METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A FLOOR MAT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a motor vehicle floor mat and a mat produced by such a method.

[0002] It is known to implement a method for manufacturing a motor vehicle floor mat, said method comprising the following steps: providing a support sheet based on thermoplastic polyester fibers and / or modified thermoplastic polyester, stitching loops of thermoplastic polyester-based yarns into said sheet so as to produce a tufted sheet, depositing on the reverse side of said tufted sheet a layer for fixing said loops to said sheet, said layer being based on modified thermoplastic polyester - which may also be called "copolyester" - so as to have a lower melting point than that of polyester, said layer being deposited by extrusion followed by calendering.

[0003] This produces a tufted carpet entirely based on thermoplastic polyester, modified or not, which allows for easy recycling at the end of the vehicle's life by melting to obtain, for example, aggregates intended for injection, or even fibers.

[0004] Furthermore, the different forms of polyester used to make the carpet can come from recycling, for example from plastic bottles, which is beneficial to environmental protection.

[0005] However, the applicant observed that the abrasion resistance of such a carpet does not always meet the requirements of car manufacturers, despite the presence of the fixing layer, particularly when the polyesters used are from recycling.

[0006] Finally, a tufted carpet used for sound attenuation in a passenger cabin of a vehicle is described in US 2012 / 064281 A1, the tufted carpet comprising: a pile layer configured to be coupled to the cabin via one or more other layers, the pile layer having a bulk continuous filament (BCF) yarn; wherein the BCF yarn comprises at least one yarn material selected from (i) a polypropylene (PP) yarn material with a tenacity of between about 2.6 cN / dtex and about 3.2 cN / dtex at an elongation of about 50% to about 70%, and (ii) a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) yarn material with a tenacity of between about 2.6 cN / dtex and about 3.4 cN / dtex at an elongation of about 20% to about 40%.

[0007] The invention aims to overcome this drawback.

[0008] To this end, and according to a first aspect, the invention proposes a method for manufacturing a motor vehicle floor mat, said method comprising the following steps: providing a support sheet based on thermoplastic polyester fibers and / or modified thermoplastic polyester, stitching loops of thermoplastic polyester-based yarns onto said sheet so as to produce a tufted sheet, depositing on the reverse side of said tufted sheet a layer for fixing said loops to said sheet, said layer being based on thermoplastic polyester modified so as to have a lower melting point than that of the polyester of said support sheet, said layer being deposited by extrusion followed by calendering, knowing that, prior to the deposition of said fixing layer, said tufted sheet is heated on said back face to the melting temperature of the polyester, so as to achieve a fusion of the part of said loops being in contact with said sheet to achieve their fixing.

[0009] It is specified here that the reverse side of the tufted tablecloth is the one opposite the side visible to an occupant of the vehicle.

[0010] With the proposed arrangement, due to their common chemical nature based on polyester, the loops and the support sheet are fixed together very effectively, which allows, as will be seen later, to provide reinforcement of the fixing of said loops on said sheet.

[0011] According to a second aspect, the invention provides a carpet produced by such a method.

[0012] Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, given with reference to the attached figures, in which: [ Fig.1 ] is a partial schematic sectional view of a carpet according to one embodiment, [ Fig.2 ] is a schematic section of a bi-component fiber.

[0013] With reference to the figures, a method of manufacturing a motor vehicle floor mat 1 is described, said method comprising the following steps: providing a support sheet 2 based on thermoplastic polyester fibers and / or modified thermoplastic polyester, stitching loops 3 of thermoplastic polyester-based yarns onto said sheet so as to produce a tufted sheet, depositing on the reverse side 8 of said tufted sheet a layer 4 for fixing said loops to said sheet, said layer being based on thermoplastic polyester modified so as to have a lower melting point than that of the polyester of said support sheet, said layer being deposited by extrusion followed by calendering, knowing that, prior to the deposition of said fixing layer, said tufted sheet is heated on said back face to the melting temperature of the polyester, so as to achieve a fusion of the part 9 of said loops being in contact with said sheet to achieve their fixing.

