Vehicle interior panels

Abstract

To provide a vehicle interior panel that can utilize recycled materials while suppressing a deterioration in appearance and tactile feel. [Solution] The upper panel 20 comprises a base material 21 made of a resin composition containing waste material obtained by finely grinding a resin molded product, and a decorative layer 30 laminated on the upper surface 21a of the base material 21. The base material 21 has coating particles 23, which are derived from waste material and have a different composition from the base resin 22, dispersed in a base resin 22, which is the main component of the resin composition. The upper surface 21a of the base material 21 has a base layer 31 to which the coating particles 23 are bonded to the upper surface 21a of the base resin 22, and a plurality of protrusions 32 that protrude from the upper surface of the base layer 31.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an interior panel for a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a method has been proposed for manufacturing a resin molded product by collecting waste materials such as bumper covers of automobiles and recycling them as raw materials. Specifically, the waste material is finely pulverized into granules. Then, a virgin material of the same resin as the resin base material constituting the waste material and the finely pulverized waste material are mixed. After the recycled material thus obtained is put into an injection molding apparatus, it is melted by a heater and injected into the cavity of a mold to form a resin molded product.

[0003] Further, Patent Document 1 describes that a recycled material excellent in thermal properties, physical properties, etc. can be obtained by mixing the above-mentioned finely pulverized waste material with cellulose fibers obtained from waste paper or wood powder obtained by crushing construction waste materials. By using such a recycled material, a resin molded product excellent in heat resistance, strength, etc. can be obtained.

[0004] <00oooo15> On the other hand, the recycled material contains coating film particles derived from waste materials as foreign substances. Therefore, coating film particles will be scattered on the design surface of the resin molded product formed from the recycled material. As a result, the appearance of the resin molded product may be impaired.

[0005] In contrast, in the resin molded product described in Patent Document 1, the appearance pattern of the base material is concealed by laminating a resin film on the surface of the base material. Thereby, the appearance of the resin molded product is improved.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0007] Incidentally, in these resin molded products, foreign matter such as coating particles may protrude from the surface of the base resin, which is the main component of the substrate. In this case, even if a resin film is laminated onto the substrate surface, the portion of the resin film that overlaps with the aforementioned foreign matter will protrude more than the other smooth parts. As a result, the appearance of the resin molded product may be impaired. Furthermore, if such resin molded products are applied to vehicle interior panels, problems such as poor tactile feel may arise due to snagging on the smooth design surface. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in improving the appearance and tactile feel of vehicle interior panels made from recycled materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This section describes various embodiments of vehicle interior panels designed to solve the above-mentioned problems. [Aspect 1] An interior panel for a vehicle comprising a base material made of a resin composition containing waste material obtained by finely grinding a resin molded product, and a decorative layer laminated on the outer surface of the base material, wherein the base material has particles derived from the waste material and having a different composition from the base resin dispersed in a base resin which is the main component of the resin composition, and the outer surface of the base material has protruding portions formed in which the particles protrude beyond the outer surface of the base resin, and the decorative layer has a base layer bonded to the outer surface of the base material and a plurality of protrusions protruding from the outer surface of the base layer.

[0009] According to the above configuration, a decorative layer having multiple protrusions is laminated on the outer surface of the substrate. Therefore, even if protrusions are formed on the outer surface of the substrate, these protrusions are concealed by the decorative layer. Furthermore, the portion of the decorative layer that overlaps the protrusions blends in with the multiple protrusions of the decorative layer and becomes less noticeable. As a result, the deterioration of the appearance of the vehicle interior panel can be suppressed.

[0010] Furthermore, with the above configuration, when an occupant touches the decorative surface of the vehicle's interior panel, they will first come into contact with multiple protrusions. This reduces the likelihood of snagging on the decorative layer where it overlaps with the protrusions. As a result, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the tactile feel of the vehicle's interior panel caused by such snagging.

[0011] Therefore, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the appearance and tactile feel of vehicle interior panels made from recycled materials. [Aspect 2] The vehicle interior panel according to [Aspect 1], wherein the average value of the protruding heights of the plurality of protrusions is equal to or greater than the average value of the protruding heights of the protruding parts.

[0012] According to the above configuration, by setting the protrusion height of the multiple protrusions to a sufficiently high level, the effect of suppressing a deterioration in the appearance of the vehicle's interior panel is suitably achieved. Furthermore, the effect of suppressing a deterioration in the tactile feel of the vehicle's interior panel due to the aforementioned snagging is suitably achieved. Therefore, the deterioration of the appearance and tactile feel of the vehicle's interior panel made from recycled materials can be further suppressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the appearance and tactile feel of vehicle interior panels made from waste materials. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a console box with an upper panel as one embodiment of a vehicle interior panel. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the upper panel of Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] An embodiment of a vehicle interior panel will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. In this embodiment, the present invention is embodied as the upper panel 20 of a console box 13 located between the driver's seat 11 and the passenger seat 12 in the interior of an automobile.

