Method for producing a liquid container, liquid container for a motor vehicle and injection molding tool

A method for producing a liquid container (2) for a motor vehicle, which liquid container is assembled from at least two shells (4, 6), comprising:

• providing an injection molding machine (16),
• having an injection molding tool (18, 56, 76),
• wherein the injection molding tool (18, 56, 76) has at least one mold cavity (20, 58) which is configured for replicating the geometry of a first shell (4) of the liquid container (2) and which is formed between mold walls (22, 24, 64, 66) of at least one first and one second mold half (26, 26a, 26b, 28, 28a, 28b, 54, 68) of the injection molding tool (18, 56, 76),
• wherein the injection molding tool (18, 56, 76) has at least one auxiliary cavity (30, 60),
• wherein the auxiliary cavity (30, 60) is fluidically connected to the mold cavity (20, 58),
• wherein the auxiliary cavity (30, 60) adjoins the mold cavity (20, 58) at least in certain portions in an edge region (34), spaced apart from a gate region (32, 59), of the mold cavity (20, 58),
• wherein the auxiliary cavity (30, 60) is configured for receiving excess injection molding material (36), and
• wherein the mold cavity (20, 58) is, as viewed in a cross section, circumferentially completely enclosed by the auxiliary cavity (30, 60);
• producing the first shell (4) by plasticizing and injecting molding material of a first plastics component (38, 44, 72) and molding material of a second plastics component (40, 46, 48, 74) into the mold cavity (20, 58),
• such that the first and the second plastics component (38, 40, 44, 46, 48, 72, 74) are connected to one another along an interface and that
• the first plastics component (38, 44, 72) lies against a mold wall (22, 66) of the first mold half (26, 54), and the second plastics component (40, 46, 48, 74) and the interface (42) are spaced apart from the mold wall (22, 66) of the first mold half (26, 54),
• wherein at least a part of the auxiliary cavity (30, 60) is filled with excess injection molding material (36) of the first and second plastics component (38, 40, 44, 46, 48, 72, 74);
• producing a second shell (6) of the liquid container (2);
• connecting the first and second shell (4, 6);
• and
• removing the excess material (36) of the first and second plastics component (38, 40, 44, 46, 48, 72, 74), wherein the removal of the excess material (36) is performed before or after the connection of the shells (4, 6).