MANUFACTURING METHOD OF SOUNDPROOF CUSHIONING MATERIAL AND SOUNDPROOF CUSHIONING MATERIAL

Abstract

A soundproof cushioning material to be attached to an inner face of a wheel well of a vehicle body, including: a soundproof cushioning area, in which a non-woven fabric having a large number of short fibers entangled with each other is disposed; and a continuous resin area defining a continuous face with the soundproof cushioning area with a boundary part intervening therebetween. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing the soundproof cushioning material.

Claims

1. A soundproof cushioning material to be attached to an inner face of a wheel well of a vehicle body, comprising: a soundproof cushioning area, in which a non-woven fabric having a large number of short fibers entangled with each other is disposed; and a continuous resin area defining a continuous face with the soundproof cushioning area with a boundary part intervening therebetween.

2. A soundproof cushioning material to be attached to an inner face of a wheel well of a vehicle body, comprising: a soundproof cushioning area, in which a non-woven fabric having a large number of short fibers entangled with each other is disposed; and a rib resin area protruding more than a face of the soundproof cushioning area, the rib resin area and the soundproof cushioning area being adjacent to each other with a boundary part therebetween.

3. A soundproof cushioning material to be attached to an inner face of a wheel well of a vehicle body, comprising: a soundproof cushioning area, in which a non-woven fabric having a large number of short fibers entangled with each other is disposed; a continuous resin area defining a continuous face with the soundproof cushioning area with a boundary part intervening therebetween; and a rib resin area protruding more than a face of the soundproof cushioning area, the rib resin area and the soundproof cushioning area being adjacent to each other with a boundary part therebetween.

4. The soundproof cushioning material according to claim 1, wherein the soundproof cushioning area is disposed side by side and adjacent to the continuous resin area on a surface of the soundproof cushioning material facing a tire to be substantially continuous and be exposed, and also on the other surface of the soundproof cushioning material on the opposite side of the surface facing the tire, the other surface of the non-woven fabric of the soundproof cushioning area is exposed, and the other surface of the continuous resin area, which is disposed side by side and adjacent to the other surface of the soundproof cushioning area to be substantially continuous, is exposed.

5. The soundproof cushioning material according to claim 3, wherein the continuous resin area is integral with the rib resin area.

6. The soundproof cushioning material according to claim 5, wherein the rib resin area includes a protrusion from the continuous resin area.

7. The soundproof cushioning material according to claim 2, wherein the rib resin area is located between two sections of the soundproof cushioning area.

8. The soundproof cushioning material according to claim 2, wherein one section of the rib resin area and another section of the rib resin area intersect to define an intersection.

9. The soundproof cushioning material according to claim 1, wherein the boundary part includes a compressed non-woven fabric area that is more compressed than the non-woven fabric of the soundproof cushioning area.

10. The soundproof cushioning material according to claim 1, wherein the compressed non-woven fabric area has a density of three times or more of a density of the soundproof cushioning area.

11. The soundproof cushioning material according to claim 1, wherein the non-woven fabric of the soundproof cushioning area extends to a part close to an end of the boundary part near the resin area.

12. A method for manufacturing a soundproof cushioning material to be attached to an inner face of a wheel well of a vehicle body, the soundproof cushioning material including: a soundproof cushioning area including a non-woven fabric having a large number of short fibers entangled with each other; and a resin area defining a continuous face with the soundproof cushioning area with a boundary part intervening therebetween, the method comprising compressing the non-woven fabric to apply pressure to a part of the non-woven fabric at a boundary so as to increase a density of the non-woven fabric at the part, thus suppressing inflow of resin for a stable boundary between the soundproof cushioning area and the resin area.

13. A method for manufacturing a soundproof cushioning material to be attached to an inner face of a wheel well of a vehicle body, the soundproof cushioning material including: a soundproof cushioning area including a non-woven fabric having a large number of short fibers entangled with each other; and a rib resin area protruding more than a face of the soundproof cushioning area, the rib resin area and the soundproof cushioning area having a part of a boundary part therebetween, the method comprising compressing the non-woven fabric to apply pressure to a part of the non-woven fabric at a boundary at the soundproof cushioning area so as to increase a density of the non-woven fabric at the part, thus suppressing inflow of resin for a stable boundary between the soundproof cushioning area and the rib resin area.

