Skin having heating function, preparation method therefor, and vehicle interior component comprising same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a skin having a heating function and a preparation method therefor. The skin having a heating function comprises a heating surface layer and an electrode layer; the heating surface layer is composed of a surface layer and a heating layer bonded to one side surface of the surface layer, and the surface layer is in direct contact with the heating layer; the electrode layer is located on the side of the heating layer facing away from the surface layer; and the heating layer contains a matrix polymer and a nano carbon material dispersed in the matrix polymer. The present invention further relates to a vehicle interior component comprising the skin having a heating function. In the skin having a heating function of the present invention, the heating surface layer is of an integrated double-layer structure, which not only reduces the number of material layers and simplifies the process flow, but also improves heating conduction efficiency, temperature rise rate, and thermal distribution uniformity.

Description

A skin with heating function, a preparation method thereof, and a vehicle interior component comprising the skin with heating function TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of skin materials, and more particularly to a skin with heating function, a preparation method thereof, and a vehicle interior component comprising the skin with heating function. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of science and technology in the field of vehicle transportation, people's requirements for the comfort of vehicle riding are increasingly improved. Heating technology for the surface of the vehicle interior has emerged as the times require and gradually operated in the field of medium and high-end passenger vehicles. Among the existing vehicle heating methods, the most novel one is to use nano-carbon materials (such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, etc.) as heating bodies to heat the surface of the vehicle interior.

[0003] When the heating mode using nano-carbon materials is applied to the thermal management system, it has excellent thermal distribution uniformity, high heating efficiency, and can make the passengers feel more comfortable by means of radiation heating.

[0004] However, the conventional graphene or carbon nanotube heating pad is usually arranged between the surface layer and the supporting layer. In this way, heat needs to pass through a relatively thick skin layer and a soft pad to be transmitted to the air, which limits the heating efficiency and the temperature rising speed to some extent. For example, in actual application, due to the lengthening of the heat transfer path and the existence of hindering factors, such a conventional heating pad may take a long time to make the vehicle interior reach the ideal temperature, thereby adversely affecting the immediate use experience of the passengers.

[0005] CN211617503U combines graphene film sheets with electrode materials to achieve the effect of a heating pad. Specifically, it relates to a car seat heating pad, the base sheet group includes first and second base sheets spaced apart from each other, wherein the electrode sheet group, the graphene film sheet group and the copper sheet group are sandwiched and packaged between the first and second base sheets, the electrode sheet group is a silver paste electrode printed on the graphene film sheet group by silk screen printing, the electrode sheet group includes first and second electrode sheets spaced apart from each other, the graphene film sheet group includes a plurality of graphene film sheets, each graphene film sheet connects the first and second electrode sheets, the copper sheet group includes first and second copper sheets, the first copper sheet is attached to the terminal crimping position of the first electrode sheet, and the second copper sheet is attached to the terminal crimping position of the second electrode sheet. The terminal is anchored on the first and second electrode sheets through the first and second copper sheets, respectively. SUMMARY

[0006] To solve the technical problems existing in the current skin with heating function, such as the heating conduction efficiency and the temperature rising rate are not ideal, the present application provides a skin with heating function, wherein the heating surface layer is a double-layer structure, which can not only reduce the material level and simplify the process flow, but also improve the heating conduction efficiency, the temperature rising rate and the thermal distribution uniformity.

[0007] In one aspect, the present application provides a skin with heating function, comprising: a heating surface layer composed of a surface layer and a heating layer combined on one side surface of the surface layer, and the surface layer and the heating layer are in direct contact; and an electrode layer located on the side of the heating layer away from the surface layer; wherein the heating layer comprises: a base polymer and a nano-carbon material dispersed in the base polymer.

[0008] In one embodiment, the base polymer comprises a base polymer and an optional conductive polymer; the base polymer comprises one or more of: a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, a polyimide, a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer, and derivatives thereof; preferably, the base polymer comprises: a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, a polyimide, or a combination thereof; the conductive polymer comprises one or more of: polyacetylene, polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyrrole, polyfuran, and derivatives thereof.

[0009] In one embodiment, the nano-carbon material comprises one or more of: graphene, carbon nanotube, fullerene, carbon quantum dot, preferably comprises graphene, carbon nanotube, or a combination thereof, more preferably graphene.

