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

Abstract

The object of the invention is a method of manufacturing a three-dimensionally shaped floor paneling, luggage compartment paneling or load floor paneling for motor vehicles, the carpet surface of which has a needled structure on the visible side, as well as the panelings themselves.

Claims

1. A method for the production of a three-dimensionally deformable needled non-woven carpet for a floor paneling, luggage compartment paneling or load floor paneling of a motor vehicle with a structurally needled, deformation-resistant surface having a grammage of the paneling in the range from 180 g/m2 to 700 g/m2, characterised in that two or more needle types are arranged in segments across the width of a needle board, wherein with a defined setting of the feed/stroke of the initial non-woven material as well as a defined setting of the penetration depth, the structured paneling surface from the initial non-woven material is produced, and the paneling is provided with one or more underlayers and is deformed.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that needles are used which differ in fineness, notch spacing, notch size, working part geometry and distance from tip to first notch.

3. Three-dimensionally shaped needled non-woven material for a floor paneling, a luggage compartment paneling or a loading floor paneling of a motor vehicle with a structurally needled, deformation-resistant surface with a grammage of the paneling in the range from 180 g/m2 to 700 g/m2, further comprising one or more underlayers, characterised in that the visible side of the floor paneling, the luggage compartment paneling or the loading floor paneling has an optionally three-dimensional structurally needled, hard-wearing surface.

Description

[0020] The object of the present invention with respect to the aforementioned prior art is thus to provide a deformation-appropriate structurally needled carpet 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 to introduce a permanent, hard-wearing surface pattern with a possibly three-dimensional structure during the production/needling of a needled non-woven carpet, which is structured differently across the width of the carpet surface and withstands a three-dimensional deformation to form a motor vehicle floor or luggage compartment paneling.

[0021] In a first embodiment, the subject matter of the present invention is a method for producing a three-dimensionally deformable needled non-woven carpet for a floor paneling, luggage compartment paneling or load floor paneling of a motor vehicle with a structurally needled, deformation-resistant surface having a grammage of the paneling in the range from 180 g/m2 to 700 g/m2, which is characterized in that two or more needle types are arranged in segments across the width of a needle board, wherein with a defined setting of the feed/stroke of the initial non-woven material as well as a defined setting of the penetration depth, the structured paneling surface from the initial non-woven material by needling is produced, and the paneling is provided with one or more underlayers and is deformed.

[0022] The core of the present invention is thus the provision of a needled non-woven carpet produced in a conventional standard process for the manufacture of a floor paneling, a luggage compartment paneling or a load floor paneling of a motor vehicle with a structurally needled, deformation-resistant visible surface solely by the arrangement of different needles/needle geometries across the width of the needle board and/or the needle boards which are used for needling the floor paneling, the luggage compartment paneling or the load floor paneling of a motor vehicle. The needle boards are equipped across the width with predefined needle types/geometries, which thus create a predefined, possibly three-dimensional structure of the needled non-woven material surface. Preferably, needles of the same length but with different fineness, notch spacing, notch size, working part geometry and distance from tip to first notch are used.

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

[0024] The initially produced roll or blank fabric has, for example, areas of different fluffiness or stiffness in the machine direction.

[0025] The method of the present invention can be implemented-without additional non-woven layers, needling stages, needling machines or needle boards-in “standard” installations solely by the needle geometry/needle type of the needles arranged across the width of the needle board.

[0026] A further embodiment of the present invention consists in a three-dimensionally shaped needled non-woven material of a floor paneling, a luggage compartment paneling or a loading floor paneling of a motor vehicle with a structurally needled, deformation-resistant surface with a grammage of the paneling in the range from 180 g/m2 to 700 g/m2, further comprising one or more underlayers, wherein the visible side of the floor paneling, the luggage compartment paneling or the loading floor paneling has an optionally three-dimensional structurally needled, hard-wearing surface.

[0027] The realisation should preferably take place on the one hand with a single-layer and on the other hand with a two-layer needled non-woven carpet. In the case of a two-layer design, additional colour effects with different structures can be needled in.

[0028] Example of Execution:

[0029] For the production of a deformation-resistant/stable, structure-needled floor paneling, a pre-non-woven material made of 7 dtex 100% PES fibres with a length of 64 mm was used as the initial non-woven material; the grammage was 400 g/m2.

[0030] The needle board was divided into four different segments in the transverse direction:

[0031] Needle type Mine)—Needle type 2 (coarse)—Needle type 1 (fine)—Needle type 2 (coarse)

[0032] Commercially available needles from Groz-Beckert KG, Albstadt, Germany were used:

[0033] Needle type 1: 15×18×43×3 R222 G 2017

[0034] Needle type 2: 15×18×36×3 R333 G 2007

[0035] These needles differ in fineness, number of notches, notch size and distance from tip to first notch.

[0036] During production, it was necessary to find the optimum penetration depth and the optimum feed/stroke by trial and error. For the needled non-woven carpet shown in FIG. 1, the feed/stroke was 1.55 mm/stroke and the penetration depth 12 mm.

[0037] The structurally needled non-woven carpet floor produced in this way was then bound with 80 g/m2 of commercial latex and coated with 80 g/m2 of commercial PE.

[0038] Subsequently, the needled non-woven carpet floor with the underlayers (a) heavy foil 2.5 kg/m2 and (b) a non-woven foil 150 g/m2 was formed into a floor paneling upper product of a mid-range vehicle at the process parameters contact heating field 185° C./180° C., 58 sec; radiant heating field 150° C. and a tool closing time of 68 sec at the mould surface temperature of 5° C.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a section of the formed floor paneling upper product. The structuring, fine needle=fluffy, coarse needle=stripy, is clearly visible. The strip in between was only pre-needled.

[0040] Specifically in FIG. 2, it can be seen that the structural needling of the carpet is deformation-appropriate and deformation-stable.

[0041] By choosing the needle combinations, one could combine the carpet texturing in different ways.

[0042] FIG. 3 shows another example of this:

[0043] Needle type 1: 15×25×32×3.sub.1/2 R333 G3012

[0044] Needle type 2: 15×20×3.sub.1/2 C333 G3012

[0045] Feed/stroke: 7.99 mm/stroke

[0046] Penetration depth: 12 mm