Interior parts

Abstract

To provide interior parts that can appropriately create a stitched pattern on the surface of the parts. [Solution] The interior part 1 comprises a resin base material 2 and decorative stitches 4 that form a stitch pattern of thread T on the surface of the part. Multiple thread-through portions T1 of the thread T, which are inserted into the base material 2, are fixed to the base material 2 by welding. With this configuration, a stitch pattern of thread T can be formed on the surface of the part without sewing the thread T to the base material 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to interior parts. More specifically, it relates to interior parts having a resin base material.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses interior parts used for an instrument panel or a door trim of an automobile. This interior part has a resin base material as a base and a skin material covering the surface of the base material. The skin material is decorated with stitches for enhancing the design.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, since the skin material decorated with stitches is adhered to the base material, the decoration position is likely to shift during adhesion. Therefore, the present invention provides an interior part capable of appropriately forming a seam pattern of a thread on the surface of the part.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] As means for solving the above problems, the interior part of the present invention takes the following means.

[0006] That is, the first invention of the present invention is an interior part having a resin base material, having a decorative stitch for forming a seam pattern of a thread on the surface of the part, and a plurality of thread passages through which the thread is inserted into the base material are fixed to the base material by welding.

[0007] According to the first invention, a stitch pattern can be easily and appropriately formed on the surface of a component without sewing threads to the base material.

[0008] The second invention of the present invention is an interior component that, in the first invention described above, further comprises a surface material that is placed over the surface of the base material, wherein the thread is arranged on the surface of the surface material, and a plurality of thread-passing portions are passed through the surface material from the front side and welded to the base material.

[0009] According to the second invention, after covering the base material with the surface material, a stitch pattern of threads can be easily and appropriately formed on the surface of the surface material. This makes it less likely for the stitch pattern to shift position compared to a configuration in which a surface material with stitched threads is attached to the base material.

[0010] The third invention of the present invention is an interior component that, in the second invention described above, further comprises an adhesive layer for adhering the back surface of the surface material to the surface of the base material.

[0011] According to the third invention, after the surface material is attached to the base material, a stitch pattern of threads can be formed on the surface of the surface material more easily and appropriately. This makes it less likely for the stitch pattern to be misaligned.

[0012] The fourth invention of the present invention is an interior component in which, in the second or third invention described above, the surface material has linear grooves that are linearly recessed by the tension of the threads.

[0013] According to the fourth invention, by arranging the decorative stitches with tension similar to actual sewing, it is possible to achieve a texture that more closely resembles real sewing.

[0014] The fifth invention of the present invention is an interior component in which, in any of the first to third inventions described above, a plurality of thread-threading portions are welded to the base material such that stitch portions extending between adjacent thread-threading portions extend diagonally with respect to a line segment that virtually connects them.

[0015] According to the fifth invention, the decorative stitch can be finished in a "zigzag" stitch pattern like actual sewing, resulting in a more realistic sewing-like texture.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an interior component according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is an enlarged perspective view of the interior component. [Figure 3] It is a process diagram showing the operation of embedding a thread passage portion in the interior component. [Figure 4] It is a process diagram showing the state where a decorative stitch is applied to the interior component. [Figure 5] It is an enlarged view of the decorative stitch.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] 《First Embodiment》 (Schematic Configuration of Interior Component 1) First, the configuration of the interior component 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. The interior component 1 according to the present embodiment is a component that constitutes interior trims such as an instrument panel N1 or a door trim N2 of an automobile. When the interior component 1 is assembled in the passenger compartment of the automobile, its component surface is configured to be exposed in the passenger compartment as a design surface.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the interior component 1 has a plate-shaped base material 2 as a base, and a skin material 3 covering the surface of the base material 2. The interior component 1 also has a decorative stitch 4 that forms a stitch pattern of the thread T on the surface of the skin material 3.

[0020] The base material 2 is composed of a molded part formed by injection molding a thermoplastic synthetic resin material such as polypropylene, polyethylene, or an ABS resin. Note that the base material 2 may also be composed of a composite part formed by injection molding a material in which bast fibers such as kenaf are mixed with the above synthetic resin material.

[0021] The skin material 3 is composed of a sheet-like member formed by shaping a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene, polyethylene, an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO), or polyvinyl chloride into a planar shape. The skin material 3 may be composed of the above sheet-like member being a single layer. Further, the skin material 3 may be composed of a multilayer structure further provided with a foamed synthetic resin layer such as a polypropylene foam (PPF) serving as a cushion layer, or another layer, on the back side of the sheet-like member.

[0022] The decorative stitch 4 is formed using a synthetic fiber thread T (synthetic thread) used in general sewing machine sewing. The thread T may be composed of acrylic fiber or polypropylene fiber in addition to synthetic fibers such as polyester and nylon. This decorative stitch 4 is not actually formed by sewing the thread T to the skin material 3 or the base material 2.

[0023] That is, the decorative stitch 4 is formed as a pseudo stitch forming a pseudo seam pattern by arranging the thread T on the surface of the skin material 3 and welding it to the base material 2 by passing through various locations inside. Thereby, compared with a configuration in which a stitch is actually sewn on the surface of the skin material 3, the labor and equipment required for processing such as temporary pasting can be significantly reduced. Further, for example, compared with a configuration in which the skin material 3 with a sewn stitch is attached to the base material 2, it is possible to make it less likely for the seam pattern to be displaced.