[0016] In the following, the longitudinal direction of a vehicle will be referred to as the longitudinal direction, and the front and rear of the longitudinal direction will simply be described as the front and rear. The width direction of a vehicle will be referred to as the vehicle width direction, and the right and left sides in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the rear to the front of the vehicle will simply be described as the right and left sides. The vertical direction of a vehicle when it is positioned on a horizontal plane will be referred to as the vertical direction, and the upper and lower parts of the vertical direction will simply be described as the upper and lower parts.

[0017] <Console Box 13> As shown in Figure 1, a pair of automotive seats are arranged at the front of the vehicle interior, spaced apart in the width direction of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the seat on the right is the driver's seat 11 where the driver sits, and the seat on the left is the passenger seat 12 where the passenger sits. A console box 13 extending in the front-to-back direction is positioned between the driver's seat 11 and the passenger seat 12.

[0018] The console box 13 comprises a box body 14, an armrest 15, a cup holder 16, and an upper panel 20. The box body 14 is a bottomed box shape having, for example, an upper opening that opens upward and a storage area (neither of which is shown) that serves as a recess connected to the upper opening. The armrest 15 is attached to the box body 14 and closes the upper opening of the box body 14. The console box 13 is configured such that, for example, by moving the armrest 15 relative to the box body 14 between a closed state that closes the upper opening and an open state that opens the upper opening, it is possible to put items in and take them out of the storage area through the upper opening.

[0019] The upper panel 20 is attached to a location in front of the armrest 15 in the upper part of the box body 14 where the cup holder 16 and the like are arranged. The upper panel 20 constitutes the design surface 13a of the console box 13.

[0020] <Upper panel 20> As shown in FIG. 2, the upper panel 20 includes a base material 21 and a decorative layer 30. The base material 21 is composed of a resin composition obtained by mixing waste material obtained by finely pulverizing an automobile bumper cover and a virgin material of resin. The bumper cover corresponds to the resin molded product described in the [Means for Solving the Problems] column, and for example, has a resin base material and a decorative layer laminated on the front surface of the base material. Examples of the decorative layer include a coating film, a plating layer, a hot stamping layer, a film layer, a vapor deposition layer, a printing layer, and the like. In the present embodiment, the decorative layer constituting the bumper cover is a coating film.

[0021] The base material 21 has a base resin 22 which is the main component of the resin composition and coating film particles 23 as foreign matter dispersed in the base resin 22. The base resin 22 is, for example, polypropylene (PP). The thickness of the base resin 22 in the vertical direction is, for example, 2.5 mm. The coating film particles 23 are those obtained by finely pulverizing the coating film of the bumper cover. Here, the coating film contains a resin different from PP and a pigment as components. That is, the coating film particles 23 are different from the base resin 22 in terms of components and color development, and correspond to the particles described in the [Means for Solving the Problems] column. The maximum particle size of the coating film particles 23 is, for example, 50 μm.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, on the outer surface of the base material 21 (hereinafter, the upper surface 21a), a plurality of protruding portions 24 are formed in which the coating film particles 23 protrude more than the outer surface of the base resin 22 (hereinafter, the upper surface 22a). The protruding height H1 of the protruding portion 24 from the upper surface 22a is, for example, 10 μm or more and 30 μm or less (see FIG. 3).

[0023] The decorative layer 30 is a decorative film formed by embossing the surface of a resin film, for example, and has an uneven design surface 30a. The design surface 30a constitutes a part of the design surface 13a of the console box 13.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the decorative layer 30 has a base layer 31 laminated and bonded to the upper surface 21a, and a plurality of protrusions 32 protruding from the outer surface of the base layer 31 (hereinafter, the upper surface 31a). The base layer 31 covers the entire upper surface 21a from above. The thickness T2 of the base layer 31 in the vertical direction is appropriately set so that the thickness T1 of the decorative layer 30 in the vertical direction is, for example, 0.1 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less. The plurality of protrusions 32 form the unevenness of the design surface 30a and are provided over the entire upper surface 31a of the base layer 31. The protrusion height H2 of the plurality of protrusions 32 from the upper surface 31a is preferably, for example, 10 μm or more and 80 μm or less. In this embodiment, the protrusion height H2 of the plurality of protrusions 32 is set so that the average value A1 of the protrusion heights H2 of the plurality of protrusions 32 is equal to or greater than the average value A2 of the protrusion heights H1 of the plurality of protrusions 24 (A1 ≥ A2).

