Slush molding device and method for producing skin material

Abstract

To prevent excess thickness from being formed around a skin material.SOLUTION: A slush molding device 1 according to the embodiment includes: a mold 20 with molding surface 21; a reservoir tank 10 that accommodates a powder resin material and is clamped with the mold 20 to form a moving space for the powder resin material together with the mold 20; a seal member 12 provided in the reservoir tank 10 and closely attached to the mold 20 to seal the moving space when the mold 20 and the reservoir tank 10 are clamped; and an elastic member 13 provided on the moving space side of the seal member 12 and defining an outer shape of a skin material 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a slush molding apparatus and a method for producing a skin material. [Background technology]

[0002] Slush molding is known as a molding method for skin materials that constitute the instrument panels, which are interior parts of automobiles. Slush molding uses a slush molding device that includes a mold having a molding surface that matches the surface shape of the skin material to be molded, and a reservoir tank that has an opening on its upper surface and is equipped with a storage section for storing powdered resin material.

[0003] In slush molding, a heated mold is first attached to the reservoir tank with its molding surface facing the powdered resin material contained in the reservoir tank so as to close the opening of the reservoir tank. By clamping the mold and the reservoir tank together, the mold and the reservoir tank form an integrated internal space that includes the storage space of the storage part of the reservoir tank. This internal space becomes the movement space for the powdered resin material.

[0004] Then, the mold and the reservoir tank in the clamped state are rotated to move the powdered resin material in the reservoir tank to the molding surface of the mold. As a result, the powdered resin material in contact with the molding surface of the mold is melted by the heat of the mold and adheres to the molding surface. The mold and the reservoir tank are then rotated to return to their original state, moving the excess powdered resin material into the storage section of the reservoir tank. The mold is then cooled to harden the molten resin material and obtain the skin material.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a molding device that uses slush molding to mold a skin material partially having a thick portion. In Patent Document 1, an airbag is provided in a storage unit so as to correspond to the thick portion of the skin material to be molded. By pressing a portion of the powder resin material against the molding surface of a mold with the airbag, a skin material partially having a thick portion can be molded. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-095794 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In such slush molding, when the clamped molding die and the reservoir tank are rotated, the powdered resin material may leak from the internal space to the outside. To prevent this, a seal member that seals the internal space is provided at the contact portion (abutment portion) between the molding die and the reservoir tank. When a seal member is provided at the contact portion between the molding die and the reservoir tank, the outer periphery of the obtained molded product is defined by the seal member.

[0008] However, the molded product defined by the sealing member may have excess material around the skin material to be molded. For example, if the R-shaped portion of the sealing member cannot follow the shape of the skin material to be formed due to the bending limit of the sealing member, unnecessary excess material is formed on the skin material at the position corresponding to the R-shaped portion of the sealing member. This excess material needs to be removed and discarded in a later process, which leads to problems such as poor work efficiency and low yield.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a slush molding apparatus and a method for manufacturing a skin material that are capable of preventing excess metal from being formed around the skin material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A slush molding apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a molding die having a molding surface, a reservoir tank that contains powdered resin material and that, when clamped against the molding die, forms a movement space for the powdered resin material together with the molding die, a sealing member provided in the reservoir tank and that comes into close contact with the molding die when the molding die and the reservoir tank are clamped to seal the movement space, and an elastic member provided on the movement space side of the sealing member and that defines the outer shape of a skin material.

[0011] In the slush molding apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the elastic member includes a first elastic body provided in contact with the seal member on the side of the movement space.

[0012] In the slush molding apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the elastic member is provided in correspondence with the R-shaped portion of the seal member.

[0013] A slush molding apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention further includes a frame extending from the reservoir tank, and the elastic member includes a second elastic body provided away from the sealing member and supported by the frame.

[0014] In the slush molding apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the second elastic body forms a thin portion and / or a cutout portion in the skin material.

[0015] A method for manufacturing a skin material according to one embodiment of the present invention includes clamping a molding die having a molding surface and a reservoir tank containing powdered resin material to form a movement space for the powdered resin material by the molding die and the reservoir tank, bringing a seal member provided on the reservoir tank into close contact with the molding die when the molding die and the reservoir tank are clamped to seal the movement space, rotating the molding die and the reservoir tank together to cause the powdered resin material to adhere to the molding surface, and defining the outer shape of the skin material by an elastic member provided on the movement space side of the seal member.

[0016] In a method for manufacturing a skin material according to one aspect of the present invention, the elastic member includes a first elastic body provided in contact with the seal member on the side of the movement space.