[0024] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the thread T that constitutes the decorative stitch 4 is processed using a thread welding device 10 to form a stitch pattern on the surface of the skin material 3. The processing of the thread T using the thread welding device 10 is performed after the skin material 3 is bonded to the surface of the base material 2 with an adhesive. This bonding of the skin material 3 to the base material 2 may be performed at room temperature or after it has been softened by heating. This bonding forms an adhesive layer 5 between the skin material 3 and the base material 2.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, the thread welding device 10 includes a thread tensioner 11 through which thread T supplied from a spool (not shown) passes, a US horn 12 through which the thread T unwound from the thread tensioner 11 passes to the end, and a thread holder 13 that grips the end of the thread T that has passed through the US horn 12. The thread tensioner 11 has a function that allows adjustment of the tension of the thread T unwound to the US horn 12.

[0026] The US Horn 12 is a needle-shaped welding tool that can weld a thread T, which is threaded through its tip, to the surface material 3 and then weld it to the base material 2 using ultrasonic vibrations. The US Horn 12 has a downward-facing opening recess 12A at the tip of its needle-shaped legs, through which the thread T can be threaded from the side, guided on both sides.

[0027] The US Horn 12 has needle-shaped legs that are inserted into the outer material 3 from the front side, pressing the thread T, which is passed through the recess 12A at the tip, against the base material 2. The US Horn 12 then generates heat through high-frequency vibrations emitted from its main body, melting the base material 2. As a result, the thread T pressed against the base material 2 is embedded and welded into the molten base material 2. Subsequently, the legs of the US Horn 12 are pulled out from the outer material 3, and only the legs of the US Horn 12 are lifted up, while the welded portion of the thread T fixed to the base material 2 remains fixed to the base material 2.

[0028] At that time, the thread T fed out from the thread tensioner 11 is stretched diagonally with the welded portion attached to the base material 2 as the pivot point. Therefore, by lifting the legs of the US horn 12 and simultaneously moving the interior part 1 horizontally to the position where the next welding will be performed, the thread T can be hooked into the recess 12A at the tip of the legs of the US horn 12, allowing the process to proceed to the next welding step.

[0029] Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, by repeating the above operation, a decorative stitch 4 (pseudo-stitch) with a seam pattern can be formed by passing the thread T through the surface material 3 at regular intervals and welding it to the base material 2. The decorative stitch 4 is formed with a seam pattern having thread-passing parts T1 formed by passing the thread T through the surface material 3 at regular intervals and welding it to the base material 2, and stitch parts T2 that extend along the surface of the surface material 3 between each thread-passing part T1.

[0030] As described above, the thread T that makes up the decorative stitch 4 is welded to the base material 2 while under tension from the thread tensioner 11 during processing. Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, linear grooves 3A are formed on the surface of the surface material 3, which are indented in a linear fashion by the tension of the thread T of the decorative stitch 4. By arranging the decorative stitch 4 with tension similar to actual sewing, it is possible to achieve a texture that is closer to realistic sewing.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, the decorative stitch 4 described above is, more precisely, processed so that each stitch section T2 extending between adjacent thread-threading sections T1 forms a "mi" shape, extending diagonally with respect to a line segment (shown as a dashed line in the same figure) that virtually connects the thread-threading sections T1. This processing is performed by twisting the US horn 12 around its axis when welding the thread-threading sections T1 to the base material 2 using the US horn 12 described in Figures 3 and 4.

[0032] Each stitch section T2 is angled so that it is parallel to each other. This allows the decorative stitch 4 to be finished in a "M" shape, just like actual sewing, resulting in a texture that is closer to real sewing.

[0033] Furthermore, the processing of the thread T using the thread welding device 10 described above in Figures 3 and 4 may be performed by fixing the interior part 1, which is the workpiece, and moving the thread welding device 10, or it may be performed by moving the interior part 1 without moving the thread welding device 10. Alternatively, the processing may be performed by moving both.

[0034] Furthermore, when welding the thread T to the base material 2, in order to prevent the thread T from melting and breaking, the base material 2 may be melted to embed the thread T. Such welding can be performed, for example, by using a combination of thermoplastic resins with different melting points for the thread T and the base material 2.

[0035] Specifically, examples include using polypropylene (melting point: approximately 160-170 degrees Celsius) as the base material 2 and polyester fiber (melting point: approximately 250 degrees Celsius) as the yarn T, or using polyethylene (melting point: approximately 110-130 degrees Celsius) as the base material 2 and nylon fiber (melting point: approximately 220 degrees Celsius) as the yarn T. Alternatively, the base material 2 may be ABS resin (melting point: approximately 220 degrees Celsius) and aramid fiber (which has a very high melting point) as the yarn T.

