Glossy vehicle floor mat and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

To provide a floor mat for a vehicle in which a color tone or a glossy feeling is made different depending on a viewing angle in order to exhibit more novel design.SOLUTION: A vehicle floor mat (1) includes a base fabric (20), cut pile yarns (10) implanted in the base fabric, and a precoat layer (31) provided on a back surface of the base fabric. The cut pile yarn includes a bright yarn (11) that is relatively bright and a dull yarn (12) that is relatively dull and has a greater crimp than the bright yarn. On the surface side of the base fabric, the height of the glossy yarn (11) is larger than that of the mat yarn (12).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle floor mat placed under the feet of a driver or passenger in a vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicle floor mat having a glossy appearance. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A tufted carpet type floor mat is known for use in vehicles, in which pile yarns are tufted into a base fabric and a backing layer of synthetic resin or rubber is provided on the back surface of the base fabric.

[0003] The surface color of this type of vehicle floor mat can be set in various ways by dyeing after tufting or by coloring the pile yarn itself used, but there is a problem in that the design is still lacking.

[0004] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-323950 (Patent Document 1) discloses a light-reflective rug with lighting and display effects. The light-reflective rug disclosed in this document uses glossy yarn as part of the yarns constituting the fiber fabric in a specific area so that the specific area reflects light.

[0005] Utility Model Registration No. 3015364 (Patent Document 2) discloses a car mat in which pile yarns containing gold and silver threads are implanted on the surface side of a base fabric, and a backing layer of rubber or synthetic resin is formed on the back side of the base fabric. With this structure, the glittering metallic luster of the gold and silver threads is added to the color tone of the pile yarns, giving the surface of the mat a unique glitter-like shine not seen before and enhancing the design. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-323950 [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3015364 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the rugs and car mats disclosed in JP 2005-323950 A (Patent Document 1) and Utility Model Registration No. 3015364 A (Patent Document 2), shiny threads are implanted into a base fabric to create a glossy appearance, but the glossiness remains unchanged, and no change in color tone or glossiness is observed regardless of the angle from which the rugs or car mats are viewed.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a floor mat for a vehicle that has different color tones or gloss depending on the viewing angle in order to exhibit a more original design. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The vehicle floor mat according to the present invention comprises a base fabric, cut pile yarns implanted in the base fabric, and a precoat layer provided on the back surface of the base fabric. The cut pile yarns include glossy yarns that are relatively glossy and non-glossy yarns that are relatively dull and have greater crimping properties than the glossy yarns. On the front surface side of the base fabric, the height of the glossy yarns is greater than that of the non-glossy yarns.

[0010] The material of the glossy thread is, for example, polyester or polyamide, and the material of the matte thread is, for example, polypropylene or polyamide.

[0011] In one embodiment, the glossy yarn is a glossy twisted yarn made by twisting together a plurality of glossy fiber yarns, and the dull yarn is a dull straight yarn that is not twisted together.

[0012] In another embodiment, the glossy yarn is a glossy twisted yarn made by twisting together multiple glossy fiber yarns, and the dull yarn is a dull twisted yarn made by twisting together multiple dull fiber yarns, in which case the glossy yarn has a higher twist than the dull yarn.

[0013] In yet another embodiment, the glossy yarn is a glossy twisted yarn made by twisting together multiple glossy fiber yarns, and the matte yarn is a matte twisted yarn made by twisting together multiple non-glossy fiber yarns, and the heat setting temperature of the glossy twisted yarn is higher than the heat setting temperature of the matte twisted yarn.

[0014] The upward protrusion length of the tip of the glossy yarn located above the non-glossy yarn is, for example, in the range of 1 to 3 mm.

[0015] When the cut pile yarns implanted in the base fabric are viewed from above, the area occupied by the glossy yarns is, for example, in the range of 5 to 20%.

[0016] The method for manufacturing a vehicle floor mat according to the present invention comprises the following steps.

[0017] (a) Providing a relatively shiny glossy yarn and a relatively dull glossy yarn having a greater crimp than the shiny yarn.

[0018] (b) A process of flocking glossy and non-glossy yarns onto a base fabric.

[0019] (c) A heating process in which a pre-coat layer is applied to the backside of the base fabric to prevent the glossy and non-glossy yarns from coming off and is maintained at a predetermined heating temperature.

[0020] (d) A process in which the non-glossy yarn is crimped by heating during the heating process, causing the tip of the glossy yarn to protrude above the non-glossy yarn.

[0021] In one embodiment, the glossy yarn is a glossy twisted yarn made by twisting together a plurality of glossy polyester or polyamide fiber yarns and heat-setting them at 130 to 160°C. The heating temperature during the heating step is 100°C or higher and lower than 130°C.