[0014] Of course, the heating of the reverse side 8 is carried out for the time just necessary to fix the loops 3, this avoiding an excessive heating time likely to cause degradation of the tufted sheet 2.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the support sheet 2 is formed from a mixture of single-component thermoplastic polyester fibers and two-component fibers 5 provided with a core 6 of thermoplastic polyester and a sheath 7 of modified thermoplastic polyester, so as to have a lower melting point than that of polyester.

[0016] The use of such a mixture makes it possible to produce a sheet 2 where the fibers are fixed together by melting the sheath 7 of the two-component fibers 5.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the support sheet 2 is in the form of non-woven fabric.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the support sheet 2 has a surface mass of between 80 and 160 g / m 2< , and more particularly between 100 and 140 g / m 2< , and more particularly of the order of 120 g / m 2< .

[0019] According to one embodiment, the polyester and / or modified polyester of the support sheet 2 is based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0020] According to one embodiment, the polyester of the loops 3 is based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0021] According to one embodiment, the modified polyester of the fixing layer 4 is based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0022] According to one embodiment, the heating of the reverse face 8 of the tufted sheet 2 is carried out by hot calendering, the cylinder arranged opposite said face being heated to the melting temperature of the polyester.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the method further comprises the following steps: cutting a first format of tufted sheet 2 provided with its fixing layer 4, placing said first format on a second format of non-woven fibrous material 11 - in particular a felt, in particular needled - with a surface mass greater than 250 g / m 2 < , said fixing layer being turned towards said second format, said non-woven material being formed by a mixture of single-component fibers of thermoplastic polyester - in particular polyethylene terephthalate - and two-component fibers 5 provided with a core 6 of thermoplastic polyester - in particular polyethylene terephthalate - and a sheath 7 of modified thermoplastic polyester - in particular modified polyethylene terephthalate - so as to have a melting point lower than that of the polyester, heating and pressing - in particular between two plates - the assembly at the melting temperature of the modified polyester, so as to fix said second format on said fixing layer,conform the assembly once heated between a die and a punch of a mold so as to obtain a carpet 1 of three-dimensional geometry.,

[0024] The integration of a layer of non-woven material 11 into the carpet 1 makes it possible to give said carpet improved decoupling and sound absorption properties.

[0025] Furthermore, due to its thermoplastic nature, the presence of the layer of non-woven material 11 does not prevent the carpet 1 from being recycled at the end of its life.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the non-woven material 11 comprises between 10 and 40% by weight of bi-component fibers 5.

[0027] According to the embodiment shown, the method further comprises, during calendering, the fixing of a film 12 - for example of thickness between 50 and 150 microns - at the melting temperature of the modified polyester, said film being arranged on the reverse side of the fixing layer 4, said film having, in a manner not shown, an internal layer of thermoplastic polyester and two external layers arranged on either side of said internal layer, said external layers being of modified thermoplastic polyester, so as to be fixed respectively on said fixing layer and on the layer of non-woven material 11.

[0028] The polyester and / or modified polyester constituting the film 12 are in particular based on polyethylene terephthalate.

[0029] According to another embodiment not shown, the method comprises a step of fixing a two-layer film comprising an external layer of thermoplastic polyester - in particular polyethylene terephthalate - and an internal layer of modified thermoplastic polyester - in particular modified polyethylene terephthalate -, said internal layer being fixed on the back of the layer of non-woven material 11.

[0030] The installation of such a film 12 makes it possible to seal the carpet, which allows it to provide sound insulation.

[0031] Furthermore, due to its chemical and thermoplastic nature, the integration of the film 12 into the carpet does not prevent the recycling of said carpet 1 at the end of its life.

