Three-dimensional printing and dyeing automobile interior foot mat and preparation method thereof

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of automotive interior parts technology, and discloses a three-dimensional printed automotive interior floor mat and its preparation method. The core of the preparation method lies in: first, providing a pre-printed planar tufted carpet surface; then, heating the carpet surface to give it thermoplastic stretching properties; finally, placing it in a three-dimensional molding mold and hot-pressing it into a floor mat with a three-dimensional contour. The floor mat produced by this method has the structural feature of: a pre-embedded buckle structure, in which the fixing buckles are pre-embedded between the XPE three-dimensional support layer and the anti-slip bottom layer, so that there are no exposed buckles on the surface tufted printed layer formed by stretching the planar carpet surface. This invention effectively solves the problem of personalized printing on three-dimensional floor mats through the innovative process of printing before molding; at the same time, the structural innovation of the pre-embedded buckle ensures the integrity of the printed pattern, significantly improving the aesthetics of the product and the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of automotive interior parts technology, specifically relating to a three-dimensional printed automotive interior floor mat and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] As a core protective accessory for automotive interiors, car floor mats have undergone continuous technological and product evolution in response to market demands. They have progressed from early TPR / TPE mats and flat tufted mats that only provided basic stain protection, to three-dimensional molded mats that combine protection, comfort, and aesthetics. Currently, the industry mainstream consists of flat printed floor mats and composite printed floor mats combining thermoplastic elastomers with flat tufting. However, flat printed floor mats cannot provide comprehensive protection for the entire car carpet, while composite printed floor mats suffer from complex structures and high production and usage costs.

[0003] Existing 3D car floor mats mainly adopt the technical solution of "TPE injection molding / TPR vacuum forming + flat surface printing", which can be divided into two categories:

[0004] 1. Injection Molded 3D Foot Pads: The 3D outline is formed by injection molding, and the upper tufted surface is printed with patterns. The bottom 3D injection molded foot pads are connected and fixed to the upper tufted foot pads through the exclusive upper buckle of the bottom layer.

[0005] 2. 3D suede composite foot pad: The surface layer is made of needle-punched suede cloth, which is combined with EVA 3D base pad through a composite process to make a 3D suede foot pad.

[0006] The aforementioned prior art has at least the following disadvantages:

[0007] 1) Functionality and protection cannot be simultaneously achieved: Most printed and tufted car floor mats on the market are flat. If users want comprehensive protection for their car carpets, they can only choose floor mats made of thermoplastic elastomer injection molding, thermoplastic rubber vacuum forming, or leather wrapping. However, these types of floor mats cannot flexibly customize personalized printed patterns. Some high-end floor mats use a double-layer connection structure, which takes into account both protection and printing needs, but the structure is complex, the ease of use is poor, and the foot area and the three-dimensional folded edges on the sides are all made of hard plastic, resulting in poor overall product integrity and a poor user experience.

[0008] 2) Limited Pattern Design and Integrity: Existing printed pads usually have holes punched in the product surface to install buckles. When designing patterns, one must either deliberately avoid the buckle structure, which limits the design, or punch holes directly in the pattern area, which destroys the integrity of the printed pattern and greatly reduces the visual design effect.

[0009] 3) High production and material costs: The mold development and manufacturing costs of thermoplastic elastomer injection molded 3D foot pads are relatively high. In order to obtain a good tread feel and aesthetics, users usually need to add an extra tufted layer on the top of the injection molded foot pad, which further increases material costs and production processes.

[0010] Therefore, developing a three-dimensional printing and dyeing process for car interior floor mats that can effectively solve the pain points of existing product technology and usage, and align with industry development trends, is of great practical significance. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The primary objective of this invention is to provide a method for preparing three-dimensional printed car interior floor mats, aiming to solve the problem of simultaneously achieving protective properties and personalized printing in existing technologies. The core of this method involves heating a flat carpet surface that has already undergone high-precision digital printing to give it three-dimensional stretching capabilities, and then hot-pressing it using a specialized three-dimensional mold to integrally form a three-dimensional artistic printed car interior floor mat.

[0012] Another objective of this invention is to provide a three-dimensional printed automotive interior floor mat manufactured using the above method. The core structural innovation of this floor mat lies in the fact that the fixing buckles are completely hidden within the composite layer of the XPE three-dimensional support layer and the anti-slip bottom layer through a pre-embedded buckle structure, resulting in no exposed buckles on the outer surface of the floor mat, thereby completely avoiding any damage to the integrity of the printed pattern caused by the buckles.

