Roof shell having an acoustic insulation layer

Abstract

A motor vehicle roof shell having a rigid composite component having an inner side facing a vehicle interior, and an acoustic insulation layer disposed on the inner side of the composite component. The panel-type rigid composite component has at least one tray-like recess on its inner side, said recess being filled with an open-pored foam material which forms the acoustic insulation layer and whose surface is flush with a surface of the composite component surrounding the recess. A motor vehicle roof shell motor vehicle having a panel-type rigid composite component having an inner side, which faces the vehicle interior, and an acoustic insulation layer disposed on the inner side of the composite component, wherein the acoustic insulation layer is formed by at least one rigid-foam or semi-rigid-foam plate which is bonded to the inner side of the composite component and compressed that its volume is reduced compared to preassembly state.

Claims

1. A method for producing a roof shell of a motor vehicle, comprising the following steps: producing a composite panel component in a molding tool, wherein the composite panel component comprises a plastic film which forms an outer skin of the roof shell and a core made of a paper honeycomb having two opposed sides and a polyurethane/glass-fiber mixture coated on both sides of the paper honeycomb; placing the composite panel component in a first mold half of a pressing tool; placing a foam plate in a second mold half of the pressing tool, wherein the foam plate comprises a rigid foam material or a semi-rigid foam material; and compressing the foam plate with the composite panel component so that: a volume of the foam plate is reduced and the composite panel component forms an acoustic insulation layer of the roof shell, and any irregularities or differences in thickness of the composite panel component are pressed into the foam material of the foam plate so that they are accommodated by the foam plate as they are pressed into the foam material of the foam plate, wherein a side of the foam plate configured to face a vehicle interior is smooth after compression.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: providing the foam plate and/or the composite panel component with an adhesive prior to compression.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: lining the acoustic insulation layer with a headliner fabric or flock.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: lining the acoustic insulation layer with a headliner fabric, wherein lining includes wrapping the headliner fabric around edges of the acoustic insulation layer with an edge fold.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a perspective top view of a roof shell of a top of a convertible vehicle;

(2) FIG. 2 shows a section through the roof shell of FIG. 1 along line II-II in FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3a shows a second embodiment of a roof shell according to the invention prior to the joining of a composite component and an acoustic insulation layer; and

(4) FIG. 3b shows the roof shell of FIG. 3a in the finished state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a roof shell 10 that is a rigid roof segment of a multi-shell retractable hard top of a convertible vehicle. The roof shell 10 is connected to two links 12 and 14 on either side of a vertical longitudinal center plane of the roof so as to be connected to a top linkage of the retractable hard top.

(6) The roof shell 10 is a composite element that comprises a composite component 16 as a base, which comprises a core made of a paper honeycomb or foam. The core is provided with a polyurethane/glass-fiber mixture on the top and on the bottom. On its outer side, i.e. on the side facing away from the vehicle interior, the composite component 16 is provided with a plastic film 18, which forms the outer skin of the roof shell 10.

(7) On its inner side, which faces the vehicle interior, the composite component 16 has a tray-like recess 20 that is surrounded by a surface 22 of the composite component 16 in the manner of a frame. The tray-like recess is filled with an open-pored foam material, which forms an acoustic insulation layer 24. The open-pored foam material of the acoustic insulation layer 24 is a fine-pored flexible polyurethane foam having a density of about 50 kg/m.sup.3 to 80 kg/m.sup.3 and is introduced into the tray-like recess 20 in its form-locked state according to a foaming process in a foaming mold. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the acoustic insulation layer 24 has a top side, i.e. a side facing away from the plastic film 18, which is flush with the frame-like surface 22 of the composite component 16. This means that there is no height difference or gap at the seam between the acoustic insulation layer 24 and the surface 22.

(8) Furthermore, the roof shell 10 has a fabric lining 26 on its inner side, said fabric lining 26 covering both the acoustic insulation layer 24 and the surface 22 of the composite component 16 and having an edge fold that wraps around the edges of the composite component 16. Since the surface of the acoustic insulation layer 24 and the surface 22 are flush, the seam between these two areas cannot become apparent on the fabric lining 26 that forms the inner visible surface of the roof shell 10. In order to achieve ideal acoustics, the surface 22 is kept as small as possible so that the surface of the acoustic insulation layer 24 is as large as possible.

(9) FIGS. 3a and 3b show an alternative embodiment of a roof shell 10′ of what is known as a retractable hard top of a convertible vehicle. The roof shell 10′, too, has a composite component 16′ as a base, which comprises a core made of a paper honeycomb coated with a polyurethane/glass-fiber mixture on both sides. At its outer side, the composite component 16′ has a plastic film 18, which forms the outer skin of the roof shell 10′, which faces the surroundings of the vehicle.

(10) At its inner side, the composite component 16 is provided with an acoustic insulation layer 28 which is made of a rigid polyurethane-ester foam or of a semi-rigid polyethylene foam and to which the composite component 16 is glued and additionally pressed, as can be seen in FIG. 3b, in such a manner that its volume is reduced as compared to the pre-assembly state, which is illustrated in FIG. 3a. The rigid foam or semi-rigid foam of the acoustic insulation layer 28 is open-pored and has a density between 50 kg/m.sup.3 and 150 kg/m.sup.3 when in the compressed state, which is illustrated in FIG. 3b.

(11) For production, the composite component 16′ is placed in a mold half of a pressing tool. The uncompressed acoustic insulation layer 28 is placed in the other mold half. Additionally, the exposed side facing the acoustic insulation layer 28 is provided with an adhesive, such as a spray adhesive. Then, the pressing tool is closed in the direction of the arrows P in FIG. 3a, the two tool halves thus being moved against each other and the acoustic insulation layer 28 being pressed against the inner side of the composite component 16′ and bonded thereto via the adhesive layer. The volume of the acoustic insulation layer 28 is reduced in the process, as can be seen by comparing FIGS. 3a and 3b, which means that its in thickness decreases. Additionally, any irregularities or differences 30 in thickness of the composite component 16 are accommodated by the acoustic insulation layer 28 because they are pressed into the rigid-foam and semi-rigid-foam material. The side of the acoustic insulation layer 28 facing the vehicle interior remains smooth.

(12) In a final step, the component provided with the acoustic insulation layer 28 is provided with a fabric lining 26 that wraps around the edges of the acoustic insulation layer 28 with an edge fold.

REFERENCE SIGNS

(13) 10 roof shell 12 link 14 link 16 composite component 18 plastic film 20 recess 22 surface 24 acoustic insulation layer 26 fabric lining 28 acoustic insulation layer