Interior material for a vehicle and method of molding an interior material for a vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an interior material of a vehicle and a method of molding the interior material of the vehicle, and more particularly, the method of molding the interior material of the vehicle according to the present disclosure includes heating a skin inserted into an upper end heater and a lower end heater spaced apart from each other, pre-forming the heated skin using an upper mold having a set mold temperature to have a set shape and a lower mold having a second mold temperature, and pressing the skin and a core using a first mold and a second mold having a set mold temperature.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to interior materials for vehicles and methods for molding interior materials for vehicles, and more specifically, to methods for molding interior materials for vehicles by pressing resin molding materials and the interior materials for vehicles molded thereby. Background Technology

[0002] Typically, for vehicle interior materials, the skin used as interior materials is manufactured using raw materials made from olefinic thermoplastic elastomers (TPO) and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) used as PVC or thermoplastic elastomers (TPE).

[0003] In other words, products such as those used as interior materials for vehicles tend to be foam products with a triple structure of skin layer, polyurethane foam layer and core layer, which are produced by foaming and molding a foam solution (such as polyurethane) between a hard core made of plastic material and a soft skin made of leather or fabric material that provides a high-quality and soft appearance.

[0004] Meanwhile, in recent years, many dashboard manufacturing methods have emerged that utilize plastic to achieve leather-like textures to reduce manufacturing costs, and because molds are used in the manufacturing process, dashboards are easy to manufacture.

[0005] Furthermore, for the interior materials of a vehicle (especially products with real stitching), the interior materials of a vehicle are usually manufactured in the process of pressing a core and forming a stitched skin on it. However, due to the shape of the skin and the shape of the core, in some sections the skin is not in complete close contact with the core or is in excessive close contact with the core, which causes thickness deviation or product defects due to the positional difference between the skin and the core.

[0006] The information disclosed above in the background section is only intended to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a method for pressing a skin with stitches formed thereon onto a core.

[0008] Another objective of this disclosure is to propose a method for reducing defect rates.

[0009] Another objective of this disclosure is to provide a skin with excellent tactile feel.

[0010] Another objective of this disclosure is to provide a method for enhancing the pressing strength of the skin and the core.

[0011] Another objective of this disclosure is to propose a method for improving the degree of freedom of skin.

[0012] Therefore, the interior materials of the vehicle include a skin and a core, the skin comprising: a first skin layer made of thermosetting resin; a second skin layer bonded to the lower end of the first skin layer and made of thermoplastic resin; and a third skin layer bonded to the lower end of the second skin layer and made of thermoplastic resin, the core being bonded to the skin and made of resin.

[0013] Therefore, the method for molding interior materials for a vehicle according to this disclosure includes: heating a skin inserted into an upper heater and a lower heater spaced apart from each other; preforming the heated skin using an upper mold having a set mold temperature and a lower mold having a second mold temperature; and pressing the core and the preformed skin using a first mold and a second mold having set mold temperatures.

[0014] Therefore, a method for molding interior materials for a vehicle includes: heating a skin inserted into an upper heater and a lower heater spaced apart from each other; and pressing the core and the heated skin using a first mold and a second mold having set mold temperatures.

[0015] Based on the vehicle interior materials and the method of molding the vehicle interior materials, a skin consisting of a first skin layer, a second skin layer and a third skin layer can be used to manufacture vehicle interior materials with excellent tactile feel and plasticity.

[0016] Specifically, according to this disclosure, during the preforming process of the skin or the pressing process of the core and skin, the mold temperature of the mold can be appropriately set considering the characteristics of the skin and the core, thereby improving the pressing strength of the core and skin.

[0017] According to the present disclosure, the molding die for molding interior materials of a vehicle can be configured as a support member that supports at least a portion of the edge of the skin between the upper and lower dies, and thus, the core mounted on the upper die can be in complete and tight contact with the skin and pressed onto the skin. In other words, it is possible to support the necessary portion of the edge of the skin to be supported by the support member, thereby increasing the degree of freedom of the skin, and enabling the pressing of a skin with a high degree of freedom while in complete and tight contact with the falling core.

