Vehicle assistive devices

Abstract

To provide a vehicular interposition material that can be formed with a thickness suitable for an interval between a vehicular panel and an interior material, without being separated in a manufacturing process.SOLUTION: A vehicular interposition material is made of one cushion material M, which has an adhesive surface 10a on which the cushion material M is folded back at one or more places so that folded-back inner surfaces thereof are made to adhere to each other, where the adhesive surface 10a is interposed between a vehicular panel 14 and an interior material 16 while extending in a direction in which the surface crosses the vehicular panel 14 and the interior material 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an intervening material for a vehicle interposed between a vehicle panel and an interior material.

Background Art

[0002] In a vehicle, a metal vehicle panel constituting the vehicle body and an interior material covering the interior side of the vehicle panel are provided. Between them, for example, for the purpose of sound absorption or blocking of condensed water, a vehicle intervening material having cushioning properties may be interposed. For example, in Cited Document 1, a sound-absorbing material as an intervening material is interposed between a roof panel as a vehicle panel and a ceiling material as an interior material.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The intervening material described in Patent Document 1 above is mainly composed of a material having cushioning properties such as felt or synthethic resin, and many of them have a fixed thickness. Also, at present, those having a thickness larger than a certain level do not exist. Therefore, when the distance between the vehicle panel and the interior material is large, two or three sheets are overlapped and adhered for interposition. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to achieve an appropriate thickness with respect to the distance between the vehicle panel and the interior material by simply overlapping those having a fixed thickness. Further, for example, in the manufacturing process, when the intervening material is laminated and bonded to the inner surface of the interior material, if the intervening material gets caught on something, there is a risk that the upper-layer intervening material will peel off and separate.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle interfacing material that does not separate during the manufacturing process and can have an appropriate thickness for the gap between the vehicle panel and the interior material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the vehicle assist material disclosed herein is: A vehicle interposing material interposed between a vehicle panel and an interior material covering the vehicle panel, It consists of a single cushioning material, The cushioning material is folded back at one or more locations, and the inner surfaces of the folds are bonded together to form an adhesive surface. The adhesive surface is interposed between the vehicle panel and the interior material, with the adhesive surface extending in a direction intersecting the vehicle panel and the interior material.

[0007] The vehicle cushioning material disclosed in this application allows the height (thickness) in the direction of extension of the adhesive surface to be adjusted to an appropriate height (thickness) corresponding to the distance between the vehicle panel and the interior material by adjusting the length of the fold (the length of each portion that folds and faces each other). Furthermore, since it is formed from a single cushioning material, the vehicle cushioning material disclosed in this application does not separate during the manufacturing process. The vehicle cushioning material disclosed in this application can be configured, for example, by folding it in only one place so that the height dimension is greater than the width dimension, or by folding it multiple times in a corrugated shape so that the width dimension (area) is increased. As for the cushioning material, for example, a material such as felt or Thinsulate covered with a surface material is preferable because it can ensure a sufficient adhesive surface and maintain its shape after molding.

[0008] In the above configuration, only one part is folded back to form a single adhesive surface, and the folded-back portion, which is the base, can be bonded to the interior material.

[0009] For example, in the manufacturing process of a vehicle, the vehicle support material may be attached to the interior material by being bonded to it before being installed on the vehicle panel. Even in such cases, because the base of the vehicle support material, rather than the tip where the ends are bonded together, is bonded to the interior material, it can be bonded more firmly than the tip, thus preventing the vehicle support material from peeling off the interior material.

[0010] In the above configuration, the vehicle is equipped with a device for opening and closing the roof window between a roof panel having a roof window and a ceiling material, and the vehicle intervening material can be configured to be interposed between the roof panel, which is the vehicle panel, and the ceiling material, which is the interior material.