14. A method for manufacturing a soundproof cushioning material to be attached to an inner face of a wheel well of a vehicle body, the soundproof cushioning material including: a soundproof cushioning area including a non-woven fabric having a large number of short fibers entangled with each other; a continuous resin area defining a continuous face with the soundproof cushioning area with a boundary part intervening therebetween; and a rib resin area protruding more than a face of the soundproof cushioning area, the rib resin area and the soundproof cushioning area having a part of a boundary part therebetween, the method comprising compressing the non-woven fabric to apply pressure to a part of the non-woven fabric at a boundary at the soundproof cushioning area so as to increase a density of the non-woven fabric at the part, thus suppressing inflow of resin for a stable boundary between the soundproof cushioning area and the continuous resin area and/or between the soundproof cushioning area and the rib resin area.

15. The method for manufacturing a soundproof cushioning material according to claim 12, wherein a die has a strip-shaped pressing surface configured so that the non-woven fabric at the boundary part is compressed to 60 to 80% of a thickness of the resin in the resin area.

16. The method for manufacturing a soundproof cushioning material according to claim 12, wherein the pressing surface in the die is set inside an outer edge of the soundproof cushioning area so as to form an extension, in which the non-woven fabric of the soundproof cushioning area extends close to the resin area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 is a partial side view around a wheel well of a vehicle body.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a soundproof cushioning material according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a soundproof cushioning material according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 4 is another schematic partial cross-sectional view of a soundproof cushioning material according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 5 is another perspective view of a soundproof cushioning material according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 6 is another schematic partial cross-sectional view of a soundproof cushioning material according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 7 is another schematic partial cross-sectional view of a soundproof cushioning material according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate an example of a soundproof cushioning material of the present invention, where FIG. 8A is a photo of the soundproof cushioning material, and FIG. 8B is a perspective view created based on the photo of FIG. 8A.

[0030] FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate the example of a soundproof cushioning material of the present invention at another part, where FIG. 9A is a photo of the soundproof cushioning material, and FIG. 9B is a perspective view created based on the photo of FIG. 9A.

[0031] FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate the example of a soundproof cushioning material of the present invention at another part, where FIG. 10A is a photo of the soundproof cushioning material, and FIG. 10B is a perspective view created based on the photo of FIG. 10A.

[0032] FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate the example of a soundproof cushioning material of the present invention at another part, where FIG. 11A is a photo of the soundproof cushioning material, and FIG. 11B is a perspective view created based on the photo of FIG. 11A.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] The following describes one embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the drawings.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a partial side view around a tire 102 of an automobile that is equipped with a soundproof cushioning material 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The soundproof cushioning material 1 has a shape along the inner face 101a of a wheel well 101 of a vehicle body 100, and is attached to the inner face 101a.

[0035] FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 are schematic perspective views of the soundproof cushioning material 1. This soundproof cushioning material 1 includes a soundproof cushioning area 2 having a top face to be attached to the vehicle body, and a resin area 3 that is placed side by side and adjacent to the soundproof cushioning area 2 to be substantially continuous therewith.

[0036] The resin area 3 is prepared by integral injection molding of a continuous resin area 3a illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5 and a rib resin area 3b illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0037] The soundproof cushioning area 2 is configured so that a non-woven fabric 4 having a large number of short fibers entangled with each other is held with the resin area 3 via the boundary part 5 and the soundproof cushioning area 2 is set in tense in an area of the resin area 3. As a result, the resin area 3 is placed side by side and adjacent to the soundproof cushioning area 2 to be substantially continuous with the soundproof cushioning area 2, so that the resin area 3 and the soundproof cushioning area 2 are placed side by side and adjacent to each other to be continuous on the surface of the soundproof cushioning material 1 that faces the tire. Also on the other surface on the opposite side of the surface of the soundproof cushioning material 1 that faces the tire, the other surface of the non-woven fabric 4 with a large number of short fibers entangled with each other is exposed, and the other surface of a continuous resin area 3a, which is placed side by side and adjacent to the other surface of the non-woven fabric 4 to be substantially continuous, is exposed. With this configuration of the soundproof cushioning area 2, both of the surface and the rear face of the soundproof cushioning area 2 are uncovered, so that the sound absorbing ability of the soundproof cushioning area 2 does not reduce due to covering.