[0010] In one embodiment, the surface layer comprises a thermoplastic elastomer. In a preferred embodiment, the surface layer comprises a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer, or a combination thereof.

[0011] In one embodiment, the preparation process of the heating surface layer comprises: a double-layer co-extrusion process or a wet coating process.

[0012] In another aspect, the present application provides a method for preparing the skin with heating function of the present application, comprising: providing a heating surface layer composed of a surface layer and a heating layer combined on one side surface of the surface layer; and providing an electrode layer on the side of the heating layer away from the surface layer. In an optional embodiment, a substrate protection layer is provided on the side of the electrode layer away from the heating surface layer.

[0013] In one embodiment, the process for providing the heating surface layer comprises: double-layer co-extrusion of the material forming the heating layer and the material forming the surface layer, followed by casting and / or calendering to form the heating surface layer; wherein the material forming the surface layer comprises a thermoplastic elastomer; the material forming the heating layer comprises a base polymer and a nano-carbon material.

[0014] In one embodiment, the process of providing the heating layer comprises: providing the surface layer, coating a dispersion liquid comprising the nanocarbon material and the base polymer on one side surface of the surface layer, and then curing to form the heating layer.

[0015] In another aspect, the present application also provides a vehicle interior component comprising the skin with heating function according to any one of claims 1-7. In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle interior component comprises: an instrument panel, a door panel, a center console, an armrest, a map pocket, a seat A face or a seat back panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] For a more complete understanding of the present application, reference is now made to the embodiments described in more detail in the accompanying drawings and described below by way of examples of the application, in which:

[0017] Figure 1: one exemplary embodiment of the skin with heating function of the present application.

[0018] Figure 2: the measured temperature of the skin with heating function of the present application at different positions as a function of time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] General Definitions and Terminology

[0020] All publications, patent applications, patents and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety unless otherwise indicated.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. If there is a conflict between the definitions provided in this document and those provided in the patents, applications, and other references mentioned herein, the definitions provided in this document control.

[0022] All percentages, parts, ratios, etc., are by weight unless otherwise indicated.

[0023] When a range, a preferred range, or a preferred upper and lower limit, or a specific value is given for a number, a concentration, or other value or parameter, it is intended to specifically disclose all ranges formed from any of the upper limit ranges or preferred values with any of the lower limit ranges or preferred values, whether or not the ranges are expressly disclosed, unless otherwise indicated. When a range of values is recited, the stated range is intended to include all values within the range, inclusive of the recited values, unless otherwise indicated. The scope of the present application is not limited to the specific values recited when defining a range. For example, "1-8" encompasses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and any sub-range formed by any two of the values, e.g., 2-6, 3-5.

[0024] The terms "about," "approximately," when used in connection with a numerical value, generally mean that the recited numerical value and all numerical values of that variable are within experimental error (e.g., within the 95% confidence interval of the mean) or within ± 10% of the indicated numerical value, or within a wider range.

[0025] The terms "comprising," "including," "having," "containing," or "involving," and any variations thereof, are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. Those of skill in the art will understand that the terms "comprising" and "including," as well as "containing" and "involving," encompass the more restrictive terms "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of." The expression "consisting of" excludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified. The expression "consisting essentially of" means a range of elements, steps, or components that is limited to those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed subject matter. It will be understood that the expression "comprising" encompasses the expressions "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of."

[0026] The term "selected from the group consisting of" means one or more elements from the group listed thereafter, independently selected, and can include combinations of two or more elements.

[0027] When describing a numerical value or range end point herein, it is understood that the disclosure includes the recited particular value or end point.

[0028] The terms "one or more" or "at least one" as used herein means one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or more.

[0029] Unless otherwise indicated, the terms "combination thereof and "mixtures thereof mean a multi-component mixture of the recited elements, e.g., two, three, four, and up to the maximum possible multi-component mixture.

[0030] Further, unless otherwise indicated, the use of the singular herein, such as "a" or "an," does not exclude the use of the plural. The use of "one" or "the" to describe the elements or components by the use of the singular form "one" and "the" is not intended to exclude the use of the plural, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further, the use of "another" or "at least one" to describe the elements or components by the use of the singular form "one" and "the" is not intended to exclude the use of the plural, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0031] The terms "optional" or "optionally," as used herein, mean that the subsequently described event or circumstance can or can not occur, and that the description includes instances where the event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.

