Vacuum forming mold, method for manufacturing vacuum formed product, and vacuum formed product
The vacuum forming mold and method address the inefficiencies of traditional vacuum forming by bonding the skin during the process, reducing costs and environmental impact through integrated skin bonding without stretching.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- JAPAN PLASTICS TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-01
AI Technical Summary
Existing vacuum forming processes for automobile interiors require multiple post-treatment steps to wind a decorative skin around a plastic base material, increasing costs and environmental impact due to the need for stretching skins with insufficient physical properties.
A vacuum forming mold and method that includes a substrate mounting section allowing vertical sliding and a surface adhesion upright portion, enabling the skin to be bonded without significant stretching during the forming process, eliminating the need for subsequent winding operations.
Reduces production costs and carbon dioxide emissions by integrating the skin bonding process into vacuum forming, thus omitting the need for additional winding steps.
Smart Images
Figure 2026089332000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a mold for vacuum forming, a method for producing a vacuum formed product using the mold for vacuum forming, and a vacuum formed product.
Background Art
[0002] When producing an interior material used in an automobile interior, a vacuum formed product in which a decorative skin is coated on a plastic base material by vacuum forming is used. After such vacuum forming, the end portion of the skin is trimmed in a state where a hemming margin is left in order to be wound around the back surface side of the base material, and the hemming margin is fixed with an adhesive, welding, a tacker, or the like. These winding operations are performed in a post-treatment process, which leads to an increase in equipment power and labor costs due to an increase in the number of processes, resulting in high costs and also an increase in carbon dioxide, which is not preferable in terms of the environment.
[0003] However, in order to wind the hemming margin to the back surface side of the base material by vacuum forming, the skin needs to be stretched several times, and a skin having sufficient physical properties for winding around the back surface has not been developed.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0004]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a mold for vacuum forming, a method for producing a vacuum formed product using the mold for vacuum forming, and a vacuum formed product, in which even a skin having insufficient stretching physical properties can have the skin wound in the vacuum forming process.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.
[0007] The vacuum-formed product according to the present invention is A base material having an upright portion for surface adhesion located inward from the edge of the base material, The substrate comprises a surface-coated outer layer, The present invention is characterized in that at least a portion of the surface layer at the end of the substrate is adhered to the surface layer adhesion portion.
[0008] In the vacuum-formed product according to the present invention, the surface layer is bonded to the vertical portion for surface layer bonding, and the surface layer is not rolled in 180 degrees. Therefore, the surface layer can be bonded without forcibly bending it, making it less likely to peel off.
[0009] Furthermore, the vacuum forming mold according to the present invention is A substrate installation section for installing the substrate, The base portion to which the substrate mounting portion is attached is slidable up and down, It is characterized by having the following features.
[0010] Since the substrate mounting section where the substrate is placed can be slid upward, the outer layer of the surface bonded to the substrate can be loosened. Therefore, it is possible to bond the surface to the surface bonding vertical section without significantly stretching the surface.
[0011] A vacuum forming method using a vacuum forming die is characterized by comprising the following steps. A vacuum forming method using a vacuum forming die for coating a substrate with a surface layer by vacuum forming, characterized in that it comprises the following steps. (1) Substrate installation process: Installing the substrate in the substrate installation section. (2) Bonding process in which the heated surface is bonded to the surface of the substrate by vacuum forming. (3) A sliding process in which the substrate mounting portion is slid downward after the surface layer has been covered with the substrate. (4) Re-vacuum drawing process of pulling the skin again by vacuum forming and adhering the skin outside the base material end to the back surface of the base material (5) Trimming process of trimming the skin
[0012] According to the vacuum forming method of the present invention, since the end of the skin can be adhered to the standing portion for skin adhesion in the vacuum forming process, the entrainment process can be omitted.
Brief Description of Drawings
[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum formed product 100 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of the vacuum formed product 100 of FIG. 1 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a vacuum forming mold 200 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the steps of a manufacturing method for producing a vacuum formed product according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the steps of a manufacturing method for producing a vacuum formed product according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the steps of a manufacturing method for producing a vacuum formed product according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the steps of a manufacturing method for producing a vacuum formed product according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of the vacuum formed product 100 of FIG. 1 according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing the steps of a manufacturing method for producing a vacuum formed product according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the steps of a manufacturing method for producing a vacuum formed product according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing the steps of a manufacturing method for producing a vacuum formed product according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12]FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the steps of a manufacturing method for manufacturing a vacuum-formed product according to the second embodiment.
Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0014] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a vacuum forming mold, a method for manufacturing a vacuum-formed product, and a vacuum-formed product according to the embodiment will be described in detail. Note that the embodiments and drawings described below are examples of a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and are not used for the purpose of limiting to these configurations, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. Corresponding components in each figure are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.
[0015] (First Embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the vacuum-formed product 100 according to the first embodiment has a form in which a plastic base material 10 and a decorative skin 20 are coated on the base material 10 by vacuum forming. In this embodiment, a console box cover will be described as an example, but it is not limited thereto.
[0016] The plastic used for the base material 10 is not particularly limited, and various materials such as polypropylene, ABS, polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate can be appropriately selected. The base material 10 is provided with a plurality of vacuum holes (not shown) for attracting the skin 20 by vacuum, and thereby air can be exhausted.
[0017] The skin 20 is not particularly limited, and an existing skin 20 can be appropriately selected and used. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a material in which a polypropylene foam 22 (for example, an electron beam crosslinked polypropylene foam) is laminated on a surface sheet 21 made of PVC or TPO can be used.
[0018] In the vacuum-formed product 100 according to the first embodiment, the skin 20 is coated on the surface of the base material 10, bent at the base material end portion 11, and the skin 20 is folded back and adhered to the back side of the base material 10.
[0019] The vacuum-formed product 100 described above is manufactured using the vacuum forming die 200 described below. As shown in Figure 3, the vacuum forming die 200 according to the present invention consists of a substrate mounting section 210 on which the substrate 10 is placed, and a base section 220 on which the substrate mounting section 210 is mounted so as to be slidable up and down.
[0020] The substrate mounting section 210 is manufactured to a size smaller than the surface area of the substrate 10, allowing the substrate to extend around it. Furthermore, the substrate mounting section 210 is manufactured to be vertically adjustable relative to the base section 220 during vacuum forming, allowing the height of the substrate 10 to be changed.
[0021] The base portion 220 is provided with vacuum holes, or air is drawn in from the gap at the boundary between the substrate mounting portion 210 and the base portion, thereby attracting the outer surface 20 on the outer side of the substrate 10 with a vacuum and temporarily fixing the surface 20 to the base portion 220.
[0022] Using the vacuum forming die 200 prepared as described above, the vacuum formed product 100 is manufactured as follows.
[0023] (1) Base material installation process As shown in Figure 4, the base material 10 is placed in the base material mounting section 210 of the vacuum forming die 200. At this time, the base material 10 is positioned so that its periphery extends from the outer circumference of the base material mounting section 210.
[0024] (2) Adhesion process Adhesive is applied to the substrate 10 installed in the substrate installation section 210, and the outer edge of the heated surface 20 is placed on the base section 220 from above the substrate 10, and the surface 20 is pulled together by vacuum forming. As a result, the surface 20 is adhered to and covers the surface of the substrate 10, as shown in Figure 5.
[0025] (3) Slide process In this state, while continuing to evacuate the base portion 220, or temporarily stopping the vacuum, slide the substrate mounting portion 210 downward. Then, as shown in Figure 6, slack will form in the outer surface 20 outside the substrate end 11. At this time, the length of the slack should be set to such a length that, as shown in Figure 7, when vacuum is applied, the surface adheres to the substrate for about 0.5 cm to 2 cm, more preferably 1 cm to 1.5 cm, from the end of the substrate, and a space is formed inside that area. Setting it within this range makes it easier to trim at the boundary between the adhered and unadhered parts.
[0026] (4) Re-vacuuming process Furthermore, by vacuuming the surface layer 20 again, the surface layer 20 outside the sagging base material edge 11 is pulled, and as shown in Figure 7, the surface layer 20 is pressed against the back surface of the base material 10 and bonded to it.
[0027] (5) Trim process The vacuum-formed product 100 is completed by trimming the surface layer 20 that is bonded to the back surface of the base material 10 and cutting off the excess surface layer 20.
[0028] (Second Embodiment) The vacuum-formed product 100 according to the second embodiment differs in the shape of the base material 10 compared to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 8, the base material 10 used in the second embodiment is provided with a surface adhesion upright portion 12 such that the distance D from the base material end 11 to the inside is 0.5 mm to 30.0 mm. The shape of the surface adhesion upright portion 12 can be various, such as a wall-like surface such as a rib or a projection such as a boss. The base material 10 often has a convex surface on the side to which the surface 20 is covered, and the base material end 11 is curved toward the back side. In this case, it is preferable that the surface adhesion upright portion 12 protrudes toward the back side (downward in Figure 2) from the base material end 11. This makes it easier for the surface 20 to come into contact with the surface adhesion upright portion 12 during vacuum forming, and makes it easier for the winding allowance to adhere to the upright portion 12.