[0011] In vehicles equipped with a roof window and a device for opening and closing it, a device with relatively large parts such as a motor (e.g., a panoramic unit) is placed between the roof panel and the ceiling material, resulting in a relatively large gap between the roof panel and the ceiling material. In other words, the thickness of a single conventional interfacing material is often insufficient. Therefore, the vehicle interfacing material disclosed herein, which can accommodate relatively large thicknesses and can be made to an appropriate thickness, is suitable for the ceiling of a vehicle equipped with a panoramic unit. Note that the device for opening and closing the roof window includes not only the device that operates the roof window itself, but also, for example, the device that operates shades or blinds.

[0012] In the above configuration, the vehicle intervening material is interposed between the roof panel, which is the vehicle panel, and the ceiling material, which is the interior material. The roof panel has a shape that slopes downward towards the front of the vehicle, and the vehicle has electronic functional components arranged on the front end side of the ceiling material. The vehicle's intervening material can be configured to be positioned behind the electronic functional component, extending in the width direction of the vehicle.

[0013] In the ceiling of a vehicle configured as described above, the condensed water generated on the inner surface of the roof panel tends to flow toward the electronic functional components. However, the vehicle mounting material can block the condensed water flowing toward the electronic functional components and effectively protect the electronic functional components.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle mounting material that can be made to have an appropriate thickness with respect to the distance between the vehicle panel and the interior material without being separated during the manufacturing process.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] Cross-sectional view of the ceiling of a vehicle in which the vehicle mounting material of Embodiment 1 is adopted [Figure 2] Perspective view of the state in which the vehicle mounting material of Embodiment 1 is adhered to the ceiling material [Figure 3] Plan view of the cushion material formed by the vehicle mounting material [Figure 4] Plan view (partial cross-sectional view) of the cushion material [Figure 5] Side view of the vehicle mounting material of Embodiment 1 [Figure 6] Side view of the vehicle mounting material of Embodiment 2 [Figure 7] Side view of the vehicle mounting material of Embodiment 3

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] <Embodiment 1> The vehicle mounting material according to the first embodiment of the present invention is the vehicle mounting material 10 adopted in a vehicle as a vehicle. This vehicle mounting material 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. In a part of the drawings, the directions are indicated by the reference signs Fr, Rr, L, R, U, and D, which represent the front side, rear side, left side, right side, upper side, and lower side in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle, respectively.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle interior material 10 of the present embodiment is arranged on the ceiling 12 of the vehicle. The ceiling 12 is composed of a roof panel (vehicle body panel) 14 that forms the vehicle body and a ceiling material (interior material) 16 that covers the vehicle interior side (lower surface side) of the roof panel 14. Further, the ceiling 12 is a panoramic roof and includes a roof window 18. Note that, as shown in FIG. 2, the ceiling material 16 also covers the periphery of the roof window 18 from below together with the roof panel 14. In other words, the ceiling material 16 has an opening 16a that is slightly smaller than the roof window 18, and the edge of the opening 16a forms the window frame portion of the roof window 18.

[0018] In addition, the ceiling 12 is provided with a panoramic unit 20 mainly composed of an electric shade that can switch between a state where the lower surface of the roof window 18 is covered with the shade and a released state. In the vehicle in which the vehicle interior material 10 of the present vehicle is adopted, as shown in FIG. 1, a portion 16b on the vehicle front side of the window frame portion in the ceiling material 16 bulges toward the vehicle interior side (lower side), and a part of the above-mentioned panoramic unit 20 is disposed between the roof window 18 on the back surface side (upper side) thereof. Thereby, in the vicinity (front side) of the panoramic unit 20, the distance between the roof panel 14 and the ceiling material 16 is relatively large.

[0019] Furthermore, a plurality of electronic functional components are mounted on the ceiling 12 on the front end side of the vehicle. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, vanity mirrors 22 for the driver's seat and the passenger seat, an overhead module 24 having a map lamp, switches, etc. in the center in the vehicle width direction, etc. are arranged. Note that the roof panel 14 of the ceiling 12 (more specifically, the outer panel 14a) is shaped to decline as it goes toward the vehicle front.

