Painting method for producing a painted exterior trim part for a vehicle

Abstract

A painting method for manufacturing a painted exterior trim panel (1) for a vehicle, wherein the exterior trim panel (1) has at least one opening (2) and at least one cover (3) which closes the opening (2) of the exterior trim panel (1) at its later installation location on the vehicle. The cover (3) or a partial segment (3') of the cover is fixed in a separate holder (5) of the exterior trim panel (1) during painting, wherein this fixation can be released without stressing the locking elements (5, 8) of the cover (3) or the partial segment (3') of the cover.

Description

[0001] A painting process for manufacturing a painted exterior trim part for a vehicle is known from the prior art, wherein the exterior trim part has at least one opening and at least one closing cover which closes the opening of the exterior trim part at the later installation location of the exterior trim part on the vehicle, comprising the following steps: Providing the outer cladding part with a visible side to be painted, providing the closure cover with a visible side to be painted, or providing a partial segment of the closure cover with a visible side to be painted, wherein the partial segment forms the closure cover together with a supporting structure at the later installation site, applying at least one coat of paint to the visible side of the outer cladding part and to the visible side of the closure cover or the partial segment of the closure cover by means of a painting device, wherein at least one undercut locking element is provided on the closure cover, which is spring-loaded to connect the closure cover to the outer cladding part at the later installation location by means of the locking element, or wherein at least one undercut locking element is provided on the partial segment of the closure cover, which is spring-loaded to connect the partial segment to the supporting structure at the later installation location by means of the locking element, wherein the outer cladding part has a holder for the closure cover or the partial segment of the closure cover spaced apart from the opening, wherein the closure cover or the partial segment of the closure cover is held in the holder during the application of the paint layer to its visible side.

[0002] The corresponding procedure is disclosed in the patent application DE 10 2015 122 231 A1.

[0003] A disadvantage of this method is that the locking element is subjected to stress when removed from its holder after the paint coating has been applied, impairing its dimensional accuracy and function at its intended installation location. This is particularly true if the cover or sub-segment still has a temperature elevated above room temperature due to a drying step after the paint coating has been applied. Furthermore, disassembly from the holder can sometimes be difficult, as the locking element is not easily accessible by hand.

[0004] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a painting method for producing a painted exterior trim part for a vehicle, which avoids the problem of pre-damage to the locking element and at the same time enables easy removal of the locking element from the holder.

[0005] This problem is solved according to the invention by a painting process for producing a painted exterior trim part for a vehicle, wherein the exterior trim part has at least one opening and at least one closing cover which closes the opening of the exterior trim part at the later installation location of the exterior trim part on the vehicle, comprising the following steps: Providing the outer cladding part with a visible side to be painted, providing the closure cover with a visible side to be painted, or providing a partial segment of the closure cover with a visible side to be painted, wherein the partial segment forms the closure cover together with a supporting structure at the later installation site, applying at least one coat of paint to the visible side of the outer cladding part and to the visible side of the closure cover or the partial segment of the closure cover by means of a painting device, wherein at least one undercut locking element is provided on the closure cover, which is spring-loaded to connect the closure cover to the outer cladding part at the later installation location by means of the locking element, or wherein at least one undercut locking element is provided on the partial segment of the closure cover, which is spring-loaded to connect the partial segment to the supporting structure at the later installation location by means of the locking element, wherein the outer cladding part has a holder for the closure cover or the partial segment of the closure cover spaced apart from the opening, wherein the closure cover or the partial segment of the closure cover is held in the holder during the application of the paint layer to its visible side, wherein the holder for the closure cover or for the partial segment of the closure cover is formed by a slot-shaped recess in the outer cladding part,which is dimensioned such that the undercut locking element engages behind the recess and thereby fixes the closure cover or the partial segment of the closure cover in the holder on the outer cladding part, wherein the recess is open on one of its narrow sides and closed again by a spring-loaded stop, wherein after the application of the paint layer, the locking element can be removed laterally by deflecting the stop without having to deflect the spring-loaded locking element itself.

[0006] The inventive method makes it possible to easily disassemble the closure cover or the partial segment without mechanically stressing the locking element.

[0007] It may be provided that the deflection of the stop is done manually. For this purpose, an extended lever may be molded onto the stop.

[0008] It may be provided that at least one further undercut locking element is provided on the closure cover or on the partial segment of the closure cover, which is spring-loaded, wherein at least one further slot-shaped recess is formed in the outer cladding part, which is dimensioned such that the further undercut locking element engages behind the further recess and thereby additionally fixes the closure cover or the partial segment of the closure cover to the outer cladding part, wherein one of the narrow sides of the further recess opens towards a removal opening, so that when the locking element is removed laterally, the further locking element simultaneously enters this removal opening and can be removed without having to deflect the spring-loaded further locking element.

