Method including manufacturing a cover assembly for a vehicle passenger compartment

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a cover assembly for a vehicle passenger compartment includes superposing, on a porous wall (8a) of a mold (8), at least: an outer sheet (4) positioned on an outer surface of the assembly to form a first portion of the outer surface of the assembly, the outer sheet (4) including a through opening (7) having a thickness of the outer sheet (4); an inner sheet (5) positioned on the inner surface of the cover assembly (1), the inner sheet (5) having a flexibility greater than or equal to the flexibility of a material of the outer sheet; and a sheet (6) of binder material disposed between the outer sheet (4) and the inner sheet (5); and sucking the inner sheet (5) through at least one through opening (7) of the outer sheet (4).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to cover materials and methods for their manufacture, and more particularly to methods for the manufacture of such cover materials for surfaces of vehicle passenger compartment components. [Background technology]

[0002] In vehicles, the structural elements of the passenger compartment are traditionally covered with one or more linings that not only contribute to the aesthetics of the vehicle's interior, but also to the visual and tactile pleasantness of the surfaces of the passenger compartment. Within the framework of the diversity of surface patterns, one solution consists in using linings whose outer surfaces have specific printed decorative designs. An alternative solution consists in combining components of different materials that are assembled together to produce a lining in the form of a patchwork of various materials.

[0003] Another solution is to manufacture the lining from a combination of two materials, where the first material is inserted within the thickness of the second material. The currently implemented technique for producing this solution involves placing a superposition of the first material in a mold, where the first material is inserted together with the second material intended to receive the first material. The first material is positioned against the inner surface of the mold so that the insertion occurs under the action of the material being inserted into the mold. The second material is then pushed back and stretched against the surface of the mold around the first material, so that the first material is inserted within the thickness of the second material and / or is enveloped by the second material. The resulting lining is manufactured in the form of an assembly of the first and second materials, positioned at the same level to create the outer surface of the lining. However, this solution presents significant finishing defects at the junction of the two materials, where there is a surface discontinuity on the surface of the lining thus formed. In particular, during the injection operation, the second material that is forced back against the mold surface tends to encounter difficulty in perfectly conforming to the peripheral contours of the first material. This difficulty is particularly encountered at distances from the mold injection nozzle, where the injected material tends to see its viscosity increase under the cooling effect of the injected material in contact with a different material, thus causing its porosity to force the second material back against the mold surface, filling and reducing the available space. Similarly, the injected material tends to encounter disturbances in its flow due to the presence of constraints on the extensibility of the injected element or material. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The object of the present invention is to make it possible to manufacture a cover assembly having surface continuity at the joint between the two different materials that form the cover assembly, while allowing the use of materials identical to those used within the framework of existing methods. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention relates to a method comprising the manufacture of a cover assembly for lining at least a portion of a vehicle passenger compartment, the cover assembly having a first surface, called the inner surface, intended to be positioned on the surface of the component to be covered, and a second surface, called the outer surface, intended to be oriented towards the interior of the vehicle passenger compartment, the method comprising the steps of: The method includes assembling at least three sheets of material by superposing the sheets of material together, the at least three sheets of material comprising: an outer sheet positioned on the outer surface of the cover assembly and intended to form a first portion of the outer surface of the cover assembly, the outer sheet having a through opening extending through a thickness of the outer sheet; an inner sheet positioned on the inner surface of the cover assembly, the inner sheet being made of a material having a flexibility greater than or equal to the flexibility of the material of the outer sheet; a sheet of binder material disposed between the outer sheet and the inner sheet; positioning the stack of three sheets of material in a mold such that the outer sheets are positioned directly or indirectly against the surfaces of the porous walls of the mold; and applying suction to the inner sheet of the cover assembly through at least one through-opening in the outer sheet at the level of at least a portion of the outer surface of the cover assembly that is not covered by the outer sheet so that the outer surface of the inner sheet is positioned against the wall of the mold at least at the same level as the outer surface of the outer sheet, wherein the suction is applied through the porous wall of the mold.

[0006] The invention also relates to a cover assembly for the interior lining of a vehicle, characterized in that it is obtained by the method according to Akira Motoe.

