Composite material for automotive interiors and method of manufacture

Abstract

The application discloses a composite material for automobile interior decoration and a manufacturing method thereof. The composite material comprises a natural stone layer with curled edges in one direction; a film layer arranged above the natural stone layer and transparent, the film layer covering the whole upper surface of the natural stone layer including the curled edges by injection molding; and a filling layer arranged in the space formed by the bottom surface of the natural stone layer and the curled edges by injection molding and completely covering the bottom surface of the natural stone layer and the curled edges. The film layer, the natural stone layer and the filling layer form a fixed whole. The composite material has the texture and quality of the stone, but is more compatible, wear-resistant, stain-resistant and damage-resistant than the pure stone. The appearance structure has strong plasticity, is safer and more environmentally friendly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of decorative materials technology, and more particularly to a composite material for automotive interiors and a method for manufacturing it. Background Technology

[0002] Cars have become one of the necessities of life. Their function has evolved from simple transportation to a wide range of lifestyle needs. As a result, car interiors have become a representation of a person's identity, taste, and even personality. Therefore, people's requirements for car interiors are becoming higher and more diverse. Currently, the materials used for car interiors are mostly genuine leather, plastic, and wood. Many other natural materials cannot be used for car interiors because they are easily damaged, not wear-resistant, or too heavy. This greatly limits people's choices and the expression of their taste. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the technical problem to be solved by this application is to provide a composite material and manufacturing method for automotive interiors, so as to solve the existing problem that natural stone cannot be used for automotive interiors or the effect is very poor.

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a composite material for automotive interiors, comprising: a natural stone layer having an edge curled in one direction, the edge height being no more than 200 mm; a transparent film layer disposed above the natural stone layer, the film layer covering the entire upper surface of the natural stone layer, including the curled edge, by injection molding; and a filler layer disposed by injection molding within the space formed by the bottom surface of the natural stone layer and the curled edge, completely covering the bottom surface of the natural stone layer and the inner side of the curled edge; the film layer, the natural stone layer, and the filler layer forming a fixed whole.

[0005] This application also provides a method for manufacturing a composite material for automotive interiors, comprising: designing a rear mold and a front mold; selecting natural stone and cutting it to a thickness between 0.3mm and 3.5mm and the required shape; hot-bending all edges of the sliced ​​natural stone to form curled edges facing one direction, with an edge height not exceeding 200mm; machining positioning holes in the natural stone; placing the natural stone into the front mold with the curled edges facing upwards and positioning it using the positioning holes, and then injection molding a transparent coating layer onto it, the coating layer having a thickness of 0.3mm to 5.0mm; placing the natural stone with the coating layer into the rear mold, and then injection molding a filler layer onto the bottom surface of the natural stone layer, so that the filler layer completely covers the bottom surface of the natural stone layer and the inner side of the curled edges, ultimately forming an integral composite material including the coating layer, the natural stone layer, and the filler layer.

[0006] After the surface of the natural stone layer of the composite material is treated with injection-molded transparent plastic, the plastic penetrates into the micropores and gaps of the stone to form a strong and durable protective layer. It also has good waterproof and stain-resistant effects, making the stone more shiny and lustrous. It can be seen from the appearance of real stone, but it is more durable and beautiful than real stone. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 The image shown is an overall schematic diagram of a composite material provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0008] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown. Detailed Implementation

[0009] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer and more understandable, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0010] In this application, terms referring to orientation, such as up, down, top, bottom, inside, outside, high, and low, are based on the position of the composite material under normal use.

[0011] As people gradually tried to apply natural stone to automotive interiors, they discovered that natural stone has problems such as poor wear resistance, fragility, and difficulty in fixing. Even when a plastic film is added on top of the stone layer to protect its surface, there are still issues such as poor adhesion between the protective film and the stone, easy disintegration, peeling, and wrinkling, while the stone layer also suffers from edge and corner cracking. This application solves these problems through the following technical solution.

[0012] This application provides a composite material for automotive interiors, comprising: a natural stone layer with an edge curled in one direction, the edge height not exceeding 200mm; a transparent coating layer disposed above the natural stone layer, the coating layer covering the entire upper surface of the natural stone layer, including the curled edge, by injection molding; and a filler layer, disposed by injection molding within the space formed by the bottom surface of the natural stone layer and the curled edge, completely covering the bottom surface of the natural stone layer and the inner side of the curled edge; the coating layer, the natural stone layer, and the filler layer form a fixed whole. After the stone surface is treated with injection-molded transparent plastic, it penetrates into the micropores and crevices of the stone, forming a strong and durable protective layer, which also has good waterproof and stain-resistant effects, strong permeability, and makes the stone more lustrous and smooth, allowing a realistic stone effect to be seen from the appearance.

[0013] In one embodiment, a fixing device is provided on the filler layer of the composite material to secure the composite material to the vehicle interior. In one embodiment, the fixing device on the composite material includes any one of a screw hole, a clip, a pin hole, or a pin post.

[0014] In one embodiment, the thickness of the coating layer is 0.3mm-5.0mm. In one embodiment, the thickness of the natural stone layer is 0.3mm-3.5mm. In one embodiment, the coating layer is made of at least one of transparent PMMA, transparent PC, transparent ABS, transparent TPU, and transparent resin. In one embodiment, the filler layer is made of at least one of transparent PMMA, transparent PC, transparent ABS, transparent TPU, and transparent resin.