[0032] When describing methods, compositions, or steps, identified by letters or numbers, the order or sequence of these methods, compositions, or steps is identified for clarity, and is not intended to limit the order or sequence of these methods, compositions, or steps. Reasonable variations can be made by those skilled in the art.

[0033] In the present disclosure, "on one side" or "located on one side" is used to indicate the relative position of two layers, and does not limit whether the two layers are directly adjacent.

[0034] Skin with heating function

[0035] The recyclable skin for vehicle interior of the present disclosure has a multi-layer structure. By reasonably designing the structure of each layer contained therein (such as the material, hardness, thickness, relative position relationship of each layer, etc.), the recyclable skin of the present disclosure is endowed with excellent performance, has the characteristics of green environmental protection, and is suitable for a variety of scenarios. For example, it can be used as a skin for automotive interior components, such as an instrument panel, a door panel, a center console, an armrest, or a seat.

[0036] The skin with heating function of the present disclosure can realize the heating function under certain conditions (such as power on). The skin with heating function of the present disclosure has a wide range of application scenarios, for example, it can be used to cover vehicle interior components, thereby endowing the vehicle interior components with heating function.

[0037] The skin with heating function of the present disclosure can contain a heating surface layer and an electrode layer. The skin with heating function will be described in detail below.

[0038] Heating surface layer

[0039] The heating surface layer of the present disclosure is a two-layer structure, which is composed of a surface layer and a heating layer combined on one side surface of the surface layer. In the present disclosure, "the heating layer is combined on one side surface of the surface layer" means that the heating layer and the surface layer are in direct contact, and there is a certain force between the two at the contact interface to form a stable combination between the heating layer and the surface layer. Therefore, in an embodiment, the surface layer and the heating layer in the heating surface layer of the present disclosure are in direct contact and combination. During the preparation and use of the skin with heating function of the present disclosure, the combination of the surface layer and the heating layer in the heating surface layer can prevent the two from separating or moving relative to each other due to external factors (such as friction, heating, pulling, etc.).

[0040] Surface layer

[0041] In the present disclosure, the surface layer generally refers to a self-supporting layer that is in direct contact with the user or visible to the user in the product use scenario. A suitable surface layer can endow the product with desired properties, such as: appropriate color development, good touch, excellent mechanical strength and wear resistance, etc.

[0042] The skin of the present application can be formed from a material comprising a thermoplastic elastomer, for example, by forming from a material comprising a thermoplastic elastomer. As used herein, a thermoplastic elastomer has the definition known to those skilled in the art, which is a class of high molecular materials that exhibit rubber elasticity at room temperature and can be shaped into a plastic at high temperature. Thermoplastic elastomers have excellent mechanical strength, good tear resistance and wear resistance, chemical corrosion resistance, easy processing, excellent resilience, recyclability, etc., and are suitable for use as a skin material for automotive interior parts.

[0043] Preferably, the skin of the present application can comprise a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer, or a combination of both.

[0044] A thermoplastic polyester elastomer has the definition known to those skilled in the art, which is typically a block copolymer composed of hard segments (crystalline, repeating high melting point blocks, typically polyester segments) and soft segments (non-crystalline, relatively low glass transition temperature blocks, typically polyester segments or polyether segments). The hard segments forming the thermoplastic polyester elastomer can include, but are not limited to, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, poly-1,4-dimethylenecyclohexane terephthalate, polybutylene 2,6-naphthalate, polyxylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate / polybutylene terephthalate copolymer, polydimethyl terephthalate / isophthalate / 1,4-butanediol copolymer, polyethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate, polypropylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate, polybutylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate, polyhexylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate, or any combination thereof, preferably can include polybutylene terephthalate, polybutylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate, or a combination thereof. The soft segments forming the thermoplastic polyester elastomer can include, but are not limited to, polyethylene glycol, polybutylene glycol, polycaprolactone, polymethyl ethylene glycol, fatty acid dimer diol, polytetramethylene ether, ethylene oxide-propylene oxide copolymer bisphenol A ether, polypropylene glycol, polylactide, polyglycolide, or a combination thereof, preferably can include polyethylene glycol, polycaprolactone, polytetramethylene ether, or a combination thereof.

