METHOD FOR INTRODUCING OPENINGS INTO A DECORATIVE MATERIAL LAMINATED ONTO A CARRIER

Abstract

A method for introducing openings into a decorative material laminated onto a carrier comprises the following steps: providing a fixing device with at least two indicator pins and at least one absorption chamber, providing a carrier with holes for receiving the indicator pins and a decorative material with holes for receiving the indicator pins, pushing the carrier onto the indicator pins and then pushing the decorative material onto the indicator pins. The indicator pins extend through the holes in the carrier and the decorative material and visible parts of the indicator pins protrude above the decorative material, and the decorative material is positioned on the carrier and laminated onto the carrier. Openings are introduced into the decorative material above the openings in the carrier by means of a laser, by detecting the positions of the indicator pins and the heights of the visible parts of the indicator pins.

Claims

1. Method for introducing openings into a decorative material which is laminated onto a carrier with existing openings, comprising the following steps: providing a fixing device with at least two indicator pins and at least one absorption chamber, providing a carrier with holes for receiving the indicator pins and the existing openings (13), and providing a decorative material with holes for receiving the indicator pins, pushing the carrier onto the indicator pins of the fixing device and then pushing the decorative material onto the indicator pins of the fixing device, wherein the indicator pins extend through the holes in the carrier and the decorative material and visible parts of the indicator pins protrude above the decorative material, and the decorative material is positioned on the carrier and laminated onto the carrier and new openings are introduced into the decorative material above the existing openings in the carrier by means of a laser, wherein the positioning and lamination of the decorative material onto the carrier and the introduction of the new openings into the decorative material by means of the laser are effected by detecting the positions of the indicator pins and the heights of the visible parts of the indicator pins, and wherein the absorption chambers for absorbing the laser radiation are located below the existing openings in the carrier in the fixing device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection of the position of the decorative material is effected by measuring the heights of the visible parts of the indicator pins by means of a camera.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the absorption chamber provided is black or provided with a black coating of a black textile.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a hot-melt adhesive is applied to the rear side of the decorative material before the lamination and the hot-melt adhesive is heated before the lamination.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a decorative material made of leather or artificial leather or polyvinyl chloride or thermoplastic elastomers, in particular based on olefins, or polyurethanes or another synthetic material or a woven fabric is provided as the decorative material.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least two indicator pins provided with the fixing device are cylindrical and have a diameter of between 10 mm and 20 mm.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the holes in the carrier are located within the area defined by the openings.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the openings in the carrier and the decorative material are larger than the holes.

9. Using the openings in the carrier and the decorative material according to the method of claim 1 for fastening emblems, logos, decorative elements or for backlighting.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least two indicator pins provided with the fixing device are cylindrical and have a diameter of between 2.5 mm and 30 mm.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least two indicator pins provided with the fixing device are cylindrical and have a diameter of between 0.75 mm and 1.5 mm.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least two indicator pins provided with the fixing device are cylindrical and have a diameter of between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm.

Description

[0034] The invention as well as further advantageous embodiments and further developments thereof are described and explained in more detail below with reference to the examples shown in the drawings. The features to be taken from the description and the drawings can be applied according to the invention individually or in any combination. There are shown:

[0035] FIG. 1: a carrier with indicator pin holes and openings,

[0036] FIG. 2: an emblem for mounting on the carrier,

[0037] FIG. 3: a decorative cover with indicator pin holes,

[0038] FIG. 4: a carrier with laminated decorative material in section along the line A-A in FIG. 1, which is fastened to the fixing device by means of an indicator pin before (left) and after (right) processing by means of a laser, and

[0039] FIG. 5: a schematic representation of a system for carrying out the method according to the invention.

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensionally shaped carrier 11 with a rounded rectangular recess 16 for receiving the emblem 60 shown in FIG. 2, which has a rounded rectangular shape corresponding to the recess 16. In the carrier 11 there are eight elongated openings 13 which run along the edge of the recess 16 and which serve for receiving the eight latching lugs 61 fastened to the emblem 60. Thus, the emblem 60 can be mounted on the carrier 11.

[0041] The carrier 11 in FIG. 1 furthermore has four indicator pin holes 12 which are arranged centrally in the recess 16 along a line. Through the indicator pin holes 12, the carrier 11 is clipped onto the indicator pins 42 of the fixing device 40 shown in FIG. 4 and through the indicator pin holes 22 in the decorative material 20 in FIG. 3, the decorative material 20 is clipped onto the indicator pins 42 and thus comes to rest on the carrier 11, cf. FIG. 4.

[0042] The position of the indicator pins 42 is detected by means of a camera 70 and the position of the openings 13 in the carrier 11 is calculated therefrom.

[0043] FIG. 4 shows the carrier 11 plugged onto the indicator pins 42 of the fixing device 40 and the decorative material 20 which is adhesively bonded to the carrier 11 on its underside by means of an adhesive layer 30.

[0044] Since the carrier 11 and the decorative material 20 are plugged onto the indicator pins 42 and the indicator pins 42 are longer than the total layer thickness of the carrier 11 and the decorative material 20 at the location of the indicator pins 42, only a visible part 43 of the indicator pin 42 protrudes upwards beyond the visible side 14 of the decorative material 20.

[0045] In order to determine whether the decorative material 20 is supported over the entire surface of the carrier 11, the length of the visible part 43 can be measured at each indicator pin 42. If the measured values are not the same at all indicator pins 42, the decorative material 20 is not uniformly supported on the carrier 11 at all indicator pins 42.

[0046] The left-hand side of FIG. 4 shows the decorative material 20 laminated onto the carrier 11, below which the opening 13 is located in the carrier 11 and below the absorption chamber 41. On the left-hand side, the decorative material 20 is still untreated.

[0047] On the right-hand side of FIG. 4, a laser 50 is schematically shown. The laser beam strikes the visible side 14 of the decorative material 20 and successively removes the decorative material 20 and the adhesive 30 until it then passes through the opening 13 in the carrier 11 and enters the absorption chamber 41. After the absorption chamber 41 is completely black lined, the entire laser radiation is absorbed there, so that it cannot be scattered back or reflected in the direction of the carrier 11 or decorative material 20.

[0048] The entire process is observed with a camera 70, which records the position of the indicator pins 42 and the height of the visible part 43 of the indicator pins 42. The position of the decorative material 20 and the positions of the opening 23 to be introduced into the decorative material 20 are determined from these values. In addition, the ablation process in the decorative material 20 for producing the opening 23 is monitored with the camera 70.

[0049] FIG. 5 shows a device for carrying out the method with a laser 50, a camera 70, a fixing device 40 which is shaped on its upwardly facing side, the support surface 44, corresponding to the shape of the underside of the carrier 11 and has a number of absorption chambers 41 (cf. FIG. 4) corresponding to the number of openings 13 in the carrier 11, which are located below the openings 13 of a carrier 11 placed in the fixing device 40. The indicator pins 42 extend vertically upwards from the support surface 44.

[0050] The laser 50, the fixing device 40 and the camera 70 are fixedly positioned relative to one another so that the laser 50 can be controlled and moved accordingly based on the position of the indicator pins 42 determined with the camera 70 and the height of the visible part 43 of the indicator pins 42 and thus introduces the openings 23 into the decorative material 20 at the desired location.