[0017] In a method for producing a skin material according to one aspect of the present invention, the elastic member is provided in correspondence with the R-shaped portion of the sealing member.

[0018] In a method for manufacturing a skin material according to one aspect of the present invention, the elastic member includes a second elastic body that is provided apart from the sealing member and supported by a frame extending from the reservoir tank.

[0019] In a method for producing a skin material according to one aspect of the present invention, a thin portion and / or a cutout portion is formed in the skin material by the second elastic body. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent excess material from being formed around the skin material. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a slush molding apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a view of the reservoir tank of FIG. 1 as seen from the opening side. [Diagram 3]2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an R-shaped portion of the seal member of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a view showing a part of a skin material produced using the slush molding apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a slush molding apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a view showing a part of a skin material produced by using a slush molding apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a slush molding apparatus of a comparative example. [Figure 8] 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of an R-shaped portion of the seal member in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a portion of a skin material produced using a slush molding apparatus of a comparative example. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an entire skin material produced using a slush molding apparatus of a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are omitted and simplified as appropriate. In addition, in each drawing, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0023] The present invention relates to a technique for producing a molded product by powder slush molding using a powder resin material as a raw material. In the following embodiment, a skin material constituting an instrument panel, which is an interior part of an automobile, will be described as an example of a molded product by slush molding.

[0024] The instrument panel has a three-layer structure consisting of a base material formed by injection molding using synthetic resin such as PP (polypropylene), a skin material formed by slush molding, and a foam material placed between the base material and the skin material and foamed using a foaming resin material such as polyurethane. The skin material forms the design surface of the instrument panel with its outer surface.

[0025] The present invention is not limited to use in skin materials for instrument panels, but can be widely applied to molded products that are molded by slush molding using powder resin material as a raw material, such as skin materials for automobile door trims.

[0026] Embodiment 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a slush molding apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the reservoir tank of Fig. 1 as viewed from the opening side. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the R-shaped portion of the seal member of Fig. 1.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 1, the slush molding apparatus 1 includes a reservoir tank 10 and a molding die 20. The molding die 20 is a member having a molding surface 21 with a three-dimensional uneven shape corresponding to the surface shape of the skin material to be molded. As the molding die 20, for example, a metal mold made of nickel, which has excellent heat conductivity, can be used.

[0028] The powder resin material 30 that is the raw material for the skin material is a material that is commonly used in slush molding, such as polyvinyl chloride resin powder, olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) resin powder, polyurethane-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPU) resin powder, etc.

[0029] The reservoir tank 10 has a tank body 11, a seal member 12, and an elastic member 13. The tank body 11 is a member equipped with a box-shaped storage section 14 having an opening 15. The tank body 11 is formed of a material such as aluminum or epoxy resin. The storage section 14 stores a powdered resin material 30 that is the raw material of the skin material. The opening 15 is configured to be within the range of the molding surface 21 of the molding die 20 in a plan view.

[0030] The mold 20 is attached to the reservoir tank 10 so as to close the opening 15, with its molding surface 21 facing the powder resin material 30 contained in the storage section 14 of the reservoir tank 10. In other words, the reservoir tank 10 and the mold 20 are clamped together with the molding surface 21 and the opening 15 facing each other.

[0031] By clamping the reservoir tank 10 and the molding die 20 together, the reservoir tank 10 and the molding die 20 form an integrated internal space including the storage space of the storage section 14. This internal space becomes a movement space for the powder resin material 30. The powder resin material 30 can pass through the opening 15 and move to the molding surface 21 side. In the clamped state, the reservoir tank 10 and the molding die 20 can be rotated around a predetermined rotation axis by a rotating means (not shown) using a motor or the like.

[0032] The reservoir tank 10 is provided with a seal member 12. The seal member 12 is made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber having excellent heat resistance. The seal member 12 prevents the powder resin material 30 from leaking to the outside when the reservoir tank 10 and the mold 20 are rotated in a clamped state. The seal member 12 is provided on a portion of the reservoir tank 10 that comes into contact with the mold 20 (abutment portion). In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the seal member 12 is arranged to cover the top of a side wall portion 16 erected from the periphery of the opening 15.

[0033] The seal member 12 is provided in an annular shape along the uneven shape of the molding die 20 and along the outer shape of the molding surface 21 (the outer shape of the skin material 2) in a plan view. That is, the seal member 12 is in close contact with the molding die 20 to seal the movement space of the powder resin material 30.

