MULTILAYERED, FLEXIBLE, FLAT SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCT OR COMPONENT WITH A SEGMENT-LIKE SURFACE AND A METHOD FOR ITS MANUFACTURE, AS WELL AS A MULTIDIMENSIONALLY CURVED MOULDED PART MADE THEREFROM AND A METHOD FOR ITS MANUFACTURE

Abstract

The invention relates to a multilayered, flexible, flat semi-finished product or component with a segment-like surface and a method for its manufacture, as well as a multidimensionally curved moulded part made therefrom and a method for the manufacture of such a component.

Claims

1) A multilayered, flexible, flat semi-finished product or component with a segment-like surface, the semi-finished product being constructed in a layered manner, consisting of a carrier layer and an upper and lower cover layer, and comprising at least two materials, wherein the first material is a flat structure, the second material has a lower drapability than the first material, the carrier layer is formed by the first material, which is coated with the second material on the upper side as the upper cover layer and on the underside as the lower cover layer, characterized in that the second material forms the upper cover layer from a multitude of upper segment parts and each upper segment part is connected by a web to a lower segment part penetrating the carrier layer, and that the upper and lower segment parts form a platelet-shaped segment, the platelet-shaped segments have undercuts in the area of the web, the carrier layer has slot-like apertures which correspond to the contour of the undercuts, the undercuts of the platelet-shaped segments are positively connected to the apertures in the carrier layer and the upper segment parts rest on the upper side of the carrier layer and the lower segment parts rest on the underside of the carrier layer.

2) The semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein the first material is a flat structure of plastics or fibre composite material.

3) The semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein the material of the second material is wood, metal, plastics or a fibre composite material, the fibre composite material being based on a textile flat structure.

4) The semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein the textile flat structures consist of natural fibres or glass, carbon, basalt or thermoplastic plastic filaments or fibres and/or mixtures thereof.

5) The semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein the geometric shape of a platelet-shaped segment corresponds, in a plan view, to a circular sector or a portion of a polygon or a mixture of these geometric figures.

6) The semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of platelet-shaped segments is connected by connection areas in a first direction.

7) The semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein the connection areas are of a strip-shaped or polygonal design.

8) The semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of strip-shaped segments are arranged next to one another in the first direction and a first and/or second direction offset on the carrier layer.

9) The semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower segments are partially or completely coated with an adhesive on their side facing the carrier layer, the carrier layer and the segments being positively connected to one another.

10) The semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein the platelet-shaped segments have flat contact with the carrier layer and/or with one another.

11) The semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein the semi-finished product is coated with a third material.

12) The semi-finished product according to claim 11, wherein the third material is a flat structure of natural fibres or glass, carbon, basalt or thermoplastic plastic filaments or fibres or mixtures thereof.

13) A method for manufacturing the semi-finished product or component according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: providing the first material as a flat structure for the carrier layer, providing the second material for the upper and lower cover layers, producing apertures in the carrier layer corresponding to the contour of the undercuts of the platelet-shaped segments, separating out at least one platelet-shaped segment which has an upper segment part and a lower segment part, the upper and lower segment parts being connected to one another by a web and having undercuts between the upper and lower segment parts, positive connecting of the platelet-shaped segments to the carrier layer by means of penetration of the segments through the apertures of the carrier layer, arranging of the upper segment parts in a flat manner on one another and/or on the carrier layer and arranging of the lower segment parts in a flat manner on one another and/or on the carrier layer.

14) The method according to claim 13, wherein the platelet-shaped segments are produced by means of laser beam cutting, water beam cutting or cutting with a geometrically determined cutting edge.

15) The method according to claim 13, wherein the apertures in the carrier layer are produced by means of laser beam cutting, water beam cutting or cutting with a geometrically determined cutting edge.

16) The method according to claim 13, wherein a layer of a third material is provided.

17) The method according to claim 13, wherein the third layer is connected to the carrier layer by means of adhesive or thermal activation.

18) The method according to claim 16, wherein the layer of the third material is connected to the lower cover layer.

19) A multidimensionally curved moulded part, manufactured from a semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein the segment parts of the upper cover layer are connected to the carrier layer and the segment parts of the lower cover layer in a positive and integral manner.

20) The multidimensionally curved moulded part according to claim 19, wherein the moulded part is coated with a transparent material.

21) The multidimensionally curved moulded part according to claim 20, wherein the transparent material is a lacquer system or a foil.

22) The multidimensionally curved moulded part according to claim 19, wherein a layer of a third material is connected to the lower cover layer.

23) A method for manufacturing a multidimensionally curved moulded part according to claim 19 comprising the following steps: providing the semi-finished product according to claim 1, cutting of the semi-finished product, heating the semi-finished product to the melting temperature of the thermoplastic materials used; and Multidimensional moulding of the semi-finished product.

24) The method according to claim 23, wherein the temperature is adjusted during heating in such a way that the material properties of the upper and lower cover layers are not changed.

