Interior trim part of a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to an interior trim component (1) for a motor vehicle, said component comprising a needle-punched fibrous surface layer (2) having a surface face (6) based on thermoplastic structural fibers and bonding fibers connecting said structural fibers, said bonding fibers comprising a thermoplastic core covered with a thermoplastic sheath, said sheath having a melting point lower than that of said core and that of said structural fibers, said surface layer having been compressed at a temperature causing melting of said sheath without melting of said core and said structural fibers. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Interior trim part for a motor vehicle

[0001] The invention relates to an interior trim part for a motor vehicle and a method for producing such a part.

[0002] It is known to produce an interior trim piece - for example a floor mat or a side trim of a luggage compartment - of a motor vehicle, said piece comprising a needled fibrous appearance layer provided with an appearance face.

[0003] The surface layer of such a part may, due to its fibrous nature, present difficulties in cleaning its surface face, in particular by suction.

[0004] The invention aims to overcome this drawback.

[0005] To this end, and according to a first aspect, the invention proposes an interior trim part for a motor vehicle, said part comprising a needled fibrous appearance layer provided with an appearance face, said appearance layer being based on thermoplastic structural fibers and fibers for connecting said structural fibers to each other, said connecting fibers comprising a thermoplastic core coated with a thermoplastic sheath, said sheath having a melting point lower than that of said core and that of said structural fibers, said appearance layer having been compressed at a temperature causing melting of said sheath without melting said core and said structural fibers.

[0006] With the proposed arrangement, the applicant observed that the appearance face of the appearance layer has, due to the fusion of the sheath of the connecting fibers, a smoothing facilitating its cleaning, in particular by suction.

[0007] Furthermore, the use of binding fibers such as those described above makes it possible to maintain the appearance layer with a fibrous and homogeneous character of advantageous aesthetics, unlike what would be obtained with binding agents of another nature, such as polypropylene fibers which have the disadvantage of producing, after melting, inhomogeneous agglomerates and which harm the fibrous appearance of the appearance layer.

[0008] According to a second aspect, the invention proposes a method for producing such a part.

[0009] Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, given with reference to the attached figures, in which:

[0010] [Fig. 1] is a partial schematic sectional view of an interior trim part of a motor vehicle according to one embodiment, said part being shown at the end of molding between a punch and a die,

[0011] [Fig.2] is a schematic cross-sectional representation of a connecting fiber.

[0012] With reference to the figures, a part 1 for interior trim of a motor vehicle is described, said part comprising a needled fibrous appearance layer 2 provided with an appearance face 6, said appearance layer being based on thermoplastic structural fibers and fibers 3 for connecting said structural fibers to each other, said connecting fibers comprising a thermoplastic core 4 coated with a thermoplastic sheath 5, said sheath having a melting point lower than that of said core and that of said structural fibers, said appearance layer having been compressed at a temperature causing melting of said sheath without melting said core and said structural fibers.

[0013] The applicant has carried out various tests on the ability of the layer of aspect 2 to be easily cleaned, by dispersing various types of dirt (chips, sand, natural fibers, etc.) on its face of aspect 6 and has demonstrated a great facilitation of cleaning by suction of said layer compared to a similar layer which has not undergone the thermocompression described above.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the bonding fibers 3 represent from 10 to 30% by mass of the appearance layer 2, which allows good flexural strength of the part 1 obtained and good smoothing of the appearance face 6.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the surface mass of the appearance layer 2 is greater than 300 g / m2, so as to present an advantageous appearance, said surface mass being in particular less than 800 g / m2 in order to minimize the cost of the part 1 provided with said layer.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the connecting fibers 3 and the structure are based on polyester, the polyester of the sheath 5 of said connecting fibers having undergone a chemical treatment making it possible to lower its melting point compared to that of the core 4.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the aspect 2 layer is devoid of a latex layer opposite its aspect 6 face.

[0018] It is specified here that a layer of latex is usually arranged in order to reinforce the abrasion resistance of a surface layer; however, the applicant has observed that the thermocompression implemented to obtain the surface layer 2 makes the latter very resistant to abrasion and makes it unnecessary to add latex to its reverse side to improve said resistance.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the surface layer 2 is provided with a sub-layer 7 associated with the opposite of its surface face 6, said sub-layer being able in particular to be based on: • thermoplastic elastomer provided with a mineral filler, in order to obtain a complex usable as a heavy layer in a “spring mass” type acoustic insulation system, the spring of said system being formed by superimposing said complex on an elastically compressible layer, by example based on foam or felt, • felt, in order to provide acoustic protection by “two-layer” type absorption, • a thermoplastic film, with a view to creating a seal for acoustic protection purposes by insulation, • etc.

