Resin product, and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

To provide a resin product having a fabric texture on a surface without increasing costs.SOLUTION: A resin product 10 comprises a main body portion 11 and a surface layer portion 12 located on the surface 11a side of the main body portion 11, and is an injection molded product in which at least a predetermined surface layer portion 12 is formed by injection molding of an elastomer. A portion 13 having a shape that resembles fabric is provided on a surface 12a of the predetermined surface layer portion 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a resin product and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly to a technique for manufacturing a resin product by injection molding. [Background technology]

[0002] As is well known, automobile interiors use interior materials in which fabric materials such as cloth are attached to the surface for the purpose of improving interior comfort through design and texture at low cost. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a composite sheet in which a woven fabric material is adhesively fixed to an acrylic resin sheet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-218432 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, to manufacture such interior materials, it is necessary to first mold the resin material that will become the main body of the interior material by injection molding or the like, cut a predetermined fabric according to the surface shape of the interior material, and then wrap and bond the fabric around the resin material. This process increases both material costs and labor costs, which may hinder efforts to reduce the overall cost of the automobile.

[0005] The above-mentioned problems are not limited to automobile interior materials, but can occur in all resin products that require a fabric-like surface.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, the technical problem to be solved in this specification is to provide a resin product having a fabric texture on the surface without increasing costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above-mentioned problems are solved by a resin product according to the present invention, which is characterized in that at least a predetermined surface layer portion is formed by injection molding of an elastomer, and that a portion having a shape simulating fabric is provided on the surface of the predetermined surface layer portion.

[0008] In the resin product according to the present invention, at least a predetermined surface layer of the resin product is formed by injection molding of an elastomer, and a portion having a shape simulating fabric is provided on the surface of the surface layer. By providing a portion having a shape simulating fabric on the surface of the predetermined surface layer of the resin product in this manner, the visual texture of fabric can be reproduced in the resin injection molded product without actually using fabric. Furthermore, by making the predetermined surface layer having a surface simulating fabric be an elastomer injection molded product, it is possible to reproduce the tactile feel of fabric while reducing material costs.

[0009] In addition, the resin product according to the present invention may further comprise a main body portion of the resin product located on the back side of the surface layer portion, the predetermined surface layer portion being formed by injection molding of an elastomer, and the main body portion being formed by injection molding of a plastic.

[0010] By forming the surface layer, which has a surface portion shaped to resemble fabric, by injection molding an elastomer, it is possible to reproduce the visual texture and feel of fabric while reducing material costs. Additionally, by forming the main body of the resin product by injection molding a plastic, it is possible to ensure the mechanical properties, such as hardness and rigidity, required for the entire resin product. Furthermore, if both the surface layer and the main body are formed by injection molding, for example, by forming the surface layer by injection molding using the main body as an insert part, it is possible to integrate the surface layer and the main body simultaneously with the injection molding of the surface layer. This allows for further reductions in manufacturing costs.

[0011] The above-mentioned problems can also be solved by a method for manufacturing a resin product according to the present invention, which is characterized in that at least a predetermined surface layer portion of the resin product is formed by injection molding of an elastomer using a predetermined mold, and the surface of the surface layer portion is molded using a molding surface of the mold that has a shape that imitates fabric.

[0012] In this way, in the manufacturing method according to the present invention, the surface of a predetermined surface layer of a resin product is molded using a molding surface of a mold shaped to resemble fabric, resulting in a portion shaped like fabric on the surface. This allows the visual texture of fabric to be reproduced in a resin injection-molded product without actually using fabric. Furthermore, by using an elastomer injection-molded product as the predetermined surface layer with a portion shaped like fabric on its surface, it is possible to reproduce the tactile feel of fabric while reducing material costs. Additionally, in the present invention, the surface of the surface layer is molded using a molding surface of a mold used for injection molding that resembles fabric, resulting in a portion shaped like fabric on the surface. This allows the portion shaped like fabric to be formed on the predetermined surface simultaneously with injection molding. This reduces the number of steps compared to when a portion shaped like fabric is formed on the surface of the surface layer by a predetermined process (e.g., laser processing) after injection molding, thereby enabling a reduction in manufacturing costs.

[0013] Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing a resin product according to the present invention, the main body of the resin product located on the back side of the surface layer portion may be formed by injection molding of plastic, and then one of the core and cavity constituting the mold may be moved in the mold opening direction to form a predetermined space between the molding surface and the surface of the surface layer portion, and an elastomer may be injection molded into the predetermined space to form the surface layer portion on the surface of the main body portion.

