KR102201453B1 - Manufacturing method for vehicle lamp lenses - Google Patents

Abstract

The vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method of the present invention comprises forming a cavity therein by mold closing the first upper mold and the lower mold; Injecting a first molten resin through a first gate provided in the first upper mold, filling the cavity, and curing it to form an intermediate mold; Forming a space between the first upper mold and the intermediate mold; And forming a hard coating layer by injecting and curing a second molten resin into the spaced space through a second gate provided in the first upper mold.

Description

Vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method {MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR VEHICLE LAMP LENSES}

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens. More specifically, the present invention forms a hard coating layer by injecting and curing resin into the mold without a separate painting process after the injection of the lamp lens, thereby reducing manufacturing costs, resulting in excellent economic effects, and using organic solvents used in the painting process The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens having an excellent environmentally friendly effect by minimizing.

A car lamp is a lamp that illuminates the front of a car to drive safely. In the conventional automotive lamp market, glass having excellent transparency is used as a lamp cover. However, such a glass lamp cover has disadvantages of low durability, heavy weight, and high production cost. Accordingly, plastics with excellent transparency and moldability, especially polycarbonate materials, are used in the currently produced lamp covers to reduce the weight of materials and reduce production costs.

However, in the case of a polycarbonate material that is generally applied to an automobile lamp lens, it has excellent transparency and impact resistance, but has disadvantages of low scratch resistance, weather resistance and chemical resistance. Accordingly, in order to supplement the scratch resistance and weather resistance, which are weak points of polycarbonate materials, a hard coating process is required in which a coating composition having excellent weather resistance and scratch resistance is used. The coating composition used for the hard coating is largely an ultraviolet (UV) curable hard coating paint or a thermosetting hard coating paint, and urethane-based paints used for painting exterior parts such as automobiles and mobile phones are mainly used.

The hard coating process of polycarbonate lenses used as automotive headlamps (headlights) parts can be largely divided into injection and painting, and in more detail, polycarbonate intermediate mold injection, surface cleaning, UV curable or thermosetting hard coating paint A hard coating layer is formed on the surface of the polycarbonate lens through spray, infrared (IR) drying, ultraviolet curing, or thermal curing.

In the coating composition for hard coating, an alcohol-based, ketone-based, or acetate-based solvent is used for the purpose of easily controlling the viscosity when applying the composition, improving the smoothness of the hard coating layer and improving workability during hard coating. As such, the hard coating paint used during painting contains an organic solvent, and thus there is a problem that substances harmful to the human body and the environment are scattered during painting. In addition, many devices such as a painting facility for hard coating, a painting robot, a drying facility or an ultraviolet curing facility are required, so there is a problem in that management and investment costs are large.

Recently, a method of manufacturing an automobile lamp lens by applying a turn table type injection facility has been developed, and a related patent is Korean Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2012-0099940.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens capable of forming a hard coating layer having excellent durability, weather resistance, and abrasion resistance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens capable of reducing manpower, equipment investment, and operating costs by excluding the painting process.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens capable of saving energy and simplifying the process.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens with excellent eco-friendliness and reduced cost by minimizing the amount of organic solvent used.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle lamp lens manufactured by the vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method.

One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens. In one embodiment, the vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method comprises forming a cavity therein by mold closing the first upper mold and the lower mold; Injecting a first molten resin through a first gate provided in the first upper mold, filling the cavity, and curing it to form an intermediate mold; Forming a space between the first upper mold and the intermediate mold; And forming a hard coating layer by injecting and curing a second molten resin into the spaced space through a second gate provided in the first upper mold.

In one embodiment, the first molten resin fills and hardens the entire cavity to form an intermediate mold, separates the first upper mold from the intermediate mold and the lower mold, and slides between the first upper mold and the lower mold It is characterized in that it is molded and closed as a member to form a spaced space between the first upper mold and the intermediate mold.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method includes forming a cavity inside the first upper and lower molds; Injecting a first molten resin through a first gate provided in the first upper mold, filling the cavity, and curing it to form an intermediate mold; Replacing the first upper mold with a second upper mold to mold-close the second upper mold and the lower mold to form a space between the second upper mold and the intermediate mold; And forming a hard coating layer by injecting and curing a second molten resin into the spaced space through a third gate provided in the second upper mold.

