Overmolding bushing for an injection-molded part

Abstract

Overmolding bushing (100) for an injection molded part (200) comprising: - a cylindrical section (110), and - a collar (130) arranged on a first end section (118) of the cylinder section (110), which is formed with at least one overmolding segment (136, 137, 138, 139), wherein the at least one overmolding segment (136, 137, 138, 139) is lowered relative to the first end section (118) in the direction of a second end section (119) of the cylinder section (110).

Description

[0001] The proposed solution concerns an overmolding bushing for an injection-molded part.

[0002] Bushings can be incorporated into injection-molded parts to provide a reinforced opening. Such bushings for providing reinforced openings, particularly threaded openings, are generally known in the field of injection molding. For example, after injection molding, bushings can be inserted into a hole in a separate process and crimped to prevent them from falling out. The use of overmolded bushings, which are inserted into the injection mold and overmolded during the injection molding process, is also generally known. However, such overmolded bushings require a more geometrically complex design to achieve a retaining mechanism. This can increase the cost of overmolded bushings compared to crimped bushings.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need to improve overmolded bushings, especially with regard to unit costs.

[0004] This problem is solved with an overmolding bushing for an injection-molded part according to claim 1.

[0005] According to this, the proposed injection molding bushing has at least the following features: - a cylindrical section, and - a collar arranged on a first end section of the cylinder section, which is formed with at least one overmolding segment, wherein the at least one overmolding segment is lowered relative to the first end section in the direction of a second end section of the cylinder section.

[0006] The cylindrical section has a substantially hollow cylindrical shape. Accordingly, the cylindrical section has an inner diameter that, when properly assembled in an injection-molded part, defines an opening on a surface of the part. The first end section of the cylindrical section lies on or near the surface of the injection-molded part. The second end section, opposite the first end section along a longitudinal axis, lies within the injection-molded part. In the properly assembled state, parts of the collar abut the surface of the injection-molded part. The at least one overmolded segment, however, forms a depression within the collar with a depth along the longitudinal axis. In other words, the at least one overmolded segment is displaced relative to the rest of the collar along the longitudinal axis in the direction of the second end section.The at least one overmolded segment is therefore located within a volume of the injection-molded part when properly assembled. This secures the overmolded bushing within the injection-molded part against falling out. This enables a cost-effective and efficient retention system. Furthermore, riveting is unnecessary. This can reduce the manufacturing costs for injection-molded parts with embedded bushings.

[0007] For proper assembly, the overmolded bushing can be placed onto an assembly tool equipped with a pin. The pin can be positioned within the cylinder section. The pin can then be positioned on an injection mold such that the attached overmolded bushing lies within a volume defined by the injection mold for receiving a molten material. Injecting and solidifying the material creates the injection-molded part, which incorporates the overmolded bushing at the position defined by the assembly tool.

[0008] The term "essentially hollow cylindrical" encompasses not only hollow cylinders in the strictly geometric sense but also other rotationally symmetrical hollow shapes. In particular, "essentially hollow cylindrical" is also understood to include a shape whose inner diameter is not identical along its entire longitudinal axis. This also includes cylindrical sections that are closed at the second end, i.e., have a bottom. This can prevent the molten material from penetrating the cylindrical section during injection molding.

[0009] According to one possible embodiment of the proposed overmolded bushing, the cylinder section can be conical. Accordingly, the inner diameter of the cylinder section can taper towards one of the end sections along the longitudinal axis. This can improve the strength of the overmolded bushing as intended.

[0010] In particular, the overmolding bushing can be designed in a variant without a structured inner or outer surface of the cylinder section, especially without a thread, with the conical cylinder section.

[0011] For example, the at least one overspray segment can be arranged at a position of the cylinder section that is shifted towards the second end section. Thus, a non-zero distance, measured along the longitudinal axis, can exist between the at least one overspray segment and the remaining collar.

