Automobile trunk lid panel with tufted skin and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The application provides a car trunk cover with tufted skin and a manufacturing method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of car interior parts. The car trunk cover comprises, from top to bottom, a tufted carpet layer, a surface base material layer, a core material layer, a back base material layer and a non-woven fabric layer. The surface base material layer and the back base material layer are simultaneously sent into a heating furnace for preheating, and are preheated to a semi-melted state; the tufted carpet layer is laid in a cavity of a lower mold with the pile facing downward, and then the preheated surface base material layer, the core material layer, the preheated back base material layer and the non-woven fabric layer are sequentially laid in the cavity; an upper mold is closed, the mold temperature is 20-60°C, a pressure of 60-180 tons is applied for pressure retention for 60 seconds, the mold is opened after cooling, and a formed blank and cut-off scraps are automatically taken out by a mechanical hand; the outer peripheral flash of the formed blank is cut off by a cutter die, the edge burrs of the blank are removed, and the car trunk cover is obtained. The application solves the problems of wool dropping due to cutting and high VOC emission of the core material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a car trunk cover with a tufted outer skin and its manufacturing method, belonging to the technical field of automotive interior parts. Background Technology

[0002] The lightweight, high price, odor, and VOC performance of car trunk covers are limiting their development. Most existing trunk covers are made by punching and forming PP honeycomb panels and then bonding them with adhesive. However, this method has drawbacks such as a soft surface, the need for more supporting materials, odor, and failure to meet VOC standards, thus failing to meet the high-performance requirements of automotive spare tire covers.

[0003] Chinese invention patent application number 201610703124.5 discloses a manufacturing process for an automotive spare tire cover. The process involves baking, pressing, punching, assembling accessories, and inspecting the spare tire cover substrate to obtain the finished product. This solves the problems of low strength and high weight in spare tire cover assemblies and improves performance such as odor and VOCs. However, for materials primarily composed of PP / GF, during the molding of the trunk lid, the tufted blanket surface and the heated GF / PP substrate are pressed together in a mold. Since the tufted blanket surface is formed by needles penetrating the base fabric, creating knots larger than the needle holes on the back, and then coated with a curing adhesive, these knots inevitably need to be cut off by the edge-forming die during molding. Once all or part of the knots are cut off, the unsecured tufts will fall off in large quantities under slight external force, resulting in a rough surface and poor appearance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention aims to solve the issues of lint shedding and high VOC emissions caused by cutting off the knots in the prior art.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this invention is a method for manufacturing a car trunk lid with a tufted outer skin, comprising the following steps: Step 1: Simultaneously send the outer substrate layer and the inner substrate layer into the heating furnace for preheating until they reach a semi-molten state; Step 2: Lay the tufted carpet layer with the pile side down in the mold cavity of the lower mold, and then lay the preheated surface substrate layer, core material layer, preheated inner substrate layer, and non-woven fabric layer in the mold cavity in sequence. Step 3: Close the upper mold, mold temperature 20-60°C, apply pressure of 60-180 tons and hold for 60 seconds, after cooling open the mold, and automatically remove the formed blank and cut-off scraps by the robot arm; Step 4: Use a die to remove the outer periphery of the formed blank and remove the burrs on the edge of the blank.

[0006] As a further aspect of the present invention, step 5 is included: letting the trimmed blank stand for 20-28 hours, using a brush to clean the loose hair on the edges, and then using 3-6 MPa compressed air to blow away any remaining foreign matter on the surface to obtain the finished luggage lid.

[0007] As a further aspect of the present invention, a hot punching process is also included: the operator puts the trimmed blank into a punching machine and uses a hot processing method to punch out mounting holes, material marking holes and model marking holes.

[0008] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the heating furnace is 280°C and the holding time is 60 seconds.

[0009] The present invention also discloses a car trunk cover, comprising, from top to bottom, a tufted carpet layer, a surface substrate layer, a core material layer, an inner substrate layer, and a non-woven fabric layer.

[0010] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the core material layer is EPP or PE / PS.

[0011] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the surface substrate layer comprises a polypropylene film and a glass fiber reinforced polypropylene film bonded together, wherein the PP film is bonded to the back of the tufted carpet layer.

[0012] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the inner substrate layer is a GF / PP film.

[0013] As a further aspect of the present invention, the tufted carpet layer and the PP film are bonded together by TPU hot melt adhesive.

[0014] This invention discloses a car trunk lid with a tufted outer layer and its manufacturing method. Its advantages lie in its innovative dual-fixation structure compared to existing technologies: "TPU hot melt adhesive penetration and fixation + PE / PP film surface melting and covering." The TPU hot melt adhesive penetrates the root of the tuft, gripping the tuft like "tree roots." The surface PE / PP film melts during molding and fuses with the TPU adhesive, sealing the cut like a "lid." The synergistic effect of these two materials ensures that even if the tuft is cut, it remains firmly locked within the substrate, with a measured edge tufting shedding rate of ≤0.1%. Using EPP as the core material completely eliminates styrene-containing PE / PS materials, reducing benzene VOC emissions by over 80%. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0017] As shown in the figure: 1. Tufted carpet layer; 2. PP film; 3. GF / PP film; 4. Core material layer; 5. Inner substrate layer; 6. Non-woven fabric layer. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention or its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] To further understand the invention, the technical solution will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0020] Example 1: As Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a car trunk cover, including: Tufted carpet layer 1, with knots distributed on its back; The surface substrate layer includes a polypropylene film (PP film 2) and a glass fiber reinforced polypropylene film (PE / PP film 3) bonded together, wherein the PP film 2 is disposed facing the tufted carpet layer 1; Core layer 4 is disposed below the surface substrate layer; The inner substrate layer 5 is disposed below the core material layer 4; The non-woven fabric layer 6 is disposed below the inner substrate layer 5; The core material layer 4 is either EPP or PE / PS, with EPP being preferred in this embodiment. The EPP core material replaces the original PE / PS core material, and its benzene-based volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions are reduced by more than 80% compared to the PE / PS core material, meeting the environmental protection requirements for automotive interiors.

