Planar Heating Element Positioning via Mold Protrusions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing interior trim parts with planar heating elements face challenges in precise positioning of the heating elements within the foam body, leading to potential exposure on the visible side, contact with structural elements, and increased production time due to additional work steps and adhesive bonding.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using raised protrusions in the mold cavity to position and embed the planar heating element in the z-direction, ensuring it is surrounded by foam on both sides, thereby maintaining a uniform surface and preventing contact with structural elements, without additional work steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the heating element is inserted into the mold cavity with contact to the wall to ensure positioning, then the positioning in z-direction is defined, but foam material is formed only on one planar side and cut foam must be adhesively attached on the other side
Solution Approach 1:
The mold cavity is prepared in advance with protrusions that extend into the cavity. These protrusions are positioned to contact the heating element during the foaming process, automatically ensuring proper positioning in the thickness direction before the foam material is applied. This preliminary preparation of the mold structure eliminates the need for subsequent adhesive bonding operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Protrusions are introduced as intermediary elements between the mold wall and the heating element. These protrusions serve as mediating structures that transmit the positioning function from the mold wall to the heating element, ensuring accurate positioning while allowing foam material to be formed on both sides of the heating element.
2Productivity
If the heating element is positioned closer to the visible side to reduce foam thickness, then production time is reduced, but the contour of the heating element becomes apparent and influences the feel
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusions are pre-positioned in the mold cavity at optimal distances from the visible side. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the heating element contacts the protrusions, it is automatically positioned at the correct depth, guaranteeing uniform foam coverage and surface appearance without requiring post-processing adjustments.
3Ease of manufacture
If the heating element is insufficiently embedded in the foam body, then production process is simplified, but heat losses increase and damage likelihood increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusions are designed with appropriate dimensions and spacing to automatically embed the heating element to the correct depth in the foam body. This preliminary design of the mold structure ensures sufficient embedding for thermal insulation and mechanical protection without requiring complex additional manufacturing steps.
4Manufacturing precision
If cut foam is adhesively attached to surround the heating element, then complete embedding is achieved, but additional work steps considerably increase production time
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive bonding step is completely removed from the production process. Instead of applying cut foam and adhesive separately, the mold cavity is designed with protrusions that automatically position and embed the heating element during the single foaming operation, extracting the unnecessary intermediate steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning function and the embedding function are merged into a single integrated solution. The protrusions simultaneously serve to position the heating element in the correct location and to enable complete foam embedding in one operation, combining multiple functions into one step.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for precise and defined positioning of the heating element, maintaining a uniform surface structure, reducing heat losses, and enhancing the 'soft-hard' feel of the interior trim part while simplifying the production process.
Implementation Method 1
adding a foam material into the cavity of the mold tool, wherein the planar heating element is covered in foam so that a foam layer is formed on the two planar sides of the planar heating element
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a method for producing an interior trim part. The method includes introducing a planar heating element into a cavity of a mold tool. The planar heating element has a first planar side facing away from a visible side of the interior trim part and a second planar side opposite to the first planar side, the mold tool has a plurality of protrusions protruding into the cavity, and the first planar side is seated on at least a portion of the plurality of protrusions. The method further includes adding a foam material into the cavity to cover the planar heating element, such that a foam layer is formed on both the first and second planar sides.