Insulation component manufacturing method and flow-tight, light-weight insulation component for vehicles

EP4577412A1Pending Publication Date: 2025-07-02NVH CZECH SRO
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Patent Information

Application Number
EP2023740929
Authority / Receiving Office
EP · EP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2022-08-22
Filing Date
2023-06-21
Publication Date
2025-07-02

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Current insulation components for vehicles face challenges in economical recycling and are often heavier due to their mechanical characteristics, with conventional manufacturing processes involving separate shaping of outer fabrics and fleece insulation, leading to inefficient waste management and sustainability issues.

Method used

A method for producing flow-tight, lightweight insulation components using a textile outer fabric, a vapor and airtight film layer, and an absorber layer made of VON fleece with fibers predominantly perpendicular to the surface, integrated using a steam vacuum tool to form a compact, connected component, allowing for the reuse of production waste and reducing material waste.

Benefits of technology

The method achieves a weight reduction of up to 30% compared to conventional components with similar mechanical properties, enables waste-free production, and facilitates sustainable recycling by integrating all components into a single, deformable surface element.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention relates to an insulation component manufacturing method for manufacturing flow-tight, light-weight, sustainable insulation components for vehicles, the insulation component comprising at least one tufted textile top cloth, a film as the steam- and air-tight flow-tight layer and an absorber layer from a nonwoven having fibers that run vertically upwards relative to the surface, and is manufactured by means of at least one steam vacuum tool. The invention further relates to a flow-tight, light-weight, sustainable insulation component for vehicles.
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Description

[0001] INSULATION COMPONENT MANUFACTURING METHOD AND FLOW-TIGHT, LIGHTWEIGHT INSULATION COMPONENT FOR VEHICLES

[0002] The invention relates to an insulation component manufacturing method for producing flow-tight, lightweight insulation components for vehicles, wherein insulation components comprise a textile outer fabric, a flow-tight layer and an absorber layer made of a VON nonwoven with fibers predominantly perpendicular to the surface.

[0003] Furthermore, the invention relates to a flow-tight, lightweight, sustainable insulation component for vehicles.

[0004] Insulation components such as floor coverings, side panels, and trunk linings in vehicles generally have a structure consisting of a top layer, a support layer, and a spring or absorber layer. The structures vary depending on the application, vehicle class, and manufacturer. There are also insulation components that lack one of the aforementioned layers.

[0005] The top layer / covering material for floor coverings is almost always a carpet and can be constructed in a variety of ways. For example, there are top layers made of flat needlepunch, Dilour carpet, or even tufted carpets in various weights and densities. Needlepunch and Dilour carpets are primarily made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) fibers. The fibers are bonded using latexes and, increasingly, co-PET.

[0006] The fibers of tufted carpets are primarily made of polyamide 6 (Perlon) or polyamide 66 (nylon). However, PET fiber tufted carpets are now also commercially available. The backing is almost entirely PET material, and the binding is done with EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) or co-PET.

[0007] Currently, the textile carriers used are mainly mixed fiber nonwovens made of different plastics and cotton with a binder made of PP (polypropylene).

[0008] Heavy layers currently mostly consist of highly filled plastics, PE (polyethylene) or PP (polypropylene) based with EVA or a POE (polyolefin elastomer) with a basis weight of 600g / m 2 up to several kg / m 2 .

[0009] The spring or absorber is usually either a PUR (polyurethane) foam or fiber fleece, preferably made of PET fibers or mixed fibers with a co-PET fiber bond.

[0010] The use of very different materials in insulation components, such as polar materials such as PET, Co-PET, PA (polyamides), EVA on the one hand and completely non-polar materials such as PE or PP on the other hand, which do not stick together but only allow geometric coupling, currently make economical recycling difficult.

[0011] Recycling floor coverings with a PE or PP-based heavy layer and a foam absorber is currently uneconomical, and the resulting production waste is neither reused nor reused.

[0012] Floor coverings as components in which the carpet surface and backing are separate from the insulation are primarily limited to fleece insulation and acoustically open carpets.

[0013] Foam insulation is almost entirely formed as compact components, with the carpet face and backing firmly bonded directly to the insulation. The face and insulation can also be glued together.

[0014] For components with foam insulation, the foam is applied directly to the formed outer layer with the carrier. In this case, the outer layer is trimmed after foaming. The outer layer with the carrier is heated, formed, cooled, and then trimmed on a forming machine. For textile carriers, heating is usually achieved via contact heating; for heavy layers, it is primarily achieved via infrared radiation.

[0015] From the prior art, a layered structure or the sound insulation produced therewith for floor coverings of vehicles with an acoustically effective layer is known from the document DE 39 05607 A1, the basic structure of which consists in that a layer of a sound-absorbing material provided with a backing foam follows after a visible surface needled or tufted onto a surface fabric.

[0016] EP 0 453 877 A1 describes a method for producing multifunctional trim parts, for example, in the form of a spring-mass system. Through the directed application of pressure and under the influence of temperature, two compressible layers, such as nonwovens, separated by a barrier layer, are changed in opposite directions in their density in a single operation such that they form a spring-mass system and can be used as sound-insulating, multifunctional trim parts, for example, in motor vehicles.