[0045] A thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer has the definition known to those skilled in the art, which is an elastomeric material composed of two components, rubber and polyolefin. The rubber component can include, but is not limited to, ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), nitrile rubber (NBR), butyl rubber (IIR), and natural rubber (NR). The polyolefin component can include, but is not limited to, polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE).

[0046] The above-mentioned, especially the preferred surface layer, has more optimal effects in terms of high-temperature resistance and bonding ability with the heating layer (described below).

[0047] It should be understood that the material forming the surface layer can also contain additives conventional in the art (including but not limited to colorants, antioxidants, etc.). It should be understood that the addition of additives is for proper adjustment of the properties of the system, and the amount thereof should not be too high to avoid undesirable negative effects.

[0048] In order to balance the requirements for heating effect and mechanical properties, touch, etc. in different use scenarios, the thickness and hardness of the surface layer are reasonably designed according to the material of the surface layer, so that the surface layer obtains a more optimal match in terms of material and structure, thereby enabling more optimal use performance while meeting the requirements of automotive regulations.

[0049] The thickness of the surface layer of the present application can be 0.15-0.5mm, such as 0.15mm, 0.18mm, 0.20mm, 0.22mm, 0.25mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.42mm, 0.45mm, 0.48mm, 0.5mm, etc. If the thickness of the surface layer is too large, it may lead to poor heating conduction efficiency, and also may lead to a decrease in the overall softness of the product, which will affect the hand feeling and comfort of the product, and in addition, will cause an increase in the amount of material used and thus an increase in the cost of the product. If the thickness of the surface layer is too small, it may cause the surface layer to be too low in strength and easily broken during use.

[0050] The hardness of the surface layer of the present application can be 40-80A. If the hardness of the surface layer is too high, it may lead to a decrease in the softness of the surface layer, and the hand feeling and comfort will be reduced. If the hardness of the surface layer is too low, it may lead to difficulty in forming the surface layer and low strength.

[0051] The side surface of the surface layer away from the heating layer can be coated with a coating to further improve the surface touch and improve the properties of scratch resistance, wear resistance, light resistance, yellowing resistance, etc., thereby prolonging the service life of the product. The thickness of the coating is not particularly limited and can be adjusted according to actual use, for example, it can be 5-10μm. The coating can be formed by curing a water-based polyurethane emulsion or a water-based acrylic emulsion.

[0052] Heating layer

[0053] The heating layer of the present application can generate heat under the condition of being electrified, thereby realizing the heating function of the product. The heating layer is located on one side surface of the surface layer, and comprises a base polymer and a nano-carbon material dispersed in the base polymer.

[0054] The nanocarbon material can include, but is not limited to, one or more of: graphene, carbon nanotube, fullerene, carbon quantum dot. Preferably, the nanocarbon material includes graphene, carbon nanotube, or a combination of both, more preferably graphene. The nanocarbon material, particularly the preferred nanocarbon material, has excellent electrical and thermal properties, with good electrical conductivity and extremely high thermal conductivity, which enables the heat generated after electrification to be rapidly transmitted and diffused within the material, achieving uniform heating effect.

[0055] In the heating layer of the present application, the nanocarbon material can have a suitable dispersion density, which is beneficial to imparting the heating layer with suitable electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity, particularly suitable for application in vehicles. In one embodiment, the volume content of the nanocarbon material in the heating layer can be 5%-20%. In the present application, the "volume content" refers to the proportion of the volume of the nanocarbon material to the total volume of the heating layer.

[0056] The base polymer can be used as a base material for dispersing the nanocarbon material in the heating layer. The base polymer can include a base polymer material. The base polymer refers to a polymer material capable of imparting the heating layer with necessary basic properties (such as certain elasticity, hardness, support, etc.). The base polymer of the present application can be a thermoplastic polymer, including but not limited to one or more of: thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, polyimide, thermoplastic polyester elastomer, thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer, and derivatives thereof. Preferably, the base polymer includes: thermoplastic polyester elastomer, polyimide, or a combination thereof.

