Manufacturing method for vehicle trim materials

Abstract

To provide a method for manufacturing a vehicle trim material which can be attached to a portion where a thickness of a flange is large in a vehicle opening.SOLUTION: A manufacturing method of the invention includes: an extrusion molding step in which an elongated preforming body (3P) which is a precursor mold item of an elongated trim material 3 is extruded; and a bending molding step. In the extrusion molding step, a lip short part 15A which is a holding lip 15 whose protruding length is shorter than a normal protruding length is extruded in at least a part (a section A) in one section D along a longitudinal direction of the preforming body. In the bending molding step, an angle formed between a top wall part and a side wall part in each portion of the preforming body is adjusted to a final angle (θ) formed between the top wall part 13 and the side wall part 11 in each portion of the trim material. At that time, in the one section D, the bending molding is performed so that a final angle θ2 formed between the top wall part 13 and the side wall part 11 is larger than final angles θ1 in other sections E, F located adjacent to the section D.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle trim material attached to a flange at the periphery of an opening of a vehicle (for example, a trunk opening, a backdoor opening, a front door opening, a rear door opening, etc.), and a method for manufacturing the trim material.

Background Art

[0002] A flange for attaching a trim material is provided along the periphery of an opening of a vehicle. Such a flange is generally formed as an elongated thin plate-shaped engaging portion. However, the flange in an actual vehicle body does not have a uniform thickness at every part of the vehicle opening, and the thickness of the flange often varies depending on the part. For example, Patent Document 1 introduces a case where, at a specific part of a vehicle opening, three or four thin plate-shaped flanges are stacked to form a relatively thick flange portion (see paragraph 0004 and FIG. 9 of the same document).

[0003] Patent Document 1 proposes an automotive weatherstrip as a trim material that can reasonably cope with a relatively thick flange portion. According to the summary, claims 1 and 2, and the description of the embodiment of the same document, most of the weatherstrip 14 is composed of an extrusion molding portion 21 made of a rubber material. This extrusion molding portion 21 has a trim portion 15 in which an insert 23 is embedded and is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section so as to be fitted into the flange portion of the vehicle body, and a hollow seal portion 16 integrally formed with the trim portion. And, at a part in the longitudinal direction of the trim portion 15, a wide portion 27 is formed by expanding the insert 23 of the trim portion inward of the vehicle using a special molding device 30. By making the wide portion 27 provided at a part of the trim portion 15 correspond to a relatively thick flange portion, the weatherstrip 14 can be used for flanges having different thicknesses depending on the part.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-33840 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 also has several shortcomings. For example, (i) In the molding apparatus 30 used for forming the wide portion 27 (see paragraphs 0018-0020 of Reference 1, and Figure 6), due to the inherent structure of the apparatus, a separate molding apparatus is required for each part with a different flange thickness, which may lead to increased equipment costs and a more complex process. (b) When the insert 23 of the trim section is greatly expanded, there is a risk that an unexpected part of the trim section 15 may deform as a result, and in order to avoid deformation, there is naturally a limit to the stroke (displacement distance) when expanding the insert 23. (h) Even if the trim insert 23 is expanded to its maximum extent to form a wide section 27 to accommodate areas with a considerably thick flange, the flange may not be able to be inserted into the wide section (trim section) due to the clamping lips (24, 25) protruding from both side walls of the wide section (trim section) toward the inside of the trim section, which may hinder the installation of the weatherstrip 14.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a method for manufacturing a vehicle trim material that can be attached even to parts of a vehicle opening where the flange thickness is large. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention of claim 1 is a method for manufacturing a long vehicle trim material that is placed between the periphery of an opening in a vehicle body and an openable and closable door body that closes the opening in the vehicle body, In a method for manufacturing a trim material for a vehicle, the trim material has a mounting portion that can be attached to a flange on the periphery of an opening in the vehicle body, and the trim material is an extruded product in which a core material is embedded in the mounting portion, and a retaining lip is formed on at least one of the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion, projecting from the inner surface of that side wall portion toward the other side wall portion, An extrusion molding process for extruding a pre-molded body, which is a precursor molded product of trim material, The pre-molded body is a long molded body having a first side wall portion and a second side wall portion, as well as a top wall portion connecting both side wall portions, and having a retaining lip formed on at least one of the side wall portions. The preform is extruded such that the initial angle (ω) between the top wall and the first side wall is greater than the final angle (θ) in the trim material, and In the first range (D), which is a portion of the premolded body along its longitudinal direction, A section that is part of the said first range (A) the said section The short lip portion, which is a retaining lip with a shorter protrusion length than the retaining lip of the adjacent portion (B, C) of (A), is extruded. Furthermore, the tip of the short lip portion is formed in a straight line when viewed in cross-section. Extrusion molding process, A bending process in which the angle between the top wall portion and the first side wall portion at each part of the preformed body is adjusted to the final angle (θ) at each part of the trim material while partially varying the angle in the longitudinal direction, In the first range (D), the bending process is performed such that the final angle (θ2) between the top wall and the first side wall is greater than the final angle (θ1) in the adjacent parts (E,F) to the first range (D), thereby forming a wider section in the first range (D). Equipped with The bending process is performed after the extrusion process. This is a method for manufacturing vehicle trim material characterized by the following:

[0008] According to the trim material manufactured by the method of the present invention, the lip short portion of the first range (D), which is a portion along the longitudinal direction, is formed. sectionThe mounting section corresponding to (A) can accommodate relatively thick flanges. Therefore, this trim material can be installed even on parts of the vehicle opening where the flange thickness is large. Furthermore, in the manufacturing method of the present invention, since the extrusion molding process for forming the short lip portion and the bending molding process for forming the wide portion are separate work processes, the protruding length of the retaining lip and the final angle (θ) between the top wall portion and the first side wall portion can be changed without mutual influence between the two processes. Therefore, this method increases the design freedom of the trim material to be manufactured. Furthermore, by making the tip of the short lip a simple, straight shape in cross-sectional view, it becomes easier to mold the tip shape as intended.

[0011] Claim 2 The invention is Claim 1 In the method for manufacturing vehicle trim material described above, the first range (D) formed by the lip short portion Section (A) This is characterized by corresponding to a portion of the vehicle body flange that is thicker, or to a portion of the vehicle body flange that changes abruptly from a thin portion to a thick portion.

[0012] Claim 2 According to the invention, Claim 1 In addition to the effects of the invention, the following further effects are achieved. In particular, in areas where the thickness of the flange on the vehicle body changes abruptly from a thin section to a thick section, it is actually difficult to abruptly change the angle between the top wall and the first side wall of the mounting section of the trim material to follow the abrupt change in flange thickness. In this regard, Claim 2 In this invention, a short lip portion (a retaining lip with a short protruding length) is provided on the mounting portion of the trim material that corresponds to the portion of the flange thickness that changes abruptly. As a result, the mounting portion having the short lip portion can be attached relatively easily to the flange portion where the flange thickness changes abruptly.

[0013] Claim 3In the manufacturing method of the vehicle trim material according to claim 1, in a partial range (D’) along the longitudinal direction of the trim material outside the first range (D), a wide portion where the short lip is not formed is formed.

[0014] Claim 3 According to the invention of, in addition to the effects of the invention of claim 1, the following further effects are achieved. That is, just by the mounting portion of the trim material being simply wide, in the portion where the trim material can be made to correspond to the thickness of the flange, by not forming the short lip on the wide portion (that is, the holding lip in the wide portion having a normal protruding length), the manufacturing process of the trim material can be partially simplified.

[0017] Claim 4 The invention of Claims 1-3 In the manufacturing method of the vehicle trim material according to any one of, in the wide portion, the final angle (θ) formed by the top wall portion and the first side wall portion is set to 120° or less.

[0018] Claim 4 According to the invention of Claims 1-3 In addition to the effects of the invention of, the following further effects are achieved. That is, in the wide portion of the trim material, if the final angle formed by the top wall portion and the first side wall portion exceeds 120°, the first side wall portion may be in an overly open state with respect to the flange on the vehicle body side, and there is a risk that the flange cannot be stably clamped. However, by setting the final angle to 120° or less, such a risk can be avoided.

[0019] Incidentally, the final angle formed by the top wall portion and the first side wall portion is preferably 88° or more and 120° or less. If the final angle is less than 88°, there is a risk that the substantial nature of the wide portion as "a widened portion" may be impaired.