[0013] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0014] A method for preparing a three-dimensional printed automotive interior floor mat includes the following steps:

[0015] S1: Provide a flat tufted blanket surface with a pre-printed pattern;

[0016] S2: Heating the planar tufted blanket surface to give it thermoplastic stretch properties;

[0017] S3: The heated planar tufted blanket is placed in a three-dimensional molding mold and hot-pressed to form a foot pad with a three-dimensional contour.

[0018] Furthermore, the method also includes providing a composite underlayer, which is simultaneously hot-pressed and bonded to the planar tufted blanket surface in step S3 to form an integral shape.

[0019] Furthermore, the composite bottom layer includes an XPE three-dimensional support layer and an anti-slip bottom layer; before step S2, a fixing buckle is pre-installed on the composite bottom layer to form a pre-embedded buckle structure.

[0020] Furthermore, in step S1, the planar tufted blanket surface is made using a tufted loose yarn or tufted twisting process, with a pile height of 5mm-10mm.

[0021] Furthermore, in step S2, the heating temperature is 130℃-150℃.

[0022] A three-dimensional printed car interior floor mat, having a multi-layer composite structure, comprising:

[0023] A surface tufted printing and dyeing layer is formed by hot pressing and stretching a planar printed and dyed carpet surface, and the surface tufted printing and dyeing layer has a three-dimensional structure that matches the interior contour of the vehicle.

[0024] An XPE three-dimensional support layer is located below the surface tufted dyeing layer and is hot-pressed together with it.

[0025] The anti-slip bottom layer is compositely connected to the XPE three-dimensional support layer; and

[0026] The fixing buckle is pre-embedded between the XPE three-dimensional support layer and the anti-slip bottom layer to form a pre-embedded buckle structure, so that there are no exposed buckles on the surface of the surface tufted printing layer.

[0027] Furthermore, the surface tufted printing and dyeing layer comprises, from top to bottom, pile, a printed and dyed carpet base fabric layer, and an adhesive layer; the printed and dyed carpet base fabric layer is a PET base fabric; and the adhesive layer is an environmentally friendly water-based adhesive.

[0028] Furthermore, the density of the printed and dyed blanket base fabric layer is not less than 120 g / m². 2 The basis weight of the adhesive layer is not less than 150 g / m². 2 .

[0029] Furthermore, the dyeing depth of the surface tufted dyeing layer reaches 7mm.

[0030] Furthermore, the surface tufted dyeing layer is made using a tufted loose yarn or tufted twisting process, with a pile height of 5mm-10mm.

[0031] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0032] 1. This invention achieves three-dimensional printing and dyeing of floor mats in one piece through hot pressing molds, enabling the product to be precisely matched with the car interior space, achieving all-round protection for the car carpet, and the product's contact surface is fully covered with tufted fleece, improving the overall quality and user experience.

[0033] 2. The pre-embedded buckle structure is adopted, which hides the fixing buckle inside the foot pad, so that there are no exposed buckles on the outer surface of the foot pad. This completely avoids the buckles from damaging the overall integrity of the printed pattern and maintains the visual continuity and aesthetics of the pattern.

[0034] 3. Adopting high-definition digital printing and dyeing technology, it can flexibly customize personalized patterns, and the printing and dyeing depth can reach 7mm, effectively solving the problem of pattern leakage in three-dimensional structures, and achieving precise and beautiful printing and dyeing effects.

[0035] 4. The preparation method of the present invention places the printing and dyeing step before the hot pressing molding step, thereby eliminating the stretching and extrusion deformation of the pre-printed pattern by the three-dimensional structure molding process, and ensuring the clarity of the pattern and the uniformity of the color of the final product.

[0036] 5. The integrated hot-pressing composite process replaces the traditional multi-layer assembly process, simplifying the production flow and reducing material waste and production costs. At the same time, the three-dimensional hot-pressing mold allows for multiple uses, significantly saving on mold development investment.

[0037] 6. The selected XPE three-dimensional support layer, PET grip bottom, environmentally friendly water-based adhesive and other materials give the product excellent durability, anti-slip properties and environmental friendliness, improving the overall performance and safety of the product. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a three-dimensional printed car interior floor mat according to the present invention.