[0017] DE 19960 945 A1 describes a floor covering for motor vehicles, essentially consisting of a carpet layer, a sound insulation layer arranged underneath, and a soft foam layer. Without compromising acoustic effectiveness, a particularly low mass per unit area is achieved by essentially forming the sound insulation layer with a two-layer nonwoven fabric. Furthermore, DE 10360427 A1 discloses a sound-reducing surface element with improved sound insulation and sound dampening properties, comprising a heavy layer, a light layer forming a mass-spring system, and a first nonwoven layer attached by needling to the side of the heavy layer opposite the light layer.The heavy layer has through holes that are filled with the nonwoven material of the first nonwoven layer by needling, so that a high level of structure-borne sound damping, i.e. a high loss factor, is guaranteed even over a long period of time.

[0018] The publication DE 10360427 A1 also describes an acoustically effective carpet molding for motor vehicles, comprising a textile, air-permeable backing layer, pile threads incorporated into the backing layer, a barrier layer bonded to the under-loops of the pile threads, and a foam backing foamed onto the barrier layer, as well as a method for producing such a carpet molding. In order to provide a carpet molding of this type that has a high airborne sound-absorbing effect at low weight and reduced costs, it is proposed that, instead of a sealing or heavy-layer film, a fine-fiber needle-punched nonwoven be used as a barrier layer against foam penetration. The needle-punched nonwoven is made of chemical fibers with a fineness of less than 6.7 dtex and bicomponent hot-melt adhesive fibers and has a basis weight in the range of 600 to 900 g / m 2 has.

[0019] The document DE 20 2012 004 594 U1 discloses a motor vehicle part for a motor vehicle, characterized in that the wear layer consists of polyethylene terephthalate yarns and / or fibers, an optionally present carrier layer consists of polyethylene terephthalate and / or a copolymer polyethylene terephthalate, an optionally present first adhesive layer consists of a polyethylene terephthalate-based adhesive, the adhesive layer (middle layer) consists of a polyethylene terephthalate-based adhesive, the backing layer consists of a polyethylene terephthalate-based fiber fleece or woven fabric and the insulation layer consists of PET / co-PET fibers.

[0020] WO 2014 / 082 869 A1 discloses a method for producing at least two-layer components and correspondingly produced components themselves as absorbent lining in the interior and / or trunk or for floor coverings of motor vehicles, comprising an upper material and an absorber. A one-sidedly formed absorber material and an upper material are introduced into a steam / vacuum mold, the upper material is deformed, a binder is activated in the lower material, and the upper and lower materials are bonded together.

[0021] The document DE 10 2021 101 905 A1 discloses a fiber composite component, in particular for an acoustically dampening vehicle interior panel, which is made from a fiber material pressed into a mold with the addition of heat, characterized in that the molded part is made from fiber material formed as fiber balls.

[0022] US Pat. No. 5,076,870 A discloses an improved carpet, an improved method for manufacturing a carpet, and an improved method for attaching a carpet to a motor vehicle door panel. The improved carpet comprises an outer woven polypropylene pile layer, an inner nonwoven polypropylene layer, and a central intermediate layer of recycled rubber. The carpet is formed by extruding a molten mixture of rubber and polypropylene particles into a hot central web, followed by bonding a woven polypropylene layer to the top of the hot web and a nonwoven polypropylene layer to the underside of the hot web.The carpet is attached to the lower portion of a motor vehicle door panel by heating the lower portion of the door panel with hot air until the panel is tacky, and then pressing the carpet of the invention downward against the tacky surface of the door panel to create a strong weld between the carpet and the panel. Alternatively, the carpet-panel bond can be achieved by applying ultrasonic energy through the door panel to the interface between the door panel and the carpet.

[0023] Document DE 102004 032 925 A1 discloses a sound insulation system for use in a vehicle, comprising a layer of fiber cushioning material having a first surface and an opposite second surface. The first surface includes a plurality of spaced-apart recesses. The second surface includes a substantially flat portion extending across two adjacent recesses. The plurality of recesses are configured to define a plurality of cavities when the sound insulation system is mounted in the vehicle, thereby increasing the acoustic performance of the sound insulation system.

[0024] In addition, the document DE 92 00439 U1 describes a tough, rigid molded part, in particular for the floor area in the passenger compartment of automobiles, comprising a stable substructure layer made of a rot-resistant first plastic material and a decorative layer made of a second plastic material or natural material arranged on the visible side above the substructure layer and optionally one or more sealing layer(s) made of further plastic materials arranged between the substructure layer and the decorative layer and / or on the back of the substructure layer, wherein all layers are laminated to form a multi-layer structure, characterized in that the substructure layer has a fiber component and a thermoplastic binder component distributed therein, the proportion of which is suitable for producing the required rigidity of the molded part.

