Method and device for controlling the shrink behavior of plastic materials during primary shaping

Abstract

A process for controlling the shrinkage behavior during the original shaping of plastics during the manufacture of a plastic shell, especially a bearing shell for a ball-and-socket joint, wherein liquefied plastic is introduced between an inner mold (3) and an outer mold (2) in order to be cured therein, wherein the plastic is partially fixed on the outer mold (2) during the curing. This process can be preferably used in a device for controlling the shrinkage behavior during the original shaping of plastics, which has a casting mold, which accommodates at least one outer mold (2) and an inner mold (3) inserted into same, wherein the liquefied plastic (1) to be molded can be introduced between the mold parts (2, 3), wherein means for fixing the liquid plastic (1) are formed on the outer mold (2).

Description

[0001] The present invention pertains to a process and a device for controlling the shrinkage behavior during the original shaping of plastics.

[0002] Such processes and devices are usually used in manufacturing plants manufacturing vendor parts for automobiles, e.g., in the manufacture of ball-and-socket joints. Ball-and-socket joints, as they are used, e.g., for mounting suspension arms in vehicles, have at least one ball-and-socket joint housing, which accommodates a bearing shell, which consists of at least one part and in which a ball pivot is mounted rotatably and tiltably. The ball pivot must be accommodated in the housing or in the bearing shell such that no movement shall be possible in the axial direction of the ball pivot. This is achieved in practice by an oversize of the joint ball diameter compared with the ball pivot opening of the ball-and-socket joint housing.

[0003] Utility Model No. DE 296 17 276 U1 discloses a ball-and-socket joint which has a housing, which is provided with a cavity and in which a ball is mounted movably in a bearing shell. The bearing shell is made of plastic, which is injected into the ball housing through an opening extending to the cavity.

[0004] The drawback encountered in the prior-art process is that the injected plastic and the ball are connected to one another in a nonpositive manner due to shrinkage via a press/shrink fit, so that the freedom of movement of the ball pivot and of the ball in relation to the sliding shell and the housing is compromised and leads to excessively high moments of friction. In addition, it is difficult to introduce lubricants into the mount due to the uncontrolled shrinking-on. Furthermore, an undesired gap is formed against the housing on the outside of the shell material due to the shrinkage. Solutions in which the shrinkage behavior shall be controlled by the addition of fibers or by heat treatment show no success.

[0005] The task of the present invention is therefore to provide a process as well as a device for the controlled shrinkage of a liquefied, curing plastic, which shrinkage can be affected, so that the cavities formed are predictable and usable.

[0006] This object is accomplished with a process according to claim 1 and with a device according to claim 6.

[0007] Advantageous variants of the present invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0008] The present invention includes the technical teaching that the liquid material is partially fixed on a part of the mold during its transition from the liquid into the solid state of aggregation. Liquefied plastic can now be introduced for curing between an inner mold and an outer mold.

[0009] This solution offers the advantage that a specific benefit of the cavities inevitably formed by the shrinkage is achieved due to the controlled shrinkage, namely, in order to reduce the friction and consequently the wear between the individual parts, on the one hand, and to introduce, e.g., lubricants into the cavities, on the other hand.

[0010] A special advantage is that the material is fixed only partially on the outer mold. Better mobility of the inner mold is guaranteed as a result. The process can thus be used especially well for connecting a ball pivot with a ball-and-socket joint housing and a bearing shell of a ball-and-socket joint, which bearing shell is arranged between these.

[0011] The only partial fixation of the curing plastic can be achieved based on the physical or chemical properties of defined areas of the outer mold, i.e., a positive-locking or nonpositive connection with the outer mold is produced or brought about only partially, and a controlled shrinkage of the plastic is made possible as a result of this.

[0012] Another embodiment of this process can be seen in that the intermediate space between the inner mold and the outer mold is filled by means of an injection molding process. This process is especially suitable for casting plastics, which are the preferred material for manufacturing bearing shells. As a result, very good homogeneity of the material can be achieved, and short cycle times are possible, so that the manufacturing time is decisively reduced for an assembly unit manufactured by means of the process according to the present invention compared with prior-art processes.

[0013] As an alternative, the fixation may be advantageously achieved by means of a connection in substance or positive-locking connection, as a result of which the possibilities of fixation are made flexible and a limitation to one process can be avoided in achieving the fixation.

[0014] In the case of a connection in substance, it would be possible, e.g., to think of bonding, because this does not require a time-consuming shaping, so that fixation can be achieved in a simple manner.

[0015] In addition, as was intimated in the introduction, it is advantageous to utilize the cavities formed during the solidification of the material such that lubricants are introduced into these cavities after the solidification.

[0016] It is particularly advantageous for cost reasons to carry out the above-described process with a device for controlling the shrinkage behavior during the original shaping of plastics. This [device] may have a casting mold, which accommodates at least one outer mold and one inner mold inserted into same, where the liquified plastic to be molded can be introduced between the mold parts. Means for fixing the liquid plastic are formed on the outer mold in a solution according to the present invention.

[0017] Another advantage is that the means for fixing the plastic are profiles, which may be designed, e.g., as T-grooves, into which the liquid material to be molded flows. Reliable fixation as well as good control of the shrinkage behavior are now achieved due to the solidification transition with a simple and inexpensive molding around the inner mold part.

[0018] However, the means for fixing the plastic may also be mold zones which partially have a primer with high adhesiveness for the plastic to be molded as well as areas free from primer, which have a low adhesiveness for the plastic to be molded.

[0019] Furthermore, mold zones which partially have a binder such as an adhesive as well as binder-free areas are suitable for use as means for fixing the plastic.

[0020] It is especially advantageous for the inner mold to be the ball of a ball pivot, because the material is thus directly coordinated with the component intended for the intended use and via a separate mold part as well as the assembly of the molded part with the ball pivot can be eliminated.

