U.S. patent application number 15/095830 was filed with the patent office on 2016-11-10 for method of attaching functional components to a roof element of a vehicle, and vehicle roof element.
The applicant listed for this patent is Pavol HURBAN, Andreas KUNZE, Martin NISCACK, Joachim ROEDER, Andre SCHARPER, Stefan VOGEL, Charles WASSEN. Invention is credited to Pavol HURBAN, Andreas KUNZE, Martin NISCACK, Joachim ROEDER, Andre SCHARPER, Stefan VOGEL, Charles WASSEN.
Application Number | 20160325610 15/095830 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48142887 |
Filed Date | 2016-11-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160325610 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ROEDER; Joachim ; et
al. |
November 10, 2016 |
METHOD OF ATTACHING FUNCTIONAL COMPONENTS TO A ROOF ELEMENT OF A
VEHICLE, AND VEHICLE ROOF ELEMENT
Abstract
A method of attaching functional components to a roof element of
a vehicle, including applying a curable material in a low-viscosity
state which is molded in sections by means of a first mold surface,
wherein a second mold surface is used which serves for shaping
further sections of the curable material, an opening remaining
accessible towards the environment through which the curable
material can be introduced.
Inventors: |
ROEDER; Joachim; (Muehlheim,
DE) ; VOGEL; Stefan; (Ortenberg, DE) ;
NISCACK; Martin; (Bratislava, SK) ; HURBAN;
Pavol; (Malacky, SK) ; SCHARPER; Andre;
(Vechelde, DE) ; KUNZE; Andreas; (Mueden/Aller,
DE) ; WASSEN; Charles; (Bratislava, SK) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ROEDER; Joachim
VOGEL; Stefan
NISCACK; Martin
HURBAN; Pavol
SCHARPER; Andre
KUNZE; Andreas
WASSEN; Charles |
Muehlheim
Ortenberg
Bratislava
Malacky
Vechelde
Mueden/Aller
Bratislava |
|
DE
DE
SK
SK
DE
DE
SK |
|
|
Family ID: |
48142887 |
Appl. No.: |
15/095830 |
Filed: |
April 11, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13765362 |
Feb 12, 2013 |
9308804 |
|
|
15095830 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C 39/10 20130101;
B29K 2075/00 20130101; B60J 10/16 20160201; B29L 2031/3011
20130101; Y10T 29/4998 20150115; B29C 70/763 20130101; B29C 41/20
20130101; B29C 44/1271 20130101; B29L 2031/3005 20130101; Y10T
29/49888 20150115; B60J 10/82 20160201; B60J 7/00 20130101; B29K
2875/00 20130101; Y10T 29/49885 20150115; Y10T 29/49622 20150115;
B29C 65/70 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B60J 10/82 20060101
B60J010/82; B60J 10/16 20060101 B60J010/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 16, 2012 |
DE |
102012003045.2 |
Claims
1. A roof element for a vehicle roof, comprising: a functional part
attached to the roof element; a curable material applied to a
portion of the roof element in a low-viscosity state, wherein the
curable material is molded in sections in an open mold cavity by a
first mold surface and a second mold surface, wherein the second
mold surface is defined by a pair mold parts, wherein one of the
pair of mold parts is applied to the curable material after it has
been applied to the portion of the roof element and an opening
remains between the pair of mold parts after they are applied to
the curable material, wherein the opening is accessible towards an
environment through which the curable material can be
introduced.
2. The roof element of claim 1, wherein the functional part is an
integral part of the curable material.
3. The roof element of claim 2, wherein the functional part is an
adhesive surface by means of which the roof element can be
adhesively bonded to a vehicle structure.
4. The roof element of claim 2, wherein the functional part is a
sealing lip.
5. The roof element of claim 1, wherein the functional part is a
spacer.
6. The roof element of claim 1, wherein the functional part is a
rail.
7. The roof element of claim 1, wherein the functional part is a
centering pin.
8. The roof element of claim 1, wherein the functional part is a
screw-on dome.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/765,362 filed on Feb. 12, 2013, which
claims foreign priority to DE 10 2012 003 045.2 filed Feb. 16,
2012, under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119, the contents each of which are
incorporated herein by reference thereto.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The invention relates to a method of attaching functional
components to a roof element of a vehicle, including applying a
curable material in a low-viscosity state which is molded in
sections by means of a first mold surface. The invention further
relates to a roof element for a vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The roof element may, more particularly, be a cover or a
module element as are used in modern motor vehicles. The cover is
usually part of a sliding roof here and can be shifted between a
closed position and various open positions by a suitable mechanism.