25) The method according to claim 23, wherein the semi-finished product is heated on one or both sides.

26) The method according to claim 23, wherein the semi-finished product is compacted during moulding.

27) The method according to claim 26, wherein the compaction of the semi-finished product differs locally from one another.

Description

[0032] In which:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a side view (top) and a plan view of a portion of the semi-finished product.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a platelet-shaped segment.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a plurality of platelet-shaped segments which are connected to each other in a strip-shaped manner in a first direction.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows in a plan view a portion of the carrier layer with apertures

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a portion of the semi-finished product in a cavalier perspective

[0038] FIG. 6 shows in a side view a portion of the semi-finished product in a method step during the arrangement of the segments on top of each other.

[0039] FIG. 7 shows a side view of a portion of the semi-finished product coated with an additional material

[0040] FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of a multidimensionally curved moulded part

[0041] FIG. 9 shows a sectional view of the multidimensionally curved moulded part from FIG. 8, coated with an additional material

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a portion of the semi-finished product (1) according to the invention in a side view (top) and a plan view (bottom). It is shown that the platelet-shaped segments (9) are arranged one after the other in a second direction, penetrate the carrier layer (2) and are deposited on top of one another or on the carrier layer (2). They form the upper (4) and lower (5) cover layer. In plan view, it is shown that the platelet-shaped segments (9) are arranged in such a way that the platelet-shaped segments (9) are arranged offset from one another in order to enable displacement of the platelet-shaped segments (9).

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a platelet-shaped segment (9). It is also shown that this platelet-shaped segment (9) consists of an upper segment part (6) and a lower segment part (8) which are connected to one another by a web (7). This web (7) has undercuts (10). The materials of the upper and lower segment parts (6, 8) and the web (7) are identical.

[0044] FIG. 3 shows that strip-shaped segments (9a) are formed by the strip-shaped arrangement of a multitude of platelet-shaped segments (9) which are connected to one another by a connection area (12). The materials of the platelet-shaped segments (9) and the connection areas (12) are identical.

[0045] FIG. 4 shows, in plan view, a portion of the carrier layer (2) which preferably consists of a flat structure and this flat structure is a thermoplastic foil or a flexible composite material which consists of a proportion of natural fibres or glass, carbon, basalt or thermoplastic plastic filaments or fibres and a proportion of thermoplastic plastic fibres which have a lower melting point than the aforementioned materials.

[0046] FIG. 5 shows in a cavalier perspective a portion of the semi-finished product in a method step in which the strip-shaped segments (9a) are joined to the carrier layer (2). Furthermore, a detailed representation shows a front view of a strip-shaped segment (9a). It is shown that the strip-shaped segments (9a) penetrate the carrier layer (2) to such an extent that they rest on the carrier layer. The distance in the second direction, i.e. in the longitudinal direction of the carrier layer, depends on the degree of drapability and the degree of overlap (c) of the individual segment strips and is subject to the general knowledge of the person skilled in the art and must, if necessary, be verified by usual experimental investigations of draping behaviour. It is also shown that the width (a) of the apertures (11) corresponds to the width of the undercuts (10) of a segment (9) (not shown here individually) and the spacing (b) of the apertures (11) corresponds to the spacing of the undercuts (10) of two adjacent segments (9) (not shown here individually) of a strip-shaped segment (9a).

[0047] FIG. 6 shows in a side view a portion of the carrier layer (2) penetrated by a multitude of segments (9) in a method step immediately after joining the platelet-shaped segments (9). Furthermore, it is shown that the segments are forced by a brush roller or an equally acting contacting tool, without damage, in a preferred direction, related to the feed direction (3) of the carrier layer (2).

[0048] FIG. 7 shows, in a side view, a portion of a semi-finished product (1) in a preferred embodiment, consisting of the upper and lower cover layer (4, 5), the carrier layer (2) and an additional layer which is characterized by a flat structure (13) and is connected to the lower cover layer (5).

[0049] FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of a multidimensional moulded part (14) consolidated by a pressing method. It can be seen that the carrier layer is no longer present as a flat structure, but is wetted by melting, flowing and solidifying the platelet-shaped segments (9) and as a result of which the moulded part is formed in its geometric dimensions.

[0050] FIG. 9 shows a sectional view of a multidimensional moulded part (14) consolidated by a pressing method. In analogy to the illustration in FIG. 8, the carrier layer is no longer present as a flat structure. In order to influence the properties and thickness of the moulded part, it is additionally coated with another layer in the form of a flat structure (13).

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0051] 1 semi-finished product

[0052] 2 carrier layer

[0053] 3 feed direction of the carrier layer

[0054] 4 upper cover layer

[0055] 5 lower cover layer

[0056] 6 upper segment part

[0057] 7 web

[0058] 8 lower segment part

[0059] 9 platelet-shaped segment

[0060] 9a segment strips

[0061] 10 undercut

[0062] 11 aperture

[0063] 12 connection areas

[0064] 13 flat structure

[0065] 14 moulded part

[0066] 15 Brush roller with direction of rotation related to feed direction