[0021] An optimal force and stress distribution can thus be achieved according to the present invention within the plastic material. Moreover, the number of cavities for the lubrication can be optimized. Furthermore, it is possible to control the shrinkage behavior of the solidifying plastic in a specific manner.

[0022] Preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in greater detail below on the basis of the figures. In the drawings,

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a snapshot of a ball-and-socket joint,

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of a later snapshot of a ball-and-socket joint,

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a detail of an enlarged view of FIG. 2, and

[0026] FIG. 4 shows another sectional view of a ball-and-socket joint.

[0027] FIGS. 1 and 2 show the states of the injected plastic 1 occurring during the process before and after the solidification. FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of an outer mold 2 with an inner mold 3, the ball of the ball-and-socket joint, between which the injected, liquid plastic 1, preferably the shell material, is located. The outer mold 2 has areas which offer favorable conditions for the adhesion of the injected plastic 1. These areas 4a, 4b, 4c are clearly recognizable in FIG. 2.

[0028] The injected plastic 1 is already solidified in FIG. 2 and shrinkage has occurred in some areas because of the properties of the material. Because of the specially prepared areas 4a, 4b, 4c of the outer mold 2, adhesion has been brought about in these areas between the outer mold 2 and the injected plastic 1. Cavities 5, 6 are inevitably formed between the inner mold 3, the ball pivot, and the injected plastic 1 as well as between the outer mold 2 and the injected plastic 1 as a result of the adhesion between the injected plastic 1 and the outer mold 2. Three prepared areas 4a, 4b, 4c for the fixation of the injected plastic 1 can be recognized on the outer mold 2 in FIG. 2. These areas are located at the 12-o'clock position 4a, at the 8-o'clock position 4b and at the 4-o'clock position 4c, i.e., they are offset by 1200 in relation to one another.

[0029] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the 12-o'clock area 4a. Because of the controlled fixation of the injected plastic 1, the deformations occurring as a consequence of the shrinkage behavior of the injected plastic 1 and the stresses 7 associated therewith are qualitatively and quantitatively predictable. Compressive stresses 7a, indicated by corresponding arrows, develop between the inner mold 3 and the injected plastic 1 in the area in which the injected plastic 1 adheres to the inner mold 3 because of the shrinkage. The tensile stress 7b developing in the injected plastic 1 between the fixation area on the outer mold 2 and the press/shrink fit of the inner mold 3 are [sic-Tr.Ed.] shown as well. The area of fixation as well as the cavity 5 between the injected plastic 1 and the inner mold 3 and the cavity 6 between the injected plastic 1 and the outer mold 2 can be clearly recognized here as well.

[0030] FIG. 4 shows, moreover, a sectional view, in which T-shaped grooves 4a, 4b, 4c, into which the liquefied plastic flows during the injection molding, were prepared in the outer mold 2. Since these areas cool down and consequently are cured more rapidly as a consequence of their smaller volume compared with that of the bearing shell, the plastic 1 being cured is fixed in these areas, this fixation thus taking place in a specific and controlled manner, while cavities 5, 6 are formed between these fixations 4a, 4b, 4c.

[0031] Lift of Reference Numbers

[0032] 1 Material (injected)

[0033] 2 Outer mold

[0034] 3 Inner mold

[0035] 4 Fixations

[0036] 4 a Fixation at the 12-o'clock position

[0037] 4 b Fixation at the 8-o'clock position

[0038] 4 c Fixation at the 4-o'clock position

[0039] 5 Cavity between the inner mold and the material

[0040] 6 Cavity between the material and the outer mold

[0041] 7 Stresses

[0042] 7 a Compressive stress

[0043] 7 b Tensile stress

Claims

1. Process for controlling the shrinkage behavior during the original shaping of plastics during the manufacture of a plastic shell, especially a bearing shell for a ball-and-socket joint, wherein liquified plastic is introduced between a said inner mold (3) and a said outer mold (2) in order to cure therein, wherein the plastic is partially fixed on the said outer mold (2) during the curing.

2. Process in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the partial fixation of the said curing plastic (1) is achieved based on the physical or chemical properties of defined areas of the said outer mold (2), as a result of which a partial positive-locking or nonpositive connection with the said outer mold (2) and, as a result of this, controlled shrinkage of the said plastic (1) are made possible, so that the said inner mold (3) is mounted movably in the said plastic (1).

3. Process in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the said intermediate space (5, 6) between the said inner mold (3) and the said outer mold (2) is filled according to an injection molding process.

4. Process in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the fixation of the said plastic (1) is brought about by bonding.

5. Process in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that a lubricant is introduced into the said cavities (5, 6) formed during the solidification of the said plastic (1) in the mold.

6. Device for controlling the shrinkage behavior during the original shaping of plastics for use of a process in accordance with one of the above claims, having a casting mold, which accommodates at least one said outer mold (2) and one said inner mold (3) inserted into same, wherein the said liquified plastic (1) to be molded can be introduced between the said mold parts (2, 3), characterized in that said means for fixing the said liquid plastic (1) are formed on the said outer mold (2).

7. Device in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the said means for fixing the said plastic (1) are T-grooves, into which the said liquid plastic (1) flows and is fixed on the said outer mold (2) as a result after its solidification.

8. Device in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the said means for fixing the said plastic (1) are mold zones which have partially a primer with high adhesiveness for the said plastic (1) to be molded and primer-free areas which have a low adhesiveness for the said plastic (1) to be molded.

9. Device in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the said means for fixing the said plastic (1) are mold zones which partially have a binder such as an adhesive as well as binder-free areas.

10. Device in accordance with one of the claims 6 through 9, characterized in that the said inner mold (3) is the ball of a ball pivot.