[0022] The dull yarn is, for example, a dull twisted yarn made by twisting together multiple dull polypropylene or polyamide fiber yarns and then not heat-setting them. In another embodiment, the dull yarn is a dull twisted yarn made by twisting together multiple dull polypropylene or polyamide fiber yarns and then heat-setting them at 110 to 130°C. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] In the vehicle floor mat of the present invention, the tips of the glossy yarns protrude above the surrounding non-glossy yarns, so when the surface of the vehicle floor mat is observed from diagonally above, the protruding glossy yarns stand out, making the entire surface of the cut pile yarn appear glossy. On the other hand, when the surface of the vehicle floor mat is viewed from directly above, the glossy yarns are buried in the surrounding non-glossy yarns, making the color of the non-glossy yarns stand out overall and not giving the mat a glossy appearance.

[0024] As described above, the vehicle floor mat according to the present invention has different color tones or glossy appearance depending on the viewing angle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a vehicle floor mat according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing glossy yarn and non-glossy yarn. [Figure 3] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of a method for manufacturing a vehicle floor mat according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state after pile yarns are implanted in a base fabric and before heating is performed in a heating step. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the difference in height of pile yarns after heating in the heating step. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] An embodiment of a vehicle floor mat according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 1. The vehicle floor mat 1 includes a base fabric 20, cut pile yarns 10 implanted in the base fabric 20, a precoat layer 31 provided on the back surface of the base fabric 20, and a backing layer 32 bonded to the back surface of the precoat layer 31.

[0027] The base fabric 20 is, for example, a sheet made of a hard resin material with a high melting point. The cut pile yarns 10 are formed by cutting the loop portions located on the surface of the base fabric 20 at the same time as tufting the pile yarns, and the individual yarns stand up in a dispersed manner on the base fabric 20. The cut pile yarns 10 are made of, for example, polyester, polypropylene, polyamide, nylon, etc.

[0028] The precoat layer 31 is primarily a rubber layer or SBR resin layer applied to the back surface of the base fabric 20 to prevent the cut pile yarns 10 implanted in the base fabric 20 from coming loose. The backing layer 32 bonded to the back surface of the precoat layer 31 is made of, for example, polyethylene, thermoplastic rubber, or thermoplastic elastomer. The back surface of the backing layer 32 may be treated with an anti-slip coating. Alternatively, a secondary base fabric (nonwoven fabric) may be bonded to the back surface of the backing layer 32.

[0029] The feature of this embodiment is that the cut pile yarn 10 includes glossy yarn 11, which is relatively glossy, and non-glossy yarn 12, which is relatively dull and has greater crimping properties than the glossy yarn 11, and the height of the glossy yarn 11 on the surface side of the base fabric 20 is greater than the height of the non-glossy yarn 12.

[0030] "Crimping" refers to the degree of thermal shrinkage of the yarn before and after heating. Even if the length (height) of the glossy yarn 11 and the matte yarn 12 standing on the base fabric 20 is the same before heating, the heating during the formation of the precoat layer 31 causes the matte yarn 12 to shrink significantly, causing the tip of the glossy yarn 11 to protrude above the surrounding matte yarn 12. This state is shown in Figure 1.

[0031] The glossy yarn 11 is made of, for example, polyester with a softening point of about 230 to 240°C. The matte yarn 12 is made of, for example, polypropylene with a softening point of about 140 to 160°C. In order to reduce the crimping tendency of the glossy yarn 11 (to reduce the degree of heat shrinkage before and after heating), in a preferred embodiment, the glossy yarn 11 is a glossy twisted yarn made by twisting together multiple glossy fiber yarns, and more preferably, is a glossy twisted yarn that has been heat-set at a temperature range (for example, 130 to 160°C) higher than the heating temperature range (100 to less than 130°C) used to form the precoat layer. The glossy twisted yarn 11 that has been heat-set at a temperature range of 130 to 160°C does not untwist even in the heated state used to form the precoat layer, and therefore has a low degree of crimping (heat shrinkage).

[0032] The glossy yarn 11 is dyed to a glossy color, such as gold or silver. In the case of glossy twisted yarn, each fiber yarn to be twisted together is dyed to a glossy color.

[0033] For example, in one embodiment, the polypropylene matte yarn 12 is a matte twisted yarn made by twisting together multiple matte fiber yarns, and is preferably a matte twisted yarn that has been heat-set at a temperature range (e.g., 110 to 130°C) lower than the softening point temperature (140 to 160°C). This matte twisted yarn 12 untwists when heated (100°C or higher and lower than 130°C) during precoat layer formation, resulting in a greater degree of crimp (thermal shrinkage).

