MULTI-FUNCTIONAL AUTOMOTIVE FLOORING PART COMPRISING FIBERS FROM TEXTILE WASTE

Abstract

A main flooring part for a vehicle comprising an aesthetic surface layer and a spacer layer, whereby both layers are consolidated and laminated to the adjacent layer to form the flooring part, characterised in that both layers comprise pulled fibers from textile waste and a binder, and whereby the aesthetic surface layer is thermally compressed to form a stiff layer and whereby the fibers of the surface of the aesthetic surface layer are heat set to smooth the aesthetic surface.

Claims

1. A main flooring part for a vehicle comprising: an aesthetic surface layer; a spacer layer; whereby both layers are consolidated and laminated to the adjacent layer to form the flooring part, characterized in that both layers comprise pulled fibers from textile waste and a binder, and whereby the aesthetic surface layer is thermally compressed to form a stiff layer and whereby the fibers of the surface of the aesthetic surface layer are heat set to smooth the aesthetic surface.

2. The main flooring part according to claim 1, wherein the aesthetic surface layer is a thermally compressed needled air lay felt layer.

3. The main flooring part according to claim 1, wherein the spacer layer is either an injected fiber felt layer, a carded cross-lapped, a vertical lapped felt layer or an air lay felt layer.

4. The main flooring part according to claim 1, wherein the pulled fibers are at least for 80% polyester based and/or natural fiber-based, for instance cotton, hemp or flax, and/or cellulose-based and/or a mixture thereof.

5. The main flooring part according to claim 1, wherein the binder is fiber or powder based, preferably from a recycled or reclaimed source, preferably pulled fiber-based.

6. The main flooring part according to claim 1, wherein the binder comprises at least one of a polymer or copolymer chosen from polyester, polyolefin, like polypropylene or polyethylene, or polyamide-based materials.

7. An automotive flooring system according to claim 1, whereby the surface comprises between 20 and 80% by weight, preferably between 40 and 60% by weight of pulled fibers based on cotton and/or polyester, and whereby the binder is between 80 and 20% by weight of polypropylene pulled fibers, with a total amount of fibers and binder of 100% by weight.

8. The main flooring part according to claim 1, further comprising a thermoplastic film layer between the aesthetic layer and the spacer layer and whereby the film layer is at least material connected to the adjacent layers.

9. The main flooring part according to claim 2, wherein the film layer has an air permeability of between 500 and 4000 Rayls.

10. The main flooring part according to claim 2, wherein the film layer comprises at least one layer of a polyester, polyolefin, or polyamide based material, preferably from a recycled source.

11. The main flooring part according to claim 1, further comprising at least one local patch covering part of the aesthetic surface, preferably one of a tufted or needle punch floor mat, a woven fabric, a warp and weft knitted fabric, a rubber patch or a TPO insert, preferably the local patch is placed in recess in the aesthetic surface.

12. A method of producing a flooring part according to claim 1, with the steps of: sorting textile waste into different fiber blends and/or colors; cutting, shredding, and pulling the textile waste into fibers; blending the fibers with a binder in the form of a fiber or powder; forming a fibrous mat from the fiber blend using an air lay process or a fiber injection process, optionally the fiber mat may be subjected to a needling step to pre-consolidate the fibrous mat; molding the fibrous mat to obtain either a 3-dimensionally shaped and consolidated aesthetic surface layer, a spacer layer, and/or a floor part comprising at least an aesthetic surface layer, preferably pre-shaped and compressed, and a spacer layer, and whereby during the molding the material is thermally treated to melt the binder and bond the pulled fibers within the felt layer together and to bond the layers to the adjacent layers and to consolidate the material into the final shape of the part and whereby the fibers of the surface of the aesthetic surface layer are heat set against the surface of the mold to smooth the aesthetic surface.

13. The method according to claim 12, comprising the additional step of placing an intermediate layer between the aesthetic surface layer and the spacer layer, whereby the intermediate layer is material connected to the adjacent layers after molding.

14. The method according to one of the claim 12, whereby at least one additional patch made of a tufted or needle punch floor mat, a woven fabric, a warp and weft knitted fabric, a rubber patch, or a TPO insert is bonded or glued or clipped to the dedicated areas on the aesthetic surface of the flooring part.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0063] FIG. 1 is an example of a floor part of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] FIG. 2 is a cross section of FIG. 1.

[0065] FIG. 3 shows schematically the method of production of the floor part according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] FIG. 1 is showing an example of a floor part 1 according to the invention with F being the direction to the front of the vehicle and B being in the direction of the rear of the vehicle. The full part may be produced with mainly pulled fibers, giving a sustainable product as well as the possibility to recycle again into the same or a similar product. As certain areas in the passenger compartment might be prone to high wear due to scuffing of for instance shoes, it is possible to apply a patch 5 in these areas. Preferably the patch is directly bonded to the surface of the main floor part. Optionally a recess can be formed in the floor part to enable a proper placement of the patch. The patch can also be bonded onto the trim part during or subsequent to the thermal molding process.

[0067] FIG. 2 is showing a schematic cross section of the floor part according to the invention. With an aesthetic surface layer 2 and a spacer 4, and optionally a film layer 3 between the aesthetic surface layer and the spacer. The film layer may be an openfor instance perforatedor closed film. In case the film layer is closed it might function together with the compressed top layer as an acoustic insulating flooring part. In case the film is open, the whole part works as a multilayer acoustic trim part. As the carpet layer is no longer necessary the part can be lighter and less complex but also obtains a better acoustic performance as it is no longer unnecessary covered over the full surface.

[0068] FIG. 3 shows schematically the method of production of the floor part according to the invention.

[0069] Method of producing a flooring part according to one of the preceding claims, with the steps of: [0070] sorting textile waste into different fiber material blends and/or colors (100); [0071] cutting, shredding and pulling the textile waste into fibers (200); [0072] blending the fibers with a binder in the form of a fiber, or powder (300) for either the aesthetic layer (301) or the spacer layer (302);

[0073] For the aesthetic layer the fiber blend is formed in a web using an air lay process (401) combined with a fiber opening and eventually blending step. For instance on an air lay machine from LaRoche might be used. The thus formed web is instable and a mechanical pre-consolidation step is needed. This is done in the form of a needling step (402), whereby barbed needles are punched from one side through the web, as the barbs are directed away from the surface they will insert smoothly and when pulled out of the web, the barbs will catch single fibers and will displace them into the horizontal direction. Boards on both side of web will help release the mat from the needles. The stroke of the needles will be such that the fibers pulled up will not be sticking out of the surface of the layer. It is not the intention to create a pile type fabric with this step, but only a light consolidation of mat and in addition an initial compaction of the layer.

[0074] For the spacer layer a fibrous mat from the fiber blend might be formed (501) by using the same technology as for the aesthetic layer an air lay process, a fiber injection process, for instance using the machine as disclosed in US2014205700, or a vertical lapping process might be used, optionally the fiber mat may be subjected to a light pre-consolidating step (505) for instance a needling step or a thermal consolidating step for instance heated in a hot air oven to pre-consolidate the fibrous mat. As the spacer layer is preferably a low density thick layer, a hot air oven treatment is preferred.

[0075] The fibrous mats, the mat for the aesthetic layer (601) and the mat for the spacer layer (602) may be molded in a one step or two step process:

[0076] In a one step process (A.) both layers are placed into a mold 800 with an upper mold and a lower mold, which when closed form the flooring part. The intermediate layer 700 is placed between the layers. The molding is done such that pressure is obtained against the lower surface of the top layer such that the aesthetic layer is pressed against the mold and compressed and consolidated in that position, while the spacer layer is not substantially compressed. All layers are consolidated and bonded to the adjacent layer. Surprisingly, the surface of the mold against the surface of the aesthetic layer works as an ironing step whereby the fibers of the surface of the aesthetic surface layer are heat set against the surface of the mold to smooth the aesthetic surface. Preferably the upper mold tool is able to be temperature controlled to optimize the ironing process. The mold is at the end of the step opened and a floor part (1) according to the invention is obtained. Alternatively the ironing step is done after the molding of the part.

[0077] Alternatively a two-step process might be used (B.). In this process the fibrous mat for the aesthetic layer is separate molded into a compressed layer (601), and in an additional step the compressed layer and the spacer layer and eventually the intermediate layer are placed in a mold and the final floor part is formed. While all layers are consolidated and or bonded to the adjacent layers. In this process the ironing of the surface of the aesthetic layer might have been achieved during the initial molding of the layer (801) or during the final molding of the part (802).

[0078] Preferably during all molding steps shown the material may be thermally treated to melt the binder and bond the pulled fibers within the felt layer together and to bond the layers to the adjacent layers and to consolidate the material into the final shape of the part. The heat however might be supplied in a pre-heating step for instance with a hot air oven or an infrared heater followed by a cold molding using the heat initially supplied or might be done in a hot molding step supplying the heat directly or indirectly. Preferably steam molding is used for most of the steps, in particularly for the steps of forming the compressed aesthetic layer.

[0079] The production might be done in one continuous process or in a discontinuous process, in particularly pre consolidated layers may be produced on another location than the final product.

[0080] Optionally in an additional step the patches may be laid and/or bonded to the flooring part. Bonded can be done with a local heating step of the surface containing the adhesive and pressing it to the dedicated area for the patch or patches. Alternative ways of bonding might be used like clipping, velcro or double sided tape. Any glue or adhesive suitable for the bonding might be used, preferably a glue or adhesive on a polyolefin, or polyester base is used.

[0081] The patches may be placed directly on the floor part or later after the floor part is placed in the vehicle. In particularly if the patches are just laid on top of the floor part or are bonded by a non-permanent bonding method.

[0082] The floor part is defined as either a full part covering the full floor of the vehicle, but it might also include or extent to part or fully side panels, the inner-dash area or the trunk area. The floor part might also be separated in a front flooring part and a rear flooring part, eventually including either the inner-dash or the trunk.