[0057] The base polymer can further include a conductive polymer. The conductive polymer refers to a polymer material having electrical conductivity, which can improve the electrical conductivity of the heating layer to some extent, and also adjust the mechanical properties (such as hardness, etc.) of the heating layer. Preferably, the conductive polymer can include, but is not limited to, one or more of: polyacetylene, polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyrrole, polyfuran, and derivatives thereof.

[0058] The base polymer of the present application, in particular the preferred base polymer, can at least bring about the following advantageous effects: 1. The base polymer serves as a dispersion medium for the nanocarbon material, which can be uniformly dispersed therein, thereby improving the uniformity of heat distribution; 2. The base polymer enables the heating layer to be prepared by co-extrusion or wet coating, and enables the prepared heating layer to have good bonding with the surface layer, without the need to set an additional adhesive layer or to fix the heating layer and the surface layer by other fixing means; 3. The base polymer and the nanocarbon material mixed together can have a suitable volume resistance, so that the electric current can pass through and be converted into heat energy, thus the skin with heating function of the present application can have excellent temperature rise rate; 4. The base polymer and the skin can have good matching in terms of material, for example, similar physical properties, which makes the surface layer and the heating layer less likely to separate or delaminate due to external factors during use of the product, thereby prolonging the service life and stability of the heating function; 5. The base polymer can endow the heating layer with good mechanical strength, good tear resistance, etc., thus the heating layer and the surface layer together constitute a heating layer, which can reduce the thickness of the surface layer without significantly affecting the mechanical properties of the heating layer, and the reduced thickness of the surface layer makes the heating layer closer to the surface, which not only enables the heat to be transferred to the target use position more quickly, but also reduces unnecessary heat dissipation, thereby improving the energy utilization rate. Therefore, the product containing the skin with heating function of the present application can maintain excellent mechanical properties while having excellent heating performance in application.

[0059] The thickness of the heating layer of the present application can be 0.15-0.5 mm, for example, 0.15 mm, 0.18 mm, 0.20 mm, 0.22 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.42 mm, 0.45 mm, 0.48 mm, 0.5 mm, etc. If the thickness of the heating layer is too large, it may lead to a decrease in the overall softness of the product, which will affect the hand feeling and comfort of the product; if the thickness of the heating layer is too small, it may result in poor heating effect.

[0060] In the present application, the preparation process of the heating layer can include a double-layer co-extrusion process or a wet coating process. The specific process is described below. By virtue of the double-layer co-extrusion process or the wet coating process, a heating layer directly combined with the surface layer can be obtained, which not only simplifies the production process, but also has additional advantages. For example, compared with the way of bonding the heating layer and the surface layer through an adhesive layer, this way of directly contacting and combining the heating layer and the surface layer avoids the use of an additional adhesive layer, not only avoiding the risk of adhesion decline caused by aging of the adhesive layer in a heated state, but also enabling the heat of the heating layer to be directly transferred to the surface layer, thereby improving the heating conduction efficiency and temperature rise rate.

[0061] Electrode layer

[0062] In the present application, the electrode layer serves as an electrode, and the heating effect can be achieved by connecting an external power source to the electrode layer to pass current through the heating surface layer. The electrode layer is located on the side of the heating layer that is away from the surface layer and can be in direct contact with the heating layer.

[0063] The electrode layer of the present application can comprise a metal foil, a cured conductive paste, or a combination thereof. The size and thickness of the electrode can be set according to actual needs.

[0064] The metal foil can include, but is not limited to, a copper foil, a silver foil, an aluminum foil, a gold foil, or a combination thereof. For cost and performance considerations, a copper foil is preferred. In a specific embodiment, a copper foil is used as the electrode layer, and the thickness of the copper foil can be 0.01-0.2 mm, and the width can be 3-15 mm.

[0065] The electrode layer can also be formed from a cured conductive paste, for example, by printing a conductive paste on the surface of the side of the heating layer that is away from the surface layer, and forming the electrode layer after curing. In the above printing process, the printing method used can include, but is not limited to, screen printing. The thickness of the printed conductive paste can be, for example, 10-50 μm. The conductive paste can include, but is not limited to, a conductive nano-silver paste, a conductive nano-copper paste, or a combination thereof, and a conductive nano-silver paste is preferred.

