JP3889694B2 - Instrument panel molding equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for resin-molding an instrument panel provided in a front part of a vehicle interior of an automobile, and more particularly to an apparatus for resin-molding an instrument panel of a type having an airbag door portion.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An airbag device for a passenger seat of an automobile is generally provided inside an instrument panel, and there are various structures in such a case (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). .
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-39254 A [Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-47959
8 and 9 show an example of the structure of the instrument panel. In the illustrated structure, an airbag device 8 is fixed and arranged inside the instrument panel 1, and the front portion of the airbag device 8 of the instrument panel 1 serves as an airbag door portion 10. Yes. The airbag door portion 10 is integrally connected to other portions of the instrument panel 1. A plurality of breaking grooves 11 for separating the airbag door portion 10 from other portions of the instrument panel 1 are formed on the back surface of the instrument panel 1. As the plurality of breaking grooves 11, for example, three breaking grooves 11 (11 a to 11 c) extending in the lateral direction (longitudinal direction) of the instrument panel 1, and these three breaking grooves 11 (11 a to 11 c). ) And the two breaking grooves 11 (11d, 11e) extending in the vertical direction so as to connect both ends of each other. According to such a configuration, when the airbag device 8 is activated and the airbag (not shown) is inflated and deployed, the portions where the plurality of breaking grooves 11a to 11e are formed are broken, and the phantom line in FIG. As shown, the airbag door 10 is opened in the form of two plates divided at the breaking groove 11b. As a result, the airbag appears on the outer surface side of the instrument panel 1.
[0005]
The airbag door portion 10 is connected to the casing of the airbag device 8 via a plurality of retainers 80. Each retainer 80 is made of a relatively thin metal plate that can be bent, and is joined to a plurality of ribs 13 formed on the back surface of the airbag door portion 10 by using, for example, ultrasonic fusion means. . According to such a configuration, the airbag door portion 10 can be opened while being supported by the retainers 80, and the airbag door portion 10 is prevented from being scattered into the vehicle interior.
[0006]
Conventionally, when the above-described instrument panel 1 is resin-molded, for example, a molding apparatus as shown in FIG. 10 is used.
[0007]
This conventional molding apparatus includes first and second molds 7A and 7B capable of forming a cavity 70 for molding the instrument panel 1, and a plurality of groove forming blades 39. The tip of each groove forming blade 39 has entered the cavity 70, whereby a plurality of breaking grooves 11 can be formed in the instrument panel 1. Each of the plurality of groove forming blades 39 has a plate shape and is connected in a rectangular shape in plan view. For this reason, the first mold 7 </ b> A has two cores 71 surrounded by a plurality of groove forming blades 39. These cores 71 are formed separately from the other parts of the first mold 7A, and are arranged and supported together with the groove forming blades 39 in the holes 79 formed in the first mold 7A. ing.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the conventional molding apparatus, the following problems may occur.
[0009]
The groove forming blade 39 is preferably reciprocally movable in the direction of the arrow Na facing the cavity 70 by, for example, being connected to a reciprocating cylinder 78 as indicated by a virtual line in FIG. In this way, for example, when the cavity 70 is filled with resin, the groove forming blade 39 can be prevented from blocking the flow of the resin by leaving the groove forming blade 39 out of the cavity 70. It is.
[0010]
In the molding apparatus as described above, the airbag door portion 10 is formed on the inclined portion of the instrument panel 1, whereas the mold opening directions of the first and second molds 7A and 7B are indicated by arrows Nb, for example. Due to the horizontal direction, the arrow Na direction that is the reciprocating direction of the groove forming blade 3 may be inclined with respect to the mold opening direction. On the other hand, when the first mold 7A is machined and manufactured using a cutting tool or other tools, machining from the mold opening direction or a direction perpendicular thereto can be performed relatively easily. Processing from a different direction tends to be difficult. Therefore, in the conventional molding apparatus described above, it is difficult to accurately process the hole 79 inclined in the reciprocating direction of the groove forming blade 3, and the processing cost may be expensive. Further, when the molding apparatus is repeatedly used many times, maintenance such as replacement of the groove forming blade 39 is required, but it is desired that such maintenance can be easily performed.
[0011]
The present invention has been conceived under such circumstances, and can be easily manufactured and maintained, and an instrument panel having an airbag door portion can be appropriately molded with resin. An object of the present invention is to provide an instrument panel molding apparatus that can be used.
[0012]
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention takes the following technical means.
