Mold, apparatus, and method for producing metal-resin composite

A mold for producing a metal-resin composite by press-forming a metal member followed by integrally molding the metal member that is press-formed and a resin material, the mold comprising:

• an upper mold and a lower mold arranged so as to be opposed with each other, and being moved at least to an open position where the upper mold and the lower mold are apart from each other and a closed position where the upper mold and the lower mold define a cavity,
• wherein the lower mold has a hollow inner space,
• the lower mold includes:
• a first inner molding lower surface defining a bottom surface of the hollow inner space, and
• a pair of second inner molding surfaces defining side surfaces of the hollow inner space, each of the second inner molding surfaces extending upward from the first inner molding lower surface;
• and
• wherein the upper mold includes:
• a main body projecting toward the hollow inner space of the lower mold;
• and
• a plurality of protruding portions, which are integral with the main body, projecting from the main body toward the first inner molding lower surface of the lower mold and arranged intermittently, wherein
• each of the plurality of protruding portions has a first press surface for press-forming the metal member at a tip end thereof,
• the main body has a second press surface for integrally molding the metal member and the resin material at a lower end portion thereof,
• a distance between the first press surface of each of the plurality of protruding portions and the first inner molding lower surface of the lower mold is shorter than a distance between the second press surface and the first inner molding lower surface of the lower mold at the closed position where the main body of the upper mold is disposed in the hollow inner space of the lower mold, wherein
• the metal-resin composite has a bottom wall portion extendingin a horizontal direction and side wall portions rising from both ends of the bottom wall portion in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the metal-resin composite,
• the upper mold includes:
• a first molding upper surface that includes the first press surface of each of the plurality of protruding portions and the second press surface, and molds the bottom wall portion;
• and
• a pair of second molding upper surfaces that mold the side wall portions,
• the first press surface of each of the plurality of protruding portions is provided continuously with a second molding upper surface of the pair of second molding upper surfaces, and
• wherein the first press surfaces are intermittently arranged along the longitudinal direction.

An apparatus for producing a metal-resin composite by press-forming a metal member followed by integrally molding the metal member that is press-formed and a resin material, the apparatus comprising:

• an upper mold and a lower mold arranged so as to be opposed with each other;
• and
• a drive unit that moves at least one of the upper mold and the lower mold at least to an open position where the upper mold and the lower mold are apart from each other and a closed position where the upper mold and the lower mold define a cavity,
• wherein the lower mold has a hollow inner space,
• the lower mold includes:
• a first inner molding lower surface defining a bottom surface of the hollow inner space, and
• a pair of second inner molding surfaces defining side surfaces of the hollow inner space, each of the second inner molding surfaces extending upward from the first inner molding lower surface;
• and
• wherein the upper mold includes:
• a main body projecting toward the hollow inner space of the lower mold;
• and
• a plurality of protruding portions, which are integral with the main body, projecting from outermost edges of the main body toward the first inner molding lower surface of the lower mold and arranged intermittently, wherein
• each of the plurality of protruding portions has a first press surface for press-forming the metal member at a tip end thereof,
• the main body has a second press surface for integrally molding the metal member and the resin material at a lower end portion thereof, and
• a distance between the first press surface of each of the plurality of protruding portions and the first inner molding lower surface of the lower mold is shorter than a distance between the second press surface and the first inner molding lower surface of the lower mold at the closed position where the main body of the upper mold is disposed in the hollow inner space of the lower mold.