[0034] 1 and 2, an elastic member 13 is provided on the movement space side of the seal member 12. An elastomer having rubber elasticity such as silicone rubber, which has excellent heat resistance, can be used as the elastic member 13. The seal member 12 and the elastic member 13 define the outer shape of the skin material 2 to be molded. That is, in the first embodiment, the seal member 12 and the elastic member 13 form the boundary between the molding area of ​​the skin material 2 and its outer area on the molding surface 21 of the mold 20.

[0035] Here, a comparative example will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a slush molding apparatus of the comparative example. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the R-shaped portion of the sealing member of Figure 7. Figure 9 is a diagram showing a part of a skin material produced using the slush molding apparatus of the comparative example, and Figure 10 is a diagram showing the entirety of the same.

[0036] 7 and 8, in the comparative example, no elastic member 13 is provided, and the sealing member 12 defines the outer shape of the skin material 2 to be molded. In other words, the sealing member 12 forms the boundary between the molding area of ​​the skin material 2 and its outer area on the molding surface 21 of the mold 20.

[0037] The limit of the R-shape that the seal member 12 can have (the minimum bending radius) is determined by the bending limit of the seal member 12. In other words, the R-shaped portion 4 of the seal member 12 cannot have a radius smaller than the minimum bending radius. For this reason, there are cases where the R-shaped portion 4 of the seal member 12 cannot follow the shape of the skin material 2 to be formed.

[0038] 9, a molded product is obtained in which unnecessary excess metal 3A is formed around the skin material 2 at a position corresponding to the R-shaped portion 4 of the seal member 12. This excess metal 3A needs to be removed and discarded in a later process, which causes problems such as a decrease in work efficiency and a decrease in yield.

[0039] Since the seal member 12 is disposed on the side wall portion 16, the position is not limited to the position corresponding to the R-shape of the seal member 12, and there may be some positions where the excess metal portion 3B is formed depending on the shape of the side wall portion 16 of the reservoir tank 10 (see FIG. 10, for example). In this case, in order to improve the yield, the shape of the side wall portion 16 of the reservoir tank 10 needs to be changed in order to bring the position of the seal member 12 closer to the outer shape of the skin material 2 to be molded, and an additional process of machining the reservoir tank 10, such as sheet metal or welding, is required.

[0040] As described above, in the first embodiment, the elastic member 13 is provided on the movement space side of the seal member 12. The elastic member 13 can be provided in contact with the movement space side of the seal member 12. In this case, the elastic member 13 is supported by the seal member 12. The elastic member 13 has a shape that matches the outer shape of the skin material 2 to be molded. This makes it possible to manufacture a skin material 2 molded into a desired shape in a location where excess padding would be formed if only the seal member 12 was used, as in the comparative example.

[0041] Fig. 3 shows an enlarged view of a portion of the reservoir tank where the elastic member is formed. As shown in Fig. 3, it is preferable that the elastic member 13 is provided in correspondence with the R-shaped portion 4 of the seal member 12. Fig. 4 is a view showing a part of a skin material manufactured using the slush molding apparatus according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 shows a part of the skin material 2 corresponding to the R-shaped portion 4 in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 4, it is possible to obtain a skin material 2 having a finer desired shape in the R-shaped portion 4 where an excess portion 3A would be formed if only the seal member 12 was used in the molded product.

[0042] Next, a method for manufacturing the skin material 2 will be described. First, the reservoir tank 10 is arranged so that the opening 15 faces upward with the powder resin material 30 contained in the containing section 14. An elastic member 13 is provided on the movement space side of the seal member 12.

[0043] Then, the molding die 20 is heated using a heating means such as a heating furnace to a temperature of, for example, about 230° C. The heated molding die 20 is attached to the reservoir tank 10 so as to close the upper opening 15, with the molding surface 21 facing the powder resin material 30 contained in the containing portion 14 of the reservoir tank 10, and the mold is clamped.

[0044] Thereafter, the reservoir tank 10 and the mold 20 in the clamped state are rotated upside down using a rotating means (not shown). As a result, the powdered resin material 30 in the accommodation section 14 moves in the movement space and moves toward the mold 20 side through the accommodation section 14. The powdered resin material 30 that comes into contact with the molding surface 21 is melted by the heat of the mold 20, and adheres to and is molded along the shape of the molding surface 21. At this time, the elastic member 13 provided on the movement space side of the seal member 12 allows a desired shape to be molded in a location where excess material would be formed with only the seal member 12 as in the comparative example.