[0025] <Operation of this embodiment> A decorative layer 30 having multiple protrusions 32 is laminated onto the upper surface 21a of the base material 21. Therefore, even if a protrusion 24 is formed on the upper surface 21a of the base material 21, the protrusion 24 is concealed by the decorative layer 30. Furthermore, the portion of the decorative layer 30 that overlaps the protrusion 24 blends in with the multiple protrusions 32 of the decorative layer 30 and becomes less noticeable.

[0026] Furthermore, when an occupant touches the decorative surface 30a of the upper panel 20, the multiple protrusions 32 will be the first to come into contact with it. This reduces the likelihood of snagging on the portion of the decorative layer 30 that overlaps with the protrusions 24.

[0027] <Effects of this embodiment> (1) The upper panel 20 comprises a base material 21 made of a resin composition containing waste material obtained by finely crushing a bumper cover, and a decorative layer 30 laminated on the upper surface 21a of the base material 21. The base material 21 has coating particles 23, which are derived from the above-mentioned waste material and have a different composition from the base resin 22, dispersed in a base resin 22. On the upper surface 21a of the base material 21, protrusions 24 are formed in which the coating particles 23 protrude beyond the upper surface 22a of the base resin 22. The decorative layer 30 has a base layer 31 bonded to the upper surface 21a of the base material 21, and a plurality of protrusions 32 protruding from the upper surface 31a of the base layer 31.

[0028] This configuration produces the effects described above. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the appearance and tactile feel of the upper panel 20 made from recycled materials. (2) The average value A1 of the protruding heights H2 of the multiple protrusions 32 is equal to or greater than the average value A2 of the protruding heights H1 of the multiple protruding parts 24.

[0029] With this configuration, by setting the protrusion height H2 of the multiple protrusions 32 to a sufficiently high level, the effect of suppressing a deterioration in the appearance of the upper panel 20 is preferably achieved. Furthermore, the effect of suppressing a deterioration in the tactile feel of the upper panel 20 due to the aforementioned snagging is preferably achieved. Therefore, the deterioration of the appearance and tactile feel of the upper panel 20 made from recycled materials can be further suppressed.

[0030] <Example of changes> This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0031] The resin composition according to the present invention is not limited to a mixture of waste material and virgin PP material as exemplified in this embodiment, but may also consist solely of waste material. The particles according to the present invention are not limited to the coating particles 23 exemplified in this embodiment. For example, when a front grille made of a resin substrate with a plated layer laminated on its front surface is used as waste material, the finely pulverized metal scraps from the plated layer would correspond to the particles according to the present invention. Also, for example, when the substrate constituting a resin molded product is made of fiber-reinforced resin, the glass fibers contained in the fiber-reinforced resin would correspond to the particles according to the present invention.

[0032] The base resin 22 is not limited to PP as exemplified in this embodiment. For example, if waste material obtained by finely grinding a resin molded product having an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) resin substrate is used, the base resin 22 will be ABS resin.

[0033] The protruding height H2 of the multiple protrusions 32 is not limited to being set such that the average value A1 is equal to or greater than the average value A2, as illustrated in this embodiment. Within the range in which the effects of this embodiment are achieved, the average value A1 may be set to be less than the average value A2.

[0034] The waste material according to the present invention is not limited to that which originates from resin molded products applied to automobiles, such as the bumper cover exemplified in this embodiment or the front grille exemplified in the above modified example. For example, the waste material may originate from resin molded products applied to home appliances. Even in this case, the resin molded product only needs to have a resin base material and a decorative layer laminated on the front surface of the base material.

[0035] The vehicle interior panel according to the present invention is not limited to the upper panel 20 of the console box 13 exemplified in this embodiment, but can also be applied to interior panels such as door trims and instrument panels. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] A1, A2...Average values H1, H2... Projection height T1, T2... thickness 11…Driver's seat 12…Passenger seat 13…Console box 13a…Design surface 14…Box body 15…Armrest 16…Cup holder 20… Upper panel 21...Base material 21a…Top surface 22…Base resin 22a…Top surface 23...paint film particles 24...Protruding part 30… Decorative layer 30a...Design surface 31…Base layer 31a…Top surface 32…Protrusion

Claims

1. A vehicle interior panel comprising a base material made of a resin composition containing waste material obtained by finely grinding a resin molded product, and a decorative layer laminated on the outer surface of the base material, The substrate is a base resin which is the main component of the resin composition, in which particles derived from the waste material and having a different composition from the base resin are dispersed. The outer surface of the substrate has protrusions formed on it, where the particles protrude beyond the outer surface of the base resin. The decorative layer comprises a base layer bonded to the outer surface of the substrate and a plurality of protrusions projecting from the outer surface of the base layer. Vehicle interior panels.

2. The average of the protruding heights of the multiple protrusions is equal to or greater than the average of the protruding heights of the protruding parts. The interior panel for a vehicle according to claim 1.

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