INTERIOR TRIM COMPONENT WITH A THREE-DIMENSIONAL SHAPE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE AND DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SUCH AN INTERIOR TRIM COMPONENT

Abstract

The present invention relates to an interior trim component with a three-dimensional shape, wherein the interior trim component is produced from a single nonwoven material and includes a first surface and a second surface. At least one region that forms the first surface, and at least one first section and at least one second section, each of which forming a part of the second surface, wherein the first section has a first section hardness, H1 and the second section has a second section hardness, H2, and the first section hardness H1 and the second section hardness H2 are different.

Claims

1. An interior trim component with a three-dimensional shape for a motor vehicle, comprising, a single nonwoven material including a first surface and a second surface, a first section and a second section, each of which forming a part of the second surface, wherein the first section has a first section hardness and the second section has a second section hardness, such that the first section hardness and the second section hardness are different.

2. The interior trim component according to claim 1, wherein the interior trim component has at least one region which forms the first surface, wherein the first section hardness is greater than the second section hardness, and the region has a region hardness which is equal to the first section hardness.

3. The interior trim component according to claim 2, wherein the first section has a first density and the second section has a second density, said first density is between 0.6 g/cm.sup.3 and 1 g/cm.sup.3 and said second density is between 0.1 g/cm.sup.3 and 0.6 g/cm.sup.3.

4. The interior trim component according to claim 1, wherein the first section has a first surface roughness and the second section has a second surface roughness, said first surface roughness and said second surface roughness are different.

5. The interior trim component according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven material is a needled nonwoven material.

6. The interior trim component according to claim 5, wherein the needled nonwoven material comprises thermoplastic fibers having different melting temperatures.

7. The interior trim component according to claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic fibers are composed of polyester.

8. The interior trim component according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven material comprises bi-component fibers.

9. The interior trim component according to claim 8, wherein the proportion by weight of the thermoplastic fibers to the bi-component fibers is between 70:30 and 30:70.

10. A device for producing an interior trim component comprising, a calibration tool for calibrating and preforming a blank so that the calibrated and preformed blank has a three-dimensional shape of a single nonwoven material, and a pressing tool for forming from the calibrated and preformed blank the interior trim component having a first surface and a second surface, with a first section and a second section, each of which forming a part of the second surface, such that the first section has a first section hardness and the second section has a second section hardness and the first section hardness and the second section hardness are different.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the calibration tool further comprises an upper tool with an upper tool surface and a lower tool with a lower tool surface which are movable relative to one another, wherein the upper tool and/or the lower tool has at least two temperature zones which are operated at different temperatures.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the temperature zones are separated from one another by an insulating layer.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the insulating layer forms a part of the upper tool surface and/or of the lower tool surface.

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein a non-stick coating is applied to the upper tool surface and/or to the lower tool surface.

15. A method for producing an interior trim component comprising the steps of: calibrating and preforming a blank using a calibration tool, removing the calibrated and preformed blank from the calibration tool and transferring the calibrated and preformed blank into a pressing tool, and forming with the pressing tool from the calibrated and preformed blank an interior trim component having a first surface and a second surface, with a first section and a second section, each of which forming a part of the second surface, such that the first section has a first section hardness and the second section has a second section hardness and the first section hardness and the second section hardness are different.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the upper tool and/or the lower tool of the calibration tool having at least two temperature zones, and operating the temperature zones at different temperatures.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of preforming the blank by means of a calibration tool is performed such that the calibrated and preformed blank has a three-dimensional shape.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of: injection-molding or back injection-molding of functional elements into the trim component.

19. A door side trim of a motor vehicle, comprising an interior trim component according to claim 1.

20. The interior trim component according to claim 7, wherein the polyester is polyethylene terephthalate or polybutylene terephthalate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the appended drawings which show in

[0043] FIG. 1A: a perspective view of a driver's door of a motor vehicle which is clad with an interior trim component according to the invention,

[0044] FIG. 1B: a sectional view through the interior trim component along the section plane A-A defined in FIG. 1A,

[0045] FIG. 2A: an uncalibrated blank,

[0046] FIGS. 2B to 2D: schematic diagrams of blanks calibrated and preformed in different ways,

[0047] FIG. 3: a sectional view through a calibrated and preformed 3-D blank,

[0048] FIGS. 4A to 4D: a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional calibration process according to the invention of a blank with a calibration tool according to a first exemplary embodiment,

[0049] FIG. 5: a schematic sectional view through a calibration tool according to a second exemplary embodiment,

[0050] FIGS. 6A to 6F: a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process according to the invention with a pressing tool using a blank calibrated according to FIGS. 4A to 4D, and

[0051] FIGS. 7A and 7B: a schematic sectional view, not to scale, of the first and third sections shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0052] FIG. 1A shows a schematic perspective view of a door side panel 10 of a vehicle door of an unillustrated motor vehicle with an interior trim component 12 according to the present invention.

[0053] FIG. 1B shows the interior trim component 12 according to the invention shown in FIG. 1A in a sectional view along a section plane A-A defined in FIG. 1A. The interior trim component 12 has a first surface 16 and a second surface 18, with the second surface 18 forming in the installed state the visible side that can be seen by a vehicle occupant and is partially visible in FIG. 1A. As is evident from FIG. 1B, the second surface 18 may be formed of a total of two first sections 20, two second sections 22 and third section 24, so that the second surface 18 can be divided into, for example, into a total of five sections 20, 22, 24. However, the second surface 18 may also be formed by only one first section 20 (not shown). The two first sections 20 have a first section hardness H1, the two second sections 22 have a second section hardness H2 and the third section 24 has a third section hardness H3, which are each different from one another. For example, the magnitude of the first section hardness H1 is the greatest of all section hardness values H1, H2, H3 of the second surface 18, with the second section hardness H2 being only insignificantly less than the first section hardness H1. However, the third section hardness H3 is significantly lower than the first and the second section hardness H1, H2. Other magnitudes of section hardness values H1, H2 and H3 are also conceivable.

[0054] The first surface 16 is formed by a single region 26 with a constant region hardness HB. The region hardness HB has, for example, an equal or similar magnitude as the first section hardness H1. As can be seen from FIG. 1B, the interior trim component 12 is fastened in the two first sections 20 to an adjacent component 28 of the door side trim 10. The adjacent component 28 can also be part of the door side trim 10, for example a base support or the front wall of a map pocket, while the interior trim component 12 forms a door insert with an integrated armrest. Because of the first hardness H1 of the interior trim component 12 in the two first sections 20, the interior trim component 12 can be reliably and precisely connected to the adjacent components 28.

[0055] In addition to the section hardness values H1, H2, H3, the sections 20, 22, 24 also differ in their surface roughness. The first sections 20 have a first surface roughness 1, the second sections 22 have a second surface roughness 2, and the third section 24 has a third surface roughness 3. Whereas, for example, the second surface 18 is relatively smooth in the first two portions 20 and thus has a low first surface roughness 1, the second sections 22 and third sections 24 have significantly higher second and third surface roughness values 2, 3. The second and the third surface roughness values 2, 3 are designed such that the second surface 18 is perceived by the vehicle occupant as fluffy in the two second sections 22 and in the third section 24. The region 26 of the first surface 16 has the region surface roughness B. The first surface 16 is markedly smoother than the second surface 18, so that the region surface roughness B is significantly smaller than the smallest surface roughness of the second surface 18, i.e. the first surface roughness 1.

[0056] FIG. 2A shows a schematic diagram of a non-calibrated blank 30r, from which a proposed interior trim component 12 can be produced. FIGS. 2B to 2D each show different embodiments of a calibrated blank 30.sub.1 to 30.sub.3 separately and in a schematic diagram. The blank 30 consists of a nonwoven material 31, in this case a needled nonwoven material 31, which may contain thermoplastic fibers made, for example, of polyester. The employed polyester may be, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). In addition, the nonwoven material 31 can also include, in particular, co-extruded bi-component fibers, which can have a specific, in particular weight-related, ratio to the thermoplastic fibers. The ratio of thermoplastic fibers to the bi-component fibers can be, for example, between 70:30 and 30:70. The desired permanent deformation can no longer be achieved with a ratio of 90:10.

[0057] The blank 30r shown in FIG. 2A is first calibrated in a calibration tool (not shown here), whereby the blank 30r is compressed. As can be seen from FIGS. 2B to 2D, the blank 30 can be compressed to different degrees. The blank 30.sub.1 shown In FIG. 2B has been compressed relatively strongly to a first density 1, with the same temperature used in the calibration on both sides of the blank 30. The temperature used here is relatively high and is, for example, between 140 and 200 C. As a result, the blank 30.sub.1 has a hard surface and a smooth surface on both the top side and the bottom side.

[0058] The blank 30.sub.2 shown in FIG. 2C has been compressed to the same extent as the blank 30.sub.1 shown in FIG. 2B, so that the blank 30.sub.2 shown in FIG. 2C also has the first density 1. However, a higher temperature was used on the bottom side than on the top side. While the bottom side is smooth, the top side is hard but fluffy.

[0059] The blank 30.sub.3 shown in FIG. 2D was compressed to a lesser extent than the blanks shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C. The blank 30.sub.3 shown in FIG. 2D has therefore a second density 2 that is smaller than the first density 1. As with the blank 30.sub.2 shown in FIG. 2C, the temperature during calibration is higher on the bottom side than on the top side. Again, the bottom side is hard and smooth, while the top side is soft and fluffy.

[0060] The different densities can be produced by providing the non-calibrated and non-preformed blank 30r with different wall thicknesses B.sub.r.

[0061] FIG. 3 shows a calibrated 3D-blank 30 which has two first sections 20, two second sections 22, and one third section 24. As can be clearly seen, both the first surface 16 and the second surface 18 are curved. However, the first surface 16 may also be flat and the second surface 18 may have different heights (not shown). In that case, the blank 30 is also referred to as 2.5D-blank.

[0062] The two first sections 20 have the same properties as the blank 30 shown in FIG. 2B. The two second sections 22 have the same properties as the blank 30.sub.2 shown in FIG. 2C. The third section 24 has the same properties as the blank 30.sub.3 shown in FIG. 2D. The blank 30 calibrated in this manner is placed in a forming tool, which is not separately shown here.

[0063] FIGS. 4A to 4D and 6A to 6F show a device 32 according to the invention and a method according to the invention for producing an interior trim component 12 as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The device 32 according to the invention includes a calibration tool 34.sub.1, a first exemplary embodiment of which is shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C. The calibration tool 34.sub.1 has an upper tool 36 with an upper tool surface 38 and a lower tool 40 with a lower tool surface 42. The upper tool 36 and the lower tool 40 can be moved relative to one another with an unillustrated movement device. In the illustrated embodiment of the calibration tool 34.sub.1, the lower tool 40 is affixed to a floor 44, for example of a factory building, and only the upper tool 36 is movable relative to the lower tool 40. The upper tool 36 is provided with an upper tool heating device 46 and the lower tool 40 is provided with a lower tool heating device 48, so that the blank 30 can be heated to a specific temperature during calibration. The temperature on the upper tool surface 38 can differ from the temperature on the lower tool surface 42. This makes it possible to provide the first surface 16 of the interior trim component 12 with a different surface property than the second surface 18.