In one embodiment, the second molten resin is cured by using the temperature of the first upper and lower molds heated when the intermediate mold is cured.

In one embodiment, the first molten resin is characterized in that it contains at least one of.

In one embodiment, the second molten resin is a thermosetting polyurethane resin.

In one embodiment, the melt index of the second melt is 5 ~ 60g / 10min (ASTM D 1238, 230 ℃, 2.16 kgf condition measurement standard).

In one embodiment, the height of the separation space is characterized in that 5㎛ to 2mm.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle lamp lens formed by the vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method. The vehicle lamp lens is a transparent material; And a hard coating layer formed on one surface of the transparent substrate, wherein the transparent substrate and the hard coating layer are formed by the above-described vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method.

When applying the vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method of the present invention, it is possible to form a hard coating layer having excellent durability, weather resistance, and abrasion resistance, and by excluding the painting process applied when forming the existing hard coating layer, manpower, facility investment, and operation cost can be reduced. , Energy saving and process simplification is possible by curing the resin for hard coating injected on the surface of the molded body using the mold temperature, and the use of organic solvents when forming the hard coating layer can be minimized to reduce cost and excellent eco-friendliness.

1 shows a method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 shows a method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, terms to be described later are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention and may vary according to the intentions or customs of users and operators, and thus their definitions should be made based on the contents throughout the present specification describing the present invention.

One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens. 1 shows a method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method includes: (a) a cavity forming step; (b) forming an intermediate mold; (c) forming a separation space; And (d) forming a hard coating layer. More specifically, the method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens includes forming a cavity therein by mold-closing a first upper mold and a lower mold; Injecting a first molten resin through a first gate provided in the first upper mold, filling the cavity, and curing it to form an intermediate mold; Forming a space between the first upper mold and the intermediate mold; And forming a hard coating layer by injecting and curing a second molten resin into the spaced space through a second gate provided in the first upper mold.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail step by step with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(a) Cavity formation step

In the above step, the first upper mold 100 and the lower mold 200 are molded and closed to form a cavity (not shown) therein corresponding to the shape of the vehicle lamp lens.

(b) Intermediate mold formation step

Referring to FIG. 1(a), in the step, a first molten resin is injected through the gate 110 provided in the first upper mold 100 to fill the cavity (not shown) and then cure the intermediate molded body ( 300) is formed. Referring to FIG. 1, the intermediate mold 300 melts the first molten resin through the first gate 110 formed in the first upper mold 100 to fill the formed cavity space, and then pressurize and cure it. Can be formed. In a specific embodiment, the curing may be performed by heating the first upper mold 100 and the lower mold 200 at 100° C. to 250° C. for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

In the present invention, the first molten resin may be prepared by using a conventional transparent thermoplastic resin used for manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens used for forming an intermediate molded body (transparent substrate). For example, one or more of a polycarbonate resin, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin, a poly (meth)acrylic resin, a polyurethane resin, and a triacetate cellulose (TAC) resin may be used. In specific examples, it can be prepared using a polycarbonate-based resin.

In a specific example, the melt index of the first melt may be 5 to 60 g/10 min (ASTM D 1238, 230°C, 2.16 kgf condition measurement standard). Workability may be excellent in the melt index.

(c) Separation space formation step

Referring to FIG. 1(c), the step is a step of forming a space between the first upper mold 100 and the intermediate mold 300.

In one embodiment, the first molten resin fills and hardens the entire cavity to form an intermediate mold 300, and separates the first upper mold 100 from the intermediate mold 300 and the lower mold 200 A space 120 may be formed between the first upper mold 100 and the intermediate mold 300 by being molded and closed with a slide member 210 between the first upper mold 100 and the lower mold 200.

The slide member 210 is included in the present invention to form a space 120 for formation of a hard coating layer and to prevent overflow when the molten resin described later is injected, and the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate molded body 300 It may be formed according to the inside of the first upper mold 100 or the lower mold 200.

Referring to FIG. 1(c), the height H of the spaced space 120 formed in the present invention may be 5 μm to 2 mm. When forming the spaced space 120 of the above height, the hard coating layer formed by injecting and curing a molten resin to be described later may have excellent durability, weather resistance, and abrasion resistance.