[0012] According to a further embodiment of the proposed overmolded bushing, at least one overmolded segment can be designed with an embossed feature. Accordingly, the overmolded segment can be a depression formed by deforming the collar material. This can reduce the manufacturing costs for the overmolded bushing.

[0013] For example, at least one overmolding segment can be formed in one piece with an adjacent part of the collar. The collar can be formed without any cuts. This can increase its strength.

[0014] According to a further embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing, the at least one overmolding segment can be designed with at least one radial cut in the collar. This radial cut can laterally delimit the at least one overmolding segment. The cut edge can thereby provide an anti-rotation feature for the overmolding bushing.

[0015] For example, the collar can have multiple radial cuts, with each pair of cuts defining an overmolding segment of the collar. This can improve the anti-rotation properties. The at least one overmolding segment can be connected to the rest of the collar at a radially inner edge.

[0016] According to a further embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing, the at least one overmolding segment, bounded by at least one radial cut, can be angled. In other words, to achieve the countersinking effect, the at least one overmolding segment can be bent towards the second end section, such that the at least one overmolding segment has a non-zero inclination relative to the rest of the collar. This ensures that at least parts of the at least one overmolding segment lie within the injection-molded part when properly assembled, thus achieving the retention feature.

[0017] According to a further embodiment of the proposed overmolding sleeve, the collar can be designed with a plurality of overmolding segments distributed along a collar circumference. This can improve the retention of the sleeve.

[0018] For example, a surface segment of the collar can be located between each pair of overmolding segments. The number of surface segments can correspond to the number of overmolding segments. Surface segments and overmolding segments can alternate along the collar circumference.

[0019] According to a further embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing, the majority of overmolding sections can be equidistantly distributed. This means that all surface segments can have the same area and all overmolding segments can have the same area. This can enable a more uniform force transmission from the bushing into the injection-molded part.

[0020] According to a further embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing, the collar can be designed with more than two, in particular three, preferably four, overmolding segments. This can enable a high service life of the assembled overmolding bushing while simultaneously providing effective retention.

[0021] According to a further embodiment of the proposed overmolded bushing, the cylinder section can be designed with an internal thread. This allows for the insertion of a thread made of one material into an injection-molded part made of a second material. This can enable robust and durable threads in lightweight, cost-effective injection-molded parts.

[0022] According to a further embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing, the cylinder section and the collar can be formed in one piece. This can increase the load-bearing capacity of the overmolding bushing when installed as intended.

[0023] According to a further embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing, the cylinder section and / or the collar can be made of a metallic material. In particular, the cylinder section and collar can be made of a durable material such as stainless steel. This can reduce abrasion and corrosion.

[0024] Alternatively, the cylinder section and / or the collar can be made of a plastic, e.g., a thermoset or thermoplastic. This can reduce costs.

[0025] Furthermore, the aforementioned task is also solved by a door module carrier for installation in a vehicle door. In this case, the proposed door module carrier can be designed with at least one overmolded bushing of the proposed type.

[0026] A door module carrier allows for the integration of multiple vehicle functional elements into a pre-assembled and pre-testable unit. These functional elements could include, for example, a window regulator, a door lock, a door handle, wiring harnesses, and / or a speaker. After pre-assembly and possible preliminary testing, the door module carrier can be attached as a whole to the door frame of a vehicle door.

[0027] For this purpose, the door module carrier typically has multiple mounting points for attaching it to the door body. Additional mounting points are usually required to connect the various functional elements to the door module carrier. At least one of the mounting points on the door module carrier can be designed with an overmolded bushing of the proposed type. For example, this mounting point can provide a through-hole for a rivet or a threaded opening for a screw.

[0028] According to a further embodiment of the proposed door module carrier, the carrier can be formed with an injection-molded part in which the at least one overmolded bushing is encapsulated. In other words, the entire door module carrier does not have to be manufactured using injection molding. Accordingly, the door module carrier can also include other parts not manufactured using injection molding, in addition to the at least one overmolded bushing. However, the door module carrier can also consist solely of an injection-molded part and the at least one overmolded bushing. This can enable lightweight and cost-effective door module carriers with durable and robust mounting points.