[0013]
An instrument panel molding apparatus provided by the present invention includes a first mold and a second mold capable of forming a cavity for resin molding an instrument panel having an airbag door, and advancement and retreat into the cavity. A groove-forming blade provided so as to be capable of reciprocating in a certain direction and capable of forming a breakage groove for the airbag door portion in the instrument panel when a tip portion enters the cavity. In addition, the first mold has a hole for arranging the groove forming blade, and the fixed direction in which the groove forming blade reciprocates is the same as that of the first and second molds. An instrument panel molding apparatus that is inclined with respect to the mold opening direction, wherein the hole of the first mold is formed in the first panel. Removing the type of other portions of the formed as a block separate and this block, the other part to, so as to fit into a recess having a surface extending in the mold opening direction substantially the same direction It is characterized by being assembled as possible.
[0014]
In the present invention, the portion where the hole of the first mold is formed is formed as a separate block from the other portions of the first mold. When manufacturing, each part of the block can be processed in a separate process from the other parts of the first mold. Accordingly, the processing of the hole is facilitated by setting the block to an angle or posture suitable for the processing, thereby facilitating the manufacture of the entire first mold and reducing the manufacturing cost. it can. Further, the maintenance of the groove forming blade and its peripheral part can be performed by removing the block from the other part of the first mold, and the work is facilitated. Further, when a part of the block is worn or damaged, for example, it is possible to replace only this block, and it is not necessary to replace the entire first mold. However, the maintenance can be facilitated.
[0015]
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is a reciprocating means for reciprocating the groove forming blade in the fixed direction, and the reciprocating means is provided outside the block. The reciprocating rod which enters the hole and can reciprocate freely has a reciprocating rod, and the reciprocating rod and the groove forming blade are detachably connected. According to such a configuration, when the connection between the reciprocating rod and the groove forming blade is released, the reciprocating means and the groove forming blade are in a so-called edge cutting state, so that the block is removed from the reciprocating means. It can be separated from other parts of the first mold without being restricted by the above-mentioned restrictions. Therefore, it becomes more convenient for maintenance.
[0016]
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first mold includes a core for molding one side of the airbag door portion, and the core is arranged in the hole portion. And a driving source provided outside the block, and an operating mechanism provided in the hole and capable of reciprocating the core in the fixed direction by the driving force of the driving source. The drive source and the operation mechanism unit are detachably connected. According to such a configuration, since the core can be reciprocated in the predetermined direction, for example, the instrument panel as a whole in a state where the core is separated from the airbag door portion after resin molding of the instrument panel. Can be taken out of the first mold. As is understood from the content of the description of the embodiment described later, this is suitable for preventing damage or the like from being generated at the location where the breaking groove of the instrument panel is formed. Further, if the connection between the operation mechanism unit and the drive source is released, the block can be separated from other parts of the first mold without being restricted by the drive source. It will be more convenient for maintenance.
[0017]
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus further includes a support member that contacts the one surface of the airbag door when the instrument panel is molded in the cavity, and the core is the air. When separating from the bag door portion, the air bag door portion can be supported by the support member. According to such a configuration, when the core is moved away from the airbag door portion, the support member prevents the airbag door portion from being dragged and moved by the core. As a result, it is possible to prevent the formation of the breaking groove of the instrument panel from being bent unreasonably, and to appropriately separate the airbag door portion and the core.
[0018]
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments of the invention.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
[0020]
1 to 7 show an example of an instrument panel molding apparatus according to the present invention. The instrument panel molding apparatus A of this embodiment is for resin molding the instrument panel 1 described above with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. Therefore, each part of the instrument panel 1 will be described using the same reference numerals as those used in the prior art.
[0021]
As clearly shown in FIG. 1, the instrument panel molding apparatus A of the present embodiment includes a mold including first and second molds 2 </ b> A and 2 </ b> B, a plurality of groove forming blades 3, Reciprocating cylinders 5A and 5B are provided.
[0022]
The first and second molds 2A and 2B are those in which mold clamping and mold opening operations are performed by allowing the second mold 2B to reciprocate in the horizontal or substantially horizontal direction indicated by the arrow Nd, for example. At the time of fastening, a cavity 20 for molding the instrument panel 1 can be formed. The first mold 2A has a hole 25 for accommodating a plurality of groove forming blades 3 and other members to be described later, and a block 26 in which the hole 25 is formed, The main body 27 supporting the block 26 is divided.
