Vehicle parts

Abstract

To provide a vehicle component which can simplify a manufacturing process and can be reduced in weight.SOLUTION: There is provided a vehicle component 1 which is formed only of a fiber 11 element made of a core-sheath structure with the heat resistance, in which a soft part 10b with the flexibility is provided on the outer side and a cured part 10a that has been cured is provided on the inner side. The soft part 10b at least serves as a buffer for a vehicle. The cured part 10a at least serves to keep the shape of the vehicle component. The cured part 10a is formed by applying heat to a sheath part 11b to soften the sheath part and applying the prescribed pressure thereto.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle part used to block sounds from outside the vehicle, such as road noise, chipping noise, and engine noise. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventionally known vehicle part is described in Patent Document 1. The invention described in Patent Document 1 has a core material made of a mixture of GF (glass fiber) and PP material, and a buffer layer such as a PP film with a thickness of 50μ to 500μ attached to the surface of both sides. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-240408 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, because such vehicle parts use two types of materials, not only does this complicate the manufacturing process, but it also increases the weight of the vehicle parts themselves.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle component that can be manufactured using a simplified manufacturing process and that can be made lighter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following means: Note that the parentheses indicate reference symbols of embodiments to be described later, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0007] According to the invention of claim 1, a heat-resistant One Fiber (11) With materialsThe flexible portion (10b) is formed on the outside, and the hardened portion (10a) is formed on the inside. The flexible portion (10b) at least plays a role of buffering the vehicle, The hardened portion (10a) at least plays a role in maintaining the shape of the vehicle component (1), By providing slits (10b1) at predetermined intervals on the outer periphery of the flexible portion (10b), the bending portion of the flexible portion (10b) is divided into a plurality of blocks. the law of nature, The hardened portion (10a) is not provided with the slit (10b1). It is characterized by the following.

[0008] According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle component (1) of the first aspect, the fiber (11) material has a core-sheath structure.

[0009] According to the invention of claim 3, in the vehicle component (1) of claim 2, the sheath portion (11b) of the fiber (11) material is formed of a thermoplastic resin, The hardened portion (10a) is characterized in that it is formed by welding at least a part of the thermoplastic resin of the sheath portion (11b). [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] Next, the effects of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the reference symbols in parentheses are those of the embodiments described below, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0012] According to the invention of claim 1, the component is made only of heat-resistant fiber (11) material, and further has a flexible portion (10b) on the outside that acts as a buffer against the vehicle, and a hardened portion (10a) on the inside that acts to maintain the shape of the vehicle component (1). Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture a vehicle component similar to a conventional one using a single material, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing the weight.

[0013] Such a heat-resistant fiber (11) material is preferably a core-sheath structure as described in claim 2. When using such a fiber (11) material to form the hardened portion (10a), it is preferably formed by welding at least a part of the thermoplastic resin of the sheath portion (11b) as described in claim 3.

[0014] Also, Claim 1 According to the invention, By providing slits (10b1) at predetermined intervals on the outer periphery of the flexible portion (10b), the bending portion of the flexible portion (10b) is divided into multiple blocks, so that it can be bent only at certain points. The flexibility of the flexible portion (10b) can be improved, thereby improving the cushioning properties with the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1A is a plan view of a vehicle component according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1B is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of a fiber according to the same embodiment. [Figure 2] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams showing a process for manufacturing the vehicle component according to the embodiment; [Figure 3] 10A to 10C are explanatory views showing other steps for manufacturing the vehicle component according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a partially enlarged plan view showing that a slit is formed in a flexible portion of the vehicle component according to the embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle component according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, when directions such as up, down, left, and right are indicated, they refer to up, down, left, and right when viewed from the front of the illustration.

[0017] The vehicle component according to this embodiment is used to block noise from outside the vehicle, such as road noise, chipping noise, and engine noise. For example, it is used in the engine compartment of the vehicle to absorb or block noise from within the engine compartment, to insulate heat from the engine compartment so that it does not enter the vehicle interior, to adjust the air flow rate, or to control (rectify) the air flow. As shown in FIG. 1( a), such a vehicle component is formed, for example, in a substantially trapezoidal shape and is provided with a clip (not shown). The clip is attached to a hole (not shown) provided in the vehicle, whereby the vehicle component is attached and fixed to the vehicle.

[0018] To explain this vehicle component in more detail, as shown in Figure 1(a), the vehicle component 1 is formed in a generally trapezoidal shape, with a hardened hardened portion 10a provided on the inside and a flexible portion 10b provided to surround the hardened portion 10a. The hardened portion 10a maintains the shape of the vehicle component 1, thereby fulfilling the role of a conventional core material. The flexible portion 10b acts as a buffer between the vehicle and the component, thereby fulfilling the role of a conventional buffer layer.