[0039] The markings in the diagram are: 1-Surface tufted and printed layer, 2-XPE three-dimensional support layer, 31-Top buckle, 32-Bottom buckle, 4-Anti-slip bottom layer. Detailed Implementation

[0040] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the invention, and should not be construed as limiting the invention. The components of the embodiments of the invention described and illustrated herein can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, the three-dimensional printed car interior floor mat of this embodiment has a multi-layer composite structure, comprising, from top to bottom: a surface tufted printed layer 1, an XPE three-dimensional support layer 2, and an anti-slip bottom layer 4. The floor mat features a pre-embedded buckle structure, with the fixing buckles consisting of an upper buckle 31 and a lower buckle 32, pre-embedded between the composite layers of the XPE three-dimensional support layer 2 and the anti-slip bottom layer 4. This design ensures that the surface of the floor mat, i.e., the surface tufted printed layer 1, is a complete and flawless printed plane without any exposed buckle structures, thus perfectly preserving the integrity and artistic beauty of the printed pattern.

[0042] In this embodiment, the structure and material parameters of each layer are as follows:

[0043] The surface tufted and printed layer 1 is made using tufted loose yarn or tufted twisting technology, with a pile height of 5mm-10mm. Its base material is the printed and dyed carpet backing fabric, using 120g / m² fabric. 2 The high-density PET base fabric ensures good ductility and yarn retention during thermoforming. On the back of the base fabric, a coating of 150 grams per square meter (150g / m²) is applied. 2 An environmentally friendly water-based adhesive is used as the glue layer to firmly fix the yarn and enhance its abrasion resistance. The printing and dyeing process adopts digital high-pressure inkjet technology and uses oligomeric metal complex dyes, with a printing depth of up to 7mm, ensuring that there is no white gap in the pattern in the three-dimensional stretching area.

[0044] The XPE 3D support layer 2 is made of polyethylene (PE) foam raw material, which is foamed 15 times to form a dense closed-cell structure with a thickness of 3-4mm. This material has both excellent flexibility and thermoforming properties, and as the 3D skeleton of the foot pad, it ensures the stability and durability of the product's outline.

[0045] The anti-slip bottom layer 4 uses a 2mm thick PET anti-slip material with a dense barbed structure on its surface, which can generate strong grip with the original car carpet.

[0046] The fixing buckles include an upper buckle 31 and a lower buckle 32, which are precisely pre-embedded and fixed in subsequent processes.

[0047] The specific steps of the preparation method of the present invention are as follows:

[0048] Step 1: Raw material preparation:

[0049] 1) Blanket surface layer preparation: White pure yarn without color masterbatch is tufted using a tufting machine at a density of 120g / m². 2 The PET base fabric is precisely woven into a white blanket surface. Then, a 150g / m² coating is evenly applied to the back of the blanket surface. 2 The environmentally friendly water-based adhesive is applied and then subjected to high-temperature setting. After the water-based adhesive has fully cured, personalized patterns are printed onto the white substrate surface using high-pressure inkjet printing with oligomeric metal complex dyes under computer system control via digital printing equipment. Following printing, a low-temperature curing process is performed, with the curing temperature controlled at 60-70℃ for 10-15 minutes.

[0050] 2) Preparation of the composite underlayer: A 3-4 mm thick XPE 3D support layer 2 and a 2 mm thick PET gripper underlayer 4 are bonded together at high temperature using a flame bonding process. The flame temperature is approximately 800℃, and the material passes through the flame zone at a speed of 4 m / min. After bonding, the material is cooled by air cooling to obtain a robust composite underlayer.

[0051] 3) Preparation of three-dimensional hot press mold: Based on the three-dimensional scanning data of the cabin of the target vehicle, a hot press mold with a precise contour is designed and manufactured. The mold has a pre-reserved substrate composite positioning groove to ensure that the materials of each layer can be accurately aligned and formed during molding.

[0052] Step 2: Clip pre-embedding:

[0053] Using CNC cutting equipment or die-cutting molds, the printed carpet surface layer and the prepared composite underlayer are cut to the same specifications, with a 25mm wide hot-pressing edge reserved on both. At the same time, snap-fit ​​mounting holes for connecting to the car carpet are precisely cut at designated positions on the composite underlayer.

[0054] The upper buckle 31 and the lower buckle 32 are precisely installed at the pre-cut buckle mounting holes in the composite bottom layer using a special positioning tool, thus completing the fixation of the pre-embedded buckle.