[0066] Substrate protection layer

[0067] The skin with heating function of the present application can also comprise a substrate protection layer, which is disposed on the side of the electrode layer that is away from the heating surface layer. The substrate protection layer of the present application refers to a layer that can provide protection effects such as waterproofing, scratch resistance, etc.

[0068] Preferably, the substrate protection layer of the present application can be a polyethylene terephthalate knitted fabric, a thermoplastic polyurethane film, or a combination thereof. Such a substrate protection layer can provide excellent protection effects such as waterproofing, scratch resistance, etc., and can also be used to control the elongation of the skin with heating function. In an embodiment, the elongation of the skin with heating function of the present application can be controlled to be between 3-5%.

[0069] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the skin with heating function of the present application. The skin with heating function 100 comprises, in order, a heating surface layer 11, an electrode layer 12, and a substrate protection layer 13, wherein the heating surface layer is composed of a surface layer 111 and a heating layer 112, wherein the surface layer 111 is located on the side of the heating layer 112, the electrode layer 12 is located on the side of the heating layer 112 that is away from the surface layer 111, and the substrate protection layer 13 is located on the side of the electrode layer 12 that is away from the heating surface layer 11. In an alternative embodiment, the skin with heating function 100 further comprises a coating layer 14, which is located on the side of the surface layer 111 that is away from the heating layer 112.

[0070] The skin with heating function of the present application has excellent heating performance, which can be characterized by temperature rise rate and temperature uniformity.

[0071] The skin with heating function of the present application has high temperature rise rate, which can meet the general standard of heating temperature rise for contact heating mode and radiation heating mode. In the general standard, the contact heating mode requires reaching 43℃ in 3 min; and the radiation heating mode requires reaching 70℃ in 8 min.

[0072] The skin with heating function of the present application has uniform temperature distribution, which can meet the general standard of temperature uniformity for contact heating mode and radiation heating mode. The temperature uniformity refers to that after the temperature of the product reaches the set value, the temperature of the product can be stabilized within a certain range over time. In the general standard, the contact heating mode requires that after reaching the target set temperature, the temperature difference of the product over time is within ±2℃; and the radiation heating mode requires that after reaching the target set temperature, the temperature difference of the product over time is within ±4℃.

[0073] Method for preparing the skin with heating function

[0074] The present application also relates to a method for preparing the skin with heating function of the present application, which comprises the following steps:

[0075] providing a heating skin composed of a surface layer and a heating layer combined on one side surface of the surface layer; and

[0076] providing an electrode layer on the side of the heating layer away from the surface layer;

[0077] Optionally, providing a substrate protection layer on the side of the electrode layer away from the heating skin.

[0078] As described above, the heating skin of the present application is an integrated double-layer structure, in which the heating layer and the surface layer are in direct contact, and there is a certain force on the contact interface to form a stable combination between the heating layer and the surface layer. The present application creatively obtains such a heating skin through a preparation process comprising a double-layer co-extrusion process or a wet coating process.

[0079] The material forming the heating layer and the material forming the surface layer can be co-extruded in double layers and then be subjected to double casting and / or calendering to obtain the heating surface layer, wherein the material forming the surface layer comprises a thermoplastic elastomer and the material forming the heating layer comprises a base polymer and a nanocarbon material, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer, the base polymer and the nanocarbon material are as defined above. An exemplary specific process is as follows: the material forming the heating layer and the material forming the surface layer are simultaneously extruded through two independent extruders, and then converge in a co-extrusion die before being subjected to a calendering machine or a casting machine to form the heating surface layer with an integrated double-layer structure. This way has the advantages that the heating surface layer can be obtained by integrated molding, the process flow is simplified, and the bonding force between the heating layer and the surface layer is strong.

[0080] In the material forming the heating layer, the nanocarbon material is uniformly dispersed in the base polymer, which is beneficial to the performance optimization of the skin product with heating function, for example, can make the heat distribution more uniform. The application first prepares a composite master batch comprising a nanocarbon material and a base polymer by in-situ polymerization or supercritical carbon dioxide method, wherein the nanocarbon material in the composite master batch can have good dispersibility. The use of functionalized nanocarbon material (such as functionalized graphene) can further optimize the uniformity of dispersion of the nanocarbon material in the composite master batch. The composite master batch is then melt blended with a base polymer master batch to be extruded and granulated, and the final master batch can be obtained, in which the nanocarbon material is uniformly dispersed in the base polymer, and the final master batch is the material forming the heating layer.