[0029] According to a further embodiment of the proposed door module carrier, the injection-molded part can be made of a plastic. The plastic could, for example, be a thermoplastic. This can further reduce costs.

[0030] Furthermore, the aforementioned task is also accomplished by a vehicle door with the proposed door module carrier. This can increase the vehicle door's lifespan and reduce costs.

[0031] The vehicle door can comprise an outer door skin and an inner door skin in addition to the door module carrier. The door module carrier can be positioned between the outer and inner door skins and connected to them. Fasteners can extend through through-holes in the door module carrier, which are reinforced with the proposed overmolded bushings. Alternatively or additionally, the door module carrier can be secured with screws that engage in threaded openings in the door module carrier. These threaded openings can be formed with the proposed overmolded bushings.

[0032] The inner door skin can be connected to the outer door skin or the door module carrier. The door module carrier and / or the inner door skin can define a wet area and separate it from a dry area in the vehicle interior.

[0033] The proposed statements regarding the advantages and possible design of the proposed overmolding bushing also apply analogously to the proposed door module carrier and the proposed vehicle door.

[0034] The attached figures illustrate possible implementation variants of the proposed solution.

[0035] This shows: Fig. 1A a top view of a first embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing, Fig. 1B a cross-section through the overmolding bushing Fig. 1A, Fig. 2A, Fig. 2B Illustrations of the overmolding bushing from Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B in a properly assembled state, Fig. 3A a cross-section of a further embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing with internal thread, Fig. 3B a cross-section of the overmolding bushing Fig. 3A in its intended installed state, Fig. 4A a perspective view of another embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing with angled overmolding segment and a radial section, Fig. 4B a perspective view of a further embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing with two radial sections, Fig. 5 a perspective view of a further embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing with three angled overmolding segments, Fig. 6A a perspective view of a further embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing with three embossed overmolding segments, Fig. 6B a cross-section of the overmolding bushing Fig. 6A in its intended installed state, and Fig. 7 an exploded view of a door assembly with the proposed door module carrier.

[0036] Fig. Figure 1A shows a top view of an overmolded bushing 100 of the proposed type. This bushing has a collar 130 formed with a circular disk of width 132. Below the Fig. A cylindrical section 110 is arranged on the collar 130 shown in Figure 1A, and is connected to the collar 130 via a first end section 118. Both the collar 130 and the cylindrical section 110 are configured to define an opening in an injection-molded part 200 when properly assembled and have an inner diameter 112 for this purpose. The collar 130 is formed with an overmolded segment 136, which is lowered towards a second end section 119 of the cylindrical section 110.

[0037] The relative position of the overspray segment 136 is particularly evident in a side view, as shown in Fig. 1B is shown.

[0038] Fig. Figure 1B shows a cross-section through the overmolding bushing 100 made of Fig. 1A along the marked cutting plane. How Fig. As clearly shown in Figure 1B, the collar 130 is located at the first end section 118 of the cylinder section 110. For clarity, parts of the collar 130 lying outside the plane of the section are shown with a dashed line. The overmolded element is displaced along a longitudinal axis 102 of the cylinder section 110 relative to a remaining portion of the collar 130 by a depth 140 in the direction of the second end section 119. Thus, the overmolded segment 136 is positioned, in its intended assembled state, to lie below a surface of the injection-molded part 200 in order to provide a retaining feature.

[0039] The properly assembled state of the overmolding bushing 100 from the Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B is in the Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B is shown here. Fig. 2A a top view of an injection molded part 200 marked with hatching and with embedded overmolding bushing 100. Fig. 2B shows a cross-section along the in Fig. 2A marked cutting plane.