[0045] Thereafter, the reservoir tank 10 and the molding die 20 are rotated to return them to their original states, thereby moving the excess powdered resin material 30 into the storage section 14. The molding die 20 is then removed from the reservoir tank 10, and cooled, for example, by immersing it in a water tank (not shown). This allows the molten resin material to harden, and a skin material 2 without excess material can be obtained.

[0046] Embodiment 2. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a slush molding apparatus 1A according to embodiment 2. In Fig. 5, the same components as those in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals, and their explanations are omitted. The difference between embodiment 2 and embodiment 1 is that an elastic member 13A is provided at a position separated from the seal member 12.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 5, the slush molding apparatus 1A further includes a frame 17. The frame 17 may be made of the same material as the tank body 11, such as aluminum or epoxy resin. An elastic member 13A is provided at the tip of the frame 17. The elastic member 13A is provided away from the seal member 12 on the movement space side of the seal member 12. The elastic member 13A is supported by the frame 17. The shape, number, arrangement, etc. of the frame 17 are not particularly limited as long as the frame 17 has the strength to support the elastic member 13A.

[0048] The shape and position of the elastic member 13A are adjusted to form a thin portion and / or a cutout portion in the skin material 2. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, when an elastic member 13A thicker than the thickness of the skin material 2 to be molded is arranged so as to contact the molding surface 21 of the molding die 20, the powder resin material 30 does not adhere to the portion of the molding surface 21 that contacts the elastic member 13A. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 6, a cutout portion 2A is formed in the skin material 2 manufactured using this slush molding apparatus 1A.

[0049] If the distance between the lower surface of the elastic member 13A and the molding surface 21 of the mold 20 is smaller than the thickness of the skin material 2 to be molded, a thin-walled portion will be formed in the skin material 2. In this way, the cutout portion 2A and the thin-walled portion can be formed simultaneously with molding of the skin material 2, which makes it possible to simplify the manufacturing process.

[0050] As described above, in the slush molding apparatus according to the embodiment, by providing the elastic member 13 on the moving section side of the sealing member 12, it is possible to prevent excess material from being formed and to obtain a skin material 2 in the desired shape.

[0051] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1. 1A Slush Molding Machine 2 Skin material 2A Hollow section 3A, 3B Excess portion 4 R-shaped part 10 Reservoir Tank 11 Tank body 12 Sealing material 13, 13A Elastic member 14 Storage section 15 Opening 16 Side wall 17 Frame 20 mold 21 Molding surface 30 Powdered resin materials

Claims

1. A mold having a molding surface; a reservoir tank that contains a powdered resin material and that, when clamped to the molding die, forms a movement space for the powdered resin material together with the molding die; a seal member provided in the reservoir tank, the seal member being in close contact with the mold when the mold and the reservoir tank are clamped to seal the movement space; an elastic member provided on the movement space side of the seal member and defining an outer shape of a skin material; Equipped with Slush molding equipment.

2. The elastic member includes a first elastic body provided in contact with the seal member on the side of the movement space. The slush molding apparatus of claim 1.

3. The elastic member is provided in correspondence with the R-shaped portion of the seal member. The slush molding apparatus of claim 2.

4. The reservoir tank further includes a frame extending from the reservoir tank. the elastic member includes a second elastic body provided apart from the seal member and supported by the frame; The slush molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The second elastic body forms a thin portion and / or a hollow portion in the skin material. The slush molding apparatus according to claim 4.

6. a molding die having a molding surface and a reservoir tank for accommodating a powdered resin material are clamped together to form a movement space for the powdered resin material by the molding die and the reservoir tank; a seal member provided on the reservoir tank is brought into close contact with the mold when the mold and the reservoir tank are clamped to seal the movement space; Rotating the molding die and the reservoir tank together to cause the powdered resin material to adhere to the molding surface; An outer shape of the skin material is defined by an elastic member provided on the movement space side of the seal member. A method for manufacturing a skin material.

7. The elastic member includes a first elastic body provided in contact with the seal member on the side of the movement space. A method for producing the skin material according to claim 6.

8. The elastic member is provided in correspondence with the R-shaped portion of the seal member. A method for producing the skin material according to claim 7.

9. The elastic member includes a second elastic body that is provided apart from the seal member and is supported by a frame extending from the reservoir tank. A method for producing the skin material according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

10. forming a thin portion and / or a hollow portion in the skin material by the second elastic body; A method for producing the skin material according to claim 9.

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