(d) hard coating layer formation step

1(d) and 1(e), in the step, a second molten resin is injected and cured into the spaced space 120 through the second gate 112 provided in the first upper mold 100. This is a step of forming the hard coating layer 310a.

The second molten resin may be a conventional one. For example, polycarbonate, polycarbonate resin, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin, poly(meth)acrylic resin, polyurethane resin, triacetate cellulose (TAC) resin, and the like can be used.

In a specific example, the melt index of the second melt may be 5 to 60 g/10min (ASTM D 1238, 230°C, 2.16 kgf condition measurement standard). Workability may be excellent in the melt index.

In a specific example, the second molten resin may be cured by heating the lower mold 200 at a temperature of 100° C. to 250° C. for 30 to 150 minutes.

In another embodiment, a thermosetting polyurethane resin may be used as the second molten resin. For example, in order to minimize the use of solvents, a solvent-free thermosetting one-component or two-component polyurethane resin may be used. Referring to FIG. 1, in one embodiment of the present invention, a two-component thermosetting polyurethane resin in which a main material and a curing agent are mixed through a second gate 112 provided on one side of the first upper mold 100 ( 120) can be injected.

In an embodiment, the two-component thermosetting polyurethane resin is a subject comprising a reactive polyol; And an isocyanate-based curing agent; may include.

In one embodiment, the reactive polyol may include at least one of polyether polyol, polyester polyol, polycaprolactone polyol, polyether ester polyol, and polycarbonate polyol.

In a specific embodiment, the weight average molecular weight of the reactive polyol may be 3,000 g/mol to 300,000 g/mol, and the hydroxyl value may be 30 to 150 mgKOH/g. In the above range, the mechanical strength, curing speed and workability of the hard coating layer may be excellent at the same time.

Examples of the isocyanate-based curing agent include phenylenediisocyanate, tolylene diisocyanate (TDI), xylylene diisocyanate, diphenyl methane diisocyanate (MDI), hexamethylene diisocyanate, trimethyl hexamethylene diisocyanate, lysine diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate. It may include one or more of isocyanate and dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate.

In addition, in a specific embodiment of the present invention, the subject may further include a conventional leveling agent, a light stabilizer, an ultraviolet absorber, a filler, a pigment, and a stabilizer.

In a specific embodiment, the molar ratio of the hydroxy group (OH) included in the reactive polyol and the isocyanate group (NCO) included in the isocyanate-based curing agent may be included in a range of 1:0.5 to 1:5. In the above range, the mechanical strength, curing speed and workability of the hard coating layer may be excellent at the same time.

When using the solvent-free thermosetting polyurethane resin in a specific embodiment, it may include 100 parts by weight of the main body and 50 to 150 parts by weight of a curing agent. In the above range, the mechanical strength, curing speed and workability of the hard coating layer may be excellent at the same time. When the second molten resin containing no organic solvent component is applied as described above, cost can be reduced and environmentally friendly effects can be excellent.

In a specific example, the second molten resin may be cured by heating the lower mold 200 at a temperature of 100° C. to 250° C. for 30 to 150 minutes. In a specific embodiment, the injected molten resin may be cured by using the temperature of the first upper mold 100 and lower mold 200 heated when the intermediate mold 300 is formed. As described above, by using the temperature of the first upper mold 100 and lower mold 200 heated during the molding of the intermediate mold 300, energy and cost required for heating during curing can be reduced, resulting in excellent economic effect. can do.

In a specific embodiment, after the step of forming the hard coating layer, the first upper mold 100 and the lower mold 200 are separated to take out the molded body on which the hard coat layer 310a is formed, and then the gate cured product formed on the surface of the molded body is cut. It can be processed to manufacture a lamp lens according to the present invention.

2 shows a method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method includes: (a) a cavity forming step; (b) forming an intermediate mold; (c) forming a separation space; And (d) forming a hard coating layer. More specifically, the first upper and lower molds are molded and closed to form a cavity therein; Injecting a first molten resin through a first gate provided in the first upper mold, filling the cavity, and curing it to form an intermediate mold; Replacing the first upper mold with a second upper mold to mold-close the second upper mold and the lower mold to form a space between the second upper mold and the intermediate mold; And forming a hard coating layer by injecting and curing a second molten resin into the spaced space through a third gate provided in the second upper mold.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail step by step with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(a) Cavity formation step

The step is a step of forming a cavity (not shown) corresponding to the shape of the vehicle lamp lens inside by mold closing the first upper mold 100 and the lower mold 200, and is the same as the above-described vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method. .