[0025] From US Pat. No. 6,534,145 B1, a folded nonwoven product and a method for producing such a product, which is particularly suitable for various applications in the automotive sector, are known. The product is formed from a fiber mat, wherein the fibers in each fold extend substantially vertically when the mat is oriented horizontally. Various products can be manufactured from the folded nonwoven mat, including automotive carpets and underlays, trim parts, trunk liners, upholstery, engine compartment linings, and sound insulation. Further embodiments of the invention utilize a split folded product constituting a unique automotive textile, carpet, or other upholstery product, as well as a unitary carpet and underpadding product utilizing the folded product of the invention.

[0026] Document DE 11 2012 005205 ​​T5 discloses an interior molding material for a vehicle, wherein a compression-molded decorative layer oriented toward the vehicle interior and a buffer material layer oriented toward a body panel are at least compression-molded, wherein the buffer material layer is formed by compression-molding a fibrous structure in which fibers are aligned in the thickness direction. A convex portion corresponding to a convex surface of the body panel is formed on the decorative layer. A compression-molded portion is formed on the buffer material layer, which is recessed from the convex surface of the body panel toward the convex portion of the decorative layer such that the thickness is 0.03 to 0.5 times the thickness of a surrounding area and the density is higher than that of the surrounding area.

[0027] DE 10 2021 108602 A1 describes a one-step process for producing a panel, in particular a floor panel, for a motor vehicle with insulation made of fiber / absorbent fleece, as well as optionally additional absorbent layers, which can differ in their mechanical-physical and acoustic properties in zones (partially) across the area and thickness of the insulation. The focus is on fleece structures whose fiber alignment / fiber orientation is perpendicular to the surface / wear layer of the floor panel.

[0028] The problems in the state of the art are essentially based on two problem areas.

[0029] For one thing, foam is used as insulation material for lightweight acoustic components. Economical recycling, or even recycling at all, of these components is difficult.

[0030] Secondly, components with conventional fleece insulation are significantly heavier due to their mechanical properties. With few exceptions, such components are manufactured using a two-stage process. The outer fabric, with or without a carrier, and the fleece insulation are formed separately. In a second step, the foam is bonded to the formed outer fabric.

[0031] The present invention is based on the object of providing a method for producing an insulation component for vehicles and an insulation component for vehicles, by means of which a significantly lower weight can be achieved compared to conventionally manufactured insulation components with given mechanical properties.

[0032] In addition, the process should make it possible to form, join and consolidate a compact component in which the carpet face and backing are firmly connected directly to the insulation in one step.

[0033] Furthermore, the present invention is intended to make it possible to economically reintegrate production waste from the manufacture of insulation components into the production process by means of suitable material combinations.

[0034] Another aspect is the sustainability of the process and the component.

[0035] This problem is solved by a method for producing an insulation component according to the main claim and by a flow-tight, lightweight insulation component for vehicles according to the subordinate claim.

[0036] The insulation component manufacturing method for producing flow-tight, lightweight and, among other things, sustainable insulation components for vehicles, wherein the insulation component comprises at least one textile outer fabric with a pile, a film as a vapor-tight and air-tight flow-tight layer and an absorber layer made of a VON nonwoven with fibers predominantly perpendicular to the surface and is manufactured with at least one steam-vacuum tool, has at least the following steps: a. Providing the textile outer fabric with a pile, wherein the pile points upwards in a first variant 1 or downwards in a second variant 2 and initially downwards in a third variant 3 and then upwards in the further process;

[0037] - when the textile upper fabric is oriented with the pile facing upwards in variant 1: b1. Applying the film from below to the textile upper fabric and heating it with an infrared heater from below to the textile upper fabric with the film from below; c1. Providing and introducing the fleece into the steam-vacuum tool and then introducing and laying the textile upper fabric with film from below onto the fleece in the steam-vacuum tool; or b2. Applying a carrier from below to the textile upper fabric and heating it with a contact heater and pressing it to form a textile upper fabric with a pressed carrier and applying the film from below; c2. Providing and introducing the fleece in the steam-vacuum tool and then introducing and laying the textile upper fabric with carrier from below onto the fleece in the steam-vacuum tool; or b3.Applying a carrier from below to the textile outer fabric and applying a film from below to the carrier and heating it with a contact heater; c3. Providing, introducing, and depositing the nonwoven fabric into the steam-vacuum tool and depositing the textile outer fabric, with the pile facing upwards, with the carrier and the film arranged underneath, onto the nonwoven fabric from above into the steam-vacuum tool;

[0038] - when the pile is aligned downwards in variant 2 from a.: b4. Applying the film from above onto the textile outer fabric and heating it with an infrared heater from above to form a textile outer fabric with film from above; c4. Providing and applying the fleece from above onto the textile outer fabric with film from above and then inserting and placing the textile outer fabric with film from above with the fleece laid on it into the steam vacuum tool; or b5. Applying a carrier from above onto the textile outer fabric and heating it with a contact heater and pressing it to form a textile outer fabric with a pressed carrier and applying the film from above; c5. Providing and applying the fleece from above onto the textile outer fabric with a carrier from above and then inserting and placing the textile outer fabric with carrier from above with the fleece laid on it into the steam vacuum tool; or b6.Applying a carrier from above to the textile outer fabric and then applying a film from above to the carrier and heating with a contact heater; c6. Providing and applying the nonwoven from above to the film onto the structure of film and the carrier, with the carrier on the outer fabric with the pile facing down, and subsequent or simultaneous introduction into the steam-vacuum tool;.