[0018] Furthermore, if necessary, the support can be vibrated, thereby increasing the skin's degree of freedom, and thus, the skin and core can be pressed together in a more intimate contact.

[0019] It is important to understand that the terms "automobile" or "vehicle" or other similar terms used in this text include motor vehicles in a broad sense, including: passenger vehicles, including SUVs, buses, trucks, and various commercial vehicles; water vehicles, including various boats or vessels; aircraft, etc. Such motor vehicles also include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., vehicles whose fuel is derived from resources other than petroleum). As referred to in this text, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle with two or more power sources, such as a vehicle powered by both gasoline and electricity.

[0020] The above and other features of this disclosure are discussed below. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The above and other features of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to several embodiments of this disclosure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are given hereinafter by way of illustration only and therefore do not limit this disclosure, and wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 The process of manufacturing interior materials for a vehicle according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0023] Figure 2 The structure of the skin according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0024] Figure 3 The skin heating process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0025] Figure 4 The skin preforming process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0026] Figure 5 The pressing process of the pressed core and skin according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] Figure 6 The manufacturing process of interior materials for a vehicle according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0028] Figure 7 The manufacturing process of interior materials for a vehicle is shown according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily to scale, and these drawings present slightly simplified representations of various preferred features illustrating the basic principles of this disclosure. As disclosed herein, the specific design features of this disclosure, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and environment of use.

[0030] In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used throughout the various figures to denote the same or equivalent parts of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The foregoing and additional aspects of this disclosure will become more apparent from the preferred exemplary embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. These exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described in detail below to enable those skilled in the art to readily understand and reproduce the disclosure.

[0032] Figure 1 The process of manufacturing interior materials for a vehicle according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. Reference will be made below. Figure 1 The manufacturing process of interior materials for a vehicle according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is described in detail.

[0033] refer to Figure 1 The manufacturing process of vehicle interior materials is performed in the following order: skin heating, skin preforming, sewing, core injection molding, and pressing of the skin and core. Of course, the manufacturing process of vehicle interior materials may include other processes besides those described above.

[0034] The skin heating process is the process of heating the skin used for preforming. The skin proposed in this disclosure consists of at least two resin layers. The structure of the resin will be described later.

[0035] The skin preforming process uses molds 1-1 and 1-2 to mold the skin in the desired form. According to this disclosure, molds 1-1 and 1-2 are maintained at a set temperature, which is a mold temperature that facilitates pressing and molding.

[0036] The sewing process forms stitches on the skin that has already undergone the pre-forming process.

[0037] The core injection molding process is the process of injection molding the core together with the stitched skin that is formed on it.

[0038] The process of pressing the skin and core is to use molds 2-1 and 2-2 to press the skin and core. In other words, the process of pressing the skin and core is to press the skin and core by closing molds 2-1 and 2-2 while the skin and core are supported between molds 2-1 and 2-2.

[0039] As described above, this disclosure manufactures interior materials for vehicles by pressing together the skin and core. The techniques for each process will be described in detail below.

[0040] The skin disclosed herein comprises a first skin layer, a second skin layer, and a third skin layer. The first skin layer is made of a thermosetting resin and preferably has a tactile feel similar to artificial leather because it is located relatively at the uppermost end. Therefore, the tactility coefficient (static friction coefficient minus kinetic friction coefficient) of the first skin layer is preferably 0.1 ± 0.02, and the thickness of the first skin layer is preferably 0.1 ± 0.05 mm.

[0041] The second skin layer is made of thermoplastic resin and is located between the first and second skin layers. The second skin layer preferably has plasticity and softness; therefore, the soft coefficient (static friction coefficient) is preferably 0.4 ± 0.02. Furthermore, the thickness of the second skin layer is preferably 0.1 to 0.55 mm.

[0042] The third skin layer is located at the lowest point and is preferably made of a material with plasticity and cushioning properties. The third skin layer proposed in this disclosure is made of thermoplastic resin, and the thickness of the third skin layer is preferably formed to be 3 ± 1.0 mm.

[0043] In other words, it is preferable that the thickness of the third skin layer made of thermoplastic resin is relatively the largest, and the thickness of the first skin layer made of thermosetting resin is relatively the smallest.

