Single rigid tool part for moulding apparatus

Abstract

A moulded structural tub for a vehicle, the tub having: a main compartment bounded by a first lateral wall, a second lateral wall, and a floor extending between the lateral walls; a strengthening member integral with the first lateral wall and projecting in a longitudinal direction from the first lateral wall towards the second lateral wall; the profile of the surfaces of the main compartment being such that, in any cross-sectional plane parallel to the longitudinal direction and perpendicular to the plane generally defined by the floor, the length of a line drawn in that cross-sectional plane between a fixed point on that part of the strengthening member closest to the second lateral wall, and a movable point confined to the profile monotonically increases in length as the movable point on the profile is moved in a generally longitudinal direction so as to trace from the fixed point along the profile of the first lateral wall, the floor and the second lateral wall in an unbroken set of points representing the cross-section of the surfaces of the main compartment in that cross-sectional plane; wherein each of the said cross-sectional planes which meet the surface of the floor in the main compartment intersect the floor once along a single continuous line or at a common plane.

1 . A single rigid tool part for a moulding apparatus, the single rigid tool part being:
 sized to fill a main compartment of a moulded structural tub for a vehicle during moulding so as to define the shape of the interior surfaces of the main compartment; the main compartment bounded by a first lateral wall, a second lateral wall, and a floor extending between the lateral walls;   the moulded structural tub also having a strengthening member integral with the first lateral wall and projecting in a longitudinal direction from the first lateral wall towards the second lateral wall;   the profile of the surfaces of the main compartment being such that, in any cross-sectional plane parallel to the longitudinal direction and perpendicular to the plane generally defined by the floor, the length of a line drawn in that cross-sectional plane between   a fixed point on that part of the strengthening member closest to the second lateral wall, and   a movable point confined to the profile   monotonically increases in length as the movable point on the profile is moved in a generally longitudinal direction so as to trace from the fixed point along the profile of the first lateral wall, the floor and the second lateral wall in an unbroken set of points representing the cross-section of the surfaces of the main compartment in that cross-sectional plane;   wherein each of the said cross-sectional planes which meet the surface of the floor in the main compartment intersect the floor once along a single continuous line or at a common plane.   
     
     
         2 . A single rigid tool part as claimed in  claim 1 , the tool part having dimensions such that when the tool part is positioned in the main compartment the tool part snugly abuts all the surfaces of the main compartment. 
     
     
         3 . A single rigid tool part as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the tool part can be removed from the main compartment by a motion including rotation about the strengthening member without deformation to the moulded tub. 
     
     
         4 . A single rigid tool part as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the single rigid tool part can be removed from the main compartment by a motion including rotation about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in a plane perpendicular to the plain generally defined by the floor. 
     
     
         5 . A single rigid tool part as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the single rigid tool part can be removed from the main compartment by a motion including rotation about an axis generally defined by the complete set of fixed points of the said cross-sectional planes. 
     
     
         6 . A single rigid tool part as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the single rigid tool part can be removed from the main compartment by a motion including rotation about an axis generally defined by the complete set of fixed points of the said cross-sectional planes. 
     
     
         7 . A single rigid tool part as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the moulding apparatus is a resin transfer moulding apparatus. 
     
     
         8 . A single rigid tool part as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the strengthening member is remote from the floor along its length. 
     
     
         9 . A single rigid tool part as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the first lateral wall terminates at the strengthening member along the edge of the first lateral wall remote from the floor. 
     
     
         10 . A single rigid tool part as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein in all said cross-sectional planes the angle between the first lateral wall and that part of the strengthening member closest to the floor is greater than 90 degrees. 
     
     
         11 . A single rigid tool part as claimed in  claim 1 , the moulded structural tub further comprising third and fourth lateral walls bounding the main compartment, each of the third and fourth lateral walls extending between the first and second lateral walls and meeting the floor along a common lateral edge. 
     
     
         12 . A single rigid tool part as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the strengthening member extends between the third and fourth lateral walls. 
     
     
         13 . A single rigid tool part as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein each of the said cross-sectional planes which meet the third or fourth walls in the main compartment intersect the third or fourth wall once along a single continuous line or at a common plane. 
     
     
         14 . A single rigid tool part as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein each of the said cross-sectional planes which meet the third or fourth walls in the main compartment intersect the third or fourth wall once along a single continuous line or at a common plane. 
     
     
         15 . A single rigid tool part as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the second lateral wall comprises either a single curved section or multiple curved or planar sections so as to increase the torsional stiffness of the moulded structural tub about the longitudinal direction.