[0020] Furthermore, the vehicle intervening material 10 of this embodiment is installed on the ceiling 12. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle intervening material 10 is positioned further forward of the front portion 16b of the window frame. More specifically, the roof panel 14 consists of an outer panel 14a, which is the outermost outer panel located on the outside of the passenger compartment, and an inner panel 14b inside it. The vehicle intervening material 10 is installed in the area where only the outer panel 14a is present and the inner panel 14b is not present. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the vehicle intervening material 10 is provided in pairs side by side in the vehicle width direction, each being elongated in the vehicle width direction and positioned with a gap between them in the center of the vehicle width direction.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, each of the vehicle interfacing materials 10 in this embodiment has dimensions in the front-rear direction of the vehicle that match the gap in the inner panel 14b described above, and in the vertical direction, the vehicle interfacing material 10 is positioned in a compressed state, that is, with its upper end firmly in contact with the outer panel 14a of the roof panel 14. With this configuration, the vehicle interfacing material 10 in this embodiment can absorb sound from the outside of the vehicle into the passenger compartment in areas of the roof panel 14 that do not have a double-layer structure. Furthermore, as mentioned above, since the roof panel 14 has a shape that slopes downward towards the front of the vehicle, condensation water generated on the passenger compartment side of the roof panel 14 and roof window 18 flows along the inner surface towards the front of the vehicle. However, the vehicle interfacing material 10 in this embodiment can block the flow of this condensation water forward, that is, it can prevent condensation water from adhering to electronic functional components located at the front of the vehicle.

[0022] Next, the shape of the vehicle interfacing material 10 of this embodiment and its molding method will be described in detail. Each of the vehicle interfacing materials 10 consists of a single cushioning material M that is generally rectangular, as shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 4, this cushioning material M is composed of a Thinsulate 30, which is the main body of the cushioning material having sound absorption and heat insulation effects, and a surface material 32 that covers the Thinsulate 30. The surface material 32 suppresses the bulging of the Thinsulate 30 while maintaining a predetermined size and thickness. The cushioning material M has two groove-shaped crushed portions 40 formed along its longitudinal direction, which are parts that are thinner than other parts. These two crushed portions 40 are arranged parallel to each other at symmetrical positions with respect to the center in the short direction, and the dimensions from each crushed portion 40 to the outer edge are equal to each other.

[0023] Next, as shown in Figure 4, double-sided tape 44 is applied to the outer edge portion 42, which is the outer edge portion in the shorter direction from each crushed portion 40. Then, each outer edge portion 42 is raised starting from each crushed portion 40, and as shown in Figure 5, these outer edge portions 42 are bonded to each other using the double-sided tape 44, forming the vehicle interfacing material 10 of this embodiment. In other words, the vehicle interfacing material 10 of this embodiment has an adhesive surface 10a where the cushioning material M is folded back in the center in the shorter direction, and the inner surfaces of the folded parts are bonded together. That is, this vehicle interfacing material has a shape in which the height dimension is greater than the width dimension in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The two crushed portions 40 are determined based on the thickness of the cushioning material M so that there is no gap at the base end when the outer edge portions 42 on both sides are bonded together. Furthermore, the cushioning material M is configured such that the dimension of the outer edge 42 in the shorter direction is larger by a predetermined length than the distance between the ceiling material 16 and the roof panel 14 when it is folded and formed.