[0039] - when orientating the textile upper fabric with the pile initially facing downwards and then upwards in variant 3: b7. Applying a carrier from above onto the textile upper fabric, with the pile facing downwards, and applying a film to the carrier and heating with a contact heater to form a textile upper fabric with carrier and film; after heating, turning the structure of textile upper fabric with the carrier and film arranged thereon, with the pile of the upper fabric facing upwards after turning; c7. Providing and introducing the fleece into the steam-vacuum tool and then introducing and laying down the textile upper fabric with carrier and film, with the pile of the upper fabric facing upwards, onto the fleece located in the steam-vacuum tool; d.Closing the steam-vacuum tool and applying steam from the back of the textile outer fabric and applying vacuum from the pile side of the textile outer fabric and forming the component to produce the component in the final contour and / or final shape and solidifying the component; e. Opening the steam-vacuum tool and removing the component, as well as storing and / or further processing for cooling and / or punching the component into the final shape as required.

[0040] In addition, in some processes, especially when the pile from a. is oriented downwards in variant 2 in step b4., a heavy layer can be applied before the film is applied.

[0041] In a preferred variant of contour punching, the resulting punching waste can also be reused, with the punching waste being used at least partially for the nonwoven fabric and / or the heavy layer and / or the textile carrier. This creates particularly sustainable components and implements a correspondingly sustainable process.

[0042] Furthermore, the process and the manufactured components ensure sustainability. The elements are easily recyclable at a later date.

[0043] In special design variants, the heating in step bx can apply heat from above or below, or even from both sides. In particular, the contact heating can also act from above and / or from the side of the film. Furthermore, the heating in steps b1 and / or b2 and / or b3 and / or b4 and / or b5 and / or b6 and / or b7 can alternatively and / or additionally be performed with contact heating, non-contact heating, or infrared heating. Furthermore, a choice can also be made between contact heating, non-contact heating, and infrared heating.

[0044] In particular, the additional carrier can consist of mixed fiber nonwovens and / or torn punching waste that has been laid down to form a nonwoven. The heavy layer can consist of chemically compatible materials and / or punching waste, with a mixture of chemically compatible materials and punching waste being the preferred embodiment.

[0045] The flow-tight, lightweight, sustainable insulation component for vehicles is characterized by

[0046] - the insulating component has at least the following layers in a successive layer structure:

[0047] - a textile outer fabric with a pile,

[0048] - a textile carrier or a heavy layer,

[0049] - a film as a vapor- and air-tight flow-tight layer and

[0050] - an absorber layer made of a VON fleece with predominantly perpendicular fibers to the surface, whereby

[0051] - the layers are connected to each other,

[0052] - the outer fabric consists of a textile fabric, needle felt, dilour, tufted carpets and / or stretchable woven or knitted fabrics, whereby

[0053] - the materials used in tufted carpets, such as fibre, binding and backing, are compatible with each other to such an extent that

[0054] - they form a deformable surface element after tearing and re-formation of the fleece and / or

[0055] - all components of the materials used are fully incorporated as additives in a heavy layer,

[0056] - the textile carrier reinforces the outer fabric completely or partially and consists of a mixed fibre fleece made of compatible materials and / or PET fibres and / or CoPET integration and / or recycled punching waste,

[0057] - the heavy layer is applied over the entire surface or partially, whereby the heavy layer consists of plastics and / or inorganic fillers and / or shredded punching waste and / or CoPET and / or EVA,

[0058] - the plastics used can be mixed and / or bonded together, and these are selected from: PET, CoPET, EVA, PA,

[0059] - the film consists of PA and / or PET and / or their copolymers, and - the insulation component is produced waste-free by completely reusing any punching waste generated during production.

[0060] The insulation component can be produced in particular by the insulation component production method according to the invention.

[0061] The film can be arranged as a vapor- and air-tight flow-tight layer between two adhesive layers and / or consist of materials that are stable at the vapor temperature.

[0062] Preferably, provided and / or additional adhesive and / or glue layers can be formed as multilayer films with the film as a vapor-tight and air-tight flow-tight layer in the middle and / or as cover layers and / or provided on the outer fabric and on the nonwoven fabric and / or selected as material for the adhesive / glue films are CoPET and / or EVA.

[0063] An exemplary structure comprises a vapor-tight PA film in the middle and Co-PET or EVA adhesive films as cover layers, with the structure being attached to the carpet face on one side and to the fleece on the other.

[0064] According to the invention, the absorber is made of a nonwoven fabric with fibers perpendicular to the surface.

[0065] Advantageously, the fleece can have a total thickness of 4 to 60 mm, preferably 20 to 50 mm.