(b) Intermediate mold formation step

The step is a step of injecting a first molten resin through the first gate 110 provided in the first upper mold 100, filling the cavity (not shown), and curing it to form the intermediate molded body 300. , Since it is the same as the above-described vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method, a detailed description will be omitted.

(c) Separation space formation step

2(a), in the above step, the first upper mold 100 is replaced with the second upper mold 102, and then the second upper mold 102 and the lower mold 200 are molded and closed, This is a step of forming a space 122 between the upper mold 200 and the intermediate mold 300.

Referring to FIG. 2(a), the height H of the spaced space 122 formed in the present invention may be 5 μm to 2 mm. When forming the spacing space 122 of the above height, durability, weather resistance, and abrasion resistance of a hard coating layer formed by injection and curing of a molten resin to be described later may be excellent.

In a specific embodiment, the second upper mold 102 is manufactured to form a space of 5 μm to 2 mm between the inside of the second upper mold 102 and the intermediate molded body 300 located inside the lower mold 200. Can be used.

(d) hard coating layer formation step

2(c) and 2(d), the step is to inject and cure the second molten resin into the spaced space 122 through the third gate 114 provided in the second upper mold 102. This is a step of forming a hard coating layer 310b. In a specific example, the molten resin may be cured by heating the second upper mold 102 and the lower mold 200 at a temperature of 100° C. to 250° C. for 30 to 150 minutes.

The second molten resin may be a conventional one. For example, polycarbonate, polycarbonate resin, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin, poly(meth)acrylic resin, polyurethane resin, triacetate cellulose (TAC) resin, and the like can be used.

In a specific example, the melt index of the second melt may be 5 to 60 g/10min (ASTM D 1238, 230°C, 2.16 kgf condition measurement standard). Workability may be excellent in the melt index.

In a specific example, the second molten resin may be cured by heating the lower mold 200 at a temperature of 100° C. to 250° C. for 30 to 150 minutes.

In another embodiment, the second molten resin may be a thermosetting polyurethane resin. For example, in order to minimize the use of solvents, a solvent-free thermosetting one-component or two-component polyurethane resin may be used. In a specific embodiment, a two-component thermosetting polyurethane resin mixed with a main material and a curing agent may be injected into the spaced space 120 through the third gate 114 provided at one side of the second upper mold 102.

At this time, since the solvent-free two-component thermosetting polyurethane resin may be the same as described above, a detailed description will be omitted.

In a specific example, after the forming of the hard coating layer, the second upper mold 102 and the lower mold 200 are separated to take out the molded body on which the hard coating layer is formed, and then the cured gate formed on the surface of the molded product is cut and processed. The lamp lens according to the invention can be manufactured.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle lamp lens formed by the vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method. 1(f) and 2(d), the vehicle lamp lenses 1000a and 1000b may include a transparent substrate 300; And hard coating layers 310a and 310b formed on one surface of the transparent substrate 300, and the transparent substrate 300 and the hard coating layers 310a and 310b are formed by the method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens of the present invention.

In a specific example, the thickness of the transparent substrate 300 may be 0.1mm to 15mm. Durability and impact resistance may be excellent in the thickness in the above range. In addition, the thickness of the hard coating layers 310a and 310b may be 5 μm to 2 mm. Durability, weather resistance, and abrasion resistance may be excellent in the thickness within the above range.

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the present invention will be described in more detail through preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, this is presented as a preferred example of the present invention and cannot be construed as limiting the present invention in any sense. Contents not described herein can be sufficiently technically inferred by those skilled in the art, and thus description thereof will be omitted.

Example 1

The first upper mold 100 and the lower mold 200 are molded and closed to form a cavity corresponding to the shape of the lens of the automobile headlamp therein, and through the first gate 110 provided at one side of the first upper mold 100 Filling the entire cavity by injecting molten polycarbonate resin into the first molten resin, and pressing the first upper mold 100 and the lower mold 200 in close contact with each other, while the first upper mold 100 and the lower mold (200) was heated at 180° C. for 90 minutes to cure the molten polycarbonate resin to prepare an intermediate molded body (300).

