U.S. patent application number 12/918048 was filed with the patent office on 2011-05-19 for fitting part, in particular for a motor vehicle, and production process.
This patent application is currently assigned to Johnson Control Technology Company. Invention is credited to Hans-Jorg Diek, Thomas Erprath, Alfred Kasum, Martin Kuckertz, Heinz-Dieter Wellen, Martin Wolff.
Application Number | 20110117320 12/918048 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41013051 |
Filed Date | 2011-05-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110117320 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wolff; Martin ; et
al. |
May 19, 2011 |
FITTING PART, IN PARTICULAR FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND PRODUCTION
PROCESS
Abstract
A grained vehicle interior fitting part comprises a smooth or
pre-grained film on a physically foamed support layer. The film may
be multi-layered, such as of polypropylenes. The structure may be
made by placing a film in a die with a surface structure and film
insert molded with a foaming support material which subsequently
hardens.
Inventors: |
Wolff; Martin; (Hattingen,
DE) ; Kuckertz; Martin; (Dusseldorf, DE) ;
Kasum; Alfred; (Neuss, DE) ; Wellen;
Heinz-Dieter; (Krefeld, DE) ; Diek; Hans-Jorg;
(Julich-Gusten, DE) ; Erprath; Thomas; (Straelen,
DE) |
Assignee: |
Johnson Control Technology
Company
Holland
MI
|
Family ID: |
41013051 |
Appl. No.: |
12/918048 |
Filed: |
February 26, 2009 |
PCT Filed: |
February 26, 2009 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2009/001195 |
371 Date: |
December 13, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12364802 |
Feb 3, 2009 |
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12918048 |
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61032653 |
Feb 29, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
428/142 ;
264/46.4; 428/141 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 428/24364 20150115;
G02B 6/4298 20130101; G02B 6/4296 20130101; Y10T 428/24355
20150115; F21V 29/83 20150115; F21V 29/773 20150115; F21Y 2115/10
20160801; F21V 1/00 20130101; G02B 6/4201 20130101; F21V 29/74
20150115; G02B 6/032 20130101; G02B 6/0006 20130101; F21V 17/10
20130101; G02B 6/4268 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/142 ;
264/46.4; 428/141 |
International
Class: |
B32B 3/00 20060101
B32B003/00; B29C 45/14 20060101 B29C045/14; B29C 67/20 20060101
B29C067/20 |
Claims
1. A process for producing a grained vehicle interior fitting part,
wherein a smooth or pre-grained film is placed into a die provided
with a surface structure and is film insert molded with a foaming
support material which subsequently hardens.
2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the film is
pre-structured with a fine grain structure.
3. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the film is
three-dimensionally shaped before being placed in.
4. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support material
is introduced into the die as a melt.
5. The process as claimed in claim 4, wherein the melt is charged
with a propellant fluid.
6. The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein charging of the melt
takes place under pressure.
7. The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the support material
expands in the die.
8. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein a point as remote
from the film as possible is selected as an injection point.
9. A vehicle interior fitting part that can be produced as claimed
in claim 1.
10. A vehicle interior fitting part having a grained film, wherein
the film has a physically foamed support layer on its rear
side.
11. The vehicle interior fitting part as claimed in claim 10,
wherein a visible side of the film has a lacquer coat.
12. The vehicle interior fitting part as claimed in claim 10,
wherein the film is of multi-layer form.
13. The vehicle interior fitting part as claimed in claim 10,
wherein the thickest point of the support layer is less than
approximately 2.3 mm.
14. The vehicle interior fitting part as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the support layer is made from a polypropylene
copolymer.
15. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the film is
pre-structured with a coarser grain structure formed during the
film insert molding with a support material.
16. The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the propellant fluid
is a propellant gas.
17. The process as claimed in claim 16, wherein the propellant gas
is CO.sub.2 and/or N.sub.2.
18. The vehicle interior fitting part as claimed in claim 11,
wherein the visible side of the film has a PUR lacquer coat.
19. The vehicle interior fitting part as claimed in claim 12,
wherein the film comprises a plurality of layers of
polypropylene.
20. The vehicle interior fitting part as claimed in claim 13,
wherein the thickest point of the support layer is less than
approximately 1 mm.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from and the benefit of PCT
Application No. PCT/EP2009/001195, filed on Feb. 19, 2009 and
German Patent DE 10 2008 010 594.5, filed on Feb. 22, 2008; all
entitled "Fitting Part, In Particular for a Motor Vehicle, and
Production Process", which are herein incorporated by
reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The invention relates to a fitting part, in particular for a
motor vehicle, and to a process for the production thereof.