[0009] It may be intended that the additional locking element also serves to connect the closure cover to the outer cladding part at the later installation location using the additional locking element, or to connect the sub-segment to the supporting structure at the later installation location using the additional locking element.

[0010] It may be provided that the locking element and / or the further locking element is or are formed by an undercut locking projection which is spring-loaded on a connecting arc. Such locking elements are also referred to as torsion clips, since the central part is spring-loaded and can be twisted.

[0011] It may be provided that the bracket and the closure cover or the bracket and the sub-segment are coordinated and designed in such a way that the visible side of the closure cover or the visible side of the sub-segment is held in the same orientation to the painting device as the orientation of the visible side of the closure cover or sub-segment to the painting device that the visible side would assume when the opening is closed, so that when the outer cladding part and closure cover or sub-segment are painted simultaneously, the paint layer on the area of ​​the outer cladding part adjacent to the opening and the paint layer of the closure cover or the paint layer of the sub-segment have a uniform appearance.

[0012] It may be provided that the holder for the closure cover or the holder for the sub-segment is formed integrally with the outer cladding part, in particular injection-molded together with the outer cladding part from a plastic material. The plastic material may in particular comprise polypropylene, especially a polypropylene-EPDM compound.

[0013] The closure lid or the sub-segment may be designed as a single piece. The closure lid or the sub-segment may, in particular, consist of a polycarbonate+PBT blend.

[0014] It can be provided that the molded-on bracket has a distance in the range of 3 cm to 50 cm, in particular in the range of 4 cm to 25 cm, most preferably in the range of 5 cm to 15 cm from the center of the opening.

[0015] The bracket may be molded onto the outer panel via a predetermined breaking point and detached at this point after the paint layer has been applied to the cover or the segment. This detachment can occur during pre-assembly of the outer panel or during final assembly onto the vehicle.

[0016] The mounting bracket may be molded into an edge area of ​​the outer trim panel. For example, in the case of a bumper cover, this edge area could encompass the connection area to adjacent components that will no longer be visible at the final installation location on the vehicle, as they will be concealed by these adjacent components. In the case of a bumper cover, this could particularly include those edge areas that will later be covered by a vehicle light, a design trim piece, a strip, or a separate part of the bumper cover.

[0017] It may be provided that the opening in the outer cladding part is intended for access to a towing element, a headlight cleaning system, a fuel filling element, a charging connection element, a jack point, or a trailer hitch.

[0018] The exterior trim component may be a bumper cover, a fender cover, a rocker panel cover, a door outer panel, or a front panel. A front panel is the part of a vehicle where the radiator grille was located in combustion engine vehicles. Particularly in electric vehicles, this front panel is no longer designed as an air intake for the radiator (which is no longer present), but rather as a design element in the center of the vehicle.

[0019] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to figures illustrating only exemplary embodiments. Identical or functionally equivalent elements are designated with the same reference numerals.

[0020] They show: Fig. 1: a partial segment of a closure cover intended for the painting process to produce a painted trim part; Fig. 2: the partial segment made of Fig. 1 , which together with a supporting structure forms a closure lid; Fig. 3 - 4: two rear views of the assembled closure lid made of Fig. 2 Fig. 5: a rear view of the bracket in the outer cladding part for the in Fig. 1 shown partial segment of the closure cover; Fig. 6: a front view of the bracket in the outer cladding part for the in Fig. 1 Fig. 7: the partial segment of the closure cover shown; Fig. 7: inserting the partial segment into the holder; Fig. 8: the partial segment held in the holder; Figs. 9-10: further views of the partial segment held in the holder; Figs. 11-13: views of how the locking element is laterally removed from the recess in the holder by deflecting the stop; Fig. 14: view of an outer cladding part with an opening.