[0023]
The block 26 has a surface 26 a that can mold one side of the peripheral portion of the airbag door 10 of the instrument panel 1, and is formed separately from the main body 27. The main body 27 has a surface 27a on which one side of the other part of the instrument panel 1 can be molded, and has a recess 27b on which the block 26 can be fitted and assembled. The concave portion 27b is defined by a wall surface 27c and a horizontal surface 27d that stand in the vertical direction. The side surface 26c and the bottom surface 26d of the block 26 are in contact with the wall surface 27c and the horizontal surface 27d with respect to the main body portion 27. Removably assembled. As this assembling means, for example, a bolting means (not shown) can be employed.
[0024]
The first mold 2A also has two cores 21a and 21b as movable molds for molding one side of the airbag door portion 10. These cores 21 a and 21 b are formed separately from the block 26 and the main body 27, and the periphery is surrounded by a plurality of groove forming blades 3.
[0025]
The plurality of groove forming blades 3 are for forming the plurality of breaking grooves 11 in the instrument panel 1 by being arranged so that their tip portions enter the cavity 20. The plurality of groove forming blades 3 are in the form of a metal plate and are connected in a rectangular shape in plan view corresponding to the shape of the plurality of breaking grooves 11, as in the prior art. The base end portions of the plurality of groove forming blades 3 are connected via a connecting member 30.
[0026]
The reciprocating cylinder 5A is, for example, a hydraulic cylinder, and reciprocates the plurality of groove forming blades 3 in the direction indicated by the arrow N1. The reciprocating cylinder 5A is disposed in a hole 27e provided in the main body 27, and enters the hole 25 through the hole 27e and moves a reciprocating rod 50a that can reciprocate in the direction of the arrow N1. Have. The tip of the reciprocating rod 50a is detachably connected to the connecting member 30, and the plurality of groove forming blades 3 can reciprocate with the reciprocating rod 50a. When the plurality of groove forming blades 3 reciprocate, the inner peripheral wall surface of the hole 25 can be used as a guide surface for the reciprocation. As a means for detachably connecting the distal end portion of the reciprocating rod 50a and the connecting member 30, for example, a means for screwing and connecting these members by providing a male screw and a female screw can be used. Further, as another means, for example, an engaging means is provided on the reciprocating rod 50a and the connecting member 30, and the reciprocating rod 50a is rotated by an appropriate angle so that the retaining of the engaging is achieved. It is also possible to employ a means for making it possible to switch between releasing the engagement.
[0027]
The reciprocating cylinder 5B is of the same hydraulic type as the reciprocating cylinder 5A, and is arranged in a hole 27f provided in the main body 27 as shown well in FIG. The reciprocating rod 50b of the reciprocating cylinder 5B enters the hole 25 through the hole 27f and can reciprocate in the direction of the arrow N2 orthogonal to the direction of the arrow N1. In the hole 25, there is provided an operation mechanism B that raises and lowers the cores 21a and 21b in the first direction N1 by the reciprocating motion of the reciprocating rod 50b.
[0028]
The operation mechanism B has a drive block 51 disposed on the bottom surface 25 a of the hole 25 and a driven block 52 placed on the drive block 51. The cores 21a and 21b are connected and supported by the driven block 52 via a plurality of connecting rods 59. The driving block 51 is detachably connected to the tip of the reciprocating rod 50b. As this connecting means, the same means as the connecting means between the reciprocating rod 50a and the connecting member 30 can be adopted.
[0029]
Opposing surface portions of the drive block 51 and the driven block 52 are formed in a stepped shape, and a plurality of cam surfaces 55a and 55b and a plurality of pressure contact surfaces 56a and 56b are provided in these portions. The cam surfaces 55a and 55b are planes inclined at an angle of, for example, about 45 degrees with respect to the arrow N2 direction. Therefore, if the drive block 51 is moved in the arrow N2 direction so that these cam surfaces 55a and 55b are brought into contact with each other, the driven block 52 and the cores 21a and 21b can be moved up and down in the arrow N1 direction. . The pressure contact surfaces 56a and 56b are flat surfaces having an inclination angle of zero or substantially zero with respect to the second direction. When the cores 21a and 21b are maintained at a certain height without moving the driven block 52 up and down, the pressure contact surfaces 56a and 56b are brought into contact with each other.