Effects of the Invention

[0020] As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture a vehicle trim material that can be attached even to parts of a vehicle opening where the flange thickness is large. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing the mounting position of the trim material on one side of the vehicle. [Figure 2] A schematic overall view showing a trim material according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view of the trim material at the line III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view of the trim material at the position of line IV-IV in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view of the trim material at the VV line position in Figure 2. [Figure 6] Schematic diagram of the trim material manufacturing system (extrusion molding machine). [Figure 7] Front view of the extrusion mold (viewpoint AW arrow in Figure 6, part 1). [Figure 8] Front view of the extrusion mold (viewpoint AW arrow in Figure 6, part 2). [Figure 9] A cross-sectional view illustrating the overview of a variable bending machine. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] The following describes one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the left side of a passenger vehicle, and the two thick dashed lines in the figure indicate the mounting positions of the trim materials 3, 3' which are installed corresponding to the front door 1 and the rear door 2, respectively. Focusing particularly on the front door 1, the trim material 3 in this embodiment (more specifically, the weatherstrip 3 for the front door) is a long extruded product (see Figure 2) that is attached along the flange formed on the periphery of the opening of the door body (front door 1) in the vehicle body. After being attached to the flange, it is positioned between the periphery of the opening in the vehicle body and the front door 1 that closes the opening.

[0024] The trim material 3 of this embodiment has a generally common cross-sectional structure at any position in the longitudinal direction. That is, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the trim material 3 has a mounting portion 10 that can be attached to the flange 1f on the periphery of the opening of the vehicle body. The mounting portion 10 has an inner side wall portion 11 as a first side wall portion, an outer side wall portion 12 as a second side wall portion, and a top wall portion 13 that connects both side wall portions 11 and 12. The inner side wall portion 11 and the outer side wall portion 12 are in a relative position opposite to each other, and the mounting portion 10 has a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional shape due to the two side wall portions and the top wall portion. A core material 14 having a substantially U-shaped cross-section similar to the substantially U-shaped cross-section of the mounting portion 10 is embedded inside the mounting portion 10. In addition, a retaining lip 15 is formed near the tip (upper end in Figure 3) of the inner side wall portion 11, projecting from the inner surface of the inner side wall portion 11 toward the outer side wall portion 12. Furthermore, a hollow sealing portion 20 that can contact the door body is provided protruding from the outer side of the outer side wall portion 12 of the vehicle.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the elongated trim material 3 of this embodiment can be understood as a collection of multiple sections arranged along its longitudinal direction. In other words, the classification of the individual sections in the trim material 3 can be done from the viewpoint of the length of the protruding length of the retaining lip 15, as well as from the viewpoint of the magnitude of the angle θ of the inner side wall portion 11 with respect to the top wall portion 13.

[0026] Specifically, sections A, B, and C shown in Figure 2 are classifications based on the length of the protruding retaining lip 15, and the meaning of each section is as follows: Section A: The section in which the protruding length of the retaining lip 15 is shortest, i.e., the section of the "short lip (described later)". Section B: A section in which the protruding length of the retaining lip 15 gradually changes between the shortest and longest lengths. Section C: The section where the protruding length of the retaining lip 15 is the longest (i.e., the standard length).

[0027] Sections D (and D'), E, ​​and F shown in Figure 2 are classified from the perspective of the magnitude of the angle θ between the inner side wall 11 and the top wall 13, and the meaning of each section is as follows: Section D (and D'): The section in which the angle θ of the inner side wall 11 with respect to the top wall 13 is maximum, i.e., the section corresponding to the "wide section (described later)", and the section corresponding to the "first range" of the claim. Section E: A section in which the angle θ of the inner side wall 11 with respect to the top wall 13 gradually changes between the maximum and minimum values. Section F: The section where the angle θ of the inner side wall 11 with respect to the top wall 13 is maximum, i.e., the section corresponding to the "narrow section (described later)".

[0028] Furthermore, the trim material 3 shown in Figure 2 is characterized by three patterns of sections, as described below, based on a combination of the length of the protruding retaining lip 15 and the magnitude of the angle θ of the inner side wall portion 11 relative to the top wall portion 13. That is, The group of sections located near the top of the left side of Figure 2 has the following characteristics: "Within a predetermined length section D, there are five sub-sections arranged from top to bottom in the order C→B→A→B→C" and "The three sections B→A→B form the gently curved front corner section of the trim material 3." The group of intervals located towards the bottom of the left side of Figure 2 has the characteristic that "within an interval C of a predetermined length, there are six sub-intervals in the order E→F→E→D'→E→F from top to bottom." The group of sections extending from the top edge to the entire right edge of Figure 2 has the following characteristics: "Within the relatively long section F, there are five sub-sections in the order C→B→A→B→C from left (front) to right (rear)" and "The three sections B→A→B form the steeply curved rear corner section of the trim material 3."

[0029] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at the position indicated by line III-III in Figure 2, that is, a cross-sectional view taken at the upper edge of the trim material 3, within section F and section C. As shown in Figure 3, the trim material 3 comprises a mounting portion 10 and a hollow sealing portion 20 adjacent thereto. The mounting portion 10 has an inner side wall portion 11, an outer side wall portion 12, a top wall portion 13, and a retaining lip 15 protruding from the inner side wall portion 11, and a core material 14 is embedded within the mounting portion.