[0021] In the following Figuren 1 bis 13 The coating process according to the invention is described: Painting method for producing a painted exterior trim part 1 for a vehicle, wherein the exterior trim part 1 has at least one opening 2 (cf. Fig. 15 ) and at least one sealing cap 3 (see Fig. 3 und 4 ) which closes the opening 2 of the outer panel part 1 at the later installation location of the outer panel part on the vehicle (see Fig. 15 ), comprising the following steps: providing the outer cladding part 1 with a visible side 20 to be painted, providing a partial segment 3' of the closure cover with a visible side 30 to be painted, wherein the partial segment 3' together with a supporting structure 3" forms the closure cover 3 at the later installation location (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 - 4 ), applying at least one coat of paint to the visible side 20 of the outer cladding part 1 and to the visible side 30 of the sub-segment 3' of the closure cover by means of a painting device (not shown in detail, wherein the coat of paint does not necessarily have to cover the entire visible sides 20 and 30), wherein at least one undercut locking element 4 is provided on the sub-segment 3' of the closure cover, which is spring-loaded in order to connect the sub-segment 3' to the supporting structure 3" at the later installation location by means of the locking element 4 (cf. Fig. 1 - 4 ), wherein the outer cladding part 1 has a holder 5 spaced apart from the opening 2 for the sub-segment 3' of the closure cover (cf. Fig. 5 - 7 and Fig. 16 ), wherein the sub-segment 3' of the closure lid is held in the holder 5 during the application of the lacquer layer to its visible side 30 (cf. Fig. 8 - 10 ), wherein the holder 5 for the partial segment 3' of the closure cover is formed by a slot-shaped recess 6 in the outer cladding part 1, which is dimensioned such that the undercut locking element 4 engages behind the recess 6 and thereby fixes the partial segment 3' of the closure cover in the holder 5 on the outer cladding part 1 (cf. Fig. 5 - 8 ), wherein the recess 6 is open on one of its narrow sides and is closed again by a spring-loaded stop 7 (cf. Fig. 7 - 10 ), whereby after the application of the lacquer layer, by deflecting the stop 7 (cf. Fig. 11 - 13 ), the locking element 4 can be removed laterally (see below). Fig. 13 (Removal direction into the plane of the figure) without having to deflect the spring-loaded locking element 4. The deflection can be done manually, for example. As can be seen in the figures, an extended lever is molded onto the stop 7 for this purpose.

[0022] At least one further undercut locking element 8 is provided on the sub-segment 3' of the closure cover (cf. Fig. 1 ), which is spring-elastically mounted, wherein at least one further slot-shaped recess 9 (cf. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 ) is formed in the outer cladding part 1, which is dimensioned such that the further undercut locking element 8 engages behind the further recess 9 (cf. for example Fig. 8 ) and thereby additionally fixes the sub-segment 3' of the closure cover to the outer cladding part 1.

[0023] The additional locking element 8 also serves to connect the sub-segment 3' to the supporting structure 3" at the later installation site by means of the additional locking element (see Fig. 2 - 4 ).

[0024] One of the narrow sides of the further recess 9 opens towards a withdrawal opening 10 (cf. Fig. 5 - 8 ), so that when the locking element 4 is removed laterally, the further locking element 8 simultaneously enters this removal opening 10 and can be removed without having to deflect the spring-elastic further locking element 8 (cf. Fig. 11 -13 ).

[0025] The locking element 4 and the further locking element 8 are formed by an undercut locking projection which is spring-elastically mounted on a connecting arc (see Fig. 1 ).

[0026] The holder 5 and the sub-segment 3' can be coordinated and designed in such a way that the visible side 30 of the sub-segment 3' is held in the same orientation to the painting device as the orientation of the visible side 30 of the sub-segment 3' to the painting device that the visible side 30 would assume when the opening 2 is closed, so that when the outer cladding part 1 and the sub-segment 3' are painted simultaneously, the paint layer on the area of ​​the outer cladding part 1 adjacent to the opening 2 and the paint layer of the sub-segment 3' have a uniform appearance.

[0027] The bracket 5 for sub-segment 3' is formed in one piece with the outer cladding part 1, in particular injection molded together with the outer cladding part 1 from a plastic material.

[0028] The bracket 5 can be molded onto the outer cladding part 1 via a predetermined breaking point (not shown in detail here) and can be separated at the predetermined breaking point after the paint layer has been applied to the sub-segment 3'.

[0029] The bracket 5 is molded into an edge area 11 of the outer cladding part 1 (see Fig. 16 ). As in Fig. 14 und Fig. 15 As can be seen, the bracket is no longer visible at the later installation location on the vehicle, as it is covered by the adjacent components (here a design panel).

[0030] The opening 2 in the outer cladding part 1 may be provided for access to a towing element, a headlight cleaning system, a fuel filling element, a charging connection element, a jack receptacle, or a trailer coupling.

[0031] In this case, exterior trim part 1 is a bumper cover. However, it could also be, for example, a fender cover, a sill cover, a door outer panel, or a front panel.