[0029] The epidermis 20 is the same as in the first embodiment.
[0030] In the second embodiment, the vacuum-formed product 100 has a surface covering 20 on the surface of the base material 10, and the surface covering 20 is bent at the base material end 11 and bonded on the back side to the surface covering bonding upright portion 12.
[0031] The vacuum-formed product 100 described above is manufactured using the vacuum forming die 200 described below. The vacuum forming die 200 according to the present invention is the same as in the first embodiment in that it consists of a substrate mounting section 210 on which the substrate 10 is placed, and a base section 220 to which the substrate mounting section 210 is attached so as to be slidable vertically. In the second embodiment, the substrate mounting section 210 is manufactured to a size that can support the substrate 10 inside the surface adhesion upright section 12.
[0032] Using the vacuum forming die 200 prepared as described above, the vacuum formed product 100 is manufactured as follows.
[0033] (1) Base material installation process As shown in Figure 9, the substrate 10 is placed in the substrate mounting section 210 of the vacuum forming die 200. At this time, the substrate mounting section 210 is positioned inside the surface adhesive upright section 12 of the substrate 10.
[0034] (2) Adhesion process Adhesive is applied to the substrate 10 installed in the substrate installation section 210, and the outer edge of the heated surface layer 20 is placed on the base section 220 from above the substrate 10, and the surface layer 20 is pulled together by vacuum forming. As a result, the surface layer 20 is adhered to and covers the surface of the substrate 10, as shown in Figure 10.
[0035] (3) Slide process In this state, the base portion 220 is slid downward while the vacuum is maintained. As a result, as shown in Figure 11, sagging occurs in the outer surface 20 beyond the base portion end 11.
[0036] (4) Re-vacuuming process Furthermore, by vacuuming the surface layer 20 again, the surface layer 20 outside the sagging base material edge 11 is pulled, and as shown in Figure 12, the surface layer 20 is pressed against the surface layer bonding upright portion 12 and bonded.
[0037] (5) Trim process The vacuum-formed product 100 is completed by trimming the skin 20, which is bonded to the skin bonding upright portion 12, outside the skin bonding upright portion 12, and cutting off the excess skin 20.
[0038] According to the method for manufacturing vacuum-formed products as described above, the winding allowance is bonded to the surface bonding upright portion 12 during the vacuum forming process, eliminating the need for winding in a subsequent process. This allows for the omission of one step, contributing to cost reduction and carbon dioxide reduction.
[0039] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]
[0040] As shown in the embodiments described above, this method can be used industrially as a method for manufacturing automotive parts. [Explanation of symbols]
[0041] 10…Substrate, 11…Substrate end, 12…Standing part for surface adhesion, 20…Surface, 21…Surface sheet, 22…Polypropylene foam, 100…Vacuum-formed product, 200…Vacuum-forming mold, 210…Substrate mounting part, 220…Base part
Claims
1. A base material having an upright portion for surface adhesion located inward from the edge of the base material, The substrate comprises a surface-coated outer layer, A vacuum-formed product characterized in that at least a portion of the surface layer at the end of the substrate of the substrate is bonded to the surface layer bonding upright portion.
2. A substrate mounting section for installing the substrate, The base portion to which the substrate mounting portion is attached is slidable up and down, A vacuum forming mold characterized by having the following features.
3. A vacuum forming method using a vacuum forming die for coating a substrate with a surface layer by vacuum forming, characterized in that it comprises the following steps. (1) Substrate installation process: Installing the substrate in the substrate installation section. (2) Bonding process in which the heated surface is bonded to the surface of the substrate by vacuum forming. (3) A sliding step in which the substrate mounting portion is slid downward after the surface layer has been covered with the substrate. (4) A re-vacuuming process in which the surface layer is removed again by vacuum forming, and the surface layer outside the edges of the base material is bonded to the back surface of the base material. (5) Trimming process to trim the surface
4. A vacuum forming method for coating a substrate having an upright portion for surface adhesion located inward from the substrate edge with a surface layer by vacuum forming, characterized by comprising the following steps. (1) Substrate installation process: Installing the substrate in the substrate installation section. (2) Bonding process in which the heated surface is bonded to the surface of the substrate by vacuum forming. (3) A sliding step in which the substrate mounting portion is slid downward after the surface layer has been covered with the substrate. (4) A re-bonding process in which the surface layer is pulled again by vacuum forming, and the surface layer outside the edge of the base material is bonded to the vertical part for surface layer bonding. (5) Trimming process to trim the epidermis outside the vertical portion for epidermal adhesion