The module element may be configured to be panel-shaped and
constitute a stationary part of the vehicle roof, for example the
stationary parts of the roof skin that are arranged laterally of a
sliding roof cover, or the part arranged behind the sliding roof
cover, as viewed in the direction of travel.
[0004] It is known that a so-called foamed casing or portion can be
used for covers of sliding roofs, in particular glass covers, which
in most cases consists of polyurethane. The latter is introduced
into a foaming mold so that a polyurethane frame or other
polyurethane formations are formed which firmly adhere to the
cover. A disadvantage here is the fairly great effort involved in
producing the foaming molds, which are required to ensure the
necessary sealing action in view of the foaming pressure occurring,
so that the polyurethane cannot reach any surfaces where it impairs
the function and/or the visual appearance of the cover.
[0005] EP 1 577 080 discloses a method of manufacturing a gasket on
a glass cover, in which polyurethane is applied in a spraying
method. In this process, the cover is placed into an open mold
having a mold surface onto which the curable polyurethane is
sprayed. This allows, in particular, a frame to be obtained that
surrounds the cover on all sides. Here, the mold surface is formed
in a mold part made from a resilient material, for example
silicone, so that a good sealing action on the cover is
achieved.
[0006] A drawback of this method is that only few geometries are
possible, namely those that are feasible when using a dish-like
mold part which holds the very flowable polyurethane.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] One object of the invention resides in further developing
the method of the type initially mentioned in such a way as to also
allow more complex geometries to be configured from the curable
material on the roof element with little effort.
[0008] To achieve this object, according to various embodiments of
the invention provision is made in a method of the type initially
mentioned that a second mold surface is used which serves for
shaping further sections of the curable material, an opening
remaining accessible towards the environment through which the
curable material can be introduced. Furthermore, embodiments of the
invention provide a roof element manufactured by means of such a
method. Embodiments of the invention are based on the finding that
the advantages of the two methods described above can be combined
with each other. The use of more than one mold surfaces allows more
complex geometries to be produced than can be produced when an
open, dish-like mold part is used. It is not required, however, to
use a closed molding tool here; rather, the method can be carried
out in an open system in which mold surfaces are provided at those
places where necessary but, basically, the curable material is
introduced freely, more particularly can flow in freely.
[0009] According to a further configuration of the invention,
provision is made that the first mold surface is formed on a first
mold part. This mold part can be made use of in particular for
molding from outer contours that are exposed later.
[0010] It is also possible for the first mold surface to be formed
on a functional part which is firmly connected with the roof
element by means of the curable material. In this configuration,
the functional part to be attached is used for limiting the
spreading of the curable material. At the same time, the functional
part is firmly connected with the roof element by means of the
curable material.
[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, provision is
made that the second mold surface is formed on a second mold part.
This allows a plurality of mutually independent mold surfaces to be
used for shaping the curable material.
[0012] According to a further configuration of the invention,
provision is made that the second mold part is brought into
position after part of the curable material was applied onto the
first mold surface. This allows the curable material to be first
applied freely and without hindrance onto a surface to be coated,
for example by means of a spraying method, and the second mold part
to be brought into position only subsequently. The second mold
surface of the second mold part then provides for the desired
contour of the curable material. In this way, it is also possible
to produce geometries which would not otherwise be producible when
using the low-viscosity curable material, for example because the
material would not fully flow into the dedicated space between the
roof element and the mold surface.
[0013] According to one configuration of the invention, provision
is made that the second mold part is used to hold in position the
functional component to be attached. This ensures a high positional
accuracy of the mold part to be inserted in relation to the
geometries generated by the mold surfaces.
[0014] Preferably, the curable material is polyurethane. This
material has turned out to be particularly suitable with regard to
its properties and its processing options.
[0015] The functional part may be an integral part of the cured
material. For example, the functional part may be an adhesive
surface by means of which the roof element can be adhesively bonded
to a vehicle structure, or a sealing lip that serves to seal
against other structural parts.
[0016] The functional part may also be a separate component, for
example a spacer, a rail, a centering pin, or a screw-on dome. Such
a functional part can be reliably attached to the roof element with
high precision and a high holding force in the manner described,
involving little effort.
[0017] In one embodiment, a method of attaching functional
components to a roof element of a vehicle is provided. The method
including the steps of applying a curable material in a
low-viscosity state which is molded in sections by means of a first
mold surface, wherein a second mold surface is used which serves
for shaping further sections of the curable material, an opening
remaining accessible towards the environment through which the
curable material can be introduced.