[0034] Therefore, as shown in Figure 1, in the vehicle floor mat 1 after application of the precoat layer 31 and attachment of the backing layer 32 are complete, the height of the highly crimped non-glossy yarns 12 is reduced, and the tips of the glossy yarns 11 protrude above the surrounding non-glossy yarns 12. The protruding length of the glossy yarns 11 located above the surrounding non-glossy yarns 12 is, for example, in the range of 1 to 3 mm. Furthermore, when the entire cut pile yarns 10 implanted in the base fabric 20 are viewed from above (directly above), the area occupied by the glossy yarns 11 is, for example, in the range of 5 to 20%.

[0035] Although it partially overlaps with the above description, the method for manufacturing the vehicle floor mat 1 will be described below with reference to Figures 2 to 5. Figure 3 shows each step of the manufacturing method.

[0036] First, in step S1, glossy yarn 11 and dull yarn 12 are prepared. Comparing the crimp properties, glossy yarn 11 has a relatively small crimp property, while dull yarn 12 has a relatively large crimp property. Some combinations of the shapes of glossy yarn 11 and dull yarn 12 that produce such a difference in crimp property are described below.

[0037] [Combination example 1] The glossy yarn 11 is a glossy twisted yarn made by twisting together multiple glossy fiber yarns, as shown in Figure 2(a). On the other hand, the dull yarn 12 is an untwisted dull straight yarn 12a, as shown in Figure 2(b). The glossy twisted yarn 11 does not crimp much even after being heated during the formation of the precoat layer, but the dull straight yarn 12a crimps significantly after being heated during the formation of the precoat layer.

[0038] [Combination example 2] As shown in Figure 2(a), the glossy yarn 11 is a glossy twisted yarn made by twisting together multiple glossy fiber yarns, and the dull yarn 12 is a dull twisted yarn 12b made by twisting together multiple non-glossy fiber yarns, as shown in Figure 2(c). The number of twists in the glossy twisted yarn 11 is greater than the number of twists in the dull twisted yarn 12b. Therefore, even if untwisting occurs during heating when forming the precoat layer, the dull twisted yarn 12b, which has a lower number of twists, will have greater crimping properties than the glossy twisted yarn 11, which has a higher number of twists.

[0039] [Combination example 3] Both the glossy yarn 11 and the matte yarn 12 are twisted yarns, but the glossy yarn is made of a resin with a relatively high melting point, while the matte yarn is made of a resin with a relatively low melting point. Therefore, when comparing the heat-setting temperatures to fix the twist, the heat-setting temperature for the glossy yarn is higher than that for the matte yarn. Due to this difference in heat-setting temperatures, the glossy yarn does not crimp much even after undergoing the heating condition during pre-coat layer formation, while the matte yarn crimps significantly during the heating condition during pre-coat layer formation.

[0040] [Combination example 4] Both the glossy thread 11 and the matte thread 12 are straight threads that are not twisted, but the glossy thread 11 is made of a resin with a small linear expansion coefficient, and the matte thread 12 is made of a resin with a large linear expansion coefficient. Due to this difference in linear expansion coefficient, the matte thread 12 shrinks more than the glossy thread 11 after being heated during the formation of the precoat layer, and as a result, the tip of the glossy thread 11 protrudes above the surrounding matte threads 12.

[0041] Next, in step S2, the glossy yarn 11 and the matte yarn 12 are implanted into the base fabric 20. Specifically, the glossy yarn 11 and the matte yarn 12 are combined and passed through the needle holes of a tufting machine to perform tufting, and at the same time, the pile yarn loops located on the surface of the base fabric 20 are cut to form cut pile yarns 10. At this point, the height of each cut pile yarn standing on the base fabric 20 is the same.

[0042] Next, in step S3, in order to prevent the cut pile yarns 10 from coming loose, the back surface of the base fabric 20 is coated with, for example, SBR resin 31, and dried in a dryer at a temperature maintained at 100 to less than 130°C.

[0043] Next, in step S4, the backing layer 32 is attached to the rear surface of the dried precoat layer 31. At this time, pressure may be applied to the attached backing layer 32.

[0044] Figure 4 shows the state before heating when forming the precoat layer, and Figure 5 shows the state after heating when forming the precoat layer. Before heating, the glossy yarns 11 and matte yarns 12 standing on the base fabric 20 have the same height, but after heating, the matte yarns 12 are significantly crimped, so that the tips of the glossy yarns 11 protrude above the surrounding matte yarns 12.