[0024] Each of the vehicle interfacing materials 10 formed as described above is bonded to the ceiling material 16. More specifically, each of the vehicle interfacing materials 10 is bonded at the base portion 10b, which is the folded-back base end portion. More specifically, it is bonded to the ceiling material 16 by double-sided tape 50 on the opposite surface 46 between the two crushed portions 40.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, when the ceiling material 16 with the vehicle interfacing material 10 attached is attached to the roof panel 14, the vehicle interfacing material 10 is pressed against the roof panel 14 and attached by being crushed. In other words, during the manufacturing process of the vehicle, the ceiling material 16 with the vehicle interfacing material 10 attached may be grasped and carried by workers. Conventional vehicle interfacing materials were constructed by overlapping and adhering cushioning material in the direction of insufficient height, so there was a risk that the overlapping upper layer of cushioning material would get caught and separate. In contrast, the vehicle interfacing material 10 of this embodiment is formed from a single cushioning material M, so such a situation can be avoided. Also, as mentioned above, since each of the vehicle interfacing materials 10 is adhered to the ceiling material 16 at its base 10b, it is adhered more firmly than when it is adhered at the tip of the fold, and the occurrence of it peeling off from the ceiling material 16 during the manufacturing process can be suppressed. Furthermore, although the adhesive surface 10a of this vehicle interfacing material 10 is a surface perpendicular to the vehicle's longitudinal direction, the entire surface is not an adhesive surface, and the base portion 10b is connected. Therefore, even if forces are applied in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle during the manufacturing process, it can sufficiently withstand those forces.

[0026] <Embodiment 2> In the first embodiment described above, the vehicle interfacing material 10 had only one folded portion, but it can also be configured with multiple folds. The vehicle interfacing material 60 of the second embodiment is formed from a single cushion material, similar to the vehicle interfacing material 10 of the first embodiment, but the folded portion 62 at the lower end and the folded portion 63 at the upper end are formed alternately, resulting in a wavy folded shape when viewed from the side. In other words, in the process of forming the vehicle interfacing material 60 of this embodiment, a pair of crushed portions 64 are formed on the upper side of a single cushion material, and the folded portion 62 at the lower end is formed by valley folding starting from them, and a pair of crushed portions 65 are formed on the lower side, and the folded portion 63 at the upper end is formed by mountain folding starting from them. Furthermore, the adhesive surface 66 formed by the folded portion 62 at the lower end and the adhesive surface 67 formed by the folded portion 63 at the upper end both extend in a direction that intersects the vehicle body and the interior material (the vertical direction in Figure 6). In other words, against forces in a direction perpendicular to these adhesive surfaces 66 and 67 (the left-right direction in Figure 6), the presence of connections at the upper and lower ends provides high durability.

[0027] According to this second embodiment of the vehicle interfacing material 60, by increasing the number of folds while matching the height to the distance between the vehicle body and the interior material, it can be installed in areas with a large surface area. Incidentally, by changing the height at each of the folds 62 and 63, it is also possible to create a shape in which the height dimension changes gradually.

[0028] <Embodiment 3> The vehicle interfacing material 80 of the third embodiment has a structure that is folded multiple times, similar to the vehicle interfacing material 60 of the second embodiment, but the way it is folded is different. The vehicle interfacing material 80 of this embodiment is also formed from a single cushion material. First, as shown in Figure 7, the outer edges 82L and 82R on both sides in one direction (the left-right direction in Figure 7) of the vehicle interfacing material 80 are folded over toward the upper surface, and the inner surfaces of the folds are bonded together to form a first bonding surface 84. Next, the portion that is bonded on the first bonding surface 84 is folded upwards. The inner surfaces of the raised portion, in other words, the surfaces of the outer edges 82L and 842 opposite to the first bonding surface 84 are bonded together to form a second bonding surface 86.

[0029] In other words, the vehicle interfacing material 80 of this embodiment has no parts that are bonded to each other on the lower side and consists of a single surface, which allows for stronger adhesion to interior materials, etc., compared to the vehicle interfacing material 60 of the second embodiment. Furthermore, since the outer edge of the cushioning material of the vehicle interfacing material 80 of this embodiment is curved inward and located inside, it is less likely to snag, and situations such as peeling off from the outer edge during the manufacturing process can be avoided.

[0030] <Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. For example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0031] (1) In the above three embodiments, the vehicle interfacing materials 10, 60, and 80 had the main body of the cushioning material (the part covered by the surface material 32) made of Thinsulate, but are not limited to this, and any material that is bendable and has cushioning properties, such as felt (nonwoven fabric), may be used.

