Two-Tone Panel Mold with Folded Skin for Seamless Foam Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing two-tone interior panels with soft and hard foam injection result in a noticeable groove at the border, affecting appearance and product value due to the flow of resin and lack of integration.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus that includes a skin with a surface and folded portion, an upper mold, and a lower mold that slides up and down, allowing for the injection of soft foam at low pressure and hard foam at high pressure, with the folded portion being pushed under the first resin and through holes facilitating the flow of hard foam to enhance bonding and reduce the groove width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If soft foam and hard foam are injected separately into the skin portion, then the interior panel can be manufactured with different foam densities, but a noticeable groove and resin flow occur at the border portion, spoiling the appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The folded portion of the skin is pre-positioned to extend beyond the surface portion before injection. This preliminary configuration allows the hard foam to be injected through the folded portion and bond with the soft foam underneath, preventing groove formation at the border before the injection process completes
Solution Approach 2:
The folded portion of the skin is inserted into the hard foam resin, creating a nested structure where the skin border is embedded within the foam material. This nesting prevents the skin edge from being exposed at the surface, eliminating the visible groove and resin flow defects
2Manufacturing precision
If the skin is tightly secured in the mold, then injection precision is improved, but resin may leak at the border portion between surface and folded portions
Solution Approach 1:
The skin is divided into two functional portions: the surface portion that remains in the mold for precise injection, and the folded portion that extends beyond to receive and bond the hard foam. This segmentation allows the surface portion to be tightly secured for precision while the folded portion provides a separate pathway for resin injection and bonding without causing leakage
3Shape
If groove width is reduced for better appearance, then aesthetic quality improves, but manufacturing complexity increases due to additional sealing and folding requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The skin is configured with a folded portion that dynamically extends beyond the surface portion during the injection process. This dynamic configuration allows the folded portion to be pushed into the hard foam and bond seamlessly, achieving smooth borders without requiring complex static mold structures or additional sealing components
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
The apparatus effectively integrates soft and hard foams, reducing the groove width, increasing durability, and ensuring a sealed border with high-density foam, thereby enhancing the appearance and value of the two-tone interior panel.
Implementation Method 1
a first resin R1 to be injected into a space formed between the lower mold 400 and the surface portion 120 of the skin 100, after injection of the first resin, the lower mold 400 is lowered and a second resin R2 is injected
Implementation Method 2
When the second resin is injected, the folded portion may be pushed by the second resin to be folded under the first resin, such that the folded portion may be inserted in the second resin
Implementation Method 3
The lower mold may have a pressing portion formed at a position corresponding to a border between the surface portion and the folded portion, such that the border between the surface portion and the folded portion may be pressed by the pressing portion to be sealed
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for injecting a two-tone interior panel may include a skin including a surface portion and a folded portion extending from an end of the surface portion, an upper mold under which the skin is disposed, and a lower mold that slides up or down below the upper mold. When the lower mold is elevated, a portion of the lower mold corresponding to the folded portion may come in indirect contact with the upper mold with the folded portion therebetween, and a portion of the lower mold corresponding to the surface portion may form a space between the lower mold and the surface portion into which a first resin is to be injected.