[0066] In particular, the board can also have a constant density of 10 to 130 g / l, preferably between 20 and 50 g / l, or over the board length, areas with different densities in the density spectrum from 20 g / l to 50 g / l.

[0067] In addition, a fleece side of the insulation component can be attached to a body of a vehicle, wherein this side is nubbed or, preferably, the fleece insulation can be structured towards the body side.

[0068] At the same time as the textile outer fabric is heated, compression of the carrier can take place when it is formed with an additional carrier.

[0069] Preferably, all plastics used in an insulating component according to the invention can also be mixed and / or bonded together.

[0070] The final contour of the insulation component can be structured or unstructured, or partially structured and partially unstructured. During the insulation component manufacturing process, the nonwoven and textile outer fabric can be inserted into the steam-vacuum tool at different times using pick-and-place technology and / or robot technology.

[0071] The insulation component manufacturing process can be automated or semi-automated and, for example, the partial coating of textile carrier, heavy layer or fleece can be carried out by robots.

[0072] It is also possible, for example, to use a clamping device to cycle the component assembly starting with the upper material, so that it is transported to the individual stations and finally laid down for cooling.

[0073] The fibers of the insulation component can be PET fibers or mixed fibers, preferably plastic fibers.

[0074] The automotive component known from DE 202012 004 594 U1 has a “single-material 1 - material composition, despite the few different materials used for a textile recycling solution, it offers no advantages over the state of the art, is not applicable for carpets with a heavy layer and reuse of production waste for fiber production is not possible due to the Co-PET used.

[0075] With this insulation component manufacturing process, it is possible to use material combinations that allow all waste to be economically integrated back into the production process.

[0076] The insulation component manufacturing process is designed so that the topsheet, along with the backing and insulation, is formed into the final contour in a single step. To achieve this, all components of the floor covering, including the absorber made of fibers oriented perpendicular to the surface, a textile backing or heavy layer, and a carpet topsheet, are introduced into the mold. The absorber material is thermally bonded and then formed, bonded, and consolidated with the topsheet and backing to the final contour in a single step.

[0077] The production waste can preferably be shredded and reused in the component as an additive for the heavy layer or completely for the support.

[0078] Compared to the prior art, the insulation component formed using the inventive manufacturing process is up to 30% lighter while maintaining the same mechanical properties. Higher compressive strengths are achieved at the same density compared to conventional nonwovens or even foam. The properties of the nonwoven can be influenced by fiber characteristics such as fiber length, fiber diameter, and crimp. Furthermore, production can be designed to be waste-free, as all punching waste can be reused in the insulation component. If the insulation components are no longer usable, for example, at end-of-life, they can be recycled in textile or plastic technology.

[0079] In general, PET fibers, preferably from recycled bottles and co-PET, are used as binding agents for needle-punched carpets of different qualities.

[0080] When carrying out the insulation component manufacturing method according to the invention, for example, tufted carpets preferably made of PET yarn, a PET carrier and Co-PET or EVA as an embedding can be used.

[0081] A PET / co-PET nonwoven can be used as a carrier for the textile outer fabric. The mixing ratio of PET fiber to co-PET binder is preferably 60% to 40% co-PET binder fibers.

[0082] If sufficient waste remains from the punching process, it is torn up, re-laid as a nonwoven, and reused in the production process. Nonwovens with a surface weight of 100 g / m² can be used as a carrier. 2 up to 900 g / m 2 preferably 150 g / m 2 up to 300 g / m 2 be used.

[0083] The invention is described below with reference to the enclosed figures in the figure description, which are intended to explain the invention and are not necessarily to be considered limiting:

[0084] They show:

[0085] Fig. 1 a tabular overview of an exemplary composition of an insulation component with a fully applied 150 g / m 3 Carriers manufactured using the insulation component manufacturing process according to the invention with and without the use of recycled material;

[0086] Fig. 2 Tabular overview of an exemplary composition of two

[0087] Insulation components with different heavy layer compositions manufactured using the insulation component manufacturing process according to the invention with different recycled material contents;

[0088] Fig. 3 shows an example scatter diagram of the

[0089] Compressive strength of different fiber types depending on density;

[0090] Fig. 4 shows an exemplary tabular overview of selected mechanical

[0091] Properties of heavy layers with three different fillings; Fig. 5 shows an exemplary block diagram of the insulation component according to the invention.

[0092] Manufacturing process with a textile upper fabric with the pile side facing upwards and covered with an additional carrier or additional heavy layer;

[0093] Fig.6 an exemplary block diagram of the insulation component according to the invention

[0094] Manufacturing process with a textile upper fabric with the pile side facing downwards and covered with an additional carrier and

[0095] Fig. 7 to Fig. 14 show the individual preferred basic embodiments of the invention.

[0096] Fig. 1 shows a table overview of an exemplary composition of an insulation component with a fully applied 150 g / m 3 Supports produced using the insulation component manufacturing process according to the invention with and without the use of recycled material are shown.

[0097] The table shows that when using recycled material for the full-surface applied 150 g / m 3 The proportion of new material required for the insulation component is reduced from 31% to 27% in the exemplary composition.