[0045] The glossy yarns 11 are dispersed almost uniformly over the entire surface of the cut pile yarns 10, occupying about 5 to 20% of the entire area. The upward projection length of the tips of the glossy yarns 11 is about 1 to 3 mm.

[0046] Therefore, when the completed vehicle floor mat 1 is viewed from above (directly above), the glossy yarns 11 are buried in the surrounding non-glossy yarns 12 and are not noticeable. As a result, the cut pile yarns 10 as a whole appear to have a non-glossy color and do not exhibit a glossy appearance.

[0047] On the other hand, when the completed vehicle floor mat 1 is viewed from diagonally above, slightly above the horizontal position, the presence of the glossy yarn 11 protruding above the surrounding non-glossy yarn 12 stands out, and the entire surface of the cut pile yarn 10 appears to have a glossy appearance.

[0048] The vehicle floor mat 1, which has different color tones and gloss depending on the viewing angle as described above, exhibits a more original design and attracts more interest from consumers.

[0049] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. Various modifications and changes can be made to the illustrated embodiments within the same scope as the present invention or within the scope equivalent thereto. [Industrial Applicability]

[0050] The present invention can be advantageously used as a highly aesthetic floor mat for a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1. Vehicle floor mat, 10. cut pile yarn, 11. glossy yarn, 12. matte yarn, 20. base fabric, 31. precoat layer, 32. backing layer.

Claims

1. A base fabric and Cut pile yarns implanted in the base fabric; A precoat layer is provided on the back surface of the base fabric, The cut pile yarn includes a glossy yarn that is relatively glossy, and a non-glossy yarn that is relatively dull and has a greater crimp than the glossy yarn, The vehicle floor mat has a height of the glossy threads greater than a height of the non-glossy threads on the surface side of the base fabric.

2. 2. The vehicle floor mat according to claim 1, wherein the glossy threads are made of polyester or polyamide, and the non-glossy threads are made of polypropylene or polyamide.

3. The glossy yarn is a glossy twisted yarn obtained by twisting together a plurality of glossy fiber yarns, 2. The vehicle floor mat according to claim 1, wherein the non-glossy yarn is a non-twisted non-glossy straight yarn.

4. The glossy yarn is a glossy twisted yarn obtained by twisting together a plurality of glossy fiber yarns, The dull yarn is a dull twisted yarn obtained by twisting together a plurality of dull fiber yarns, 2. The vehicle floor mat according to claim 1, wherein the number of twists of the glossy yarn is greater than the number of twists of the non-glossy yarn.

5. The glossy yarn is a glossy twisted yarn obtained by twisting together a plurality of glossy fiber yarns, The dull yarn is a dull twisted yarn obtained by twisting together a plurality of dull fiber yarns, 2. The vehicle floor mat of claim 1, wherein the heat setting temperature of the glossy yarn is higher than the heat setting temperature of the non-glossy yarn.

6. 2. The vehicle floor mat according to claim 1, wherein the length of the tip of the glossy thread located above the non-glossy thread that protrudes upward is in the range of 1 to 3 mm.

7. 2. The vehicle floor mat according to claim 1, wherein when the cut pile yarns implanted in the base fabric are viewed from above, the glossy yarns occupy an area in the range of 5 to 20%.

8. providing a relatively shiny glossy yarn and a relatively dull glossy yarn having a greater crimp than the shiny yarn; a step of implanting the glossy yarn and the matte yarn into a base fabric; a heating step of providing a precoat layer on the back surface of the base fabric to prevent the glossy yarn and the non-glossy yarn from coming off and maintaining the precoat layer at a predetermined heating temperature; The method for manufacturing a vehicle floor mat includes a step of crimping the non-glossy yarns by heating in the heating step, and causing the tips of the glossy yarns to protrude above the non-glossy yarns.

9. The glossy yarn is a glossy twisted yarn obtained by twisting together a plurality of glossy polyester or polyamide fiber yarns and heat-setting them at 130 to 160°C; The method for manufacturing a floor mat for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the heating temperature during the heating step is 100°C or higher and lower than 130°C.

10. 10. The method for manufacturing a floor mat for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the non-glossy yarn is a non-glossy twisted yarn obtained by twisting together a plurality of non-glossy polypropylene or polyamide fiber yarns without subsequent heat setting.

11. The method for manufacturing a vehicle floor mat according to claim 9, wherein the matte yarn is a matte twisted yarn obtained by twisting together a plurality of matte polypropylene or polyamide fiber yarns and then heat setting the matte yarn at 110 to 130°C.

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