[0032] An abrasion test was carried out on two samples of tufted web 2 with its fixing layer 4: a first reference sample where the loops 3 have not been fixed on said sheet by fusion of the sheath 7 of the bi-component fibers 5 of said sheet, a second sample, according to an embodiment of the invention, where said loops have been fixed by such fusion.

[0033] The abrasion test is that described in ASTM D 3884-09 standard in effect on the date of filing of the application.

[0034] It is based on a principle of a rotating abrasive wheel operated in a plurality of cycles on the sample to be tested, the mass loss of the sample being measured at the end of the abrasion.

[0035] At the end of the test, a lesser loss of mass is observed on the second sample than on the first, which makes it possible to validate the reinforcement of the abrasion resistance of the carpet 1 when the loops 3 were fixed on the sheet 2 by fusion of the sheath 7 of the bi-component fibers 5 of said sheet.

[0036] Finally, a motor vehicle floor mat 1 is described, produced by such a method, the loops 3 of said mat having been fixed to the support sheet 2 by heating its reverse side 8 to the melting temperature of the polyester, so as to melt the part 9 of said loops being in contact with said sheet to achieve their fixing.

Claims

1. A method for producing a motor vehicle floor mat (1), said method comprising the following steps: - providing a backing web (2) based on thermoplastic polyester and / or modified thermoplastic polyester fibers, - stitching loops (3) of thermoplastic polyester-based yarns onto said web so as to produce a tufted web, - depositing on the reverse side (8) of said tufted web a layer (4) securing said loops to said web, said layer being based on thermoplastic polyester modified so as to have a lower melting point than that of the polyester of said support web, said layer being deposited by extrusion followed by calendering, said process being such that, prior to the deposition of said fastening layer, said tufted web is heated on said reverse side to the melting temperature of the polyester, so as to melt the part (9) of said loops in contact with said web in order to fasten them.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the support web (2) is formed from a mixture of single-component thermoplastic polyester fibers and two-component fibers (5) provided with a core (6) of thermoplastic polyester and a sheath (7) of modified thermoplastic polyester, so as to have a melting point lower than that of polyester.

3. Process according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the polyester and / or modified polyester of the support web (2) is based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

4. Process according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the polyester of the loops (3) is based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

5. Process according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the modified polyester of the fixing layer (4) is based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

6. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reverse face (8) of the tufted web (2) is heated by hot calendering, the cylinder facing said face being heated to the melting temperature of the polyester.

7. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises the following steps: - cutting a first format of tufted web (2) provided with its fixing layer (4), - placing said first format on a second format of non-woven fibrous material (11) with a weight per unit area greater than 250 g / m2, said fixing layer facing said second format, said non-woven material being formed by a mixture of single-component thermoplastic polyester fibers and two-component fibers (5) with a core (6) of thermoplastic polyester and a sheath (7) of thermoplastic polyester modified to have a melting point lower than that of polyester, - heating and pressing the assembly to the melting temperature of the modified polyester, so as to fix said second format to said fixing layer, - shaping the heated assembly between a die and a punch of a mold to obtain a mat (1) of three-dimensional geometry.

8. Process according to claims 6 and 7, characterized in that it further comprises, during calendering, fixing a film (12) at the melting temperature of the modified polyester, said film being arranged on the reverse side of the fixing layer (4), said film having an inner layer of thermoplastic polyester and two outer layers arranged on either side of said inner layer, said outer layers being of modified thermoplastic polyester, so as to be fixed respectively to said fixing layer and to the layer of non-woven material (11).

9. Process according to any one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the non-woven material (11) comprises between 10 and 40% by weight of bi-component fibers (5).

10. Motor vehicle floor mat (1) produced by a process according to any one of the preceding claims, the loops (3) of said mat having been fixed to the support web (2) by heating its reverse face (8) to the melting temperature of the polyester, so as to achieve melting of the part (9) of said loops being in contact with said web to achieve their fixing.