[0030] The core material 14 is a metal insert material that reinforces the mounting portion 10 to ensure a certain degree of rigidity, and is made of a metal having sufficient hardness and thickness to bend during the bending process described later.

[0031] In the trim material 3, the parts other than the core material 14 are made of a material mainly composed of ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM). However, the material constituting the parts other than the core material 14 may be any polymer material having a predetermined elasticity, and is not limited to EPDM; it may also be other thermoplastic synthetic resins or thermoplastic elastomers.

[0032] The hollow seal portion 20 is made of a low-density (e.g., specific gravity 0.6) sponge material. This sponge material is obtained by adding and mixing microcapsules and a chemical foaming agent (e.g., OBSH) to EPDM and then foaming it. By using a low-density sponge material for the hollow seal portion 20, the weight of the trim material 3 can be reduced. On the other hand, the mounting portion 10 and retaining lip 15, excluding the core material 14, are made of a high-density (e.g., specific gravity 1.3) solid material (i.e., non-foamed EPDM). By using a high-density solid material for these parts, durability and weather resistance can be improved.

[0033] The portion of the trim material 3 shown in FIG. 3 is designed to correspond to the flange 1f with a relatively thin thickness X. Specifically, the angle of the inner vehicle side wall portion 11 with respect to the top wall portion 13 is set to the minimum angle θ1 throughout the entire section of the trim material. This minimum angle θ1 is preferably less than 88°, and in this example (FIG. 3), θ1 = 86°. As a result, the inner vehicle side wall portion 11 is inclined in a direction such that its tip portion (the upper end portion in the figure) approaches the outer vehicle side wall portion 12 more than its base end portion (the lower end portion in the figure), and the width of the open end of the substantially U-shaped attachment portion 10 (that is, the distance between the tip of the inner vehicle side wall portion 11 and the tip of the outer vehicle side wall portion 12) becomes relatively narrow, and the attachment portion 10 corresponding to the section F shown in FIG. 3 is the "narrow-width portion 10F".

[0034] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at the position of line IV-IV in FIG. 2, that is, a cross-sectional view at a position above the left side portion of the trim material 3 and included in section D and section C. The portion of the trim material 3 shown in FIG. 4 is designed to correspond to the flange 1f with an intermediate thickness Y (X < Y). Specifically, the angle of the inner vehicle side wall portion 11 with respect to the top wall portion 13 is set to the maximum angle θ2 throughout the entire section of the trim material. This maximum angle θ2 is preferably 88° or more and 120° or less, more preferably 88° or more and 100° or less, and in this example (FIG. 4), θ2 = 90°. As a result, compared with the case of FIG. 3, the tip portion of the inner vehicle side wall portion 11 is slightly farther away from the outer vehicle side wall portion 12, and the width of the open end of the substantially U-shaped attachment portion (that is, the distance between the tip of the inner vehicle side wall portion 11 and the tip of the outer vehicle side wall portion 12) becomes relatively wide, and the attachment portion 10 corresponding to the section D shown in FIG. 4 is the "wide-width portion 10D".

[0035] Incidentally, in FIG. 2, section E intervening between section D (or D') and section F is a gradual change section or a transition section of the inner vehicle side wall portion angle in which the angle θ of the inner vehicle side wall portion 11 with respect to the top wall portion 13 is between the maximum angle θ2 and the minimum angle θ1 and gradually changes from one to the other.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken at the position of line V-V in FIG. 2, that is, a cross-sectional view at a position above the left side portion of the trim material 3 and included in section D and section A. The portion of the trim material 3 shown in FIG. 5 is designed to correspond to the flange 1f having a relatively thick thickness Z (X < Y < Z). Specifically, the angle of the inner vehicle side wall portion 11 with respect to the top wall portion 13 is set to the maximum angle θ2 throughout the entire section of the trim material. The maximum angle θ2 in FIG. 5 is the same as the maximum angle θ2 in FIG. 4, and in this example (FIG. 5), θ2 = 90°. As a result, compared with the case of FIG. 3, the tip of the inner vehicle side wall portion 11 is slightly farther away from the outer vehicle side wall portion 12, and the width of the open end of the substantially U-shaped mounting portion (that is, the distance between the tip of the inner vehicle side wall portion 11 and the tip of the outer vehicle side wall portion 12) becomes relatively wider, and the mounting portion 10 corresponding to the section D shown in FIG. 5 is also the "wide portion 10D".