Then, the first upper mold 100 is separated from the intermediate mold 300 and the lower mold 200, and the slide member 210 formed along the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate mold 300 is operated to operate the first upper mold ( A space 120 having a height of 20 μm was formed between the first upper mold 100 and the intermediate mold 300 by mold closing between the 100) and the lower mold 200.

Then, in the space 120 through the second gate 112 provided on one side of the first upper mold 100, 100 parts by weight of the main material (polyethylster polyol) as a second molten resin, and a curing agent ( Tolylene diisocyanate) 50 to 150 parts by weight, and a hydroxy group included in the main body and an isocyanate group included in the curing agent in a molar ratio of 1:0.5 to 1:3. Injecting and curing using the temperature of the first upper mold 100 and lower mold 200 heated when the intermediate molded body 300 is manufactured, a hard coating layer 310a was formed. Then, the first upper mold 100 and the lower mold 200 are separated to take out the molded body on which the hard coating layer 310a having a thickness of 20 μm is formed, and then the cured gate formed on the surface of the molded body is cut to cut the car headlamp lens. (1000a) was prepared.

Example 2

Manufacturing the intermediate mold 300 in the same manner as in Example 1, replacing the first upper mold 100 with the second upper mold 102, and combining the second upper mold 102 and the lower mold 200 By mold closing, a space 122 having a height of 20 μm was formed between the second upper mold 102 and the intermediate mold 300.

Then, 100 parts by weight of a main material (polyester polyol) and a curing agent (tolylene isocyanate) 50 as a second molten resin in the space 122 through the third gate 114 provided on one side of the second upper mold 102 One side of the intermediate molded body 300 by injecting and curing a thermosetting two-component polyurethane melt containing ~150 parts by weight, and containing a hydroxy group included in the subject and an isocyanate group included in the curing agent in a molar ratio of 1:0.5-1:3 A hard coating layer 310b was formed on it. Then, the second upper mold 102 and the lower mold 200 are separated to take out the molded body on which the hard coating layer 310b having a thickness of 20 μm is formed, and then the cured gate formed on the surface of the molded body is cut to form an automobile headlamp lens. (1000b) was prepared.

Simple modifications or changes of the present invention can be easily implemented by those of ordinary skill in the art, and all such modifications or changes can be considered to be included in the scope of the present invention.

100: first upper mold 102: second upper mold
110: first gate 112: second gate
114: third gate 120, 122: separation space
200: lower mold 210: slide member
300: intermediate molded body 310a, 310b: hard coating layer
1000a, 1000b: vehicle lamp lens

Claims (9)

Mold-closing the first upper mold and the lower mold to form a cavity therein;
Injecting a first molten resin through a first gate provided in the first upper mold, filling the cavity, and curing it to form an intermediate mold;
Forming a space between the first upper mold and the intermediate mold; And
Including; injecting and curing a second molten resin in the spaced space through a second gate provided in the first upper mold to form a hard coating layer; and
The method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens, wherein the second molten resin is cured using a temperature of the first upper and lower molds heated when the intermediate molded body is cured.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first molten resin fills and cures the entire cavity to form an intermediate mold,
Separating the first upper mold from the intermediate mold and the lower mold, and
A method for manufacturing a vehicle lamp lens, wherein a space is formed between the first upper mold and the intermediate mold by mold closing the first upper mold and the lower mold with a slide member.
delete delete The method of claim 1, wherein the first molten resin comprises at least one of a polycarbonate resin, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin, a poly(meth)acrylic resin, a polyurethane resin, and a triacetate cellulose (TAC) resin. Vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method, characterized in that.
The method of claim 1, wherein the second molten resin is a thermosetting polyurethane resin.
The method of claim 1, wherein the second melt has a melt index of 5 to 60 g/10 min (ASTM D 1238, 230°C, 2.16 kgf condition measurement standard).
The method of claim 1, wherein the height of the separation space is 5 μm to 2 mm.
Transparent substrate; And
And a hard coating layer formed on one surface of the transparent substrate, wherein the transparent substrate and the hard coating layer are formed by the vehicle lamp lens manufacturing method of claim 1.

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