[0055] Step 3: Heating:

[0056] The cut printed blanket surface layer and the composite bottom layer with the fasteners installed are placed into the drying tunnel for heating. The heating temperature in the drying tunnel is precisely controlled at 130℃-150℃, and the heating time is 6 minutes, so that the material reaches a plastic state suitable for hot pressing.

[0057] Step 4: Compression molding:

[0058] Place the heated composite bottom layer (fastener side down) and the printed blanket top layer (printed side up) precisely into the positioning groove of the three-dimensional molding die in sequence. Close the die and press with a pressure of 30-100 kg / cm². 2 The material is molded under high temperature and high pressure for 6 minutes. During this process, the two layers of material are molded into a single unit under high temperature and high pressure to produce a three-dimensional printed and dyed foot pad blank.

[0059] Step 5, Post-processing:

[0060] After the floor mat blank has cooled and set, the excess 25mm edge is cut off using a cutting tool according to the product outline formed by the mold, resulting in a shaped three-dimensional printed floor mat semi-finished product. Finally, a special edge binding strip is used to sew the edges of the semi-finished product, and after the edge binding is completed, the final product of the three-dimensional printed automotive interior floor mat of this invention is obtained.

[0061] It should be noted that the specific parameters mentioned in this embodiment, such as the pile height of the surface tufted dyeing layer 1, the density of the PET base fabric, the basis weight of the water-based adhesive, the heating temperature and time, and the molding pressure, are all preferred embodiments of the present invention, and not limitations thereof. Those skilled in the art can make adaptive adjustments to these parameters according to actual production needs, equipment conditions, and product positioning. As long as these adjustments follow the core process concept of "planar dyeing followed by hot-pressing three-dimensional molding" and the core structural design of "pre-embedded buckles," they should all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a three-dimensional printed automotive interior floor mat, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Provide a flat tufted blanket surface with a pre-printed pattern; S2: Heating the planar tufted blanket surface to give it thermoplastic stretch properties; S3: The heated planar tufted blanket is placed in a three-dimensional molding mold and hot-pressed to form a foot pad with a three-dimensional contour.

2. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes providing a composite underlayer, which is simultaneously hot-pressed and bonded to the planar tufted blanket surface in step S3 to form an integral shape.

3. The preparation method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The composite bottom layer includes an XPE three-dimensional support layer and an anti-slip bottom layer; before step S2, a fixing buckle is pre-installed on the composite bottom layer to form a pre-embedded buckle structure.

4. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the planar tufted blanket surface is made using tufted loose yarn or tufted twisting process, with a pile height of 5mm-10mm.

5. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S2, the heating temperature is 130℃-150℃.

6. A three-dimensional printed car interior floor mat, characterized in that, It is a multi-layered composite structure, including: A surface tufted printing and dyeing layer (1) is formed by hot pressing and stretching a flat printed and dyed carpet surface. The surface tufted printing and dyeing layer (1) has a three-dimensional structure that matches the interior contour of the vehicle. The XPE three-dimensional support layer (2) is located below the surface tufted dyeing layer (1) and is hot-pressed together with it; The anti-slip bottom layer (4) is compositely connected with the XPE three-dimensional support layer (2); and The fixing buckle is pre-embedded between the XPE three-dimensional support layer (2) and the anti-slip bottom layer (4) to form a pre-embedded buckle structure, so that there are no exposed buckles on the surface of the surface tufted dyeing layer (1).

7. The three-dimensional printed automotive interior floor mat according to claim 6, characterized in that, The surface tufted printing and dyeing layer (1) includes, from top to bottom, a pile, a printing and dyeing carpet base fabric layer and an adhesive layer; the printing and dyeing carpet base fabric layer is a PET base fabric; the adhesive layer is an environmentally friendly water-based adhesive.

8. The three-dimensional printed automotive interior floor mat according to claim 7, characterized in that, The density of the printed and dyed carpet base fabric layer is not less than 120g / m². 2 The basis weight of the adhesive layer is not less than 150 g / m². 2 .

9. The three-dimensional printed automotive interior floor mat according to claim 6, characterized in that, The surface tufted dyeing layer (1) has a dyeing depth of 7 mm.

10. The three-dimensional printed automotive interior floor mat according to claim 6, characterized in that, The surface tufted dyeing layer (1) is made by tufted loose yarn or tufted twisting process, with a pile height of 5mm-10mm.

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