[0044] Figure 2 The structure of the skin according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the skin consists of three skin layers, and as mentioned above, the third skin layer at the bottom has the largest relative thickness.

[0045] Specifically, as proposed in this disclosure, the first skin layer may be made of polyurethane (PU), the second skin layer may be made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and the third skin layer may be made of polypropylene (PP) foam. Furthermore, as mentioned above, unlike the second and third skin layers, the first skin layer is made of a thermosetting resin. The first and third skin layers are related to tactile feel, while the second skin layer is related to plasticity.

[0046] Figure 3 A skin heating process according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated. In the following, reference will be made to... Figure 3 Describe the skin heating process.

[0047] The skin heating process is configured such that the upper heater 302 and the lower heater 304 are spaced apart from each other, and the upper heater 302 and the lower heater 304 are heated while the skin is inserted into them. According to this disclosure, the first skin layer is made of a thermosetting resin, and the second and third skin layers are made of thermoplastic resins. Therefore, the temperature of the upper heater 302, which is relatively closer to the first skin layer, is different from the temperature of the lower heater 304, which is relatively closer to the third skin layer. In other words, the temperature of the lower heater 304 is set higher than the temperature of the upper heater 302. For example, the temperature of the upper heater 302 can be set to 140°C, while the temperature of the lower heater 304 can be set to 160°C. Furthermore, the temperatures of the upper heater 302 and the lower heater 304 can be set differently, but even in this case, the temperature of the upper heater 302 is preferably set relatively lower than the temperature of the lower heater 304.

[0048] Furthermore, the heater temperature can be controlled in various ways. For example, considering the physical properties of the first skin layer, only the lower heater can be heated at a set temperature while the upper heater is not being heated. In this case, the heating is preferably conducted so that the surface temperature of the skin, rather than the heating temperature of the heater, becomes the set temperature. Therefore, when the surface temperature of the skin reaches the set temperature, the skin heating by the heater is interrupted.

[0049] The skin, heated by the upper heater 302 and the lower heater 304, then undergoes a skin preforming process. The skin preforming process will be described below.

[0050] Figure 4 A skin preforming process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. Reference will be made below. Figure 4 Describes a skin preforming process according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0051] The skin preforming process involves closing the upper mold 402 and lower mold 404 while the heated skin is supported between them. According to this disclosure, the lower mold 404, which is in close contact with the first skin layer, and the upper mold 402, which is in close contact with the third skin layer, have set temperatures. According to this disclosure, the upper mold 402, which is in close contact with the third skin layer, has a mold temperature of 25°C to 30°C, and the lower mold 404, which is in close contact with the first skin layer, has a mold temperature of 60°C to 70°C. The upper mold 402 and lower mold 404 remain closed for 50 seconds to 150 seconds.

[0052] The reason for setting the temperature of the lower mold, which is in close contact with the first skin layer, to 60°C to 70°C is to maintain the basic physical properties of the first skin layer. In other words, when very high heat is applied to the first skin layer, its basic physical properties (such as feel or softness) will change. Therefore, the temperature of the lower mold is preferably maintained at 60°C to 70°C, at which the basic physical properties of the first skin layer remain unchanged.

[0053] During the skin heating process, the temperature of the upper heater near the first skin layer is set to be relatively lower than the temperature of the lower heater near the third skin layer. However, during the skin preforming process, the mold temperature of the upper mold near the first skin layer is set to be higher than the mold temperature of the lower mold near the third skin layer. During the preforming process, a mold temperature is maintained that prevents the first skin layer from being hardened by the upper and lower molds.

[0054] As described above, this disclosure performs the process of pressing the core and the skin undergoing the skin preforming process.

[0055] As described above, the interior materials of a vehicle are manufactured by using an upper mold and a lower mold to subject the core and the pre-formed skin to a pressing process.

[0056] Figure 5 The process of molding interior materials of a vehicle using a molding die according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. Reference will be made below. Figure 5 Use molding dies to describe in detail the interior materials of the vehicle.