[0030]
As shown in FIG. 4, the molding apparatus A also includes a plurality of support rods 4 that come into contact with one surface 12 of the airbag door portion 10. Each support rod 4 passes through the cores 21a and 21b and the connecting member 30, and is fixed in the hole 25 of the block 26 so as not to hinder the operation of the drive block 51 and the driven block 52 described above. It has been. As will be described later, the plurality of support rods 4 serve to support the airbag door portion 10 when the cores 21a and 21b are lowered after the instrument panel 1 is molded. The cores 21a and 21b are provided with a plurality of recesses 22 for forming a plurality of ribs 13, and the arrangement thereof is as shown in FIG. 3, for example. The arrangement of the plurality of support rods 4 is also as shown in FIG.
[0031]
Next, the operation of the instrument panel molding apparatus A will be described.
[0032]
First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the instrument panel 1 is molded by filling a resin into a cavity 20 formed by the first and second molds 2A and 2B. However, when filling the resin, each reciprocating cylinder 5 </ b> A is driven to lower each groove forming blade 3 so that its tip does not enter the cavity 20. If it does in this way, it can prevent that the flow of resin is obstructed by each groove | channel formation blade 3, and the said resin will spread evenly throughout the cavity 20, and it will spread quickly. Each groove forming blade 3 is raised to a stage after the resin is filled and before the resin is cured. As a result, a plurality of breaking grooves 11 can be formed in the instrument panel 1.
[0033]
During the resin molding described above, the pressure contact surfaces 56a and 56b of the drive block 51 and the driven block 52 are brought into contact with each other to prevent the driven block 52 from being lowered. Since the pressure contact surface 56a is a surface that is not inclined with respect to the direction of the arrow N2 or a surface that has almost no inclination, a large component force in the direction of the arrow N2 is generated in the pressing force F received from the driven block 52 on the pressure contact surface 56a. In other words, all or substantially all of the pressing force F can be applied to the bottom surface 25a of the hole 25. As a result, the pressing force F is prevented from directly acting on the reciprocating cylinder 5B, and the reciprocating cylinder 5B can be reduced in size by reducing the load on the reciprocating cylinder 5B.
[0034]
To remove the instrument panel 1 after the resin molding of the instrument panel 1 is completed, the second mold 2B is moved in the horizontal direction indicated by the arrow Nd to open the mold, and then the reciprocating cylinder 5B is driven. As a result, the cores 21a and 21b are lowered in the first direction N1, as shown in FIG. In this way, the following advantages can be obtained. That is, since the recesses 22 and the ribs 13 of the cores 21a and 21b are strongly fitted to each other when they are molded during resin molding, the pressing force of the instrument panel 1 is suddenly increased using an unillustrated push pin or the like. If the portion other than the airbag door portion 10 is pressed upward, the other portion of the instrument panel 1 may be pushed out while the airbag door portion 10 is in close contact with the cores 21a and 21b. When such a situation occurs, a portion where the breaking groove 11 of the instrument panel 1 is formed is bent and damaged. On the other hand, if the cores 21a and 21b are lowered first as described above, such a fear can be avoided. As shown in FIG. 6, when the cores 21a and 21b are lowered, the plurality of support rods 4 are in contact with the airbag door portion 10, so that the airbag door portion 10 is lowered along with the cores 21a and 21b. That is blocked. Therefore, the cores 21 a and 21 b can be appropriately separated from the airbag door portion 10 without generating a large stress at the portion where the breaking groove 11 is formed.
[0035]
The above-described lowering operation of the cores 21a and 21b is performed by retracting the drive block 51 in the direction of the arrow N2b in FIG. 5 and lowering the driven block 52. Since the descending operation itself of the driven block 52 is performed by gravity, when the adhesion force between the cores 21a and 21b and the one surface 12 of the instrument panel 1 is strong, it may be difficult to descend the driven block 52 by gravity. is there. Therefore, it is preferable to provide auxiliary means for generating a forced lowering force in the driven block 52 when the drive block 51 is retracted in the arrow N2b direction by a certain amount. When the resin molding is repeated again, the cores 21a and 21b are raised again. This raising operation can be accurately performed by moving the drive block 51 forward by an appropriate amount in the direction of the arrow N2a. .