Claims

1. Painting method for manufacturing a painted exterior trim part (1) for a vehicle, wherein the exterior trim part (1) has at least one opening (2) and at least one cover (3) which closes the opening (2) of the exterior trim part (1) at the later installation location of the exterior trim part (1) on the vehicle, comprising the following steps: - providing the exterior trim part (1) with a visible side (20) to be painted, - providing the cover (3) with a visible side (30) to be painted, or providing a partial segment (3') of the cover with a visible side (30) to be painted, wherein the partial segment (3') together with a supporting structure (3") forms the cover (3) at the later installation location,- Applying at least one coat of paint to the visible side (20) of the outer cladding part (1) and to the visible side (30) of the closure cover (3) or the partial segment (3') of the closure cover by means of a painting device, wherein at least one undercut locking element (4) is provided on the closure cover (3) which is spring-loaded in order to connect the closure cover (3) to the outer cladding part (1) at the later installation location by means of the locking element (4), or wherein at least one undercut locking element (4) is provided on the partial segment (3') of the closure cover which is spring-loaded in order to connect the partial segment (3') to the support structure (3") at the later installation location by means of the locking element (4), wherein the outer cladding part (1) has a holder (5) for the closure cover (3) or the partial segment (3') of the closure cover spaced apart from the opening (2),wherein the closure cover (3) or the partial segment (3') of the closure cover is held in the holder (5) during the application of the lacquer layer to its visible side (30), characterized by the fact that The holder (5) for the closure cover (3) or for the partial segment (3') of the closure cover is formed by a slot-shaped recess (6) in the outer cladding part (1), which is dimensioned such that the undercut locking element (4) engages behind the recess (6) and thereby fixes the closure cover (3) or the partial segment (3') of the closure cover in the holder (5) on the outer cladding part (1), wherein the recess (6) is open on one of its narrow sides and is closed again by a spring-loaded stop (7), wherein after the application of the paint layer, the locking element (4) can be removed laterally by deflecting the stop (7) without having to deflect the spring-loaded locking element (4).

2. Painting method according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that On the closure cover (3) or on the partial segment (3') of the closure cover, at least one further undercut locking element (8) is provided, which is spring-elastically mounted, wherein at least one further slot-shaped recess (9) is formed in the outer cladding part (1), which is dimensioned such that the further undercut locking element (8) engages behind the further recess (9) and thereby additionally fixes the closure cover (3) or the partial segment (3') of the closure cover to the outer cladding part (1), wherein one of the narrow sides of the further recess (9) opens towards a removal opening (10), so that when the locking element (4) is removed laterally, the further locking element (8) simultaneously enters this removal opening (10) and can be removed without having to deflect the spring-elastic further locking element (8).

3. Painting method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the locking element (4) and / or the further locking element (8) is formed by an undercut locking projection which is spring-elastically mounted on a connecting arc.

4. Painting method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact thatthe holder (5) and the closure cover (3) or the holder (5) and the sub-segment (3') are such that the visible side (30) of the closure cover (3) or the visible side (30) of the sub-segment (3') is held in the same orientation to the painting device, which corresponds to the orientation of the visible side (30) of the closure cover (3) or of the sub-segment (3') to the painting device that the visible side (30) would assume when the opening (2) is closed, so that when the outer cladding part (1) and closure cover (3) or sub-segment (3') are painted simultaneously, the paint layer on the area of ​​the outer cladding part (1) adjacent to the opening (2) and the paint layer of the closure cover (3) or the paint layer of the sub-segment (3') have a uniform appearance.

5. Method according to any of the foregoing claims, characterized by the fact thatthe holder (5) for the closure cover (3) or the holder (5) for the sub-segment (3') is formed integrally with the outer cladding part (1), in particular being injection molded together with the outer cladding part (1) from a plastic material.

6. Method according to any of the foregoing claims, characterized by the fact that the holder (5) is formed on the outer cladding part (1) via a predetermined breaking point and is separated at the predetermined breaking point after the application of the paint layer to the closure cover (3) or after the application of the paint layer to the sub-segment (3').

7. Method according to any of the foregoing claims, characterized by the fact that the holder (5) is molded into an edge area (11) of the outer cladding part (1).

8. Method according to any of the foregoing claims, characterized by the fact thatthe opening (2) in the outer cladding part (1) is provided for access to a towing element or a headlight cleaning system or a fuel filling element or a charging connection element or a jack receptacle or a trailer coupling.

9. Method according to any of the foregoing claims, characterized by the fact that the exterior trim part (1) is a bumper trim or a fender trim or a sill trim or a door outer trim or a front panel.

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