[0020] It will also be noted that the presence of such an underlayer 7 makes it possible to reinforce the flexural strength of the part 1.

[0021] According to the embodiment shown, the appearance layer 2 is provided with hollow markings 8 resulting from overcompression, said markings being for example in the form of logos, decorative patterns, etc.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the connecting fibers 3 have a count of between 1.5 and 8 dtex.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the structural fibers have a count of between 3 and 18 dtex.

[0024] A method for producing such an interior trim part 1 for a motor vehicle is now described, in a manner partially represented in [Fig. 1], said method comprising the following steps: • provide a needled fibrous layer, said layer being based on a mixture of thermoplastic structural fibers and fibers 3 for connecting said structural fibers to each other, said connecting fibers comprising a thermoplastic core 4 and a thermoplastic sheath 5 enveloping said core, said sheath having a melting point lower than that of said core and that of said structural fibers, • heating said compressed fibrous layer between two heating plates brought to a temperature allowing fusion of said sheath without fusion of said core and said structural fibers, so as to transform said fibrous layer into a fibrous aspect 2 layer of reduced thickness compared to that of said fibrous layer and having a face of aspect 6 smoothed by said fusion, • carry out a molding of said appearance layer by placing said layer between a cooled punch 9 and die 10.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the method comprises an additional step of assembling a sub-layer 7 on the reverse side of the surface layer 2, in order to produce a complex intended to be placed between the heating plates to heat the fibrous layer.

[0026] This assembly of the sub-layer 7 can be carried out for example by hot calendering on the fibrous layer, of said sub-layer having been previously heated, or by bonding of said sub-layer during the heating of said fibrous layer (with possible interposition of a fusible bonding agent, for example in the form of polyethylene powder).

[0027] According to one embodiment, the punch 9 and / or the die 10 are shaped so as to allow localized overcompression of the surface layer 2 in order to give it hollow markings 8.

Claims

Claims

1. Part (1) for interior trim of a motor vehicle, said part comprising a needled fibrous appearance layer (2) provided with an appearance face (6), said part being characterized in that said appearance layer is based on thermoplastic structural fibers and fibers (3) connecting said structural fibers to each other, said connecting fibers comprising a thermoplastic core (4) coated with a thermoplastic sheath (5), said sheath having a melting point lower than that of said core and that of said structural fibers, said appearance layer having been compressed at a temperature causing melting of said sheath without melting said core and said structural fibers.

2. Part (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the binding fibers (3) represent from 10 to 30% by mass of the appearance layer (2).

3. Part (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the surface mass of the appearance layer (2) is greater than 300g / m2.

4. Part (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting (3) and structural fibers are polyester-based.

5. Part (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the appearance layer (2) is devoid of a latex layer opposite its appearance face (6).

6. Part (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the appearance layer (2) is provided with an underlayer (7) associated with the opposite of its appearance face (6).

7. Part (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the appearance layer (2) is provided with hollow markings (8) resulting from overcompression.

8. Method for producing a part (1) of interior trim for a motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, said method comprising the following steps: • providing a needled fibrous layer, said layer being based on a mixture of thermoplastic structural fibers and fibers (3) for connecting said structural fibers to each other, said connecting fibers comprising a thermoplastic core and a thermoplastic sheath enveloping said core, said sheath having a melting point lower than that of said core and that of said structural fibers, • heating said compressed fibrous layer between two heating plates brought to a temperature allowing fusion of said sheath without fusion of said core and said structural fibers, so as to transform said fibrous layer into a fibrous appearance layer (2) of reduced thickness compared to that of said fibrous layer and having an appearance face smoothed by said fusion, • molding said appearance layer by placing said layer between a cooled punch and die.

9. Method according to claim 8, when it relates to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises an additional step of assembling a sub-layer (7) on the reverse side of the surface layer (2), in order to produce a complex intended to be placed between the heating plates to heat the fibrous layer.

10. Method according to one of claims 8 or 9 when it relates to claim 7, characterized in that the punch (9) and / or the matrix (10) are shaped so as to allow localized overcompression of the appearance layer (2) in order to give it hollow markings (8).

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