[0036]
As shown in FIG. 7, the block 26 of the first mold 2 </ b> A can be removed from the main body 27. The connection between the connecting member 30 and the reciprocating rod 50a and the connection between the drive block 51 and the reciprocating rod 50b can also be released. Therefore, the block 26 can be freely handled without being restricted by the reciprocating rods 50a and 50b, which is convenient for repairing the block 26 and the like. Further, since the cores 21a and 21b, the plurality of groove forming blades 3, the drive block 51, and the driven block 52 incorporated in the hole 25 of the block 26 are all movable members, they are caused by wear or the like. There are cases where these must be replaced, but these replacement operations can also be performed when the block 26 is removed from the main body 27. As a result, it is possible to rationalize and facilitate the maintenance of the first mold 2A. Unlike the present embodiment, for example, when the entire first mold 2A is integrated, when the portion corresponding to the block 26 is damaged, the entire first mold 2A is replaced or repaired. Need to be performed, and waste is increased. On the other hand, in the molding apparatus A of the present embodiment, it is only necessary to replace or repair the block 26, so that the above waste can be eliminated.
[0037]
When the first mold 2 </ b> A is manufactured, the block 26 may be manufactured separately from the main body 27 and then assembled to the main body 27. Therefore, manufacture is also facilitated. In particular, when the hole 25 is formed in the block 26, it is not necessary to form the hole 25 in a direction inclined obliquely with respect to the vertical direction or the horizontal direction. That is, by tilting the block 26 from the posture shown in FIG. 7 by an appropriate angle, the hole 25 can be formed, for example, such that its center line extends in the vertical direction, and the processing is easy. Become.
[0038]
The present invention is not limited to the contents of the above-described embodiment. The specific configuration of each part of the instrument panel molding apparatus according to the present invention can be varied in design in various ways.
[0039]
The specific shapes and sizes of the first and second molds are matters that can be appropriately selected according to the instrument panel to be molded, and are not specified. The mold opening directions of the first and second molds are not limited to the horizontal direction. As a means for reciprocating the groove forming blade or the like, instead of the hydraulic reciprocating cylinder, a reciprocating cylinder or a linear motor of a different type may be used.
[0040]
In the present invention, the specific shape and size of the first type block and the hole formed in the block are not particularly limited. The first mold may not only be divided into two parts, that is, a block in which a hole is formed and a main body part, but may be divided into a larger number of parts. The airbag door portion of the instrument panel may be configured not to have a groove corresponding to the breaking groove 11b shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, for example.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part showing an example of an instrument panel molding apparatus according to the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion different from the cross-sectional portion of FIG. 1 of the instrument panel molding apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of an essential part of a first mold of the molding apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
4 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part of a portion provided with a support rod of the instrument panel forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
5 is a cross-sectional view of a principal part showing the operation of the molding apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.
6 is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing the operation of the molding apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.
7 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state in which the blocks of the molding apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are separated. FIG.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of an instrument panel.
9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in FIG.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part showing an example of a conventional technique.
[Explanation of symbols]
A Instrument panel molding apparatus 1 Instrument panel 2A First mold 2B Second mold 3 Groove forming blade 4 Support rod 5A, 5B Reciprocating cylinder 11 Breaking grooves 21a, 21b Core 25 Hole 26 Block 27 Body 50a, 50b reciprocating rod

Claims (4)

First and second molds capable of forming a cavity for resin molding an instrument panel having an airbag door portion;
A groove that can be reciprocated in a certain direction so as to be able to advance and retreat into the cavity, and a groove for breaking the airbag door portion can be formed in the instrument panel when a tip portion enters the cavity. A forming blade, and
The first mold has a hole for arranging the groove forming blade,
The instrument panel molding apparatus, wherein the fixed direction in which the groove forming blade reciprocates is a direction inclined obliquely with respect to the mold opening direction of the first and second molds,
Said portion of said hole portion is formed of a first type, the above and other portions of the first type is formed as a block separate and this block may be set, on the other part, the type An instrument panel molding apparatus, wherein the instrument panel is removably assembled so as to be fitted into a recess having a surface extending in substantially the same direction as the opening direction . Reciprocating means for allowing the groove forming blade to reciprocate in the fixed direction; and
The reciprocating means is provided outside the block, has a reciprocating rod that can enter and reciprocate into the hole, and
The instrument panel molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reciprocating rod and the groove forming blade are detachably connected to each other. The first mold includes a core for molding one side of the airbag door portion, and the core is arranged in the hole portion.
A driving source provided outside the block; and an operating mechanism provided in the hole and capable of reciprocating the core in the fixed direction by the driving force of the driving source. ,And,
The instrument panel molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive source and the operation mechanism are detachably connected. Further comprising a support member that contacts the one side of the airbag door when the instrument panel is molded in the cavity; and
The instrument panel molding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the core is separated from the airbag door portion, the airbag door portion can be supported by the support member.

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