[0019] The shape of the hardened portion 10a may be determined according to the installation location, and may be a plate-like (flat) shape or a regular or irregular three-dimensional shape.

[0020] The hardness of the hardened portion 10a is preferably 1N or greater. This is based on the measurement method described below. Specifically, hardened portion 10a was cut out to a length of 150 mm and a width of 25 mm, and the test specimen was placed in a thermostatic chamber of a universal testing machine (manufactured by Minebea) set at a measurement temperature of 25°C. A three-point bending test was then performed to measure the bending strength at a displacement of 1 mm. The results showed that the hardened portion 10a preferably has a hardness of 1N or greater. In the three-point bending test, the universal testing machine (manufactured by Minebea) was used with a support distance of 100 mm, and the center of the test specimen (the center in the length and width directions) was pressed with an indenter having a diameter of 10 mm at a speed of 50 mm / min.

[0021] Such a vehicle component 1 is formed as a single material by bonding a plurality of fibers 11 shown in Fig. 1(c) together as shown in Fig. 1(b). The fibers 11 are heat-resistant and, as shown in Fig. 1(c), have a core-sheath structure with a diameter of 15 to 40 µm, preferably 20 to 35 µm, and more preferably 25 to 35 µm. The fibers 11 are composed of a circular core 11a and a concentric sheath 11b that coats the outer periphery of the core 11a. The core 11a is formed, for example, from polyethylene terephthalate fiber (PET fiber) with a melting point of 260°C, and the sheath 11b is formed from a thermoplastic resin fiber (for example, polyethersulfone fiber (Co-PES) with a melting point of 200°C) that acts as a binder.

[0022] Thus, when heat is applied to the sheath portion 11b of the fiber 11 having such a core-sheath structure to thermally weld the sheath portions 11b of the multiple fibers 11 together, the fibers 11 are thermally welded together as shown in Fig. 1(b). As a result, a roll-shaped sheet material S1 as shown in Fig. 2 or a rectangular sheet material S2 as shown in Fig. 3 is formed.

[0023] Incidentally, such sheet materials S1 and S2 are flexible because they are made of a fibrous material. Furthermore, because the sheet materials S1 and S2 are made of a fibrous material, they have a porous structure, which results in properties such as breathability, heat retention, sound absorption, and sound insulation. In addition, because the sheath portions 11b are bonded together by thermal welding, they are firmly bonded, forming a structure with excellent rigidity. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1(b), since the sheet materials S1 and S2 are made of continuous fibers 11 without any breaks, they are formed of a high-strength nonwoven fabric. Furthermore, because the fibers 11 are heat-resistant, the sheet materials S1 and S2 are also heat-resistant, and therefore the sheet materials S1 and S2 also have heat-shielding properties.

[0024] Thus, the vehicle component 1 shown in Fig. 1(a) is formed using such sheet materials S1 and S2, which will be described in detail below.

[0025] When a roll-shaped sheet material S1 is formed as shown in Fig. 2, heat is applied from above and below to a predetermined inner portion S1a of the sheet material S1 using an infrared heater H. This softens the sheath portion 11b located in the inner portion S1a. At this time, the temperature of the infrared heater H is controlled by a non-contact temperature sensor SE.

[0026] Next, a predetermined pressure is applied (pressed) to the heated inner portion S1a using an upper mold P1 and a lower mold P2 shown in FIG. 2. The inner portion S1a to which the predetermined pressure has been applied (pressed) hardens as the heat cools, thereby becoming the hardened portion 10a shown in FIG. 1(a). Meanwhile, the upper mold P1 and the lower mold P2 shown in FIG. 2 are used to apply a predetermined pressure (press) and, at the same time, punch out an outer portion S1b so as to surround the outside of the inner portion S1a. As a result, because the sheet material S1 is flexible, this outer portion S1b becomes the flexible portion 10b shown in FIG. 1(a), thereby forming the vehicle component 1 shown in FIG. 1(a).

[0027] On the other hand, when a rectangular sheet material S2 as shown in Fig. 3 is formed, heat is applied from above and below to a predetermined inner portion S2a of the sheet material S2 using an infrared heater H. This softens the sheath portion 11b located in the inner portion S2a. At this time, the temperature of the infrared heater H is controlled by a non-contact temperature sensor SE.

[0028] Next, a predetermined pressure is applied (pressed) to the heated inner portion S2a using an upper mold P1 and a lower mold P2 shown in Figure 2. The inner portion S2a to which the predetermined pressure has been applied (pressed) hardens as the heat cools, thereby becoming the hardened portion 10a shown in Figure 1(a). Meanwhile, the upper mold P1 and the lower mold P2 shown in Figure 2 are used to apply a predetermined pressure (press) and, at the same time, punch out an outer portion S2b so as to surround the outside of this inner portion S2a. As a result, because the sheet material S2 is flexible, this outer portion S2b becomes the flexible portion 10b shown in Figure 1(a), and the vehicle component 1 shown in Figure 1(a) can be formed.