[0015] In one embodiment, a natural stone layer is formed by cutting a stone with properties of stretching, bending, and three-dimensional forming, and then forming the desired curved three-dimensional shape by hot bending forming technology.

[0016] This application also provides a method for manufacturing a composite material for automotive interiors, comprising: designing a rear mold and a front mold; selecting natural stone and cutting it to a thickness between 0.3mm and 3.5mm and the required shape; hot-bending all edges of the sliced ​​natural stone to form curled edges facing one direction, with an edge height not exceeding 200mm; machining positioning holes in the natural stone; placing the natural stone into the front mold with the curled edges facing upwards and positioning it using the positioning holes, and then injection molding a transparent coating layer onto it, the coating layer having a thickness of 0.3mm to 5.0mm; placing the natural stone with the coating layer into the rear mold, and then injection molding a filler layer onto the bottom surface of the natural stone layer, so that the filler layer completely covers the bottom surface of the natural stone layer and the inner side of the curled edges, ultimately forming an integral composite material including the coating layer, the natural stone layer, and the filler layer.

[0017] In one embodiment, the manufacturing method further includes shaping the composite material, polishing its surface, and processing a fixing structure on the filler layer.

[0018] The embodiments and effects of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] like Figure 1 As shown, composite material A, an embodiment of this application, has a stone-like texture and feel, with rounded edges that curve towards the bottom, forming a chamfer-like edge 1. This facilitates good mating with other automotive components and also allows for easy fitting with the mold during injection molding. The composite structure of this material is as follows: Figure 2The image shows a cross-sectional view of the composite material. From top to bottom, it consists of a coating layer 2, a natural stone layer 3, and a filler layer 4. Natural stone with properties of stretching, bending, and three-dimensional forming is selected. The natural stone layer 3 is a sheet formed by cutting the stone, with a thickness between 0.3mm and 3.5mm. The stone can be pre-cut into specific shapes according to requirements. Then, positioning holes are machined on the natural stone layer 3 using laser cutting or CNC machine tools. The number and location of the positioning holes are determined as needed. Finally, the natural stone sheet is rolled into a roll using a hot bending die. The curled edge 1 has a height not exceeding 200mm, but can be selected as needed, such as 100mm or 150mm. The natural stone layer 3 forming the curled edge 1 is placed in the front mold, and injection molded or cast to form a coating layer 2. The coating layer is transparent PMMA, with a thickness of 0.3mm-5.0mm. Then, the combination of the coating layer 2 and the natural stone layer 3 is placed in the rear mold, and injection molded to form a filler layer 4. The filler layer 4 is transparent PU, and it needs to completely cover the bottom surface and edge 1 of the natural stone layer 3, ultimately forming... Figure 1 The composite material A shown here. The natural stone layer forming the curled edge 1 can form a good bond with the mold, allowing both the coating layer and the filler layer to fully cover the natural stone layer 3, forming a good bond with the natural stone layer 3 and preventing delamination during subsequent use. Then, as needed, fixing structures such as screw holes, clips, pin holes, and pins are processed on the filler layer 4 to facilitate the connection and fixation of composite material A to automotive components. After the composite material A is formed, its shape and dimensions can be further processed by CNC machine tools or laser machines, and its surface can be polished to make it more aesthetically pleasing. After the stone surface is treated with injection-molded transparent plastic, it penetrates into the micropores of the stone to form a strong and durable protective layer, which also has good waterproof and stain-resistant effects and strong permeability, making the stone more lustrous and smooth. From the appearance, a real stone effect can be seen, and the use effect is better than pure natural stone.

[0020] In one embodiment, the cut natural stone layer 3 is a 3D curved stone.

[0021] In one embodiment, the filler layer 4 can be an opaque material, such as any one of ABS, PC, nylon, or PC+ABS.

[0022] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but this does not limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art can implement the present invention in various modifications without departing from its scope and spirit; for example, a feature of one embodiment can be used in another embodiment to obtain yet another embodiment. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the scope of the present invention should be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a composite material for automotive interiors, characterized in that... include: Design one rear mold and one front mold; Select natural stone and cut it to a thickness between 0.3mm and 3.5mm and the desired shape; The entire edge of the sliced ​​natural stone is hot-bent to form a curled edge facing one direction, the height of which is 100mm-200mm, and positioning holes are machined on it; the natural stone is placed in a front mold with the curled edge facing upwards and positioned using the positioning holes, and then a transparent coating layer with a thickness of 0.3mm-5.0mm is injection molded onto its upper surface to cover the stone. The coating layer is made of at least one of transparent PMMA, transparent PC, transparent ABS, and transparent TPU. Natural stone with a coating layer is placed into a mold, and then a filler layer is injected into the bottom surface of the natural stone layer. The filler layer is made of at least one of transparent PU, transparent PMMA, transparent TPU, and transparent ABS, so that the filler layer completely covers the bottom surface of the natural stone layer and the inner side of the curled edge, ultimately forming an integral composite material including a coating layer, a natural stone layer, and a filler layer. The composite material is then shaped, surface-polished, and a fixing device is installed on the filler layer to fix the composite material inside the vehicle. The fixing device includes any one of screw holes, buckles, pin holes, and pin posts.

2. A composite material for automotive interiors, characterized in that: The composite material is obtained by the method of claim 1.

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