PARTITION FOR A COMMERCIAL OR TRANSPORT VEHICLE

Abstract

A method for producing a partition for the interior of a commercial or transport vehicle for separating a passenger compartment from a cargo compartment. The partition is designed as a multilayer composite component made of a renewable raw material, in particular a wood-based material, which is produced by a forming process in a forming die.

Claims

1. A method for the manufacture of a partition for an interior of a commercial or transport vehicle for separating a passenger compartment from a cargo compartment, the method comprising: providing the partition as a multilayer composite component made of renewable raw materials, particularly of wood-based material; producing the partition by a forming process in a forming die.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer composite component is made of wood veneer layers and/or wood chips made of renewable raw materials.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a preparatory process step the wood chips and/or the wood veneer layers are coated with a binder, and that in a forming process step the wood veneer layers and/or wood chips are inserted into a mold cavity of the forming die and then compressed under pressure and heat to form the partition.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the binder-coated chips are loosely inserted into the mold cavity as bulk material, or that the binder-coated chips are pressed into a flat semi-finished product in a pressing step before the forming process step is carried out, and that the flat semi-finished product is inserted into the mold cavity of the forming die in order to perform the forming process step.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein for providing a partition with multidirectional fiber orientation, the fiber orientations of layered wood veneer layers are aligned differently with respect to each other, and/or that the wood chips are arranged unoriented in a random orientation in relation to each other in the multilayer composite component.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least one additional insert part is inserted into the mold cavity together with the wood veneer layers and/or the wood chips for the production of the multilayer composite component, and that the additional insert part fulfills an additional function.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the additional insert part forms a top layer, which is resistant to scratches/moisture/chemicals and/or is decorative, and wherein the additional insert is a layer of wood veneer impregnated with a plastic, and/or wherein the additional insert has a thermal and/or acoustic insulating effect, and/or wherein the additional insert is a fabric, non-crimp fabric, or fleece.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein for providing a partition reinforcement section a local compression is performed in which the partition reinforcement section is locally compacted in the forming process by increased forming pressure as compared to other partition sections.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, for providing a partition reinforcement section, a local thickening is performed in which the partition reinforcement section is formed with increased material input, or with at least one additional layer of wood veneer and/or with additional wood chips, as compared to other partition sections.

10. A partition for an interior of a commercial or transport vehicle for separating a passenger compartment from a cargo compartment, the partition comprising a multilayer composite component made of a renewable raw material, in particular of a wood-based material, which is produced by a forming process in a forming die.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0027] FIGS. 1 to 7 show different views in each case, which illustrate the production of a partition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a partition for the interior of a commercial or transport vehicle. The partition 1 has a smooth component surface without reinforcing ribs or beads. In addition, the partition 1 has a laterally circumferential joining flange 2, which can be used to connect the partition 1 inside the vehicle fixed to the body. A viewing window 5 is arranged in the upper area of the partition 1, while a through-loading function 7 is available in the lower partition area. The core of the invention is that the partition 1 is no longer made of a deep-drawn sheet steel part or an injection-molded plastic but rather is designed as a multilayer composite component made of a renewable raw material. As an example, the partition 1 can have the layer structure shown in FIG. 2. This can be formed of a total of ten wood veneer layers 9 layered on top of each other.

[0029] In order to increase the component rigidity of the partition 1, the fiber orientations 11 of the wood veneer layers 9 layered on top of each other are aligned differently with respect to each other. In this way, the component rigidity of the partition 1 can be increased without the need for additional reinforcing beads or reinforcing ribs. The ribbing and/or beading required for conventional partitions can therefore be omitted, which increases the geometric degrees of freedom in the construction of the partition 1. In addition, by eliminating the need for ribbing and/or beading, the partition 1 can be made more visually appealing.

[0030] The partition 1 according to the invention is produced as follows: In a preparatory process step, the wood veneer layers 9 are coated with a binder. Subsequently, the binder-coated wood veneer layers 9 are inserted into a mold cavity 13 (FIG. 3) of a forming die 15 and pressed under pressure and heat to form the partition 1. After removal from the forming die 15, a post-treatment is carried out in which the partition 1 is brought to its final component contour, for example by machining. It may be possible to insert cutouts or clearances into the partition 1.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows the layer structure of a partition 1 according to another embodiment. As a result, the partition 1 has a top layer 17 on each of its outer sides, which is resistant to scratches/moisture/chemicals and also has a decorative function. The top layer 17 can be a layer of wood veneer impregnated with a plastic. In addition, the layer structure shown in FIG. 4 has an insulating layer 19 in the middle area, which provides a thermal and/or acoustic insulating effect. The insulating layer 19 can be an example of a fabric, non-crimp fabric, or fleece. Both the two top layers 17 and the insulating layer 19 can be inserted into the mold cavity 13 as additional insert parts together with the other wood veneer layers 9 and pressed into the multilayer composite component in the forming process.

[0032] FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate further measures to increase the component rigidity of the partition 1. Accordingly, in FIG. 5, a partition reinforcement section 29 is created by local compression. Local compression takes place in the forming process, in which the partition reinforcement section 29 is locally compressed as compared to other partition sections by an increased forming pressure p.sub.U. Alternatively, in FIG. 6, the partition reinforcement section 29 is created by a local thickening. In the case of local thickening, the partition reinforcement section 29 is formed with an increased use of material as compared to other partition sections, i.e., with additional wood veneer layers 31 or alternatively, with additional chips.

[0033] FIG. 7 shows a process sequence according to another embodiment. As a result, instead of wood veneer layers 9, wood chips 21 with a defined chip dimension are provided. The wood chips 21 are coated with a binder in a mixing station 23. The wood chips 21 pretreated in this way are then inserted into a press tool 25 and pressed into a flat semi-finished product 27. With regard to a unidirectional fiber orientation, the wood fibers of the wood chips 21 forming the flat semi-finished product 27 are unidirectionally aligned to each other in FIG. 7. The flat semi-finished product 27 produced in the press tool 25 is then inserted into the mold cavity 13 of the forming die 15. In the forming die 15, thermomechanical compression takes place under pressure, heat, and, if necessary, moisture, in which the flat semi-finished product 27 is pressed to form the partition 1.

[0034] The multilayer composite component can have structure in which wood veneer layers 9 and chips 21 are layered on top of each other in any combination. Providing these stiffening measures results in considerably greater geometrical freedom in the design of the partition 1, wherein features such as reinforcing ribs or reinforcing beads can be eliminated (ribbing, beading, functional integration, visually appealing).

[0035] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.