Trim part having a chromic effect and associated production methods

Abstract

The present invention relates to a trim part (10) for a vehicle, comprising a base portion (12) and an effect portion (14), the base portion (12) partially delimiting a receiving portion (18), the receiving portion (18) being arranged on an outer surface (20) of the base portion (12), the effect portion (14) being arranged in the receiving portion (18) and filling the receiving portion (18), the effect portion (14) partially forming an outer surface of the trim part, the effect portion (14) comprising a material having an appearance-related characteristic, the material being such that the appearance-related characteristic varies according to a parameter. The invention also relates to associated production methods.

Description

[0001] Chrome-effect trim piece and associated manufacturing processes

[0002] The present invention relates to a trim piece for a vehicle, and associated manufacturing processes.

[0003] We are familiar with the application of a decorative surface to a trim piece, to provide a satisfactory aesthetic appearance.

[0004] It is, for example, possible to apply a patterned or wood-like surface to the trim piece.

[0005] However, this surface has a consistent appearance.

[0006] To provide a dynamic visual effect to the trim piece, it is then possible, for example, to add diodes.

[0007] However, electronic components are then integrated into the trim piece, which complicates the trim piece, the manufacturing process, and the maintenance of said piece, and increases the mass of the piece.

[0008] The aim of the invention is therefore to offer a trim piece presenting a dynamic visual effect, without the addition of diodes.

[0009] To this end, the invention relates to a trim piece for a vehicle, comprising a base portion and an effect portion, the base portion partially delimiting a receiving portion, the receiving portion being arranged on an external surface of the base portion, the effect portion being disposed in the receiving portion and filling the receiving portion, the effect portion partially forming an external surface of the trim piece, the effect portion comprising a material having an appearance characteristic, said material being such that said appearance characteristic varies according to a parameter.

[0010] The appearance, particularly the color, of the effected portion varies according to a parameter due to the material it contains. This provides a dynamic visual effect without the need for additional LEDs.

[0011] According to other advantageous aspects of the invention, the part comprises one or more of the following features, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations:

[0012] - the parameter is one of the following: electromagnetic radiation on the effect portion, temperature of the effect portion, application of light on the effect portion, application of an electric charge to the effect portion, an ionic factor, mechanical stress applied to the effect portion, pressure applied to the effect portion, or pH surrounding the effect portion;

[0013] - the base portion has a recess, said recess forming the receiving part;

[0014] - the portion with effect is flush with the base portion;

[0015] - the effect portion comprises polypropylene and fillers and / or additives, the fillers and / or additives being adapted so that the appearance characteristic varies according to the parameter;

[0016] - the effective portion comprises an active layer and a finishing layer, the finishing layer covering the active layer, the finishing layer partially forming the outer surface of the filling piece, the active layer comprising the material, the finishing layer being transparent or translucent; and / or

[0017] - the trim piece is adapted so that the portion with effect is visible from inside the vehicle's passenger compartment, and / or

[0018] - the effective portion completely fills the receiving portion, and / or

[0019] - the material exhibits one of the following characteristics: photochromic, photoluminescent, thermochromic, electrochromic, ionochromic, tribochromic, piezochromic, and halochromic.

[0020] The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a trim piece as defined above, comprising the following steps, in this order:

[0021] - production of the portion to be affected by additive manufacturing, and

[0022] - creation of the base portion on the effect portion

[0023] According to advantageous aspects of the invention, the process optionally includes the following features: production of the effect portion includes the manufacture of an active layer and a finishing layer, the active layer having the characteristic appearance, the finishing layer being transparent or translucent, the injection of the base portion onto the effect portion being such that the base portion covers the active layer.

[0024] The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a trim piece as defined above, comprising the following steps, in this order:

[0025] - completion of the basic portion including an injection, and

[0026] - production of the effect portion by additive manufacturing in the receiving part of the base portion.

[0027] The invention will become clearer upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the drawings in which: [Fig. 1] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic view with a cross-section of an embodiment of a trim piece according to a first example of the invention, [Fig. 2] Figure 2 is a schematic view of the cross-section of Figure 1, and

[0028] [Fig 3] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a trim piece according to a second example of the invention.

[0029] A first example of a trim piece 10 for a vehicle according to the invention is shown in figures 1 and 2.