[0037] In addition, in the mounting portion (wide portion 10D) of FIG. 5 corresponding to the section A, the protruding length of the holding lip 15 is set to be significantly shorter than the protruding length of the holding lip 15 in the section C (see FIGS. 3 and 4). As a result, the holding lip 15 in the section A is formed as the "short lip portion 15A". Incidentally, the protruding length of the holding lip 15 in the section C is a standard protruding length in light of the conventional example and the longest protruding length throughout the entire section of the trim material, while the protruding length of the holding lip (short lip portion 15A) in the section A is the shortest protruding length throughout the entire section of the trim material. And the section B intervening between the section A and the section C is a gradual change section or a transition section of the protruding length of the holding lip where the protruding length of the holding lip 15 is between the longest protruding length and the shortest protruding length and gradually changes from one to the other.

[0038] In addition to the angle of the inner vehicle side wall portion 11 with respect to the top wall portion 13 being θ2 = 90° in the mounting portion (wide portion 10D) of FIG. 5, the holding lip is the short lip portion 15A, so that the flange 1f with the maximum thickness Z can be easily accepted. This eliminates the need to ensure an overly large movable range of the movable roller in the variable bender machine described later, and facilitates the bending forming by the variable bender machine.

[0039] Furthermore, the tip 16 of the retaining lip that constitutes the short lip portion 15A is formed in a straight line when viewed in cross-section (see Figure 5). By making the tip 16 of the retaining lip (short lip portion 15A) a simple shape that is straight when viewed in cross-section, it becomes easy to mold the tip shape as intended.

[0040] The method for manufacturing the trim material 3 according to this embodiment is carried out using the trim material manufacturing system shown in Figure 6 (hereinafter referred to as the "extrusion molding apparatus").

[0041] The extrusion molding apparatus 30 shown in Figure 6 is equipped with a core material supply uncoiler 31, a material extruder 32, an extrusion mold 33, a heating tank 34, a cooler 35, a variable bending machine 36, and a cutting machine 37, etc., arranged from upstream to downstream of the molding process, and these are generally known. The manufacturing procedure for the trim material 3 using such an extrusion molding apparatus 30 is generally as follows.

[0042] (Step 1 / Overview of Extrusion Molding) A pre-molded body 3P, which is a precursor to the trim material 3, is extruded by continuously supplying the core material 14 from the core material supply uncoiler 31 and supplying polymer material from the material extruder 32 to the extrusion mold 33. This pre-molded body 3P is a long molded body having a first side wall portion (11P) that will become the inner side wall portion in the future, a second side wall portion (12P) that will become the outer side wall portion in the future, a top wall portion (13P) that connects the first and second side wall portions, and a retaining lip portion (15P) extending from the first side wall portion, and the core material 14 is contained inside the pre-molded body 3P. Details of this extrusion molding process will be explained later.

[0043] (Step 2: Solidification of the pre-molded body) If the polymer material constituting the trim material 3 is a rubber material such as EPDM, the pre-molded body 3P obtained in step 1 is heated and cured (i.e., vulcanized) in a heating tank 34 (e.g., a high-frequency heater or a hot air heater), and then the pre-molded body 3P is cooled in a cooler 35 (e.g., a cooling water tank). Alternatively, if the polymer material constituting the trim material 3 is a thermoplastic synthetic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer, the pre-molded body 3P extruded from the extrusion mold 33 in a semi-molten state is directly guided to the cooler 35 (e.g., a cooling water tank) to cool and solidify.

[0044] (Step 3 / Overview of Bending Forming) The pre-molded body 3P, which has solidified after passing through the cooling machine 35, is supplied to the variable bending machine 36. The variable bending machine 36 then adjusts the angle between the top wall portion (13P) and the first side wall portion (11P) at each part of the pre-molded body 3P to the final angle at each part of the trim material 3, while partially varying the angle in the longitudinal direction. Details of this bending process will be explained later.

[0045] (Step 4: Individualization by cutting) The pre-formed body (i.e., a continuous piece of trim material 3) that has been angle-adjusted and fed out from the variable bending machine 36 is cut and separated to a predetermined length by the cutting machine 37 to obtain the trim material 3 as the final product.