[0007] The invention will be better understood from the following description of preferred embodiments, given by way of non-limiting example and illustrated with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 3A-3D are schematic representations of examples of different sheets for manufacturing a cover assembly by the method according to the invention; [Figure 2] 2A-2C are schematic representations of examples of superposition of different sheets within the framework of a method for manufacturing a cover assembly according to the invention; [Figure 3] 3A-3C are schematic representations of examples of positioning a superposition of different sheets in a mold within the framework of a first variant of the method for manufacturing a cover assembly according to the invention; [Figure 4] 3A-3C are schematic representations of examples of suctioning the inner sheet in the framework of a first variant of the method for manufacturing the cover assembly according to the invention; [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic representation of an example of a cover assembly obtained by a first variant of the method according to the invention; [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic representation of an example of different intervening sheets in the context of a second variant of the method for manufacturing a cover assembly according to the invention, with an intervening spacer sheet; [Figure 7] 5 is a schematic representation of an example of positioning a superposition of different sheets in a mold in the context of a second variant of the method for manufacturing a cover assembly according to the invention, including a spacer sheet; [Figure 8] 5 is a schematic representation of an example of suctioning the inner sheet in the context of a second variant of the method for manufacturing a cover assembly according to the invention, with an intervening spacer sheet; FIG. [Figure 9] 5A-5C are schematic representations of examples of different intervening sheets in the context of a third variant of the method for manufacturing a cover assembly according to the invention, with an intervening intermediate sheet; [Figure 10]5A-5C are schematic representations of examples of positioning through-openings at several levels of sheets in the context of a third variant of the method for manufacturing a cover assembly according to the invention, with an intervening intermediate sheet. [Figure 11] 10 is a schematic representation of an example of positioning the other sheets in the context of a third variant of the method for manufacturing a cover assembly according to the invention, with an intervening intermediate sheet; FIG. [Figure 12] 5 is a schematic representation of an example of positioning a stack of different sheets in a mold in the context of a third variant of the method for manufacturing a cover assembly according to the invention, with an intervening intermediate sheet; [Figure 13] 5 is a schematic representation of an example of suctioning the inner sheet in the context of a third variant of the method for manufacturing a cover assembly according to the invention, with an intervening intermediate sheet; FIG. [Figure 14] 5 is a schematic representation of an example of a cover assembly obtained by a third variant of the method according to the invention; [Figure 15] 1 is a schematic representation of an example of the outer surface of a cover assembly according to the present invention having an inner sheet stacked with an outer sheet having a pattern created by different through openings. [Figure 16] 1 is a schematic representation of an example of a cover assembly according to the invention in which the inner sheet is made by a combination of thin rigid layers fixed to a flexible support; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention relates to a method comprising the manufacture of a cover assembly 1 for lining at least a part of a passenger compartment of a vehicle, said cover assembly 1 having a first face 2, called the inner face, intended to be positioned on the surface of the component to be covered, and a second face 3, called the outer face, intended to be oriented towards the interior of the passenger compartment of the vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: The method includes assembling at least three sheets of material 4, 5, 6 by superposing them together, the at least three sheets of material comprising: an outer sheet 4 positioned on the side of the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1 and intended to form a first portion of the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly, the outer sheet 4 having through-openings 7 passing through its thickness; an inner sheet (5) positioned on the inner surface side of the cover assembly (1), the inner sheet (5) being made of a material having a flexibility greater than or equal to the flexibility of the material of the outer sheet; a sheet 6 of binder material disposed between said outer sheet 4 and said inner sheet 5; positioning the stack of three material sheets 4, 5, 6 in a mould 8 so that the outer sheet 4 is positioned directly or indirectly against the surface of the porous wall 8a of the mould 8; and applying suction to the inner sheet of the cover assembly 1 at the level of at least a portion of the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1 that is not covered by the outer sheet, through at least one through-opening 7 in the outer sheet 4, so that the outer surface of the inner sheet 5 is positioned against the wall of the mold 8 at least at the same level as the outer surface of the outer sheet 4, wherein the suction is carried out through the porous wall 8a of the mold 8.