[0081] The heating surface layer can also be prepared by using a wet coating process on the surface layer. Specifically, a solution comprising a nanocarbon material and a base polymer can be coated on one side surface of the surface layer and then solidified to form the heating layer, wherein the base polymer and the nanocarbon material are as defined above. The coating methods include but are not limited to: doctor blade coating, roller coating, curtain coating, slot coating, etc. The surface layer can be obtained by extrusion calendering or extrusion casting process. The solidification method can be thermal solidification, for example, the solvent and moisture in the dispersion liquid can be dried by oven heating. The solvent should be such that the base polymer and the nanocarbon material have good dispersibility therein, and the boiling point should not be too high so that the solvent can be removed by heating. The solvent includes but is not limited to: water, acetone, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, etc.

[0082] The arrangement of the electrode layer can be selected according to the material of the electrode layer. In one embodiment, a metal foil is used as the electrode layer, and the metal foil is pasted on the surface of the heating layer. In another embodiment, a cured conductive paste is used as the electrode layer, and the conductive paste can be printed on the surface of the heating layer and then dried and solidified. The printing method includes but is not limited to screen printing.

[0083] The setting mode of the substrate protective layer is not particularly limited. For the substrate protective layer of the present application, the substrate protective layer can be attached to one side of the electrode layer in a hot-sticking or adhesive-sticking manner.

[0084] Vehicle interior component comprising a skin with heating function

[0085] The application has a rich application scenario of the skin with heating function, which can be used as a cladding material for vehicle interior components and provides excellent heating effect. The vehicle interior components can include: an instrument panel, a door panel, a center console, an armrest, a map pocket, a seat A surface, or a seat back panel.

[0086] According to different application scenarios, the heating mode can be appropriately adjusted, for example, for the door panel, armrest, center console, and seat A surface, a contact type heating mode can be used; for the instrument panel lower body and seat back panel, an irradiation type heating mode can be used. The skin with heating function of the present application can flexibly realize the contact type or irradiation type heating mode by adjusting the composition of the heating surface layer (for example, the distribution density of graphene in the heating layer). The skin with heating function of the present application has a rich application scenario and flexible heating mode, which can realize efficient cabin thermal management in the vehicle interior, make the passenger comfort better, save the cost of cabin thermal management, and improve the energy utilization efficiency. Advantages

[0087] In the skin with heating function of the present application, the heating layer and the surface layer directly contact and combine to form a heating surface layer, which can make the skin with heating function have excellent heating performance while maintaining excellent mechanical properties. In addition, such design reduces the level and raw material cost, thus simplifying the process steps and reducing the overall cost. The skin with heating function of the present application can meet the needs of different use scenarios.

[0088] Embodiment

[0089] The scheme of the present application will be further described in detail below in combination with specific embodiments.

[0090] It should be noted that the following embodiments are only examples for clearly illustrating the technical scheme of the present application, and are not a limitation of the present application. Based on the above description, those skilled in the art can make other different forms of changes or variations, which are not required or impossible to exhaust all the embodiments, and the obvious changes or variations derived therefrom are still within the protection scope of the present application.

[0091] Embodiment 1

[0092] The structure of the skin with heating function 100 of Embodiment 1 is shown in FIG. 1, which includes in turn:

[0093] a coating layer 14, having a thickness of 3-10 μm, formed by curing a waterborne polyurethane emulsion;

[0094] a heating surface layer 11, composed of a surface layer 111 and a heating layer 112; the surface layer 111 comprises a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, having a thickness of 0.3 mm; the heating layer 112 comprises a base polymer (which is a thermoplastic polyester elastomer) and graphene (volume content of 15%), having a thickness of 0.2 mm;

[0095] an electrode layer 12, composed of a plurality of metal copper foils, having a thickness of 0.1 mm and a width of 10 mm;

[0096] a substrate protection layer 13, which is a TPU film, having a thickness of 0.1 mm.

[0097] Performance

[0098] The sample of Example 1 was powered (direct current, 13.5 V), and the temperature of site 1 (close to the electrode, which is the position closest to the center of the electrode in the sample of Example 1) and site 2 (far from the electrode, which is the corner position farthest from the center of the electrode in the sample of Example 1) were measured every 1 minute, and the specific data are shown in Table 1 below. Figure 2 shows the change curve of the measured temperature of site 1 and site 2 with time.

