MOTOR VEHICLE FLOOR COVERING, BOOT OR TRUNK COVERING OR LOAD COMPARTMENT COVERING HAVING A STRUCTURALLY NEEDLE-PUNCHED CARPET SURFACE (II)

Abstract

The subject matter of the invention is a method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped floor panelling, luggage compartment panelling or load floor panelling for motor vehicles, the carpet surface of which has a needled structure on the visible side, as well as the panelling itself.

Claims

1. A method for the production of a three-dimensionally deformable velour carpet for a floor panelling, a luggage compartment panelling or a load floor panelling of a motor vehicle with a structurally needled, deformation-resistant surface having a grammage of the carpet in the range from 300 g/m2 to 700 g/m2, characterised in that two or more needle types of different lengths are arranged in segments across the width of a needle board, with a defined setting of the penetration depth as well as a defined setting of the penetration density, the structured velour carpet is produced from an initial nonwoven by needling, and the velour carpet is provided and deformed with one or more underlayers.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that needles are used which differ in length, fineness, fork opening and/or fork orientation.

3. Three-dimensionally shaped velour carpet for a floor panelling, a luggage compartment panelling or a loading floor panelling of a motor vehicle with a structurally needled, deformation-resistant surface with a grammage of the carpet in the range from 300 g/m2 to 700 g/m2, further comprising one or more underlayers, characterised in that the visible side of the velour carpet has a structurally needled, hard-wearing surface.

Description

[0020] The object of the present invention in comparison with the aforementioned prior art is thus to provide a structurally needled carpet which is suitable for deformation and which upgrades the passenger compartment and/or luggage compartment and/or load compartment of motor vehicles to the effect that the latter has a “living room/well-being atmosphere”. In particular, it is an object of the invention, during the manufacture of velour carpet or the velourisation of needlepunchend nonwoven carpet, to introduce a permanent, hard-wearing surface pattern with a possibly three-dimensional structure, which is structured differently over the width of the carpet surface and withstands three-dimensional deformation to form a motor vehicle floor or luggage compartment panelling.

[0021] In a first embodiment, the subject matter of the present invention is a method for producing a three-dimensionally deformable velour carpet for a floor panelling, a luggage compartment panelling or a load floor panelling of a motor vehicle with a structurally needled, deformation-resistant surface having a grammage of the carpet in the range from 300 g/m2 to 700 g/m2, which is characterized in that two or more needle types of different lengths are arranged in segments across the width of a needle board, with a defined setting of the penetration depth as well as a defined setting of the penetration density, the structured velour carpet from an initial nonwoven is produced by needling, and the velour carpet is provided and deformed with one or more underlayers.

[0022] The core of the present invention is thus the provision of a velour carpet for a floor panelling, a luggage compartment panelling or a loading floor panelling of a motor vehicle, produced in a conventional standard process, with a structurally needle-punched, deformation-resistant visible surface, solely by the arrangement of needle types of different lengths across the width of the needle board and/or the needle boards which are used for needle-punching or velouring the carpet for a floor panelling, a luggage compartment panelling or a loading floor panelling of a motor vehicle. The needle boards are equipped across the width with predefined needle types/geometries, namely the needle lengths, which thus create a predefined, possibly three-dimensional structure of the velour surface. In a particularly preferred embodiment, needle types are used in segments, which can differ not only in length but also in other parameters, such as fineness, fork opening and fork orientation.

[0023] The advantage of the present invention is to provide a deformation-resistant/stable, structurally needled velour carpet for the production of motor vehicle floor panelling, luggage compartment panelling or load floor panelling without an additional work step in its production compared to standard velour carpet production.

[0024] The method of the present invention can be implemented -without additional nonwoven layers, needling stages, needling machines or needle boards-in “standard” systems solely by the needle geometry/needle type, the needle length of the needles arranged across the width of the needle board.

[0025] A further embodiment of the present invention consists in a three-dimensionally shaped velour carpet for a floor panelling, a luggage compartment panelling or a load floor panelling of a motor vehicle with a structurally needled, deformation-resistant surface with a grammage of the carpet in the range from 300 g/m2 to 700 g/m2, further comprising one or more underlayers, wherein the visible side of the velour carpet has a structurally needled, hard-wearing surface.

[0026] The realisation is to take place on the one hand with a single-layer and on the other hand with a two-layer velour carpet. In the case of a two-layer version, additional colour effects with different structures can be needled in.

[0027] Example of execution:

[0028] For the production of a deformation-resistant/stable, structurally needled velour carpet, a pre-nonwoven of a fibre mix consisting of 60% commercially available 12 dtex fibres, fibre length 60 mm, 30% commercially available 17 dtex fibres, fibre length 69 mm and 10% commercially available 4.4 dtex fibres, fibre length 51 mm (BiCo) was used as the initial nonwoven. The basis weight was 615 g/m2.

[0029] The different length fork needles from Groz-Beckert KG 15X16X20X40X73,0 D G 9077/616751 [length: 74.8 mm] and 15X17X32X40X74,8 D G 9077 15921 [length: 76.6 mm] have been installed in a needle board of the Velours IV (8000 n/lm), alternating in 20 cm wide strips. The zero balance of the machine was adjusted to the longer of the two needles. During production, it was important to find the optimum penetration depth and the optimum penetration density by testing the machine settings. For the velour carpet shown in FIG. 1, the stitch density was 650 st/cm2 and the stitch depth was 5 mm.

[0030] The structural needled velour carpet produced in this way was then bound with 80 g/m2 latex; and coated with 80 g/m2 PE. Subsequently, the velour carpet was formed with a 150 g/m2 nonwoven film into a floor covering upper material of a mid-range vehicle at the process parameters contact heating field 170° C., 58 sec; radiant heating field 140° C. and a mould closing time of 66 sec at the mould surface temperature of 7° C.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a section of the deformed floor covering upper material. The structuring can be clearly seen. Especially in FIG. 2, it can be seen that the structural needling of the carpet is deformation-appropriate and deformation-stable.