[0010] It should be noted that the modifiers "inner" and "outer" assigned to the faces and sheets of the cover assembly 1 are defined as a function of the location and / or orientation of the elements in question of the cover assembly relative to a composite formed by the cover assembly 1 in combination with a support structure intended to receive the cover assembly 1, corresponding to at least a portion of the vehicle passenger compartment. Similarly, the modifier "outer" refers to elements of the cover assembly 1 positioned and / or oriented toward the outside of the composite linking the cover assembly 1 to its support structure, i.e., the aesthetic surface visible to a user or occupant within the vehicle passenger compartment. Conversely, the modifier "inner" refers to elements of the cover assembly 1 positioned and / or oriented toward the inside or thickness of the composite joining the cover assembly with the support structure.

[0011] Unlike existing methods which involve the injection of material onto the inner surface of the lining assembly 1 in order to move the inner sheet through the openings provided in the outer sheet 4, the method of the present invention allows the manufacture of similar cover assemblies 1 without the need to add any additional material on one of its surfaces so that the final configuration of the cover assembly 1 is obtained. The method according to the present invention is based on sucking the inner sheet 5 so that it is positioned partly through the outer sheet 5. By exerting a suction effect through the porous wall 8a of the mold, and thus creating a vacuum at the through openings 7 provided in the outer sheet 4, i.e. between the porous wall 8a of the mold 8 and the inner sheet 5, the positioning of the inner sheet 5 which is pressed against the porous wall 8a of the mold 8 is thereby optimized.

[0012] By way of example, the mold 8 used within the scope of the implementation of the method according to the invention is a mold 8 at least one of whose walls 8a is provided with an adapted orifice or inherent porosity associated with a suction mechanism. Molds of this type correspond to those known as conversion molds.

[0013] This improvement significantly results in a joint between the outer sheet 4 and the inner sheet 5 at that part of the through-opening 7 which rests against the porous wall 8a of the mould 8. Under the action of suction, the inner sheet 5 is pressed through the through-opening 7 over the entire thickness of the outer sheet 4 which forms the peripheral edge of the through-opening 7. This pressing of the inner sheet 5 thus achieves a positioning adapted in an optimized manner to the peripheral edge of the through-opening 7 which is located at the level of the outer surface of the outer sheet 4, so as to obtain, at the level of the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1, the orifice of the through-opening 7 which is completely closed by the inner sheet 5.

[0014] It should be noted that the particular flexibility of the outer sheet 4 relative to the inner sheet 5 allows it to be transformed during its positioning so as to perfectly fit around the periphery of the through opening 7 located at the level of the outer surface of the outer sheet 4, thus preventing the formation of any defect around the orifice of the through opening 7 between the inner sheet 5 and the outer sheet 4 that would leave the presence of a lack of material that would make it easy to identify the presence of the through opening 7.

[0015] According to an example corresponding to a particular variant of the method of the invention, the inner sheet 5 has a surface area greater than that of the outer sheet 4. This particular configuration makes it possible to ensure that the inner face of the outer sheet 4 is optimally covered by the inner sheet 5 during the suction step of the inner sheet 5, such that the risk of suction loss is easily avoided.

[0016] According to an example corresponding to a particular variant of the method of the invention, the inner sheet 5 has a surface area whose surface and dimensions are more restricted than those of the outer sheet 4. In particular, the outer area of ​​the inner sheet 5 is only intended to be hidden at each of the through-openings 7 provided in the outer sheet 4. Likewise, the outer sheet 4 is likely to have dimensions that substantially correspond to the dimensions of each of the through-openings 7 provided in the outer sheet 4, while being at least very slightly larger so as to avoid any risk of suction loss in case of an error in positioning the inner sheet 5 relative to the through-openings 7 provided in the outer sheet 4.

[0017] The sheet 6 of binder material is positioned only at the level of the inner face of the outer sheet 4, between the various through openings 7 made in the outer sheet 4, so as to enable the inner sheet 5 to remain fixed to the outer sheet 4, while being deformable at the level of the through openings 7 made in the outer sheet 4. This sheet 6 of binder material may be made in the form of a binder, adhesive or resin deposited by coating or by spraying.

