groove part 310 is recessed in the first mold 300, and the insert part 410 is formed to protrude toward the first mold 300, however, the film mold groove part 310 may be provided to be larger than the insert part 410. Therefore, the resin may also be injected between the concave portion 411A provided on an outermost side of the insert part 410 and an inner side surface of the film mold groove part 310, so that the outermost side of the injection-molded product 100 and the outermost side of the transferred printed film 200 can be provided in a curved shape.

[0051] The injection-molded product 100 may be manufactured with a resin having a color that contrasts with a color of the printed film 200. For example, the printed film 200 may be a metallic color made of a metallic material, and the injection-molded product 100 may be a single color, such as yellow, blue, or red. Therefore, when the inner cover and the outer cover are coupled, as shown in Fig. 2, the metallic colored surface of the printed film 200 can be seen, and the monochromatic inner peripheral surface of the injection hole can be seen through the hole 210 in the printed film, thereby enhancing the aesthetics of the speaker grille 10.

[0052] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a step in which the first mold 300 and the second mold 400 are mold-opened during the molding process of the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] With reference to Fig. 7, after the first mold 300 and the second mold 400 have been opened, the injection-molded product 100, onto which the printed film 200 is transferred, can be removed.

[0054] When the concave portion 411A of the irregularity 411 has a hole shape recessed in the second mold 400, the injection-molded product 100 and the transferred printed film 200 each have the hole 110 in the injection-molded product and the hole 210 in the printed film. In this case, since the hole 110 in the injection-molded product and the hole 210 in the printed film have the same size, after removing the injection-molded product 100 to which the printed film 200 has been transferred, the transferred printed film 200 can be processed so that the size of the hole 210 in the transferred printed film is smaller than the size of the hole 110 in the injection-molded product. The processing process can be carried out after the injection-molded product 100 to which the printed film 200 has been transferred has been removed, or before it is cured, or after it has been removed and cured.Although a separate process is added to make the hole 210 in the transferred printed film large, the aesthetics can be improved by further exposing the injection-molded product 100, which is the inner cover, to the outside.

[0055] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a step of curing the extracted printed film 200 during the molding process of the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] With reference to Fig. 8, after removing the injection-molded product 100 to which the printed film 200 is transferred, a step of curing the removed printed film 200 may be further included. In this case, the curing device 500 used may use ultraviolet rays.

[0057] The molding process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure transfers the printed sheet 200 through the heat of the injection-molded product 100. The purpose of the molding process is to form the hole 210 in the printed sheet 200 to correspond to the hole 110 in the injection-molded product, but the heat transferred from the injection-molded product 100 to the printed sheet 200 cannot be fully controlled, so a problem occurs in which the hole 210 in the printed sheet is not properly formed. In other words, the printed sheet 200 may cover the hole 110 in the injection-molded product without providing the hole 210 in the printed sheet. Therefore, to avoid such problems, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides the post-process to improve the integrity of the product after the molding process.

[0058] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an air shower step during the post-process of the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] With reference to Fig. 9, in the air shower step, by injecting air into the upper surface of the removed printed film 200, the transferred portion other than the upper surface of the injection-molded product 100 can be removed from the transferred printed film 200.

[0060] An air shower device 600 used in the air shower may be provided with an inlet opening through which air flows in on one side and an outlet opening through which air flows out on a surface opposite the transferred printed film 200. A plurality of outlet openings may be provided, and the outlet opening may be smaller than the inlet opening so that the pressure of the outflowing air is greater than the pressure of the inflowing air.

[0061] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a brushing step during the post-process of the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] With reference to Fig.10, in the brushing step, the microburrs of the printed film 200 can be removed by rubbing the upper surface of the removed printed film 200 with the brush of the brushing device 700. In this case, the microburr is a thin, rib-shaped excess part that occurs during metal processing, etc. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the injection-molded product 100 is exposed to the exterior through the hole 210 of the printed film to improve the aesthetics of the vehicle interior. Accordingly, the process of removing the microburrs such that the size of the hole 210 is constant among the plurality of printed films and the size of the hole 210 in the individual printed film is not larger than the size of the hole 110 in the injection-molded product plays an important role in improving the aesthetics of the vehicle interior. Brushing can be performed after air-washing.

[0063] The molding method for the vehicle speaker grille 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a molding process of transferring the printed film 200 to the injection-molded product 100 by the heat of the injection-molded product 100, so it is possible to improve the efficiency of the process compared to the painting process, improve the stability of the process while implementing the environmentally friendly process because the volatile organic compounds generated from the painting material are not generated, and improve the integrity of the vehicle speaker grille 10 by the air shower device 600 and the brushing device 700 after the molding process. The vehicle speaker grille 10 manufactured in this way not only improves the aesthetics of the vehicle interior but also increases the marketability of the vehicle.

Claims

[1] A molding method for a vehicle speaker grille, comprising: a molding process of transferring a printed film to an injection-molded product; and a post-process of processing the injection-molded product to which the printed film is transferred, wherein the forming process includes loading a printed film between a first mold provided with a film forming groove part and a second mold provided with an insert part opposite to the film forming groove part and provided with a plurality of irregularities, mold closing the first mold and the second mold so that an upper surface of the irregularity is in contact with the printed film, Injecting a resin between the printed film and a concave portion of the irregularity, and transferring a portion of the printed film in contact with the injection-molded product to the injection-molded product side by heat of the injection-molded product, and Opening the first mold and the second mold and removing the injection-molded product to which the printed film is transferred, and The post-process involves removing the transferred portion, which is not the upper surface of the injection-molded product, from the transferred printed film by injecting air into the upper surface of the removed printed film. [2] The method according to claim 1, wherein the post-process further includes removing microburrs of the printed film by rubbing the upper surface of the removed printed film with a brush. [3] The method of claim 1, wherein the forming process further includes curing the removed printed film. [4] The method of claim 1, wherein the forming process further includes vacuum forming the loaded printed film into the film forming groove portion. [5] The method according to claim 1, wherein the molding process includes moving a support member provided on an outer side of the second mold to the first mold to press and fix the loaded printed film. [6] The method according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion is provided in the form of a hole recessed in the second mold, and the molding process further includes processing the transferred printed film so that a size of the hole in the transferred printed film is smaller than that of the hole in the injection-molded product. [7] The method according to claim 1, wherein in the forming process the printed film is provided with a metallic material. [8] The method according to claim 1, wherein in the molding process, the injection-molded product is made of a resin having a color that contrasts with a color of the printed film. [9] The method according to claim 1, wherein the film molding groove part is recessed in the first mold, and the insert part protrudes toward the first mold, and the film molding groove part is larger than the insert part, and in the molding process, when a resin is injected between the printed film and the concave portion of the irregularity, and when the portion of the printed film in contact with the injection-molded product is transferred to the injection-molded product side by the heat of the injection-molded product, the resin is also injected between the concave portion provided on an outermost side of the insert part and an inner side surface of the film molding groove part. [10] The method according to claim 3, wherein the forming process uses ultraviolet rays when curing the removed printed film.

Images