[0032] (2) In the first embodiment described above, the vehicle intervening material 10 was positioned between the roof panel 14 and the ceiling material 16, but is not limited to that. In a vehicle, sound-absorbing material may be interposed in various places, such as between the door panel and the door trim, between the pillar panel and the pillar garnish, between the quarter panel and the quarter trim, and between the side panel and the side trim, and the vehicle intervening material of the present invention can be used as such sound-absorbing material.

[0033] (3) In the above embodiments, the vehicle assistance material of the present invention was provided for vehicles (automobiles), but is not limited thereto, and the vehicle assistance material of the present invention can be applied to various vehicles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10...Vehicle assisting material [Vehicle assisting material], 10a...Adhesive surface, 10b...Base, 14...Roof panel [Vehicle panel], 16...Ceiling material [Interior material], 18...Roof window, 20...Panoramic unit, 22...Vanity lamp [Electronic functional component], 24...Overhead module [Electronic functional component], M...Cushioning material, 40...Compression part, 60...Vehicle assisting material [Vehicle assisting material], 64, 65...Compression part, 66, 67...Adhesive surface, 80...Vehicle assisting material [Vehicle assisting material], 84...First adhesive surface, 86...Second adhesive surface

Claims

1. A vehicle interposing material interposed between a vehicle panel and an interior material covering the vehicle panel, It consists of a single cushioning material, The cushioning material is folded back at one or more locations, and the inner surfaces of the folds are bonded together to form an adhesive surface. The adhesive surface is interposed between the vehicle panel and the interior material, with the adhesive surface extending in a direction intersecting the vehicle panel and the interior material. The base portion, which is the folded part of the cushioning material, is bonded to the interior material. A vehicle cushioning material wherein only one portion of the cushioning material is folded back to form a single adhesive surface.

2. A vehicle interposing material interposed between a vehicle panel and an interior material covering the vehicle panel, It consists of a single cushioning material, The cushioning material is folded back at one or more locations, and the inner surfaces of the folds are bonded together to form an adhesive surface. The adhesive surface is interposed between the vehicle panel and the interior material, with the adhesive surface extending in a direction intersecting the vehicle panel and the interior material. The cushioning material has a pair of flattened portions that extend parallel to each other at intervals determined by the thickness of the cushioning material and have a smaller thickness than the other portions. A vehicle interfacing material that is bent starting from the pair of crushed portions, and the outer edges of each of the pair of crushed portions are bonded to each other to form the bonding surface.

3. A vehicle interposing material interposed between a vehicle panel and an interior material covering the vehicle panel, It consists of a single cushioning material, The cushioning material is folded back at one or more locations, and the inner surfaces of the folds are bonded together to form an adhesive surface. The adhesive surface is interposed between the vehicle panel and the interior material, with the adhesive surface extending in a direction intersecting the vehicle panel and the interior material. It is mounted on a vehicle in which a device for opening and closing the roof window is installed between the roof panel having the roof window and the ceiling material, The vehicle support material is a vehicle support material interposed between the roof panel, which is a vehicle panel, and the ceiling material, which is an interior material.

4. A vehicle interposing material interposed between a vehicle panel and an interior material covering the vehicle panel, It consists of a single cushioning material, The cushioning material is folded back at one or more locations, and the inner surfaces of the folds are bonded together to form an adhesive surface. The adhesive surface is interposed between the vehicle panel and the interior material, with the adhesive surface extending in a direction intersecting the vehicle panel and the interior material. The vehicle interfacing material is interposed between the roof panel, which is the vehicle panel, and the ceiling material, which is the interior material. The aforementioned roof panel is shaped to slope downwards towards the front of the vehicle. The aforementioned vehicle has electronic functional components arranged on the front end side of the ceiling material. The vehicle support material is positioned behind the electronic functional component and extends in the width direction of the vehicle.

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