[0018] According to an example corresponding to a specific variant of the method of the present invention, the production of the cover assembly 1 includes a step of heating the inner sheet 5 prior to the step of assembling the inner sheet 5 with the binder material 6 on the inner surface of the outer sheet 4. This preheating step has the effect of increasing the malleability and therefore flexibility of the inner sheet 5. Also, once the three sheets 4, 5, 6 are assembled, this heating step facilitates deformation of the inner sheet 5 during the suction step. This deformation is improved by the heating of the inner sheet 5, which optimizes the ductility of the material forming the inner sheet 5 so that it passes through the through openings 7 provided in the outer sheet 4 by conforming perfectly to the periphery of all walls of the through openings 7 provided in the outer sheet 4.

[0019] According to an example corresponding to another specific variant of the invention which is likely to be combined with the specific variant described above, the production of the cover assembly 1 comprises, before the suction step, a step of heating the stack of said at least three sheets 4, 5, 6. In the context of this variant, heating the stack of the three sheets 4, 5, 6 makes it possible, for one part, to optimize the deformation properties of the material forming the inner material 5, and, for the other part, to bring the sheet 6 of binder material into a temperature range likely to maximize its adhesive properties to the two other sheets, the outer sheet 4 and the inner sheet 5.

[0020] According to an example corresponding to another specific variant of the present invention which can be easily combined with the above specific variant, the production of the cover assembly 1 may be carried out by, before the assembly step by superposition, - depositing a sheet 6 of said binder material on said inner face of a side sheet; - cutting at least one through opening 7 according to a desired pattern from the assembly produced by the outer sheet 4 and the sheet 6 of binder material. These steps, performed prior to assembly by overlapping the third inner sheet 5, allow the binder material 6 to be positioned only on the solid portion of the outer sheet 4, and not on the side opposite the through-opening 7 provided in the outer sheet 4. Similarly, during overlapping to form the cover assembly 1 of the present invention, the portion of the surface of the inner sheet 5 positioned opposite the through-opening 7 is not in contact with binder material that would adversely affect their interaction with the inner surface of the mold 8. These steps, performed prior to assembly by overlapping the third inner sheet 5, allow for the production of a clean assembly linking the outer sheet 4 and the sheet of binder material 6, i.e., without overflow of binder material beyond the solid, solid portion of the inner surface of the outer sheet 4. The assembly linking the outer sheet 4 and the sheet of binder material 6 is thus sufficiently clean to be ready for effective use during overlapping of the inner sheet 5.

[0021] According to an example corresponding to another specific variant of the invention which is likely to be combined with the specific variant described above, before the step of assembling by overlapping and before the step of cutting out at least one through opening 7, the method includes at least a step of positioning an intermediate sheet 10 on the outer surface of the outer sheet 4. The intermediate sheet 10 is removably fixed to the outer surface of the outer sheet 4. During the step of cutting out at least one through opening 7, a cutting operation is performed through the assembly made by the outer sheet 4, the sheet of binder material 6 and the intermediate sheet 10 according to the desired pattern. After the through opening 7 has been cut out, the inner sheet 5 is assembled onto the sheet of binder material 6 by overlapping. The assembly made by the inner sheet 5, the sheet of binder material 6, the outer sheet 4 and the intermediate sheet 10 is then positioned in the mold 8 so that the intermediate sheet 10 is positioned against the porous wall 8a of the mold 8. During the suction step, the inner sheet 5 is sucked through the through openings 7 so that it is pressed against the porous wall 8a of the mold 8 at the same level as the outer surface of the intermediate sheet 10 where the intermediate sheet 10 rests against the porous wall 8a of the mold 8. Likewise, the inner sheet 5 is sucked over the outer surface of the outer sheet 4 and protrudes therefrom by a height corresponding to the thickness of the intermediate sheet 10 at the predetermined position where it rests against the outer surface of the outer sheet 4. After the suction step, once the assembly made by the inner sheet 5, the sheet 6 of binder material, the outer sheet 4 and the intermediate sheet 10 is removed from the mold 8, the intermediate sheet 10 is detached from the outer surface of the outer sheet 4 in such a way that the assembly made by the inner sheet 5, the sheet 6 of binder material and the outer sheet 4 is arranged in such a way that the part of the inner sheet 5 positioned through the through openings 7 forms a relief relative to the surface of the outer sheet 4.