[0038] In the soundproof cushioning material 1, the non-woven fabric 4 of the soundproof cushioning area 2 internally has myriad of small voids, which give the soundproof cushioning material 1 excellent sound absorption and impact resistance properties. Further, this soundproof cushioning material 1 has the continuous resin area 3a that is placed side by side and adjacent to the soundproof cushioning area 2 to be substantially continuous, and this configuration reduces the water absorption to increase the water resistance, which improves the ice and water proofness. In particular, the resin area 3 may be formed of a hydrophobic resin material, which further improves the water resistance.

[0039] The rib resin area 3b protrudes more than a face of the soundproof cushioning area 2, and the rib resin area 3b and the soundproof cushioning area 2 have a part of a boundary part 5 therebetween. This ribbed resin area 3b is prepared to be integral with the continuous resin area 3a by injection molding. The rib resin area 3b is located between two sections of the soundproof cushioning area 2. Further, one section of the rib resin area 3b and another section of the rib resin area 3b intersect to form an intersection 6.

[0040] The boundary part 5 includes a compressed non-woven fabric area 4a that is more compressed than the non-woven fabric 4 of the soundproof cushioning area 2 including the non-woven fabric 4 having a large number of short fibers entangled with each other. This compressed non-woven fabric area 4a has a density of three times or more and six times or less that of the soundproof cushioning area 2.

[0041] An extension 7 is provided on a part of the boundary part 5 close to the resin area 3. In this extension 7, the non-woven fabric 4 of the soundproof cushioning area 2 extends.

[0042] Next, the following describes a manufacturing method of the soundproof cushioning material 1 of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] First, a die 8 is prepared, having a strip-shaped pressing surface 9a, which is the top face of a convex 9 to form the boundary part 5. The distance between this pressing surface 9a and a face of the die 8 to be opposed to the pressing surface 9a is set about 60 to 80% of the thickness of the resin to be obtained by injection molding. The position of the pressing surface 9a in the die 8 is set inside the outer edge 2a of the soundproof cushioning area 2 to the extent so that the extension 7, in which the non-woven fabric 4 of the soundproof cushioning area 2 extends, is set on the resin area 3.

[0044] The die 8 also has an area 8a to form the rib resin area 3b. This area 8a to form the rib resin area is placed so that the rib resin area 3b is formed between two sections of the soundproof cushioning area 2. The area 8a to form the rib resin area is formed vertically and horizontally, resulting in the formation of a rib resin forming area intersection 8b where one section of the rib resin forming area 8a intersects with another section of the rib resin forming area 8a.

[0045] A non-woven fabric 4 having a large number of short fibers entangled with each other is placed in the above die 8. The non-woven fabric 4 is placed so that, when the die 8 is set in a predetermined position before receiving resin for injection, the non-woven fabric 4 covers the strip-shaped pressing surface 9a, which is the top face of the convex 9 to form the boundary part 5, and the outer edge of the non-woven fabric 4 extends outside of the pressing surface 9a. This forms the extension 7 on the resin area 3 where the non-woven fabric 4 of the soundproof cushioning area 2 extends.

[0046] Then resin is injected into the die 8 in this state, whereby the soundproof cushioning material 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention can be obtained. Specifically, the resin injected into the die 8 is blocked by the boundary part 5, which is formed by the strip-shaped pressing surface 9a, and does not enter the soundproof cushioning area 2, and the continuous resin area 3a and the rib resin area 3b are formed. This prevents deterioration of the sound absorbing ability of the soundproof cushioning area 2 due to the impregnation of the resin. The extension 7 is formed in the resin area 3, where the non-woven fabric 4 of the soundproof cushioning area 2 extends. This extension 7 keeps the continuity between the soundproof cushioning area 2, the continuous resin area 3a, and the rib resin area 3b, whereby the soundproof cushioning material 1 obtained is integral.

Example 1

[0047] To confirm the usefulness of the present invention, the soundproof cushioning material 1 according to the present invention was prepared. This soundproof cushioning material 1 had the continuous resin area 3a having a continuous face with the soundproof cushioning area 2 made of the non-woven fabric 4 with the boundary part 5 intervening therebetween, and the rib resin area 3b. FIGS. 8A to 11B illustrate photographs of the soundproof cushioning material 1 (Example).

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0048] 1 . . . Soundproof cushioning material, 3 . . . Resin area, 2 . . . Soundproof cushioning area, 4 . . . Non-woven fabric, 7 . . . Extension, 3b . . . Rib resin area, 5 . . . Boundary Part, 9a . . . Pressing surface, 8 . . . Die

[0049] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-40038 filed Mar. 12, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.