[0040] Fig. 2A shows in the area of ​​the in Fig. Figure 1A shows that the overmolding segment 136 is covered by an overmolded area 202 of the injection-molded part 200. Therefore, the overmolding segment 136 is not located on the surface of the injection-molded part 200 like the rest of the collar 130, but rather within it.

[0041] This connection is also evident from the Fig. Figure 2B shows the overmolded area 202 of the injection-molded part 200 above the overmolding segment 136. Therefore, the overmolded bushing 100 cannot slip out of the injection-molded part 200 along its longitudinal axis 102. The overmolding segment 136 thus provides the anti-slip feature.

[0042] In further embodiments, the cylinder section 110 can also be configured differently. In particular, the cylinder section 110 can have an inner diameter 112 that varies along the longitudinal axis 102. Furthermore, the cylinder section 110 can also be configured with an internal thread 120.

[0043] This is shown by the Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B Cross-sections of an embodiment with internal thread 120, wherein the overmolding bushing 100 is made of Fig. 3A in Fig. Figure 3B shows the part as intended when mounted in an injection-molded part 200. Here, the mounted overmolded bushing 100 defines a threaded opening facing the surface of the injection-molded part 200.

[0044] Fig. Figure 4A shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing 100. At one point, the collar 130 has a radial cut extending from an outer edge towards an inner edge, without reaching it. The cut defines an edge of the overmolding segment 139. To provide the recess by a depth of 140 towards the second end section 119, the overmolding segment 139 is angled, or inclined, relative to the remaining part of the collar 130.

[0045] Fig. Figure 4B shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing 100 with an angled overmolding segment 137. In contrast to the one in Fig. In the embodiment shown in 4A, the collar 130 of the overmolding bushing 100 has Fig. 4B makes two radial cuts extending from an outer edge towards an inner edge. The two cuts define two edges of the overspray segment 137.

[0046] In principle, the number of overmolding segments is not limited, regardless of the embodiment according to the proposed solution.

[0047] Fig. Figure 5 shows a perspective view of an embodiment with three angled overmolding segments 137. The individual overmolding segments 137 correspond to those from Fig. 4B.

[0048] In principle, the at least one overspray segment can be provided not only by angling a laterally bounded area of ​​the collar 130. It is also conceivable and possible to shift a planar part of the collar 130 along the longitudinal axis 102 in the direction of the second end section 119.

[0049] Such a displaced overmolding segment 136, 138 can be designed accordingly without inclination relative to the rest of the collar 130. For example, such a displacement can be achieved by means of an embossing process.

[0050] This is shown by the Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B a corresponding embodiment of the proposed overmolding bushing 100 with embossed overmolding segments 138.

[0051] Fig. Figure 6A shows a perspective view. Three embossed overmolding segments 138 are arranged equidistantly along the circumference of the collar 130. Each overmolding segment 138 has a flat bottom section that is essentially parallel to a remaining part of the collar 130. The bottom section is bounded laterally and towards the inner opening by inclined sections. The three overmolding segments 138 are thus designed to be at least partially covered by a material when properly assembled, in order to ensure retention.

[0052] The properly assembled state is exemplified in the Fig. 6B as a cross-section through the in Fig. Figure 6A shows the overmolded bushing 100. As described above, the injection-molded part 200 in which the overmolded bushing 100 is embedded also includes an overmolded part 202, which is arranged above the overmolded segment 138. The overmolded bushing 100 is thus secured against falling out.

[0053] In principle, the proposed overmolded bushing 100 can be used to provide reinforced openings in a variety of injection-molded parts 200 made of a metallic material or plastic. In particular, the overmolded bushing 100 can be used as a spacer bushing, a through hole, or a threaded opening.