[0022] According to an example corresponding to another specific variant of the invention, which is likely to be combined with the specific variant described above, at least a portion of the surface of the porous wall 8a of the mold 8 against which the outer sheet 4 rests during the positioning of the sheets 4, 5, 6 is supported by the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1 during the suction step and has a texture for partially forming a complementary relief formed partly by the outer sheet 4 and partly by the outer surface of the inner sheet 5 passing through the opening 7 of the inner sheet 4. Under the action of suction, the outer surfaces of the outer and inner sheets are pressed against the surface of the porous wall 8a of the mold 8. The pressing of the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1 causes this outer surface 3 to adapt to the porous wall 8a of the mold 8 by conforming to the different surface variations and properties of this wall 8a. This property of the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1 to adopt a shape and relief complementary to the porous walls 8a of the mold 8 is also likely to be improved by the selection of the material used to make each of the sheets 4, 5, 6 of the cover assembly 1. The ability of the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1 to conform to the porous walls 8a is likely to be optimized by applying heat to at least a portion of the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1, such that the flexibility of the material of the sheets 4, 5, 6 of the cover assembly 1 is thereby increased. After the application of heat, shape memory and maintenance of the complementary relief of the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1 is significantly obtained during cooling of the cover assembly 1, where the latter stiffens the material of the sheets 4, 5, 6 that form its structure, causing the structure to retain the shape adopted when heated.

[0023] According to an example corresponding to a particular variant of the method of the invention, which forms an alternative to the particular variant detailed above but remains susceptible to being combined with the other variants described above, during the step of positioning the superposition of sheets 4, 5, 6 in the mould 8, a spacer sheet 9 is positioned between the porous wall 8a of the mould 8 and the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1, the spacer sheet 9 being supported by the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1 and having a texture for at least partially forming a complementary relief formed in part by the outer surface of the outer sheet 4 and in another part by at least a part of the outer surface of the inner part 5 passing through the opening 7 made in the inner sheet 5. The spacer sheet 9, which is positioned against the surface of the porous wall 8a, has a configuration which does not interfere with the suction of the cover assembly 1 resting indirectly against the porous wall 8a of the mould. Such a configuration of the spacer sheet 9 is easily achieved by the restricted size of the spacer sheet 9 relative to the surface of the porous wall 8a and / or relative to the cover assembly 1, so that suction of the cover assembly 1 against the surface of the porous wall 8a is predominantly achieved through the periphery of the spacer sheet 9. Such a configuration of the spacer sheet 9 can also be achieved by a porous, meshed, or perforated sheet structure, so that suction can also occur through the structure of the spacer sheet 9. The porous / meshed / perforated structure of the spacer sheet 9 allows suction to be applied to a cover assembly 1 whose surface has a smaller size than the size of the spacer sheet 9. Under the action of suction, the outer surfaces of the outer and inner sheets are pressed against the surface of the spacer sheet 9. The pressure exerted under the action of vacuum on the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1 conforms this outer surface to the different surface variations and properties of the spacer sheet 9. It should be noted that even in this embodiment variant, the properties of the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1, which adopts the complementary shape and relief of the spacer sheet 9 positioned against the porous wall 8a of the mold, can be improved by the selection of materials used in the manufacture of each of the sheets 4, 5, 6 of the cover assembly 1.The ability of the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1 to conform to the porous wall 8a can also be optimized by supplying heat to at least a portion of the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1, so that the flexibility of the material of the sheets 4, 5, 6 of the cover assembly 1 is thereby increased. After the supply of heat, shape memory and maintenance of the relief complementarity of the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1 is significantly obtained during cooling of the cover assembly 1, the latter stiffening the material of the sheets 4, 5, 6 that form its structure, so that the structure retains the shape adopted when heated.

[0024] According to an example corresponding to another specific variant of the invention, which can be combined with the specific variant described above, at least one of the two sheets, the inner sheet 5 and the outer sheet 4, is formed by superposing at least two layers of different materials, which are made before the assembly step of the sheets 4, 5, 6 of the cover assembly 1. The combination of these two materials in the form of two superposed layers arranged in the thickness of one and the same sheet makes it possible to benefit from the properties specific to the material of each of said layers so as to enable specific interactions or functions inside the cover assembly with the sheet 6 of binder material or outside the cover assembly 1 at the level of different faces, the inner face and the outer face, of one and the same sheet, i.e. for example at the level of the inner surface 2 of the assembly 1 made by the inner surface of the inner sheet 5, or at the level of the outer surface 3 of the assembly 1 made by the inner sheet 5 and the outer sheet 4.