[0057] In step S500, the support is lifted from mold 1-2, while simultaneously separating mold 1-1 and mold 1-2 by a certain distance. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the support is located between mold 1-1 and mold 1-2.

[0058] Mold 1-1 is set to a mold temperature of 60°C to 90°C, and mold 1-2 is set to a mold temperature of 40°C to less than 60°C, which is lower than the mold temperature of mold 1-1. In other words, this will be described later.

[0059] In step S502, the core is supported by mold 1-1, and the skin is supported by a support member. According to this disclosure, mold 1-1 can be used to bring the core into close contact with the upper mold using a vacuum adsorption method, or a clamp can be used to bring the core into close contact with the upper mold. An adhesive comprising a hot melt or a binder is sprayed onto the bottom surface of the core for bonding with the skin.

[0060] For a skin supported by support members, not all parts of the skin are supported; only the outer perimeter of the skin edges is supported. As mentioned above, only the edge portion of the skin can be supported by the support members, thereby increasing the skin's degrees of freedom.

[0061] In step S504, vibration is applied to the support member. According to this disclosure, the support member can vibrate horizontally, or the vibration can be applied vertically to the support member. Of course, the support member preferably vibrates vertically. When vibration is applied to the support member, the skin supported by the support member also vibrates. Compared to the fixed case, the skin has a relatively high degree of freedom when it vibrates.

[0062] In step S506, mold 1-1 moves toward mold 1-2, so that the core, which is in close contact with mold 1-1, and the skin, supported by the support member, are in close contact with each other. When the core and skin are in close contact with each other, the vibration of the support member is interrupted.

[0063] In step S506, mold 1-1 and support are moved further toward mold 1-2. In other words, with the core and skin in close contact with each other, mold 1-1 and support move toward mold 1-2. Mold 1-1 moves toward mold 1-2 to close the molding mold, and thus, the core and skin are molded in mold 1-1 and mold 1-2.

[0064] Alternatively, in step S506, mold 1-2 is configured to rise to a position adjacent to mold 1-1. Alternatively, each of mold 1-1 and mold 1-2 is configured to move toward each other.

[0065] Subsequently, in step S508, molds 1-1 and 1-2 remain in a position adjacent to each other to press the skin and core.

[0066] As mentioned above, the reason for setting the temperature of mold 1-1 to be relatively higher than that of mold 1-2 is to make it easier to press the skin and core with adhesive during pressing.

[0067] In other words, the reason for setting a higher temperature on the core side of the mold is that heat transfer in the core is faster than in the skin, and the adhesive is applied to the core. This can significantly reduce costs compared to applying the adhesive to the skin, and because the heat is transferred to the core, the activation temperature of the adhesive is reached more effectively. Furthermore, this is because transferring very high temperatures to the skin could alter its fundamental physical properties.

[0068] In step S510, the molding die is opened by separating molds 1-1 and 1-2 from each other. For example, if mold 1-1 moves upward, the support also moves upward, and thus, the molded interior material of the vehicle is exposed. More preferably, molds 1-1 and 1-2 can move vertically in a direction away from each other, and the support can be positioned at a predetermined distance between molds 1-1 and 1-2.

[0069] Subsequently, in step S512, the desired vehicle interior material is manufactured by separating the exposed vehicle interior material from the mold 1-1 and cutting off unnecessary parts.

[0070] Figure 6 The manufacturing process of interior materials for a vehicle according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. In the following, reference will be made to... Figure 6 The manufacturing process of interior materials for a vehicle according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail.

[0071] refer to Figure 6 The manufacturing process for vehicle interior materials is performed in the following sequence: skin heating, core injection molding, and pressing of the skin and core. Of course, the manufacturing process for vehicle interior materials may include other processes besides those described above.

[0072] The skin heating process is a process of preheating the skin to be pressed together with the core. The skin proposed in this disclosure consists of three resin layers as described above.

[0073] The core injection molding process is the process of injection molding the core together with the stitched skin that is formed on it.

[0074] The pressing process for the skin and core utilizes molds 2-1 and 2-2. In other words, the skin and core are pressed by closing molds 2-1 and 2-2 while the skin and core are supported between them. Of course, adhesive is applied to the core during the pressing process, and then the core is pressed onto the skin.