[0018] In another embodiment, a roof element for a vehicle roof is
provided. The roof element having a functional component attached
thereto by a method including the steps of: applying a curable
material to a portion of the roof element in a low-viscosity state;
molding the curable material in sections by a first mold surface
and a second mold surface, wherein the second mold surface is
defined by a pair mold parts, wherein one of the pair of mold parts
is applied to the curable material after it has been applied to the
portion of the roof element and an opening remains between the pair
of mold parts after they are applied to the curable material,
wherein the opening is accessible towards the environment through
which the curable material can be introduced.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The invention will be described below with reference to
various embodiments, which are illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0020] FIG. 1 schematically shows a vehicle roof of a motor
vehicle;
[0021] FIG. 2 schematically shows a section along the line II-II of
FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 3 schematically shows a step in the manufacture of a
roof element according to the invention;
[0023] FIG. 4 schematically shows a first step in the manufacture
of a roof element according to the invention;
[0024] FIG. 5 schematically shows a second step in the manufacture
of the roof element of FIG. 4;
[0025] FIG. 6 schematically shows the roof element of FIG. 5 in the
assembled condition;
[0026] FIG. 7 schematically shows a first variant embodiment;
[0027] FIG. 8 schematically shows a second variant embodiment;
and
[0028] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a mold with a roof
element placed therein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] FIG. 1 schematically shows a roof 2 of a motor vehicle,
which has a roof opening 4 in a roof skin 3. Arranged in the roof
opening 4 is a cover 10 of a sliding roof system that is not
illustrated in more detail here.
[0030] The roof skin 3 may be made of a plastic material or of
glass, as is generally known with modern composite module roofs.
The roof module preferably is an assembly intended to be connected
with the vehicle structure in a preassembled condition, in
particular with side beams of the vehicle body and with transverse
beams that constitute the upper end of a windshield or of a rear
window.
[0031] As can be seen in FIG. 2, attached to a side beam 5 is a
composite part 12 which is formed from two panels 14, 16 adhesively
bonded to each other, with the outer panel 14 forming the roof
skin.
[0032] The composite part 12 formed from the panels 14, 16 is
provided with a foamed portion 18 which consists of polyurethane
and, for one thing, engages around the front faces of the panels
14, 16, with a sealing lip 20 being integrally molded with the
exterior face. The sealing lip 20 rests against the vehicle
body.
[0033] In addition or alternatively to the foamed portion 18, which
engages around an outer edge of the roof element 10, the curable
material may also be used to form an integrally foamed portion 19
which adheres to a surface of the roof element 10. The integrally
foamed portion 19 serves to firmly connect a rail 22 with the
composite part 12. To this end, for one thing, an exterior web 24
of the rail 22 is firmly embedded in the foamed portion 18. For
another thing, an opening 26 is provided in the rail 22 through
which the integrally foamed portion 19 engages.
[0034] The rail 22 firstly serves to connect the composite part 12
firmly with the side beam 5 of the vehicle body. For this purpose,
provision is made for an adhesive bead 28 by means of which a
connecting surface of the rail 22 is adhesively bonded firmly to
the side beam 5. The rail 22 further serves to receive various
seals 30, 32 which cooperate with the cover 10, only schematically
shown here, of the sliding roof system.
[0035] The foamed portion 18 not only functions to fasten the rail
22 to the composite part 12, but also has the purpose of forming a
variety of functional formations. For one thing, this is the
sealing lip 20 already mentioned, which is configured in one piece
with the foamed portion 18. For another thing, the foamed portion
18 is provided with a pressure surface 34 on the interior edge of
the composite part 12, the pressure surface 34 cooperating with the
seal 30 and pressing the latter onto a holding web on the rail
22.
[0036] FIG. 3 schematically shows the general basic principle of a
method that can be used for applying the curable material from
which the foamed portion 18 can be produced. This method is
disclosed in EP 1 577 080. Here, a mold part 70 is used which has a
mold surface 72. The latter is configured to be open to the top and
may be generally referred to as dish-shaped in the cross-section
shown. The curable material 74 is sprayed into the mold surface 72
by means of a dosing head 76, so that the foamed portion 18
eventually forms on the mold surface 72 and firmly adheres to the
cover 10.
[0037] FIGS. 4 and 5 show how the curable material 74 is applied in
order to provide a roof element as is shown in FIG. 2, for example.