[0025] According to a particular example of the previously described variant of the method of the invention, the outer sheet 4 is made by assembling different materials. According to complementary specificity, these different materials have a natural type and are substantially rigid, such as stone or one or more species of wood. Furthermore, the outer sheet 4 can be formed by assembly carried out by stitching, bonding, welding or any other known technique adapted to the specific properties of the material of the sheet 4. According to a particular example, the outer sheet 4 is made by combining wood strips or thin wood laminations fixed to a flexible support, such as a film or a woven or non-woven textile.

[0026] According to a specific example of the previously described variant of the method of the present invention, the inner sheet 5 is made by assembling different materials. According to complementary specificity, these different materials are of a natural type and are substantially rigid, such as stone or one or more species of wood. Furthermore, the inner sheet 5 can be formed by assembly carried out by stitching, bonding, welding, or any other known technique adapted to the specific properties of the material of the sheet 5. According to a specific example, the inner sheet 5 is made by combining a thin stone lamination 51 fixed to a flexible support 52, such as a stone laminate or a film or a woven or non-woven textile. It should be noted that when the sheet 5 comprises a substantially rigid material, such as wood or stone, the flexibility of the sheet 5 is less than that of an inner sheet 5 made solely from a flexible material of film or textile type. Also, during the step of sucking the inner sheet 5 of the cover assembly 1 at the level of at least a portion of the outer surface 3 of the cover assembly 1 that is not covered by the outer sheet 4, the rigidity of the natural material 51 constituting the inner sheet 5 is compensated for by the flexibility of the film or textile-type material 52, so that the inner sheet 5 remains able to be deformed to position its outer surface against the porous wall 8a of the mold 8 at least at the same level as the outer surface of the outer sheet 4.

[0027] According to a particular example of the previously described variant of the method of the invention, the inner sheet 5 is formed by superposition of at least one layer of olefin plastic elastomer intended to form the outer surface of the inner sheet 5 and of a foam intended to form the inner surface of the inner sheet 5 and of the cover assembly 1. According to one embodiment, said foam is likely to be made from polypropylene.

[0028] According to an example corresponding to another particular variant of the method of the invention, which may be combined with the particular variants described above, the method comprises a step of assembling at least a part of the cover assembly 1 with the support structure, which may be carried out by sheathing the support structure at the level of the inner surface 2 of the cover assembly 1, by adhesive bonding, by overmolding or by injection.

[0029] According to an example corresponding to another particular variant of the method of the invention, which is likely to be combined with the particular variant described above, the method comprises a step of injecting material at the level of the inner surface 2 of the cover assembly 1. According to a particular example of this variant of the method, the injection is carried out at the level of the inner surface 2 of the cover assembly 1, which has been deposited on itself in a dedicated mold.

[0030] According to another particular example of this variant of the method, injection is carried out between the inner surface 2 of the cover assembly 1 and a first element, such as a support structure, which elements are deposited together in a dedicated mold. According to a particular case of this example, the injected material is of an expandable type, such as foam or resin.

[0031] The invention also relates to a cover assembly for the interior lining of a vehicle, characterized in that it is obtained by the method according to the invention.

[0032] Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown in the accompanying drawings: modifications remain possible, in particular with regard to the arrangement of the various elements or by the substitution of technical equivalents, without otherwise departing from the scope of protection of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 Cover assembly (lining assembly) 2 inner surface, inner surface (first surface) 3 Outer surface, outer surface (second surface) 4 outer sheet 5 Inner sheet 6 sheets of binder material 7 Through opening 8 Mold 8a porous wall 9 Spacer sheet 10 Middle seat 51 Natural Materials 52 Flexible support