[0098] It is of course also possible to use recycled material only for part of the carrier material and to provide the carrier from a mixture of recycled material and new material.

[0099] However, a textile backing has disadvantages for higher surface weights. The density of a textile backing is 0.6 g / cm, depending on the shape, binding fiber content, and compression. 3up to 0.9 g / cm 3 , which means that compared to a heavy layer with the same basis weight, the nonwoven carrier is at least twice as thick. At high compression, the carrier is then very stiff and acoustically less effective than a heavy layer. A heavy layer is the better solution for higher basis weights. Almost all heavy layers used consist of an inorganic filler, a stiffer PE or PP-based plastic, and a soft plastic such as POE or EVA. Recycling punching waste as an additive for a heavy layer with the previously mentioned structure impairs the deformation behavior of the heavy layer, so that the heavy layer tears during the production process.

[0100] If the structure of the heavy layer is modified to include an inorganic filler and a soft and a harder co-polyester, or in another embodiment, an EVA and a co-PET, the extensibility of the heavy layer is significantly improved, thus avoiding the problem of tearing during the production process. Figure 2 shows a table overview of an exemplary composition of two insulation components with different heavy layer compositions, manufactured using the insulation component manufacturing process according to the invention with different recycled material contents.

[0101] The table shows, using the two insulation component compositions as examples, that different advantages arise depending on the composition. For example, the insulation component with a heavy layer with a surface weight of 1 kg / m 2In the example, a recycled content of 66% is present, while the insulation component is made with a heavy layer with a surface weight of 2.5 kg / m 2 only has a recycled content of 48%. However, when using the heavy layer with a surface weight of 2.5 kg / m 2 the film as a flow-tight layer is no longer required.

[0102] The mechanical properties vary depending on the degree of filling of the heavy layer with inorganic material and shredded recyclate as well as the proportion of the various plastics.

[0103] In tests, an initial density of 20 to 30 g / l for the absorber layer fleece has proven sufficient. Depending on the component design, thickness differences can be compensated for by pressing or applying additional material. This results in a component-specific average density of 30 g / l to 50 g / l. In a special design, the initial density of the fleece board can vary along its length.

[0104] Fig. 3 shows an example of a dot diagram showing the compressive strength of different fiber types in kPa as a function of the density in kg / m 3 shown.

[0105] The dot diagram shows various PET fibers with different lengths, shapes and fineness.

[0106] Fig. 4 shows an example tabular overview of the mechanical properties of various materials. The Young's modulus, maximum stress, and elongation at break of heavy layers with different fillings were determined using a tensile test. This clearly shows that the materials have distinctly different mechanical properties. The materials are a heavy layer with a high filling level of chalk and punching waste (Material 1), a heavy layer with a high filling level of punching waste (Material 2), and a heavy layer with a lower filling level of inorganic filler (Material 3). Material 3 has by far the highest value for elongation at break at 200%. Materials 1 and 2 tear at significantly lower deformations, with elongation at break values ​​of 120% and 100%, respectively.

[0107] Fig. 5 shows an exemplary block diagram of the insulation component manufacturing process according to the invention with a textile upper fabric with the pile side facing upwards and covered with an additional carrier or an additional heavy layer. An exemplary embodiment using a carrier is described below: In a first step, the textile upper fabric and a carrier are cut to size. The textile upper material, with the pile side facing upwards, is then covered with the additional carrier, which can be formed over the entire surface or partially and is made in particular from mixed fiber fleece and / or torn punching waste that has been folded into a fleece. The textile upper fabric and the carrier are heated in a contact heater, whereby the carrier is compressed at the same time. In a next step, a multi-layer film is applied to the structure of the textile upper fabric and carrier as an adhesive film and vapor- and air-tight layer.In this example, the film has an EVA / PA / EVA structure. The absorber layer, i.e. the nonwoven fabric with fibers perpendicular to the surface (VON nonwoven fabric), is then inserted into the steam and vacuum tool, either as a blank on its own or with additional partial inserts. The structure comprising the textile upper fabric, carrier and multi-layer film is then inserted into the steam and vacuum tool. The individual parts are inserted into the steam and vacuum tool preferably using pick and place technology. The tool is closed and steam is applied from the back of the textile upper fabric, and a vacuum is drawn from the pile side of the textile upper fabric. In this way, the nonwoven fabric is consolidated starting from the textile upper fabric and the component is formed into its final contour. In this step, the individual layers are firmly bonded to one another. The introduced steam is sucked away by the vacuum.The component is then removed and placed, preferably in a cooling calibration tray, for cooling. In this example, the resulting punching waste is collected, shredded, and reused for the production of nonwovens, so that it can be returned to the process as a carrier.

[0108] Of course, the process described here as an example can also be carried out entirely without a carrier. This would mean that the textile outer fabric is heated using contact heating without the presence of a carrier, and a flow-tight film is subsequently applied directly to the textile outer fabric.