[0014] In this way, by forming the surface layer of a resin product by injection molding an elastomer and forming the main body of the resin product located behind the surface layer by injection molding a plastic that is harder and more rigid than the elastomer, it is possible to reproduce the visual texture and feel of fabric while keeping material and manufacturing costs low and ensure the required mechanical properties of the resin product. In addition, after forming the main body by injection molding, one of the core and cavity of the mold is moved in the mold opening direction to form a predetermined space between the molding surface and the surface of the surface layer, and then injection molding an elastomer into the predetermined space to form the surface layer on the surface of the main body. This allows the surface layer to be integrated with the main body of the resin product simultaneously while forming the surface layer by injection molding the elastomer. As described above, the manufacturing method of a resin product according to this configuration makes it possible to further reduce manufacturing costs. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] As described above, the resin product and the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention make it possible to provide a resin product having a fabric texture on the surface without increasing costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a resin product according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an injection molding device for explaining an example of a method for producing the resin product shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the state immediately after plastic is injected from the state shown in FIG. 2 to form the main body of the resin product. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the core has been moved a predetermined amount in the mold opening direction from the state shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which an elastomer is injected from the state shown in FIG. 4 to form a surface layer portion of a resin product. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A resin product and a method for manufacturing the same according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a resin product 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This resin product 10 is used, for example, as an interior material for an automobile, and comprises a main body portion 11 of the resin product 10 and a surface layer portion 12 formed on top of the main body portion 11. In this case, the design surface of the resin product 10 is formed by the surface 12a of the surface layer portion 12. In this embodiment, the entire surface 12a of the surface layer portion 12 forms the design surface of the resin product 10. Details will be described later.

[0019] The main body 11 constitutes the overall shape of the resin product 10 and, in this embodiment, is formed in the shape of a panel with a convexly curved design surface. The main body 11 is formed from a material different from that of the surface layer 12, specifically, plastic. Any type of plastic can be used without particular limitations. However, when considering forming the main body 11 by injection molding, thermoplastic plastics are preferred. Furthermore, when considering cost, general-purpose plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and ABS resin are preferred. Furthermore, the composition of the main body 11 is also generally arbitrary, and any substance (such as a fibrous reinforcing material) may be blended within a range that does not significantly increase costs and does not impair moldability (particularly injection moldability).

[0020] The surface layer 12 is formed so as to overlap at least a portion of the main body 11, and in this embodiment, the surface layer 12 is provided so as to overlap the entire surface 11a of one of the panel-shaped main body 11. In principle, the thickness of the surface layer 12 is arbitrary, and in this embodiment, it has a thickness approximately equal to that of the panel-shaped main body 11 (see FIG. 1).

[0021] The surface layer 12 is formed of a material different from that of the main body 11, specifically an elastomer. The elastomer usable here is not particularly limited, and any type of elastomer can be used. However, when considering forming the surface layer 12 by injection molding, a thermoplastic elastomer is preferable. Depending on the desired tactile feel of the surface 12a of the surface layer 12, the surface layer 12 may be formed into a foam structure (a structure with numerous voids inside) by foam molding the elastomer. Alternatively, when considering recyclability after use, the surface layer 12 may be formed by injection molding an elastomer based on the same material (thermoplastic plastic) as the main body 11. For example, when the main body 11 is formed by injection molding of polypropylene, as in the above example, the surface layer 12 may be formed by injection molding an elastomer based on polypropylene.

[0022] In this embodiment, as described below, the surface layer 12 is formed by injection molding of an elastomer using the main body 11 of the resin product 10 as an insert part, so that the surface layer 12 is integrated with the main body 11 with its back surface 12b and the surface 11a of the main body 11 in close contact with each other.

[0023] A portion 13 having a shape simulating fabric is provided on the surface 12a of the surface layer portion 12. Since this portion 13 having a shape simulating fabric is formed on the surface 12a of the surface layer portion 12, the portion 13 having a shape simulating fabric is made of the same material as the surface layer portion 12, i.e., elastomer. In this embodiment, the portion 13 having a shape simulating fabric is provided over the entire surface 12a of the surface layer portion 12.

[0024] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the resin article 10 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0025] 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an injection molding apparatus 20 relating to an example of a method for manufacturing the resin product 10 according to this embodiment. The injection molding apparatus 20 includes a pair of molds 21 and 22 and an injector (not shown) capable of injecting a thermoplastic material as an injection material into a space 23 (and a space 24 shown in FIG. 4) formed between the pair of molds 21 and 22.