Here, too, a first mold part 70 is used which is suitably applied
to the roof element 10. The first mold part 70 is placed in a
holder 78 here, which is provided with seals 80 that prevent an
undesirable escape of the curable material 74. A second mold part
82 which is likewise provided with seals 80 is placed onto the
opposite side. Further arranged on this side of the roof element 10
is a holder 84 which holds a rail 22 and is also provided with a
seal 80.
[0038] For the seals 80 a material is used to which the curable
material will not adhere. Silicone is especially suitable.
[0039] In a first method step, the curable material 74 is applied
onto the first mold part 70 and also onto an edge region of the
roof element 10 by means of the dosing head 76. The curable
material 74 will spread on the first mold surface 72 of the first
mold part 70 and on the edge region of the roof element 10 as far
as to a second mold surface 86 formed on the second mold part 82.
The seals 80 prevent the curable material from spreading onto
surface regions in which it is not desired. The curable material 74
is also filled into a region between the rail 22 and the second
mold part 82 where it spreads between a further mold surface 86 on
the second mold part 82, the surface of the roof element 10, and
the rail 22 as far as to the seal 80. The viscosity of the curable
material 74 is adjusted here such that it will reliably run under
the rail 22, where it will provide for a connection between the
roof element 10 and the rail 22.
[0040] More particularly, polyurethane is suitable for use as the
curable material, in particular the "COLO-FAST R 8959/109/WST"
material of BASF.
[0041] The curable material 74 is filled in between the second mold
part 82 and the rail 22 until the required "filling level" is
attained, whereas only a small quantity of the curable material 74
is initially applied onto the region between the first mold part 70
and the second mold part 82. This quantity is essentially
determined by the maximum height of the mold surface 72.
Subsequently, a movable mold part 83 is applied onto the first mold
part 70, the mold surfaces 86 of the movable mold part 83 making
sure that the required outer contour is produced there. A further
amount of curable material 74 is introduced through the space
between the two mold parts 82, 83 until the required "filling
level" is attained there as well. In the process, the mold surfaces
86 provided on the second mold parts 82, 83 ensure that further
functional surfaces are formed on the foamed portion 18. Finally, a
spacer may be placed onto the foamed portion formed in the region
between the two mold parts 82, the spacer firmly connecting with
the foamed portion 18.
[0042] In the two-stage filling-in process that is made use of for
manufacturing the foamed portion 18, the movable second mold part
83 is placed onto the first mold part 70 at a point in time at
which the curable material has not yet cured to such a degree that
deformation thereof would no longer be possible. In addition, it
must be ensured that the material applied later between the two
mold parts 82, 83 still combines with the material applied already
earlier.
[0043] By not applying the movable mold part 83 onto the first mold
part 70 until a certain amount of the curable material 74 has
already been applied there, it is made sure that it is even
possible to reliably fill structures having very thin
cross-sections. As can be seen in FIG. 5, for example a sealing lip
20 can be formed from the curable material without air being
trapped.
[0044] FIG. 6 shows the roof element 10 in the installed condition.
One of the outer surfaces of the foamed portion 18, which is molded
by a mold surface 86 of the stationary mold part 82, serves as an
adhesive surface 88 here, which is firmly attached to a side beam 5
of the vehicle by means of an adhesive bead 28. A spacer 90 applied
to the foamed portion 18 ensures the correct positioning of the
roof element 10 here. The integrally foamed portion 19 reliably
fastens the rail 22 to the roof element 10. Fitted to the rail 22
is, for example, a laterally guided roller blind 92.
[0045] FIG. 7 illustrates a variant embodiment in which a separate
functional part 94, more specifically a centering pin 94, is
incorporated into the foamed portion 18. In the initial condition,
the centering pin 94 is held within the second mold part 82 and
remains firmly embedded in the molded portion 18 after the material
applied has cured.
[0046] FIG. 8 shows a further variant embodiment in which a
functional part, more specifically a screw-on dome 96, is
incorporated in an integrally foamed portion 19; by means of the
screw-on dome 96, a roller blind case for the roller blind 92 can
later be screwed on to the roof element 10. Here too, the
functional part 96 is initially held by the mold part 82 before it
is firmly embedded into the integrally foamed portion 19.
[0047] FIG. 9 schematically shows a tool by means of which a roof
element 10 can be manufactured such as, e.g., a large-area glass
cover. The first mold part 70, the movable mold part 83, and a
carrier 98 (see also FIG. 8) can be seen here, to which the movable
mold part 83 is attached.
[0048] While the invention has been described with reference to an
exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the
art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be
substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope
of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to
adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the
invention without departing from the essential scope thereof.
Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the
particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for
carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include
all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *