MOTOR VEHICLE FLOOR COVERING

Abstract

The invention relates to an underbody panel insulation for a motor vehicle made of one or more foamed viscoelastic polyurethane foam materials which can differ in zones (partially) over the surface and thickness of the insulation in its formulation and the physical and mechanical properties, and to a method for the production thereof.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle floor covering with a floor covering insulation, comprising a foamed polyurethane foam with visco-elastic properties, wherein the floor covering insulation covers a lower side of the motor vehicle floor covering with the same or different foam compositions in one or more independent or contiguous locally limited regions, wherein the foamed polyurethane foam of the floor covering insulation has a modulus of elasticity within a range of from 20 to 250 kN/m.sup.2, a loss factor within a range of from 0.1 to 0.8, and a density within a range of from 35 to 120 g/l.

2. (canceled)

3. The motor vehicle floor covering according to claim 1, wherein the foamed polyurethane foam of the floor covering insulation has a loss factor within a range of from 0.2 to 0.6, and a density within a range of from 45 to 80 g/l.

4. The motor vehicle floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the regions of the floor covering insulation (2) have different foamed polyurethane foam compositions with a different compression hardness.

5. The motor vehicle floor covering according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the floor covering insulation is adapted according to need in a locally limited manner on the body side.

6. The motor vehicle floor covering according to claim 1, wherein the foamed polyurethane foam contains a surface on a body side of the motor vehicle that is contoured.

7. The motor vehicle floor covering according to claim 1, wherein the foam includes EPS, EPP and/or PEPP inlays.

8. The motor vehicle floor covering according to claim 1, wherein the foamed polyurethane foam includes spacer knitwear.

9. The motor vehicle floor covering according to claim 1, wherein a lower surface of the floor covering insulation has adhesive properties and contacts a body when mounted into the motor vehicle.

10. A process for preparing a motor vehicle floor covering, with a floor covering insulation comprising: (a) providing a mold and a contoured floor covering; (b) placing onto an upper mold of the mold the contoured floor covering; (c) introducing one or more polyurethane component mixtures for preparing a foam having viscoelastic properties into a lower mold of the mold; (d) closing the mold; (e) optionally heating the mold; and (f) foaming the one or more polyurethane component mixtures forming a foamed polyurethane foam composition.

11. The process according to claim 10, wherein the lower mold contains one or more mold nests and the one or more polyurethane component mixtures are introduced into the one or more mold nests of the lower mold.

12. The process according to claim 10, wherein the one or more polyurethane component mixtures are cast into the lower mold using one or more mixing heads.

13. The process according to claim 10, wherein the compositions of the one or more polyurethane component mixtures are varied while introduced into the lower mold.

14. The process according to claim 10, wherein the density of the foamed polyurethane foam composition of the floor covering insulation is adjusted by varying the shot weight.

15. The process according to claim 10, wherein the foamed polyurethane foam composition contains a modulus of elasticity within a range of from 20 to 250 kN/m.sup.2, a loss factor within a range of from 0.1 to 0.8, and a density within a range of from 35 to 120 g/l.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to the various drawings, in which like reference numbers denote like method steps and/or system components, respectively, and in which:

[0026] FIG. 1 is one embodiment of the foam system of the present invention:

[0027] FIG. 2 is another embodiment of the foam system of the present invention; and

[0028] FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the foam system of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] In a first embodiment, the above object is achieved by a motor vehicle floor covering 1 having a floor covering insulation 2 consisting of a foamed polyurethane foam with visco-elastic properties, which is characterized in that said floor covering insulation 2 covers the lower side of the floor covering according to need with respectively the same or different foam compositions in one or more independent or contiguous locally limited regions. The foaming tools are divided into individual zones/nests in accordance with said according-to-need requirements. The zone/nest separating lands seal in a force-locking manner on the lower side of the carpet/upper material. The foamed polyurethane foam is composed of one or more polyurethane component mixtures.

[0030] In another embodiment of the present invention, the above object is achieved by a process for preparing a motor vehicle floor covering 1, characterized in that

[0031] (a) in an open mold in which a contoured floor covering is placed onto the upper mold, one or more polyurethane component mixtures for preparing a foam having viscoelastic properties are introduced into the lower mold in a locally limited way according to need, and

[0032] (b) the mold is closed, optionally with heating, and

[0033] (c) the component mixture or mixtures are foamed and reacted to completion.

[0034] In principle, the PU foam formulations are cast into the open mold while being foamed:

[0035] The foaming mold is opened; the floor covering/the upper material is provided in the upper mold; the foam systems are cast or foamed into the corresponding mold nests through one or more mixing heads, which are provided on a robot arm. Preferably, so-called duplex mixing heads are employed, in which two foam systems, or one or more foamed polyurethane foam components mixture, can be introduced through one mixing head simultaneously or at different times.

[0036] The lower mold may contain one or more mold nests and one or more polyurethane component mixtures are introduced into the one or more mold nests. The one or more polyurethane component mixtures are cast into the lower mold using one or more mixing heads. The compositions of the one or more polyurethane component mixtures may van while introduced into the lower mold.

[0037] Further, the density of the individual foam systems can be varied through the shot weight. The density of the foamed polyurethane foam composition of the floor covering insulation may be adjusted by varying the shot weight.

[0038] FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention:

[0039] The Figures represent 4 possible foam systems; wherein the foam system SS-4 (4) is adhesive-bonded to the lower side of the floor covering/upper material prior to foaming in the practical implementation; and then the foam systems SS-1 (3) to SS-3 (5) are cast/foamed in by means of mixing heads attached to robot arms.

[0040] Represented herein in FIG. 2 are [SS-3 (5)/SS-4 (4)], which are arranged over the thickness; two different foam systems and thus different foam properties.

[0041] The following Table 1 represents the physical foam properties of the different regions according to FIG. 1 in an exemplary manner:

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 SS-1 SS-2 SS-3 SS-4 Density [kg/m.sup.3] 45-75 60-90 65-90 75-105 Modulus of elasticity 20-60 80-120 50-120 100-250 [kN/m.sup.2] Loss factor 0.10-0.30 0.25-0.45 0.33-0.60 0.10-0.35

[0042] The following Table 2 represents the physical foam properties of the different regions according to FIG. 3 in an exemplary manner:

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 SS-V1 SS-V1* SS-V2 SS-V2* Density [kg/m.sup.3] 50-75 65-90 65-90 75-105 Modulus of elasticity 50-120 50-120 100-250 100-250 [kN/m.sup.2] Loss factor 0.10-0.30 0.10-0.30 0.33-0.60 0.33-0.60

[0043] The foamed polyurethane foam of the floor covering insulation may have a modulus of elasticity within a range of from 20 to 250 kN/m.sup.2, a loss factor within a range of from 0.1 to 0.8, and a density within a range of from 35 to 120 g/l. Alternatively, the foamed polyurethane foam of the floor covering may have a loss factor within a range of from 0.2 to 0.6, and a density within a range of from 45 to 80 g/l. The foam surface on the body side, which may be the side of the floor covering insulation that contacts the motor vehicle when mounted or the body of the motor vehicle, may be ribbed or contoured. This feature is employed if the focus is on insulation, but not if the focus is on the reduction of the metal sheet vibrations. A lower surface of the floor covering insulation may be in contact with the motor vehicle or the body of the motor vehicle and this lower surface may have adhesive properties for engaging the floor covering insulation to the motor vehicle or the body of the motor vehicle.

[0044] Of course, the design of the foam upper side/surface on the side of the metal sheet/body is also defined by the contour of the underfloor and the cables and air ducts that are present there. On this and on the mounting conditions of the floor covering, the setting of the adhesion of the foam surface depends.

[0045] Thus, the core of the present invention is the integration of the insulating properties into the foam insulation, i.e. into the PU foam formulation itself without additional preparation processes or working steps.

[0046] Further, in the multizone design of the PU foam insulation according to need (corresponding to an internal combustion engine variant and an electric drive variant), different PU foam properties can be set over the surface and thickness of the insulation.

[0047] The advantage is the omission of a component, or the reduction of the weight per surface area, namely of the antinoise coating or coatings. Further, the advantage of the inventive solution resides in the cost: increased sound insulation in the floor covering insulation integrated in the PU foam itself, and omission of an additional preparation step.

[0048] The foam insulation may also include EPS, EPP and PEPP inlays that are embedded in the foam insulation in order to increase the footstep resistance, among other things. The foam insulation may also include a structure with spacers, such as spacer knitwear.

Example

[0049] According to the invention, a floor covering/motor vehicle carpet 1 with increased insulation properties of the foam insulation 2 has been prepared (see FIG. 3).

[0050] The upper material was a commercially available dilour carpet (600 g/m.sup.2 PET fiber, black, with 100 g/m.sup.2 latex binder and 100 g/m.sup.2 PE coating), laminated with 1000 g/m.sup.2 heavy layer and a PE/PA sheet, 100 m.

[0051] The forming of the upper material was effected in a standard thermoforming plant (delivery table/laminating in the contact heating field/forming). This formed upper material was foam-backed in the process foaming into the open mold with 2 foam systems (SS-V16 and SS-V27); the densities of the 2 foam systems were varied through the shot weight (*). A commercially available duplex mixing head as the mixing head.

[0052] The foam surface of the foams SS-V2 7 and SS-V2* 7 was set to be adhesive. Also, the foam-free areas 8 between the independent, locally limited regions of the lower side of the floor covering with respectively different foam compositions can be clearly seen here according to Table 2.