[0026] The pair of molds 21, 22 are a core 21 and a cavity 22, and in this embodiment, the core 21 is provided with a first molding surface 21a that molds the back surface 11b of the main body portion 11, and the cavity 22 is provided with a second molding surface 22a that molds the front surface 11a of the main body portion 11 and the front surface 12a of the surface layer portion 12. Here, the second molding surface 22a corresponds to the molding surface according to the present invention.

[0027] The second molding surface 22a is provided with a portion having a shape obtained by inverting the portion 13 (see FIG. 1) having a shape resembling fabric provided on the design surface (surface 12a of the surface layer portion 12) of the resin product 10. Therefore, the portion 13 (see FIG. 1) having a shape resembling fabric is formed on the surface of the injection-molded product molded with this second molding surface 22a. The means for processing the portion having a shape resembling fabric on the second molding surface 22a is arbitrary, and one example is a method of forming a shape resembling fabric on the second molding surface 22a by laser processing based on an image obtained by scanning an actual fabric.

[0028] One of the core 21 and the cavity 22 is movable, and the other is fixed. In this embodiment, the core 21 is movable, and the cavity 22 is fixed.

[0029] An example of a process for injection molding the resin product 10 using the injection molding apparatus 20 having the above configuration will be described below.

[0030] First, as shown in Fig. 2, a thermoplastic material is injected from a first injector (not shown) into and fills a first space 23 defined between a pair of molds 21, 22 in a clamped state. Thereafter, the filled thermoplastic material is cooled and solidified, thereby forming a main body 11 having a shape corresponding to the first space 23 defined by the first molding surface 21a of the core 21 and the second molding surface 22a of the cavity 22 (see Fig. 3).

[0031] After the main body 11 of the resin product 10 has been formed by injection molding in this manner, the core 21 is moved in the mold opening direction, and the main body 11 molded immediately before is moved integrally with the core 21 while being in close contact with the first molding surface 21a of the core 21. This forms a second space 24 between the surface 11a of the main body 11 and the second molding surface 22a of the cavity 22 (see FIG. 4). At this time, it is preferable to set the amount of movement of the core 21 in the mold opening direction so that the second space 24 has the shape and size (thickness dimension) of the surface layer 12 to be molded.

[0032] With the second space 24 formed as described above, a thermoplastic elastomer is injected as an injection material from a second injector (not shown) into the second space 24 to fill it. The filled thermoplastic elastomer is then cooled and solidified to form a surface layer portion 12 having a shape corresponding to the second space 24 defined by the surface 11a of the main body portion 11 and the second molding surface 22a of the cavity 22 (see FIG. 5). By forming the surface layer portion 12 in this manner, the main body portion 11 and the surface layer portion 12 are integrated at the same time as the surface layer portion 12 is formed.

[0033] Finally, the core 21 is further moved in the mold opening direction, and the integrated product of the main body portion 11 and the surface layer portion 12 is removed from the core 21. This results in the resin product 10 shown in Figure 1. At this time, the surface 12a of the surface layer portion 12 is molded by the second molding surface 22a, which has a shape obtained by inverting the portion 13 (see Figure 1) shaped to resemble the fabric to be molded. Therefore, the surface shape of the second molding surface 22a is transferred to the surface 12a of the surface layer portion 12, and the portion 13 shaped to resemble the fabric is formed on the surface 12a together with the surface layer portion 12.

[0034] As described above, according to the resin product 10 of this embodiment, at least the predetermined surface layer 12 of the resin product 10 is formed by injection molding of an elastomer, and the surface 12a of the surface layer 12 is provided with a portion 13 shaped like fabric. By providing the portion 13 shaped like fabric on the surface 12a of the predetermined surface layer 12 of the resin product 10 in this way, it is possible to reproduce the visual texture of fabric in an injection-molded resin product without actually using fabric. Furthermore, by making at least the region where the portion 13 shaped like fabric is provided on the surface 12a (here, the surface layer 12) an injection-molded elastomer product, it is possible to reproduce the feel of fabric while reducing material costs.

[0035] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, when a portion 13 having a shape resembling fabric is formed on the surface 12a of the surface layer 12 using the second molding surface 22a of the cavity 22, there is a risk that scratches or the like may occur on the surface 12a of the surface layer 12 due to interference with the uneven portions of the second molding surface 22a during the mold opening operation. However, by forming the surface layer 12 from an elastomer that is more elastic than plastic, it is possible to prevent or suppress as much as possible the situation in which the surface 12a is scratched by scratches or the like.