[0046] (Details of the extrusion molding process) The extrusion molding in step 1 above is performed using an extrusion mold 33 as shown in Figures 7 and 8. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, an extrusion opening 40 corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the pre-molded body 3P is formed on the front surface (end face on the extrusion opening side) of the extrusion mold 33. This extrusion opening 40 is A first side wall extrusion hole 41 for extruding the first side wall portion (11P) of the pre-molded body, A top wall extrusion hole 43 for extruding the top wall portion (13P) of the pre-molded body, A second side wall extrusion hole 42 for extruding the second side wall portion (12P) of the pre-molded body, Hollow seal portion extrusion hole 44 for extruding the hollow seal portion (20P) of the pre-molded body, Extrusion hole 45 for the retaining lip portion (15P) of the pre-molded body, The core material 14 is placed in a series of holes, from the first side wall extrusion hole 41 through the top wall extrusion hole 43 to the second side wall extrusion hole 42. The angle ω (omega) between the top wall extrusion hole 43 and the first side wall extrusion hole 41 at this extrusion opening 40, and consequently the initial angle ω between the top wall (13P) and the first side wall (11P) in the pre-molded body 3P, is set in the range of 135° to 155°, and in this example (Figures 7, 8), ω = 145°. This initial angle ω is greater than the final angles θ1, θ2 between the top wall 13 and the first side wall (inside side wall 11) in the trim material 3 after angle adjustment (θ1 < ω, θ2 < ω).

[0047] Furthermore, a movable die 48 is provided on the front surface (the end face on the extrusion opening side) of the extrusion mold 33, which can move forward and backward along a pair of guide rails 47. This movable die 48 is driven by a servo motor 49, which is controlled based on a control signal sent from a control device (not shown), and its forward and backward movement from the tip of the guide rail 47 is controlled.

[0048] Then, in response to the forward and backward movement of the movable die, the length to which the retaining lip extrusion hole 45 is exposed or open (or closed) is appropriately changed, which determines the protruding length of the retaining lip (15P) in the pre-molded body 3P. Specifically, at the timing of extruding section C in Figure 2, the movable die 48 is positioned in the retracted position shown in Figure 7, and the entire retaining lip extrusion hole 45 is exposed (maximum open state), forming the retaining lip with the longest protruding length. At the timing of extruding section A in Figure 2, the movable die 48 is positioned in the forward position shown in Figure 8, and only the area near the base of the retaining lip extrusion hole 45 is exposed (minimum open state), forming the retaining lip with the shortest protruding length (short lip portion). Furthermore, at the timing of extrusion molding of section B in Figure 2, the movable die 48 is continuously displaced over time to an intermediate position between the position in Figure 7 and the position in Figure 8, causing the opening degree of the retaining lip extrusion hole 45 to change between the maximum open state and the minimum open state. As a result, a retaining lip with a gradually changing protruding length is formed.

[0049] Thus, in section A, which is a part of section D as the first range, a short lip portion 15A is extruded, which is a retaining lip with a shorter protruding length than the retaining lip 15 in the adjacent sections (sections B and C) to the said section (section A).

[0050] (Details of the bending process) The bending process in step 3 described above is carried out using a known variable bending machine 36, as outlined in Figure 9.

[0051] The variable bending machine 36 in Figure 9 is basically the same as the variable bending device disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-137618 (see Figures 4-6 of the same publication), so a detailed explanation will be omitted. The variable bending machine 36 in Figure 9 generally comprises a base member 51, a regulating member 52, a positioning member 53, a support roller 54 (or a fine-movement roller), and a movable roller 55. The portion of the preformed body 3P to be bent is surrounded and supported by the four members (51, 53, 54, 55), and the regulating member 52 is positioned inside the preformed body 3P.

[0052] The basic operation of bending using this variable bending machine 36 is generally as follows: While restricting the boundary between the top wall portion (13P) and the first side wall portion (11P) of the preformed body with the restricting member 52, and while holding down the second side wall portion (12P) with the positioning member 53, the second side wall portion (12P) is pressed inward (towards the first side wall portion) together with the hollow seal portion (20P) by the support roller 54, and at the same time, the first side wall portion (11P) is pressed outward (towards the second side wall portion) by the movable roller 55, thereby bending the first side wall portion (11P) starting from the boundary portion with the top wall portion (13P).

[0053] In the bending process using the variable bending machine 36, the angle between the top wall and the first side wall at each part of the preformed body 3P is adjusted to the final angle (θ) at each part of the trim material 3, with the angle being partially different in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, when adjusting the angle of the first side wall (inside side wall 11) in section F of Figure 2 to the minimum angle θ1, the movable roller 55 is moved outward (towards the second side wall) to reduce the distance between the support roller 54 and the movable roller 55. On the other hand, when adjusting the angle of the first side wall (first side wall 11P, which will become the inside side wall 11 in the future) in section D of Figure 2 to the maximum angle θ2, the movable roller 55 is moved away from the support roller 54 to increase the distance between the support roller 54 and the movable roller 55. During this time, the second side wall portion (the second side wall portion 12P which will become the exterior side wall portion 12 in the future) is pressed against the positioning member 53, so the second side wall portion (the second side wall portion 12P which will become the exterior side wall portion 12 in the future) may also be bent starting from the boundary portion with the top wall portion.