[0075] As described above, mold 2-1 is set to have a mold temperature of 60°C to 90°C, and mold 2-2 is set to have a mold temperature of 40°C to 60°C.

[0076] Figure 7 The manufacturing process of interior materials for a vehicle according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. Reference will be made below. Figure 7 The manufacturing process of interior materials for a vehicle according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail.

[0077] refer to Figure 7 The manufacturing process of vehicle interior materials is performed in the following sequence: core injection molding, core placement, skin heating, and skin molding and pressing of the skin and core. Of course, the manufacturing process of vehicle interior materials may include other processes besides those described above.

[0078] The core injection molding process is the process of injection molding the core together with the stitched skin that is formed on it.

[0079] The core placement process is the process of placing (supporting) the core on the mold.

[0080] The skin heating process is a process of preheating the skin to be pressed together with the core. The skin proposed in this disclosure consists of three resin layers as described above.

[0081] The process of molding and pressing the skin and core involves pressing the skin and core using molds 3-1 and 3-2. In other words, with the skin and core supported between molds 3-1 and 3-2, the skin and core are pressed by closing molds 3-1 and 3-2. Naturally, seams are formed on the surface of the skin using mold 3-2, ensuring close contact between the skin and mold 3-2.

[0082] As described above, mold 3-1 is set to have a mold temperature of 60°C to 90°C, and mold 3-2 is set to have a mold temperature of 40°C to 60°C.

[0083] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, it is merely illustrative and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and other exemplary embodiments can be made therefrom.

Claims

1. An interior material for a vehicle, the interior material comprising: Skin, the skin comprising: The first skin layer is made of thermosetting resin; A second skin layer is bonded to the lower end of the first skin layer, and the second skin layer is made of thermoplastic resin; and A third skin layer is bonded to the lower end of the second skin layer, and the third skin layer is made of thermoplastic resin. The core is bonded to the skin and is made of resin.

2. The interior material of the vehicle according to claim 1, in, The thickness of the third skin layer is greater than the thickness of the first skin layer or the thickness of the second skin layer, and The tactile coefficient of the first skin layer, calculated based on the static friction coefficient and the dynamic friction coefficient, is less than the softness coefficient of the second skin layer, calculated based on the static friction coefficient.

3. The interior material of the vehicle according to claim 2, in, The tactile coefficient is 0.1±0.02, and the softness coefficient is 0.4±0.

02.

4. A method for molding interior materials for a vehicle as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, the method comprising: The step of heating the skin: heating the skin inserted into the upper and lower heaters that are spaced apart from each other; Pre-forming step: The heated skin is pre-formed using an upper mold and a lower mold, wherein the mold temperature of the upper mold is set to be higher than that of the lower mold; as well as Pressing step: The core and the pre-formed skin are pressed using a first mold and a second mold.

5. The method according to claim 4, in, In the step of heating the skin, the temperature of the lower heater, which is relatively close to the third skin layer, is set to be higher than the temperature of the upper heater, which is relatively close to the first skin layer. In the preforming step, the mold temperature of the lower mold, which is relatively close to the third skin layer, is set to be lower than the mold temperature of the upper mold, which is relatively close to the first skin layer.

6. The method according to claim 5, in, In the pressing step of the skin and the core, the mold temperature of the first mold that is in close contact with the core is set to be relatively higher than the mold temperature of the second mold that is in close contact with the skin.

7. A method for molding interior material of a vehicle as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, the method comprising: The step of heating the skin: heating the skin inserted into the upper and lower heaters that are spaced apart from each other; as well as Pressing step: Press the core and the heated skin using a first mold and a second mold with a set mold temperature.

8. The method according to claim 7, in, In the step of heating the skin, the temperature of the lower heater, which is relatively close to the third skin layer, is set to be higher than the temperature of the upper heater, which is relatively close to the first skin layer. In the pressing step, the mold temperature of the first mold that is in close contact with the core is set to be relatively higher than the mold temperature of the second mold that is in close contact with the skin.

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