[0036] Furthermore, in the resin product 10 according to this embodiment, the main body 11 of the resin product 10 located on the back surface 12b side of the surface layer 12 is formed by plastic injection molding, so that the visual texture and feel of fabric can be reproduced on the surface 12a of the surface layer 12 while ensuring the mechanical properties such as hardness and rigidity required of the resin product 10.

[0037] In this embodiment, the main body portion 11 and the surface layer portion 12 are each formed by injection molding using a single injection molding apparatus 20. After forming the main body portion 11, the core 21 is moved in the mold opening direction to form a space (second space 24) between the surface 11a of the main body portion 11 and the second molding surface 22a of the cavity 22, the second space 24 having a shape and size corresponding to the surface layer portion 12. Then, the elastomer surface layer portion 12 is formed in the second space 24 by injection molding. By forming the main body portion 11 and the surface layer portion 12 in this manner, the surface layer portion 12 can be integrated with the main body portion 11 of the resin product 10 at the same time as forming the surface layer portion 12 by injection molding of the elastomer. Therefore, the method for manufacturing the resin product 10 according to this embodiment enables further reduction in manufacturing costs.

[0038] When the surface 11a of the main body portion 11 and the surface 12a of the surface layer portion 12 are molded using the second molding surface 22a of the cavity 22 as described above, a portion 13 having a shape resembling fabric is transferred onto the surface 11a of the main body portion 11 (see FIG. 3). The surface 11a of the main body portion 11, together with the second molding surface 22a, defines a filling space (second space 24) for injection molding the surface layer portion 12. Thus, when the surface layer portion 12 is formed in the second space 24, the back surface 12b of the surface layer portion 12 is formed into a shape transferred from the surface 11a of the main body portion 11, i.e., a shape transferred from the surface 11a of the main body portion 11 (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the surface 11a of the main body portion 11 and the back surface 12b of the surface layer portion 12, which have the same surface shape, are firmly adhered to each other. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the main body portion 11 and the surface layer portion 12 can be integrated in a state of being firmly adhered to each other.

[0039] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the resin product and the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention can also have configurations other than those described above within the scope of the spirit thereof.

[0040] For example, in the above embodiment, the entire main body 11 of the resin product 10 is formed by injection molding of plastic, and the entire surface layer 12 on the design surface side of the resin product 10 is formed by injection molding of elastomer, but of course, the present invention is not limited to this composition. For example, the portion 13 of the surface layer 12 that has a shape resembling fabric may be formed by injection molding of elastomer, and the remaining portion may be formed integrally with the main body 11 by injection molding of plastic. Alternatively, a portion of the main body 11 may be formed integrally with the surface layer 12 by injection molding of elastomer.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the main body portion 11 is formed by injection molding, and then the core 21 is moved in the mold opening direction to form a space (second space 24) between the surface 11a of the main body portion 11 and the second molding surface 22a of the cavity 22, the space having a shape and size corresponding to the surface layer portion 12, and then the elastomer surface layer portion 12 is formed in the second space 24 by injection molding. However, other configurations are also possible. For example, although not shown, the main body portion 11 of the resin product 10 may first be formed by injection molding in a predetermined mold (not shown), and then the formed main body portion 11 may be attached to the core 21 of an injection molding device 20 as shown in FIG. 2, and the main body portion 11 may be used as an insert part to form the surface layer portion 12 between the main body portion 11 and the cavity 22 by injection molding. In this case, the surface 11a of the main body portion 11 can have any shape, and therefore, for example, it may be possible to form a shape that provides even better adhesion to the surface layer portion 12. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10 Resin products 11 Main body 11a surface 11b Back side 12 Surface layer 12a surface 12b Back 13 Parts that mimic fabric shapes 20 Injection molding equipment 21 cores 21a First molding surface 22 Cavity 22a Second molding surface 23 First Space 24 Second Space

Claims

1. A resin product is an injection-molded product in which at least a predetermined surface layer portion is formed by injection molding of an elastomer, and a portion having a shape simulating fabric is provided on the surface of the predetermined surface layer portion.

2. A method for manufacturing a resin product, in which at least a predetermined surface layer portion of the resin product is formed by injection molding of an elastomer using a predetermined mold, A method for manufacturing a resin product, wherein the surface of the surface layer portion is molded using a molding surface of the mold that has a shape that resembles fabric.

Images