[0054] Thus, in section D, which is the first range, the final angle θ2 formed by the top wall portion 13 and the first side wall portion (inside side wall portion 11) becomes larger than the final angle θ1 in the portions adjacent to section D (sections E and F). As a result, a wide portion 10D is formed in section D, which is the first range.

[0055] (Regarding the connection between extrusion molding and bending molding) A control method for linking the adjustment of the protruding length of the holding lip portion in the extrusion molding process with the adjustment of the angle θ in the bending molding process, and in particular a control method for forming a wide portion 10D (maximum angle θ2) corresponding to a specific area where the short lip portion 15A is molded, is the method shown in a) and b) below, for example. a) The control device transmits a control signal to the servo motor 49 at timing t1, and after a predetermined time Δt has elapsed, at timing t2 (=t1+Δt), the control device transmits a control signal to the variable bending machine 36 to optimally control the angle adjustment operation of the variable bending machine 36. Here, Δt corresponds to the transport time until a specific part of the pre-molded body 3P, whose protruding length of the holding lip portion has been determined at timing t1, reaches the variable bending machine 36 to receive the angle adjustment planned for that specific part. b) The control device transmits a control signal to the servo motor 49 at timing t1, and at timing t3 (=t1+Δs) after a predetermined time Δs has elapsed, the control device transmits a signal to a marking device (e.g., an inkjet marking device, not shown), and the marking device places a mark (identification mark) on the surface of the pre-molded body 3P. Here, Δs corresponds to the transport time until the specific part of the pre-molded body 3P, whose protruding length of the holding lip portion has been determined at timing t1, reaches the marking device. When the specific part of the pre-molded body 3P with the mark (identification mark) is detected by a sensor (e.g., a camera or CCD element) mounted in front of the variable bending machine 36, the angle adjustment operation of the variable bending machine 36 is optimally controlled to perform the planned angle adjustment on that specific part.

[0056] (Effects of the embodiment) According to the trim material 3 of this embodiment, the mounting portion 10 corresponding to the portion where the lip short portion 15A of the first range section D is formed (i.e., section A) can accommodate a relatively thick flange 1f. Therefore, this trim material 3 can be attached to parts of the vehicle opening where the flange 1f is thick.

[0057] In the manufacturing method of the trim material of this embodiment, the extrusion molding process for forming the lip short portion 15A and the bending molding process for forming the wide portion 10D are separate work processes. Therefore, the protruding length of the retaining lip 15 and the final angle (θ) between the top wall portion 13 and the inner side wall portion 11 can be changed without mutual influence between the two processes. Thus, this method increases the design freedom of the trim material 3 to be manufactured.

[0058] In the trim material 3 shown in Figure 2, a wide section 10D without a lip short portion 15A is formed in a portion of the trim material along the longitudinal direction (section D') other than section D, which is the first range (in Figure 2, section D' is located within section C, which is located towards the bottom of the left side). With this configuration, the manufacturing process of the trim material 3 can be partially simplified by not forming a lip short portion 15A on the wide section 10D in the part where the trim material can be made to correspond to the flange thickness simply because the mounting portion 10 of the trim material is wide (i.e., the retaining lip 15 in the wide section 10D has a normal protrusion length).

[0059] [Example of changes] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 9, and can be modified and implemented in the following forms.

[0060] Although the above embodiment relates to a trim material 3 for the front door opening, the present invention can also be applied to trim materials for the rear door opening, trunk opening, and back door opening.

[0061] In the embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 5, the section A (a part of section D as the first range) in which the lip short portion 15A is formed corresponds to the part of the flange on the vehicle body side that has a thicker thickness (i.e., the flange 1f with thickness Z shown in Figure 5), but is not limited to this. A part of the lip short portion 15A formed in the first range (interval D) may be made to correspond to a portion where the thickness of the flange on the vehicle body side abruptly changes from a thin portion to a thick portion (for example, the flange 1f having a thickness Y (X < Y < Z) shown in FIG. 4). This is because, particularly in a portion where the thickness of the flange on the vehicle body side abruptly changes from a thin portion to a thick portion, it is actually difficult to abruptly change the angle θ formed between the top wall portion 13 and the inner side wall portion 11 at the attachment portion of the trim material to be attached thereto to follow the abrupt change in the flange thickness. In this regard, according to the above alternative measure, a lip short portion 15A (a holding lip having a short protruding length) is provided at the attachment portion 10 of the trim material corresponding to the portion where the flange thickness abruptly changes. Therefore, it becomes possible to relatively easily attach the attachment portion having the lip short portion to the flange portion where the flange thickness abruptly changes.