[0064] FIG. 4A shows the calibration tool 34.sub.1 in an open state in which the upper tool 36 and the lower tool 40 are arranged at a maximum distance from one another. In the open state, a mat-shaped blank 30r can be inserted into the calibration tool 34.sub.1. The blank 30r has an essentially flat, two-dimensional shape. The calibration tool 34.sub.1 is then closed by moving the upper tool 36 is moved towards the lower tool 40. The blank 30 is thereby calibrated and preformed into a three-dimensional shape. The calibration tool 34.sub.1 is then opened allowing removal of the calibrated, preformed blank 30. To facilitate removal from the mold, the upper tool surface 38 and the lower tool surface 42 are provided with a non-stick coating 50, which however is not absolutely necessary.

[0065] FIG. 5 shows in a separate diagram a second exemplary embodiment of the calibration tool 34.sub.2 in the closed state. The basic structure of the calibration tool 34.sub.2 according to the second embodiment largely corresponds to the configuration of the calibration tool 34.sub.1 according to the first embodiment, except that the upper tool 36 has a total of three temperature zones 52.sub.1 to 52.sub.3. The three temperature zones 52.sub.1, 52.sub.2, 52.sub.3 are each separated by an insulating layer 54.sub.1, 54.sub.2, which extends to the upper tool surface 38. The three temperature zones 52.sub.1, 52.sub.2, 52.sub.3 of the upper tool 36 each have their own heating device 56.sub.1, 56.sub.2, 56.sub.3, enabling the temperature zones 52.sub.1, 52.sub.2, 52.sub.3 to be heated to different temperatures. As mentioned before, the surface properties can be influenced by the temperature used during calibration. The blank 30 produced and preformed with the second exemplary embodiment of the calibration tool 34.sub.2 therefore has a second surface 18, which consists of a total of three sections 20, 22, 24 with different surface properties, in particular formed with different hardness values H1, H2, H3 and different surface roughness values 1, 2, 3.

[0066] FIGS. 6B to 6E show various schematic diagrams of an exemplary embodiment of a pressing tool 58 belonging to the device 32 in different operating states. FIG. 6A shows the blank 30 previously shown in FIG. 4D which was preformed into a three-dimensional shape and calibrated, and which is, as shown in FIG. 6B, inserted into the opened pressing tool 58. The pressing tool 58 is then closed (FIG. 6C) by moving the upper tool 36 toward the lower tool 40. In the closed state, the blank 30 is shaped into the final shape, thereby producing the proposed interior trim component 12. The surface properties of the first surface 16 and of the second surface 18 are predetermined during calibration in the first pressing tool 34 and remain largely unchanged during processing in the pressing tool 58.

[0067] The pressing tool 58 has cutting edges 62 which cut the blank 30 to the desired size when the pressing tool 58 is closed.

[0068] The interior trim component 12 can have a number of functional elements 60, which can be used, for example, to simplify fastening and/or positioning of the interior trim component 12 in the motor vehicle or relative to adjacent components such as component 28. These functional elements 60 are injection-molded in the pressing tool 58, as shown in FIG. 6D. After the functional elements 60 have been injection-molded, the pressing tool 58 is opened (FIG. 6E), allowing the finished interior trim component 12 to be removed, as shown in FIG. 6F. Due to the cutting of the interior trim component 12 to the desired size, residual pieces 66 are produced, which are disposed of or recycled. The manufacturing process of the interior trim component 12 is now complete.

[0069] The interior trim component 12 shown in FIG. 6F is constructed essentially exactly like the interior trim component 12 shown in FIG. 3, but has somewhat different dimensions and includes the aforementioned functional elements 60. In particular, the interior trim component 12 shown in FIG. 6F has the two first sections 22, the two second sections 24 and the third section 24 with the corresponding section hardness values H1, H2, H3 and the surface roughness values 1, 2, 3, which are not shown in FIG. 6F to simplify the drawing.

[0070] As is evident from the above discussions, the calibration tool 34 and the pressing tool 58 have similar structures. However, the calibration tool 34 cannot be used to injection-mold functional elements 60. The calibration tool 34 also has no cutting edges 62. As mentioned, the blank 30 is preformed in the calibration tool 34 and hence has approximately the shape of the finished interior trim component 12. The profiles of the upper tool surface 38 and the lower tool surface 42 can therefore be significantly less precise than those of the pressing tool 58. The temperature control of the pressing tool 58 is carried out at significantly lower temperatures than in the calibration tool 34, where the process is therefore more accurately referred as heating instead of temperature control. Depending on the temperature zones 52, the calibration tool 34 is heated to temperatures between 50 and 230 C.

[0071] FIG. 7A shows the second section 22 shown in FIG. 1B and FIG. 7B shows the third section 24 shown in FIG. 1B in form of an enlarged schematic sectional view. As already mentioned, the second section 22 shown in FIG. 7A has the second section hardness H2 and the second surface roughness 2, whereas the third section 24 shown in FIG. 7B has the third section hardness H3 and the third surface roughness 3. The second section 22 and the third section 24 form part of the second surface 18, which is also the visible side. The first surface 16 includes exclusively the region 26, which has the constant region hardness HB and the constant region surface roughness B. Hardly any loose nonwoven fibers protrude from the interior trim component 12 in the smooth and hard region 26.

[0072] The first section 20 (not shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B) has the same structure as the first surface 16, so that the first hardness H1 is equal to the region hardness HB and the first surface roughness 1 is equal to the region surface roughness B. This does not rule out that the first section can also be structured differently. However, this structure is beneficial because the interior trim component 12 is fastened in the first section 20 to an adjacent component 28 (see FIG. 1B).

[0073] To be able to provide the higher second section hardness H2 compared to the third section hardness H3 and lower second surface roughness 2 compared to the third surface roughness 3, the structure of the second section 22 differs from the third section 24 essentially as follows: second section 22 has a lower layer 63 and the third section 24 has a lower layer 67. The two lower layers 63 and 67 are produced by direct exposure to a high temperature when the interior trim component 12 is formed from the calibrated and preformed blank 30. However, the lower layer thickness p1 of the lower layer 63 of the second section 22 is smaller than the lower layer thickness q1 of the lower layer 67 of the third section 24. The different lower layer thicknesses p1 and q1 are achieved as a result of different compression of the calibrated and preformed blank 30. The compression of the calibrated and preformed blank 30 is higher in the second section 22 than in the third section 24.

[0074] Furthermore, the second section 22 has an upper layer 64 and the third section 24 has an upper layer 70. The upper layer 64 has an upper layer thickness p3 and the upper layer 70 has an upper layer thickness q3. The upper layer thicknesses p3 and q3 can also be referred to as pile height. Due to the aforementioned different compression of the calibrated and preformed blank 30, the upper layer thickness p3 is less than the upper layer thickness q3. Both upper layers 64 and 70 have many protruding loose nonwoven fibers, so that both the upper layer 64 and the upper layer 70 are perceived as fluffy. However, because the upper layer thickness p3 is smaller than the upper layer thickness q3, the first hardness H1 is greater than the third hardness H3.

[0075] Also due to the different compression of the calibrated and preformed blank 30, an intermediate layer 68 with the intermediate layer thickness q2 is formed in the third section 24. Consequently, the total height of the trim component 12 in the second section 22, which is the sum of the lower layer thickness p1 and the upper layer thickness p3, is less than the total height in the third section 24, which is the sum of the lower layer thickness q1, the intermediate thickness layer q2 and the upper layer thickness q3.

[0076] The nonwoven fibers do not have any particular orientation, i.e. they are neither woven nor knitted and therefore have no stitches or closed loops. They can also be referred to as fiber pile. The nonwoven fibers can also be cut to provide a certain overall height and a certain hardness. As is customary with velour, fabrics whose loops are subsequently cut open can also be used.