[0003] Vehicle interior fitting parts which are composed of a
plastic material and which have a grained surface structure, and
the production of said vehicle interior fitting parts, are known
from the prior art, for example DE 10 2005 005 576, DE 103 56 665,
DE 10 2004 059 773 and DE 197 20 474. The vehicle interior fitting
parts described therein have the disadvantage, however, that the
production process is comparatively complex, the support layer is
comparatively thick, it is not possible to realize a complex
structure, and/or the graining is complex or unappealing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0004] The object on which the invention is based is that of
producing a visually appealing fitting part with a complex geometry
and/or low weight, which fitting part does not have the
disadvantages of the prior art.
[0005] The object is achieved by means of a process for producing a
grained vehicle interior fitting part, in which process a smooth or
pre-grained film is placed into a die provided with a surface
structure and is film insert molded with a foaming support material
which subsequently hardens.
[0006] The present invention relates to a process in which a film,
which itself is smooth or pre-grained, is film insert molded with a
foamed support material in an injection-molding die provided with a
surface structure, whereby the surface structure is imparted, as
graining, to the film. Here, a closed-cell space with a compact
skin is preferably formed. On account of the lower thermal
conductivity of the foamed support material, the fitting part
remains warm for longer in the die, as a result of which the
surface structure of the die is imparted more effectively to the
surface of the film, and the adhesion between the film and the
support material is improved.
[0007] A further, or preferred, subject matter of the present
invention is a process in which the film is pre-structured with a
fine grain structure and is additionally provided with a coarser
grain structure during the film insert molding with a support
material.
[0008] According to the invention, a fine grain is already imparted
to the film for example by the deep-drawing tool during a
deep-drawing process. The film which is pre-structured in this way
is placed into an injection-molding die provided with a coarser
surface, and is film insert molded with a plastic melt, which is
preferably but not imperatively physically foamed. It is
alternatively conceivable that the support material cannot be
foamed, or can be chemically foamed. Surprisingly, the fine
graining is not eliminated by the coarser graining, such that a
component is formed which has a particularly appealing appearance,
for example a matted leather structure.
[0009] The following statements apply equally to both
processes.
[0010] The film is preferably three-dimensionally shaped before
being placed in.
[0011] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the support material is introduced into the die as a
melt. The melt is cast in preferably via hot ducts which open into
the injection-molding die for example in the region of the ribs or
other projecting, film-free regions of the fitting part. The
injection point is preferably situated at that point of the rib or
film which is furthest remote from the film.
[0012] The melt is preferably charged with a propellant fluid,
preferably a propellant gas, very particularly preferably CO.sub.2
and/or N.sub.2. By using a propellant fluid, the foam structure is
distributed more uniformly than when using the chemical foaming
process, as a result of which an impairment of the appearance is
avoided, in particular in the case of very thin films. Furthermore,
the mechanical properties of the fitting part are homogenized. As a
result of the good flowability of the gas-charged melt, it is
possible to form particularly thin structures. The charging of the
melt with the propellant gas preferably takes place under pressure,
for example in an extruder worm which has a corresponding pressure
chamber. The propellant gas is preferably introduced, for example
injected, into the melt and then for example processed in an
extruder worm to form a single-phase mixture/solution. In the die,
for example an injection-molding die, the charged support material
is then preferably expanded. A nucleation of gas cells with
subsequent growth preferably takes place here.
[0013] By means of the foaming, it is possible to obtain a weight
reduction of the support layer, with it being possible for the
magnitude of the reduction to be controlled by means of the ratio
of support material mass to propellant gas.
[0014] A further subject matter of the present invention is a
vehicle interior fitting part that can be produced as claimed in
one of the preceding claims.
[0015] Yet another subject matter of the present invention is a
vehicle interior fitting part having a grained film which has a
physically foamed support layer on its rear side.
[0016] The statements made regarding the process according to the
invention apply equally to the vehicle interior fitting parts
according to the invention, and vice versa.
[0017] The following statements apply equally to both vehicle
interior fitting parts according to the invention.
[0018] The film preferably has a thickness of less than 0.5 mm, in
particular less than 0.4 mm, and is advantageously composed of a
plurality of layers of different PP copolymers. On the visible
side, that is to say on the side facing towards the vehicle
interior space, the film may be provided with a PUR lacquer. It is
possible for the film to be three-dimensionally shaped before being
placed into the die.
[0019] The thickness of the support layer at its thickest point is
preferably <2.3 mm, particularly preferably <1 mm.
[0020] The support material is preferably composed of PP copolymer,
the melt of which is charged with a propellant fluid in the
injection-molding machine and is foamed in the injection-molding
die.
* * * * *