[0062] According to the above embodiment, the thickness of the flange 1f on the vehicle body side to which the section B of the trim material 3 is attached is an intermediate thickness Y (see FIG. 4), but it is not limited thereto. For example, the flange 1f on the vehicle body side does not necessarily have to have an intermediate thickness Y, and may be of a type in which a flange portion having a thickness X and a flange portion having a thickness Z (X < Z) are directly connected (this shall be referred to as a "two-step thick flange"). When applying the trim material 3 of the above embodiment to this two-step thick flange, the section C of the trim material 3 is applied to the flange portion having a thickness X of the two-step thick flange, the section A of the trim material 3 is applied to the flange portion having a thickness Z of the two-step thick flange, it is preferable that the section B located between the section C and the section A of the trim material 3 is applied to the connection region (or the transition region between the two flange portions) of the flange portion having a thickness X and the flange portion having a thickness Z of the two-step thick flange. That is, it is preferable to associate the section B of the trim material 3 so as to straddle from the flange portion having a thickness X to the flange portion having a thickness Z of the two-step thick flange.

[0063] In the above embodiment, sections A, B, and C are provided within a portion of section D, which is the first range. However, it is also possible to form only section A within a portion of section D, and to form sections B and C outside of section D. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1. Front door (door body) 1f Body flange 3 Trim material 3P Pre-molded parts 10 Mounting part 10D Wide part (at the mounting section) 10F (Narrow section at the mounting area) 11. Inner side wall section (first side wall section) 12. Exterior side wall portion (second side wall portion) 13 Top wall 14 Core material 15 Retaining Lip 15A Lip Short Section 16 Tip of the retaining lip 20 Hollow seal section A, B, C Trim material section Sections D, E, and F of the trim material (section D corresponds to the "first range")

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a long vehicle trim material that is positioned between the periphery of an opening in a vehicle body and an openable and closable door body that closes the opening in the vehicle body, In a method for manufacturing a trim material for a vehicle, the trim material has a mounting portion that can be attached to a flange on the periphery of an opening in the vehicle body, and the trim material is an extruded product in which a core material is embedded in the mounting portion, and a retaining lip is formed on at least one of the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion, projecting from the inner surface of that side wall portion toward the other side wall portion, An extrusion molding process for extruding a pre-molded body, which is a precursor molded product of trim material, The pre-molded body is a long molded body having a first side wall portion, a second side wall portion, and a top wall portion connecting both side wall portions, with a retaining lip formed on at least one of the side wall portions. The preform is extruded such that the initial angle (ω) between the top wall and the first side wall is greater than the final angle (θ) in the trim material, and In a first range (D) which is a portion along the longitudinal direction of the premolded body, a lip short portion, which is a retaining lip with a protruding length shorter than the retaining lip of the portions (B, C) adjacent to the first range (A), is extruded into a portion (A) which is a portion of the first range, and the tip of the lip short portion is formed to be straight in a cross-sectional view, in an extrusion molding process, A bending process in which the angle between the top wall portion and the first side wall portion at each part of the preformed body is adjusted to the final angle (θ) at each part of the trim material while partially varying the angle in the longitudinal direction, In the first range (D), the bending process is performed such that the final angle (θ2) between the top wall and the first side wall is greater than the final angle (θ1) in the adjacent parts (E, F) to the first range (D), thereby forming a wider section in the first range (D). A method for manufacturing vehicle trim material, comprising the steps described above, wherein the bending process is performed after the extrusion process.

2. The section (A) within the first range (D) formed by the lip short portion is The flange thickness on the vehicle body side corresponds to the thicker part, or This addresses the section where the flange thickness on the vehicle body changes abruptly from a thin section to a thick section. A method for manufacturing a vehicle trim material according to feature 1.

3. The method for manufacturing a vehicle trim material according to claim 1, characterized in that a wide portion is formed in a part of the trim material (D') along the longitudinal direction other than the first range (D), wherein the lip short portion is not formed.

4. A method for manufacturing a vehicle trim material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, in the wide portion, the final angle (θ) formed by the top wall portion and the first side wall portion is set to 120° or less.

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