[0054] Fig. Figure 7 shows an exemplary use of the proposed overmolding bushing 100 in a door module carrier 330 of a vehicle door 300. The vehicle door 300 comprises an outer door skin 310. A door module carrier 330 is connected to the outer door skin 310 and, in the illustrated embodiment, delimits a wet area of ​​the vehicle door 300 from an interior space. An inner door skin 320 is arranged on the door module carrier 330. It would also be conceivable that the wet area is separated from the interior space, or the dry area, by the door module carrier 330 in conjunction with the inner door skin 320. Furthermore, the inner door skin 320 can also be directly connected to the outer door skin 310. The door module carrier 330 can also be connected to the inner door skin 320 or to both the inner door skin 320 and the outer door skin 310.

[0055] The door module carrier 330 comprises a base body made of an injection-molded part 332, which is connected to a plurality of functional elements such as a window regulator assembly and a loudspeaker. In principle, other and additional functional elements are of course conceivable. The injection-molded part 332 has a plurality of through-holes 334, each reinforced with an overmolded bushing 100 of the proposed type. The door module carrier 330 is configured via these through-holes 334, in which the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, the outer door skin 310 is to be connected to the outer door skin by means of fasteners 336. The number of through holes 334 for receiving fasteners 336 can, in principle, differ from the number shown. It is also conceivable that the injection-molded part 332 is additionally or alternatively designed with openings that provide a threaded opening by means of an overmolded bushing 100.

[0056] The proposed solution is not limited to the specific embodiments discussed here. Rather, the proposed solution encompasses any combination of features from the discussed embodiments, provided that these can be combined in a feasible manner by those skilled in the art. Reference symbol list 100 overmolding bushings 102 Longitudinal axis 110 cylinder section 112 inner diameter 114 Outer diameter 116 wall thickness 118 first final section 119 second final section 120 internal threads 130 collars 132 width 134 strength 136, 137, 138, 139 Overspray segment 140 depth 200 injection-molded parts 202 oversprayed section 300 vehicle doors 310 Door outer skin 320 Door inner skin 330 door module carriers 332 Injection molded part 334 Through hole 336 Fasteners

Claims

[1] Including an overmolding bushing (100) for an injection-molded part (200): - a cylindrical section (110), and - a collar (130) arranged on a first end section (118) of the cylinder section (110), which is formed with at least one overmolding segment (136, 137, 138, 139), wherein the at least one overmolding segment (136, 137, 138, 139) is lowered relative to the first end section (118) in the direction of a second end section (119) of the cylinder section (110). [2] Overmolding bushing (100) according to claim 1, characterized by , that at least one overmolding segment (136, 137, 138, 139) is formed with an embossing. [3] Overmolding bushing (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the at least one overmolding segment (136, 137, 138, 139) is formed with at least one radial cut in the collar (130). [4] Overmolding bushing (100) according to claim 3, characterized by, that the at least one overspray segment (136, 137, 138, 139) bordered by at least one cut is angled. [5] Overmolding bushing (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the collar (130) is formed with a plurality of overspray segments (136, 137, 138, 139) distributed along a collar circumference. [6] Overmolding bushing (100) according to claim 5, characterized by , that the majority of overspray segments are equidistantly distributed. [7] Overmolding bushing (100) according to claim 6, characterized by , that the collar (130) is formed with 3 or 4 overmolding segments (136, 137, 138, 139). [8] Overmolding bushing (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the cylinder section (110) is conical. [9] Overmolding bushing (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the cylinder section (110) is formed with an internal thread (120). [10] Overmolding bushing (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the cylinder section (110) and the collar (130) are formed in one piece. [11] Overmolding bushing (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the cylinder section (110) and the collar (130) are made of a metallic material. [12] Door module carrier (330) for mounting in a vehicle door (300), wherein the door module carrier (330) is designed with at least one overmolded bushing (100) according to one of the preceding claims. [13] Door module carrier (330) according to claim 12, characterized by , that the door module carrier (330) is formed with an injection-molded part (200) manufactured by injection molding, in which the at least one overmolded bushing (100) is embedded. [14] Door module carrier (330) according to claim 13, characterized by , that the injection molded part (200) is made of a plastic. [15] Vehicle door (300) comprising a door module carrier (330) according to one of claims 12 to 14.

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