[0109] In a further design variant, in which the textile upper material is oriented with the pile side facing upwards, the textile outer fabric can also be covered with a heavy layer. Such a heavy layer is preferably made of chemically compatible materials and can be covered with punching waste. When the textile upper fabric is covered with a heavy layer, the textile upper material is heated using infrared radiation. The application of a flow-tight layer in the form of a multi-layer film is only necessary if the heavy layer itself does not form one when the textile upper fabric is covered. The further steps for producing the insulation component are carried out according to the process already described using a carrier. Pick and place technology can also be used preferably here.Only the processing of the punching waste differs in the further process, since in this case the punching waste can be returned to the process as an additive for the heavy layer after shredding.

[0110] Furthermore, in all applications it is also possible to cover the textile outer fabric completely or partially with a combination of carrier and heavy layer.

[0111] Fig. 6 shows an exemplary block diagram of the insulation component manufacturing process according to the invention with a textile upper fabric with the pile side facing downwards and covered with an additional carrier.

[0112] In a first step, the textile outer fabric and a carrier are cut to size. The textile outer material is then covered with the additional carrier, pile side down. This can be a full-surface or partial cover and is particularly made from mixed fiber fleece and / or torn punching waste that has been laid together to form a fleece. The textile outer fabric and the carrier are heated in a contact heater, while the carrier is compressed at the same time. In a next step, a multi-layer film is applied to the structure of textile outer fabric and carrier as an adhesive film and vapor and airtight layer. In this example, the film has an EVA / PA / EVA structure. The absorber layer, i.e. the fleece with fibers perpendicular to the surface (VON fleece), is then applied to the structure of textile outer fabric, carrier and multi-layer film, either on its own as a blank or with additional partial inserts.The entire structure is then placed in a steam and vacuum tool. The tool is closed and steam is applied from the back of the textile outer fabric and a vacuum is applied from the pile side of the textile outer fabric. This solidifies the absorber layer starting from the textile outer fabric and deforms the component into its final contour. In this step, the individual layers are firmly bonded together. The introduced steam is extracted by the vacuum. The component is then removed and placed, preferably in a cooling / calibration tray, for cooling. In this example, the resulting punching waste is collected, shredded, and reused to produce the nonwoven fabric, so that it can be recycled back into the process in the form of a carrier.

[0113] Of course, the process described here as an example can also be carried out entirely without a carrier. This would mean that the textile outer fabric is heated using contact heating without the presence of a carrier, and a flow-tight film is subsequently applied directly to the textile outer fabric.

[0114] In a further design variant in which the textile upper material is oriented with the pile side facing down, the textile outer fabric can also be covered with a heavy layer. Such a heavy layer preferably consists of chemically compatible materials, and punching waste can be added. When the textile upper fabric is covered with a heavy layer, the textile upper material is heated using infrared radiation. The application of a flow-tight layer in the form of a multi-layer film is only necessary if the heavy layer itself does not form one when the textile upper fabric is covered. The further steps for producing the insulation component are carried out according to the process already described using a carrier.Only the processing of the punching waste differs in the further process, since in this case the punching waste can be returned to the process as an additive for the heavy layer after shredding.

[0115] Figures 7 to 14 show the individual preferred basic embodiments of the invention. Particular attention is also drawn to the illustrations showing the variants without compression. These are not necessarily limiting embodiments, but some may be particularly preferred. Different advantages arise from each embodiment, which, depending on the application, can enable significant reductions in processing times. Contact heating, non-contact heating, and infrared heating are available.

