Apparatus and method for manufacturing vehicle door trim and vehicle door trim manufactured using the method

A first mold has a core passage, and first and second cavities in fluid communication with each other at the core passage. A second mold has first and second nozzles therein that inject first and second resins to the first and second cavities, respectively. The core member is slidable within the core passage to provide or block the fluid communication between the cavities, and has a third nozzle therein to inject a third resin to the core passage. The first and second resins are injected into the cavities. The core member is moved to block the fluid communication between the cavities, before injecting the first and second resins is completed. The third resin is injected while moving the core member to provide the fluid communication, after injecting the first and second resins is completed. The molds are separated, thereby yielding a single molded product, such as a vehicle door trim.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is based on, and claims priority from, Korean Application Serial Number 10-2007-0131738, filed on Dec. 15, 2007, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a vehicle door trim, and to an apparatus and method for manufacturing the trim.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A typical vehicle door includes an inner and an outer panel, welded to each other at several positions where the panels overlap. The door also includes a trim fastened to the inner panel, such as with clips.

A typical trim is made of injection molded plastic in several pieces, e.g. an upper trim, a lower trim, a central trim, an inside handle garnish, and the like, which are then thermally bonded or screwed together. This is time consuming and may require several injection molding machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An apparatus includes first and second molds and a core member. The first mold has therein a core passage, and first and second cavities in fluid communication with each other at the core passage. The second mold has first and second nozzles disposed therein that inject first and second resins to the first and second cavities, respectively. The core member is slidable within the core passage to provide or block the fluid communication between the cavities, and has a third nozzle therein to inject a third resin to the core passage. The apparatus may also include a heater near the core passage to heat the resins. The core member may include a core body with the third nozzle therein; and a core plug at an end of the core body, to block the fluid communication between the cavities.

In a method, first and second resins are injected into first and second cavities in a first mold, through first and second nozzles, respectively, while the first mold and a second mold are closed. The first and second cavities are in fluid communication with each other at a core passage in the first mold. A core member is moved within the core passage to block the fluid communication between the cavities, before injecting the first and second resins is completed. A third resin is injected through a third nozzle in the core member while moving the core member to provide the fluid communication between the cavities, after injecting the first and second resins is completed. The first and second molds are separated after a cooling time, thereby yielding a single molded product, such as a vehicle door trim. The resins may further be heated during injecting of the third resin. The first and second resins may be different colors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to accompanying drawings.

As shown inFIG. 1, a plastic, injection molded vehicle door trim1includes several pieces, such as an upper door trim1a, a lower door trim1b, a central door trim1c, and a door inside handle garnish1d. Two or more of these pieces may be made simultaneously using one mold.

Referring toFIG. 2, an apparatus for manufacturing the door trim includes a stationary mold10, a movable mold40, a core member60, a controller70, and a heater80.

A first cavity11and a second cavity13are defined on stationary mold10, adjacent to each other. The inner ends of both cavities11and13are open. A core passage15in stationary mold10fluidly connects the open ends of the cavities11and13.

First and second nozzles20and30, which are used to inject first and second molten resins21and31(which may, for example, have different colors) to first and second cavities11and13, respectively, are provided in movable mold40.

Core member60slides along core passage15to close the open ends of the cavities11and13.

A third nozzle50, in core member60, injects a third molten resin51. For this purpose, core member60includes a core body61and a core plug63. The core body slides along core passage15without interfering with stationary mold10, and is integral with third nozzle50. The core plug is provided at an end of core body61, and moves along core passage15to close the open ends of the cavities11and13while the outer peripheral surface of the core plug is in airtight contact with core passage15.

Heater80is provided on the side of core passage15. Heater80may include a heating coil surrounding core passage15. The heater80is operated by electrical power that is supplied according to the control of controller70, and simultaneously preheats first to third molten resins21,31, and51so that third molten resin51is evenly mixed with first and second molten resins21and31and connects first molten resin21with second molten resin31.

Controller70controls the operation of movable mold40, first to third nozzles20,30, and50, and core member60. Further, the controller controls the supply of electrical power to heater80.

An exemplary method of manufacturing a vehicle door trim will be described below with reference toFIGS. 1 to 4.

When stationary mold10and movable mold40are closed as shown inFIG. 2, first and second molten resins21and31are simultaneously injected into first and second cavities11and13through first and second nozzles20and30.

Until the injection of first and second molten resins21and31is completed, core member60is positioned below core passage15as shown inFIG. 2.

Immediately before the injection of first and second molten resins21and31is completed, core member60is moved upward along core passage15as shown inFIG. 3and simultaneously closes up the opened ends of first and second cavities11and13by using core plug63.

Then, core member60gradually moves downward as shown inFIG. 4, while simultaneously injecting third molten resin51through third nozzle50, which mixes with first and second molten resins21and31as they flow out from the open ends of first and second cavities11and13. Heater80then heats the molten resins21,31, and51so that third molten resin51is evenly mixed with first and second molten resins21and31and connects first molten resin21with second molten resin31.

Stationary mold10and movable mold40are then separated from each other after a predetermined cooling time. Then, a worker pulls out the molded product from first and second cavities11and13.

The product includes two parts integrally connected without the need for a separate assembly member or process. For example, one product may include an upper door trim1aand a lower door trim1b, which may be different colors. Another product, including a central door trim1cand a door inside handle garnish1d, may be made by the same method, and thermally bonded or screwed with the first product (upper door trim1aand lower door trim1b).

Alternatively, all four parts may be molded together by the method, by simple modifications to the described embodiments that will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, based on the teachings herein.