[0029] 1(a) may be formed by any method other than those shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Instead of using the upper mold P1, the lower mold P2, and the infrared heater H, an upper mold incorporating an upper heating plate and a lower mold incorporating a lower heating plate may be used to apply pressure and heat from above and below. Alternatively, an upper mold incorporating a heater and a lower mold incorporating a heater may be used to apply pressure and heat. As a result, the sheath portion 11b located in the inner portion S1a softens, and the pressurized portion hardens as the heat cools, thereby forming the hardened portion 10a shown in FIG. 1(a).

[0030] On the other hand, when a rectangular sheet material S2 is formed, pressure and heat are applied to the inner portion of a predetermined location of the sheet material from above and below using an upper mold incorporating an upper heating plate and a lower mold incorporating a lower heating plate. Alternatively, pressure and heat may be applied using an upper mold incorporating a heater and a lower mold incorporating a heater. This softens the sheath portion located in the inner portion, and as the heat from the pressurized portion cools, it hardens, thereby forming the hardened portion 10a shown in Figure 1(a).

[0031] Thus, by providing a clip (not shown) on the vehicle component 1 thus formed and attaching this clip to a hole (not shown) provided in the vehicle, the vehicle component 1 can be attached and fixed to the vehicle for use. In this case, the hardened portion 10a retains the shape of the vehicle component 1, thereby fulfilling the role of a conventional core material. Furthermore, the flexible portion 10b acts as a buffer between the vehicle and the hardened portion 10a, thereby fulfilling the role of a conventional buffer layer.

[0032] According to the present embodiment described above, the vehicle component 1 is formed solely from the fiber 11 material having a heat-resistant core-sheath structure, and furthermore, the vehicle component 1 is provided with a soft portion 10b that plays the role of a conventional buffer layer on the outside and a hardened portion 10a that plays the role of a conventional core material on the inside. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to manufacture a vehicle component similar to a conventional one using a single material, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing the weight.

[0033] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the vehicle component 1 is formed using the sheet materials S1 and S2, and therefore has sound-absorbing and sound-insulating properties, allowing it to absorb and insulate sound. Furthermore, the sheet materials S1 and S2 are heat-resistant, allowing it to insulate heat. Furthermore, the sheet materials S1 and S2 are breathable, allowing it to adjust the air flow rate. In other words, the vehicle component 1 of this embodiment can have the same performance as conventional vehicle components, even though it is made of a single material.

[0034] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the hardened portion 10a is formed by applying heat to the sheath portion 11b to soften it, and then applying a predetermined pressure (pressing). This allows the hardened portion 10a to be formed by a simple method, further simplifying the manufacturing process. Note that the hardened portion 10a does not need to be formed by heat welding all of the thermoplastic resin of the sheath portion 11b; it is sufficient if only a portion is heat welded.

[0035] The vehicle component exemplified in this embodiment is merely an example, and various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention as set forth in the claims. For example, the shape of the vehicle component 1 is merely an example, and any shape may be used. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the fiber 11 material having a heat-resistant core-sheath structure is used as an example, but this is not limiting, and any heat-resistant fiber material may be used. However, it is preferable to use a fiber material having a core-sheath structure.

[0036] 4, slits 10b1 may be provided at predetermined intervals on the outer periphery of the flexible portion 10b. In this way, the bending portion of the flexible portion 10b can be divided into multiple blocks, thereby allowing the flexible portion 10b to bend only at certain points. This improves the flexibility of the flexible portion 10b, thereby improving the cushioning properties with the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1. Vehicle parts 10a Hardened part 10b Flexible part 10b1 Slit 11. Fiber 11a Core 11b Sheath

Claims

1. The heat-resistant fiber material is formed from a single fiber material, and has a flexible flexible portion on the outside and a hardened hardened portion on the inside. The flexible portion at least plays a role of buffering the vehicle, The hardened portion at least plays a role in maintaining the shape of the vehicle component, Slits are provided at predetermined intervals in the outer periphery of the flexible portion, so that the bending portion of the flexible portion is divided into a plurality of blocks, The vehicle component does not have the slits in the hardened portion.

2. The vehicle component according to claim 1 , wherein the fiber material has a core-sheath structure.

3. The sheath of the fiber material is formed from a thermoplastic resin, The vehicle component according to claim 2, wherein the hardened portion is formed by welding at least a portion of the thermoplastic resin of the sheath portion.

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