[0036] Furthermore, when welding the thread T to the base material 2, the thread T may also be melted to a certain extent to provide a more secure fixation to the base material 2. In this way, by forming the decorative stitch 4 using thread T separate from the surface material 3, it becomes possible to choose whether to make the colors of the surface material 3 and thread T the same or different, compared to, for example, forming a pseudo-stitch by heat-deforming a part of the surface material 3. This makes it possible to finish the decorative stitch 4 with a more flexible and realistic sewing-like texture.

[0037] In summary, the interior component 1 according to this embodiment has the following configuration. The reference numerals in parentheses below correspond to the respective components shown in the above embodiment.

[0038] In other words, the interior component (1) comprises a resin base material (2) and decorative stitching (4) that forms a stitch pattern of thread (T) on the surface of the component. Multiple thread-through portions (T1) of the thread (T) that are inserted into the base material (2) are fixed to the base material (2) by welding. With the above configuration, a stitch pattern of thread (T) can be easily and appropriately formed on the surface of the component without sewing the thread (T) to the base material (2).

[0039] Furthermore, the interior component (1) further includes a surface material (3) that is placed over the surface of the base material (2). Threads (T) are arranged on the surface of the surface material (3). Multiple thread-through sections (T1) are passed through the surface material (3) from the front and welded to the base material (2). With the above configuration, after placing the surface material (3) over the base material (2), a stitch pattern of threads (T) can be easily and appropriately formed on the surface of the surface material (3). This makes it less likely for the stitch pattern of the threads (T) to shift position compared to a configuration in which a surface material with threads sewn onto it is attached to the base material (2).

[0040] Furthermore, the interior component (1) further includes an adhesive layer (5) that adheres the back surface of the surface material (3) to the surface of the base material (2). With the above configuration, after attaching the surface material (3) to the base material (2), a stitch pattern of thread (T) can be formed more easily and appropriately on the surface of the surface material (3). This makes it less likely for the stitch pattern of thread (T) to shift position. Also, even if the base material (2) is made of a thick material that makes it difficult to pass a sewing needle through, a stitch pattern of thread (T) can be formed easily and appropriately on the surface of the component.

[0041] Furthermore, the surface material (3) has linear grooves (3A) that are indented linearly by the tension of the thread (T). With the above configuration, by arranging the decorative stitches (4) with tension as in actual sewing, it is possible to achieve a texture that is closer to real sewing.

[0042] Furthermore, multiple thread-threading sections (T1) are welded to the base material (2) such that the stitch sections (T2) extending between adjacent thread-threading sections (T1) extend diagonally with respect to the line segment that virtually connects them. With the above configuration, the decorative stitch (4) can be finished in a "M" shaped stitch pattern, just like actual sewing, resulting in a texture that is closer to realistic sewing.

[0043] Regarding other embodiments: Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above using one embodiment, the present invention can be implemented in various forms other than those described above.

[0044] 1. The interior components of the present invention may be applied to vehicles other than automobiles, such as railways. Furthermore, the interior components may be applied to vehicles other than automobiles, such as aircraft and ships. Furthermore, the interior components may be applied to buildings such as houses and office buildings.

[0045] 2. Interior components may not have a surface material, and decorative stitching may be applied directly to the surface of the base material. Alternatively, if interior components do have a surface material, the surface material may not be bonded to the base material, but rather bonded to the base material by welding the decorative stitching to the base material. Furthermore, the surface material may be bonded to the base material by welding instead of adhesive.

[0046] 3. When interior components are provided with a surface material, the decorative stitching threads may be arranged loosely so as not to form linear grooves in the surface material, and not to indent the surface material. The decorative stitching threads may be finished with various stitch patterns, such as straight stitching or zigzag stitching, in addition to the "M" shaped stitching pattern shown in the above embodiment. Furthermore, the decorative stitching threads may be finished with double stitching or triple stitching patterns, in addition to single stitching.

[0047] 4. In addition to ultrasonic welding, the means of welding the thread to the base material may also include thermocompression welding using a heater or impulse sealer, laser welding, or welding using an impulse current. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 1 Interior parts 2 Base material 3 Skin material 3A linear groove 4. Decorative stitches 5 Adhesive layer N1 Instrument Panel N2 Door Trim T thread T1 Threading section T2 stitching area 10. Thread welding device 11. Thread tensioner 12 US Horn 12A Recess 13. Thread holder

Claims

1. Interior component having a resin base material, The component surface has decorative stitching that forms a thread stitch pattern. An interior component in which a plurality of thread-threading portions of the thread, which are inserted into the base material, are fixed to the base material by welding.

2. An interior component according to claim 1, The substrate further comprises a surface material that is placed over the surface of the substrate, An interior component in which the thread is arranged on the surface of the surface material, and a plurality of thread-passing portions are passed through the surface material from the front side and welded to the base material.

3. An interior component according to claim 2, An interior component further comprising an adhesive layer that adheres the back surface of the surface material to the surface of the base material.

4. An interior component according to claim 2 or claim 3, An interior component having a surface material that has linear grooves that are recessed in a linear shape due to the tension of the threads.

5. An interior component according to any one of claims 1 to 3, An interior component in which multiple thread-threading portions are welded to the base material such that stitch portions extending between adjacent thread-threading portions extend diagonally with respect to line segments that virtually connect them.

Images