Claims

1. 1. A method comprising the manufacture of a cover assembly (1) for lining at least a portion of a vehicle passenger compartment, the cover assembly (1) having a first surface (2), called the inner surface, intended to be positioned on the surface of the component to be covered, and a second surface (3), called the outer surface, intended to be oriented towards the interior of the vehicle passenger compartment, the method comprising the steps of: The method includes assembling at least three sheets of material (4, 5, 6) by superimposing them together, the at least three sheets of material (4, 5, 6) comprising: an outer sheet (4) positioned on the side of the outer surface (3) of the cover assembly (1) and intended to make up a first part of the outer surface (3) of the cover assembly, this outer sheet (4) having through openings (7) passing through its thickness; - comprising an inner sheet (5) positioned on the side of the inner surface (2) of the cover assembly (1), the inner sheet (5) being made of a material with a flexibility greater than or equal to the flexibility of the material of the outer sheet (4); - comprising a sheet (6) of binder material arranged between said outer sheet (4) and said inner sheet (5); positioning the superposition of the three material sheets (4, 5, 6) in a mould (8) so that the outer sheet (4) is positioned directly or indirectly against the surface of the porous wall (8a) of the mould (8); and applying suction to the inner sheet (5) of the cover assembly (1) through at least one through-opening (7) of the outer sheet (4) at the level of at least a portion of the outer side (3) of the cover assembly (1) that is not covered by the outer sheet (4) so ​​that the outer surface of the inner sheet (5) is positioned against the wall of the mold (8) at least at the same level as the outer surface of the outer sheet (4), wherein the suction is applied through the porous wall (8a) of the mold (8).

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the manufacturing of the cover assembly (1) comprises a step of heating at least a portion of the inner sheet (5) before the step of assembling the inner sheet (5) with the binder material (6) on the inner side of the outer sheet (5). method.

3. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the manufacturing of the cover assembly (1) includes a step of heating the superposition of the at least three material sheets (4, 5, 6) before the step of suctioning.

4. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the inner sheet (5) has a surface area greater than that of the outer sheet (4).

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the inner sheet (5) has a surface area whose surface and dimensions are smaller than those of the outer sheet (4).

6. The cover assembly (1) is manufactured by the following steps before the assembly step by superposition: depositing a sheet (6) of said binder material on the inner surface of said outer sheet (4); and cutting out at least one through-opening (7) according to a desired pattern from the assembly produced by the outer sheet (4) and the sheet of binder material (6).

7. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the surface of the porous wall (8a) of the mold (8) against which the outer sheet (4) is placed during the positioning step of the sheets (4, 5, 6) is supported by the outer surface (3) of the cover assembly (1) during the suction step, and has a texture for at least partially forming a complementary relief formed partly by the outer surface of the outer sheet (4) and partly by at least a portion of the outer surface of the inner sheet (5) passing through the openings (7) in the inner sheet (4).

8. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein during the step of positioning the superposition of the sheets (4, 5, 6) in the mold (8), a spacer sheet (9) is positioned between the surface of the porous wall (8a) of the mold (8) and the outer surface (3) of the cover assembly (1), the spacer sheet (9) being supported by the outer surface (3) of the cover assembly (1) and having a texture for at least partially forming a complementary relief formed in part by the outer surface of the outer sheet (4) and in another part by at least a portion of the outer surface of the inner sheet (5) passing through the opening (7) in the inner sheet (5).

9. The method comprises: - positioning a removable intermediate sheet (10) on the outer surface of said outer sheet (4) before said assembly step by superposition and before the step of cutting out at least one through opening (7); - cutting out at least one through opening (7) according to a desired pattern from the assembly made by the intermediate sheet (10), the outer sheet (4) and the sheet of binder material (6), according to the features of claim 6 alone or according to the features of claims 6 and 7 or according to the features of claims 6 and 8.

10. 10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that at least one of the two sheets, the inner sheet (5) and the outer sheet (4), is formed by superposition of at least two layers of different materials made before the step of assembling the sheets (4, 5, 6) of the cover assembly (1).

11. 11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the inner sheet (5) is formed by superposing at least one layer of an olefin thermoplastic elastomer intended to form the outer surface of the inner sheet (5) and a foam intended to form the inner surface of the inner sheet (5) and of the cover assembly (1).

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the method comprises assembling at least a part of the cover assembly (1) with a support structure.

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises the step of injecting material at the level of the inner surface (2) of the cover assembly (1).

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