Blow molded load floors

Abstract

A load floor for a vehicle includes a carpet having a tuft attached to a backing, a plurality of inserts attached to a second side of the backing, a top surface fused to the carpet and encapsulating the inserts, and a bottom surface fused to the encapsulated inserts. The inserts may be varied in material, shape, thickness, and spacing to provide a tunable stiffness. A related method includes forming a parison feeding the parison between mold halves shaped like a load floor, hanging a carpet and a plurality of inserts in the first mold half, clamping the parison by moving the mold halves together to form a mold, and pushing the parison outward, using blown air, such that the parison is adjacent the backing in the first mold forming a top surface and encapsulating the inserts, and adjacent the second mold half forming a bottom surface fused to the parison encapsulating the inserts.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates generally to load floors, and more particularly to load floors used in vehicles. Background technique [0002] Load floors are commonly used in motor vehicle equipment such as spare wheel covers, luggage racks, cargo management systems, footrests with and without non-slip surfaces, seat back structures, engine cover panels, and battery trays. More generally, load floors may be used for structural planar sections in non-motor vehicle equipment. Current load floors are prepared by a number of methods. However, these methods are limited by certain disadvantages including being too heavy, too thick, not recyclable and / or too expensive to manufacture including tooling costs. Additionally, these load floors typically require the use of additives, do not provide localized stiffness adjustments, and do not facilitate changes in shape, height, and thickness. [0003] Accordingly, there is a need for lightweight, thin, inexpensiv...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, these methods are limited by certain disadvantages including being too heavy, too thick, not recyclable and / or too expensive to manufacture including tooling costs

In addition, these load floors often require the use of additives, do not provide localized stiffness adjustments, and are not conducive to changes in shape, height, and thickness

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