[0099] Table 1

[0100] As can be seen from the above Table 1, the temperature of the sample of Example 1 close to the electrode and far from the electrode is close, and the heat distribution is uniform. The sample of Example 1 has an excellent temperature rise rate, which reaches about 43°C at 3 min, which can meet the temperature rise requirement of contact heating. In addition, after the sample of Example 1 reaches the set temperature, the temperature of each site of the sample of Example 1 can be maintained within a temperature difference range of ±2°C with the passage of time, which meets the requirement of temperature uniformity of contact heating.

[0101] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations can be made to the present application without departing from its spirit and scope. The specific embodiments described herein are offered by way of example only, and are not meant to be limiting in any way. The true scope and spirit of the application are set forth in the appended claims, and the specification and examples are merely illustrative.

Claims

1. A skin with heating function, comprising: a heating skin layer consisting of a skin layer and a heating layer bonded on one side surface of the skin layer, and the skin layer and the heating layer are in direct contact; and an electrode layer located on the side of the heating layer away from the skin layer; wherein, the heating layer comprises: a base polymer and a nano-carbon material dispersed in the base polymer.

2. The skin with heating function of claim 1, wherein, the base polymer comprises a base polymer and an optional conductive polymer; the base polymer comprises one or more of: a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, a polyimide, a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer, and derivatives thereof; preferably, the base polymer comprises: a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, a polyimide, or a combination thereof; the conductive polymer comprises one or more of: polyacetylene, polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyrrole, polyfuran, and derivatives thereof.

3. The skin with heating function of claim 1, wherein, the nano-carbon material comprises graphene, carbon nanotube, fullerene, carbon quantum dot, or a combination thereof, preferably comprises graphene, carbon nanotube, or a combination thereof, more preferably is graphene.

4. The skin with heating function of claim 1, wherein, the skin layer comprises a thermoplastic elastomer; preferably, the skin layer comprises a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer, or a combination thereof.

5. The skin with heating function of claim 1, wherein, the thickness of the skin layer is 0.15-0.5 mm; and / or the hardness of the skin layer is 40-80 A; and / or the thickness of the heating layer is 0.15-0.5 mm; and / or the volume content of the nano-carbon material in the heating layer is 5%-20%.

6. The skin with heating function of claim 1, wherein, the preparation process of the heating skin layer comprises: a double-layer co-extrusion process or a wet coating process.

7. The skin with heating function of claim 1, wherein, the electrode layer comprises: a metal foil, a cured conductive paste, or a combination thereof; preferably, the metal foil comprises: a copper foil, a silver foil, an aluminum foil, a gold foil, or a combination thereof; the conductive paste comprises: a conductive nano-silver paste, a conductive nano-copper paste, or a combination thereof.

8. The skin with heating function of any one of claims 1-7, wherein, the skin with heating function further comprises: a substrate protection layer located on the side of the electrode layer away from the heating skin layer; preferably, the substrate protection layer comprises: a polyethylene terephthalate knitted fabric, a thermoplastic polyurethane film, or a combination thereof.

9. A method for preparing the skin with heating function of any one of claims 1-8, comprising: providing a heating skin layer consisting of a skin layer and a heating layer bonded on one side surface of the skin layer; and providing an electrode layer on the side of the heating layer away from the skin layer; optionally, providing a substrate protection layer on the side of the electrode layer away from the heating skin layer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The process of providing the heating surface layer comprises: co-extruding the material forming the heating layer and the material forming the surface layer into a double layer, and then casting and / or calendering to form the heating surface layer; wherein, the material forming the surface layer comprises a thermoplastic elastomer; the material forming the heating layer comprises a base polymer and a nano-carbon material.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein, the process of providing the heating surface layer comprises: providing the surface layer, coating a dispersion liquid comprising a nano-carbon material and a base polymer on one side surface of the surface layer, and then curing to form the heating layer.

12. A vehicle interior component comprising the skin with heating function according to any one of claims 1-8; Preferably, the vehicle interior component comprises: an instrument panel, a door panel, a center console, an armrest, a map pocket, a seat A surface, or a seat back panel.

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