Claims

CLAIMS Insulation component manufacturing method for producing flow-tight, lightweight, sustainable insulation components for vehicles, wherein the insulation component comprises at least - a textile outer fabric with a pile, - a film as a vapor- and air-tight flow-tight layer and - comprises an absorber layer made of a VON nonwoven fabric with fibers predominantly perpendicular to the surface and is produced using at least one steam-vacuum tool, comprising at least the following steps: a. Providing the textile outer fabric with a pile, wherein the pile points upwards in a first variant 1 or downwards in a second variant 2 and initially downwards in a third variant 3 and upwards in the further process; - when the textile upper fabric is oriented with the pile facing upwards in variant 1: b1. Applying the film from below to the textile upper fabric and heating it with an infrared heater from below to the textile upper fabric with the film from below; c1. Providing and introducing the fleece into the steam-vacuum tool and then introducing and laying the textile upper fabric with film from below onto the fleece in the steam-vacuum tool; or b2. Applying a carrier from below to the textile upper fabric and heating it with a contact heater and pressing it to form a textile upper fabric with a pressed carrier and applying the film from below; c2. Providing and introducing the fleece in the steam-vacuum tool and then introducing and laying the textile upper fabric with carrier from below onto the fleece in the steam-vacuum tool; or b3.Applying a carrier from below to the textile outer fabric and applying a film from below to the carrier and heating it with a contact heater; c3. Providing, introducing, and depositing the nonwoven fabric into the steam-vacuum tool and depositing the textile outer fabric, with the pile facing upwards, with the carrier and the film arranged underneath, onto the nonwoven fabric from above into the steam-vacuum tool; - when the pile is aligned downwards in variant 2 from a.: b4. Applying the film from above onto the textile outer fabric and heating it with an infrared heater from above to the textile outer fabric with film from above; c4. Providing and applying the fleece from above onto the textile outer fabric with Film from above and then introducing and laying down the textile outer fabric with film from above with the fleece laid on it into the steam vacuum tool; or b5. Applying a carrier from above to the textile outer fabric and heating with a contact heater and pressing to form a textile outer fabric with the pressed carrier and applying the film from above; c5. Providing and applying the fleece from above to the textile outer fabric with carrier from above and then introducing and laying down the textile outer fabric with carrier from above with the fleece laid on it into the steam vacuum tool; or b6. Applying a carrier from above to the textile outer fabric and then applying a film from above to the carrier and heating with a contact heater; c6.Providing and applying the fleece from above onto the film onto the structure of film and carrier, with the carrier on the upper fabric with the pile facing down, and subsequent or simultaneous introduction into the steam-vacuum tool;. - when orientating the textile upper fabric with the pile initially facing downwards and then upwards in variant 3: b7. Applying a carrier from above onto the textile upper fabric, with the pile facing downwards, and applying a film to the carrier and heating with a contact heater to form a textile upper fabric with carrier and film; after heating, turning the structure of textile upper fabric with the carrier and film arranged thereon, with the pile of the upper fabric facing upwards after turning; c7. Providing and introducing the fleece into the steam-vacuum tool and then introducing and laying down the textile upper fabric with carrier and film, with the pile of the upper fabric facing upwards, onto the fleece located in the steam-vacuum tool; d.Closing the steam-vacuum tool and applying steam from the back of the textile outer fabric and applying vacuum from the pile side of the textile outer fabric, forming the component to produce the final contour and / or final shape and solidifying the component; e. Opening the steam-vacuum tool and removing the component and storing it. and / or further processing for cooling and / or punching the component into its final shape as required.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the heating in steps b1 and / or b2 and / or b3 and / or b4 and / or b5 and / or b6 and / or b7 is carried out alternatively and / or additionally with a contact heater or non-contact heater or infrared heater.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the pile from a. is oriented downwards in variant 2, in step b4. a heavy layer is additionally applied before applying the film.

4. Method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that during contour punching the punching waste is reused, wherein the punching waste is used at least partially for the nonwoven and / or the heavy layer and / or the textile carrier.

5. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the additional carrier consists of mixed fiber fleece and / or torn punching waste laid to form a fleece.

6. Method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the heavy layer consists of chemically compatible materials and / or punching waste.

7. Flow-tight, lightweight, sustainable insulation component for vehicles, characterized in that - the insulating component has at least the following layers in a successive layer structure: - a textile outer fabric with a pile, - a textile carrier or a heavy layer, - a film as a vapor- and air-tight flow-tight layer and - an absorber layer made of a VON fleece with predominantly perpendicular fibers to the surface, whereby - the layers are connected to each other, - the outer fabric consists of a textile fabric, needle felt, dilour, tufted carpets and / or stretchable woven or knitted fabrics, whereby - the materials used in tufted carpets, such as fibre, binding and backing, are compatible with each other to such an extent that - they form a deformable surface element after tearing and re-formation of the fleece and / or - all components of the materials used are fully incorporated as additives in a heavy layer, - the textile carrier reinforces the outer fabric completely or partially and consists of a mixed fibre nonwoven made of compatible materials and / or PET fibres and / or CoPET integration and / or recycled punching waste, - the heavy layer is applied over the entire surface or partially, whereby the heavy layer consists of plastics and / or inorganic fillers and / or shredded punching waste and / or CoPET and / or EVA, - the plastics used can be mixed and / or bonded together, and these are selected from: PET, CoPET, EVA, PA, - the film consists of PA and / or PET and / or their copolymers, and - the insulation component is produced waste-free, as all punching waste generated during production is reused. The insulation component according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the insulation component was manufactured by a method according to one of the preceding method-related claims. The insulation component according to one of the preceding claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the film is arranged as a vapor- and air-tight, flow-tight layer between two adhesive layers. Insulation component according to one of the preceding claims 7 to 9, characterized in that provided and / or additional adhesive and / or adhesive layers - as multilayer films with the film as a vapor- and air-tight flow-tight layer in the middle and / or - are designed as covering layers and / or - are provided on the outer fabric and the fleece and / or - CoPET and / or EVA are selected as the material for the adhesive films. Insulating component according to one of the preceding claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the nonwoven fabric of the absorber layer has a total thickness of 4 to 60 mm or 20 to 50 mm. Insulating component according to one of the preceding claims 7 to 11, characterized in that the nonwoven fabric of the absorber layer - has a constant density of 10 to 130 g / l or between 20 and 50 g / l, and / or - has regions of different densities in the density spectrum from 20 g / l to 50 g / l over the fleece length. Insulating component according to one of the preceding claims 7 to 12, characterized in that - a fleece side of the insulation component can be attached to a body of a vehicle, this side being nubbed or - the fleece insulation is structured towards the body side.