[0021] The inner substrate layer 5 is a GF / PP film. The tufted carpet layer 1 and the PP film 2 are bonded together with TPU hot melt adhesive. The TPU hot melt adhesive is a thermoplastic polyurethane hot melt adhesive, which replaces traditional acrylic latex or vinyl acetate-based setting adhesives. The TPU hot melt adhesive penetrates into the pile knot area on the back of the tufted carpet to fix the pile knots and prevent the pile knots from falling off due to molding and cutting.

[0022] Example 2: Figure 1 As shown, based on Example 1, this example discloses its manufacturing method, including the following steps: The outer substrate layer and the inner substrate layer 5 are simultaneously fed into a heating furnace for preheating using a robotic arm. The furnace temperature is 280°C, and the holding time is 60 seconds, ensuring that the outer substrate layer and the inner substrate layer 5 reach a semi-molten state while avoiding excessive degradation. First, the tufted carpet is laid face down in the mold cavity of the lower mold of the molding machine. Then, the preheated outer substrate layer, core layer 4, preheated inner substrate layer 5, and non-woven fabric layer 6 are sequentially laid into the mold cavity using a robotic arm, stacked in sequence. The upper and lower molds are closed, with a mold temperature of 20-60°C, and a pressure of 60-180 tons is applied and held for 60 seconds. After the pressure holding is completed, the upper and lower molds are closed, and the die cuts out the outer shape of the product. The robotic arm automatically removes the product and the cut-off edge material. The operator places the product into a drilling machine, using heat treatment to drill various holes required for installing parts or to hot stamp the product model and material markings. Then, the product is placed in an edge trimming machine to remove burrs from the outer edges. After inspecting the product and finding no problems, it is left to cool and set for 24 hours. Then, the loose fuzz on the edges is brushed off with a brush, and the remaining foreign matter is blown away with compressed air at a pressure of 3-6 MPa. The treated product will not have fuzz around its edges affecting its appearance, and the finished luggage lid is obtained.

[0023] The finished luggage lid prepared using this method has an edge tufting shedding rate of ≤0.1% and a benzene VOC emission rate of ≤50μg / m³. 3 The interlayer peel strength between the substrate layer and the tufted carpet layer 1 is ≥15N / cm, while also meeting the requirements for appearance, environmental protection, and mechanical performance. Since the tufted carpet surface is formed by needles penetrating the base fabric, creating knots larger than the needle holes on the back, the TPU hot melt adhesive is sprayed onto the back of the tufted carpet and completely covers the knot area. During molding, the PP film 2 melts and bonds with the TPU hot melt adhesive, forming a double-fixed structure, completely solving the problem of tufting falling off at the knife-cut edges.

[0024] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A car trunk lid with a tufted outer skin, characterized in that, It includes, from top to bottom, a tufted carpet layer (1), a top substrate layer, a core layer (4), a back substrate layer (5), and a non-woven fabric layer (6).

2. The car trunk cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, The core layer (4) is EPP or PE / PS.

3. The car trunk cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate layer comprises a polypropylene film and a glass fiber reinforced polypropylene film bonded together, the polypropylene film being bonded to the back of the tufted carpet layer (1).

4. The car trunk cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner substrate layer (5) is a GF / PP film.

5. The car trunk cover according to claim 3, characterized in that, The tufted carpet layer (1) and the PP film (2) are bonded together with TPU hot melt adhesive.

6. A method for manufacturing a car trunk lid with a tufted outer skin, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Send the outer substrate layer and the inner substrate layer (5) into the heating furnace at the same time for preheating until they are in a semi-molten state; Step 2: Lay the tufted carpet layer (1) with the pile side down in the mold cavity of the lower mold, and then lay the preheated surface substrate layer, core material layer (4), preheated inner substrate layer (5), and non-woven fabric layer (6) in the mold cavity in sequence; Step 3: Close the upper mold, mold temperature 20-60°C, apply pressure of 60-180 tons and hold for 60 seconds, after cooling open the mold, and automatically remove the formed blank and cut-off scraps by the robot arm; Step 4: Use a die to remove the outer periphery of the formed blank and remove the burrs on the edge of the blank.

7. A method for manufacturing a car trunk lid with a tufted outer skin according to claim 6, characterized in that, Step 5 includes: letting the trimmed blank stand for 20-28 hours, using a brush to clean the loose hairs on the edges, and then using 3-6 MPa compressed air to blow away any remaining foreign matter on the surface of the blank.

8. A method for manufacturing a car trunk lid with a tufted outer skin according to claim 6, characterized in that, The process includes step 5, hot punching: the trimmed blank is placed into a punching machine and hot-processed to form mounting holes, material marking holes, and model marking holes.

9. A method for manufacturing a car trunk lid with a tufted outer skin according to claim 6, characterized in that, The temperature of the heating furnace is 280℃, and the holding time is 60s.

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