[0030] The trim piece 10 comprises a base portion 12 and an effect portion 14.

[0031] The base portion 12 includes, for example, a principal body 16. More specifically, the base portion 12 here consists of the principal body 16.

[0032] The main body 16 is, for example, made of plastic, more precisely a polymer from the Polypropylene or Styrenic family.

[0033] The main body 16 is, for example, produced by injection.

[0034] The base portion 12 partially delimits a reception area 18.

[0035] The receiving part 18 is arranged on an exterior surface 20 of the base portion 12.

[0036] More specifically, here, the base portion 12 has a recess, said recess forming the receiving part 18.

[0037] The recess is, for example, a groove in the base portion 12.

[0038] The trim element 10 is, for example, provided with a facade (not shown) on the outer surface 20 of the base portion 12, said facade extending, for example, outside the receiving part 18.

[0039] The facade presents, for example, a desired visual appearance.

[0040] The facade, for example, is made of wood.

[0041] The effect portion 14 is placed in the receiving part 18 and fills the receiving part 18. For example, the effect portion 14 completely fills the receiving part 18.

[0042] The portion with effect 14 is, for example, produced by additive manufacturing.

[0043] The portion with effect 14 is integral with the base portion 12.

[0044] The portion with effect 14 partially forms an outer surface of the trim piece 10.

[0045] The trim piece is, for example, adapted so that the effect portion 14 is visible from inside a vehicle's passenger compartment. The effect portion 14 is flush with the base portion 12, that is to say, the effect portion 14 forms an outer surface extending in continuity with the outer surface 20 of the base portion 12 outside the recess.

[0046] The portion with effect 14 comprises a material having an appearance characteristic, said material being such that said appearance characteristic varies according to a parameter.

[0047] In one particular embodiment, the appearance characteristic is color. Alternatively, the appearance characteristic is the emitted light intensity.

[0048] The parameter is, for example, one of the following: electromagnetic radiation on the material, temperature of the material, application of light to the material, application of an electrical charge to the material, in particular by an induced current in the effect portion 14 or in the packing piece 10, an ionic factor, locally applied mechanical stress, locally applied pressure, or a pH surrounding the material.

[0049] The material exhibits one of the following characteristics: photochromic, photoluminescent, thermochromic, electrochromic, ionochromic, tribochromic, piezochromic, and halochromic.

[0050] These characteristics allow, for example, an interactive aesthetic visual effect and / or the provision of information, for example on air quality (thermochromic or ionochromic or halochromic in particular) or the switching on of a heater (particularly thermochromic) or the decrease in ambient light (photochromic in particular) or wear and tear (tribochromic in particular).

[0051] The portion with effect 14 includes, for example, a polymer, for example polypropylene, and fillers and / or additives, the fillers and / or additives being adapted to provide the previous characteristic.

[0052] More specifically, the material comprises a polymer, for example polypropylene, and fillers and / or additives.

[0053] The material includes, for example, phosphorus.

[0054] The material is then photoluminescent. The light intensity emitted by the material varies according to the light radiation received by the material currently and / or previously.

[0055] Additionally or alternatively, the material is photochromic. The color of the material changes in the presence of ultraviolet or infrared light. Photochromic materials include, for example, one or more metal halides.

[0056] Additionally or alternatively, the material is thermochromic. It includes, for example, one or more leuco-dyes. Additionally or alternatively, the material is electrochromic and / or ionochromic and / or tribochromic. It includes, for example, one or more conductive polymers or metallopolymers.

[0057] Additionally or alternatively, the material is halochromic. It includes, for example, one or more basic or acidic additives and colorants.

[0058] In the first example, the portion with effect 14 is entirely made of the material such that its appearance characteristic, here its color, varies according to the parameter.

[0059] The portion with the effect here comprises a single layer.

[0060] A second example of trim piece 110 for vehicle according to the invention is shown in figure 3.

[0061] Only the characteristics by which this second example differs from the first example will now be described.

[0062] Identical or similar items have the same reference number incremented by 100.

[0063] The portion with effect 114 comprises an active layer 122 and a finishing layer 124. The finishing layer 124 covers the active layer 122, so that the finishing layer 124 partially forms the outer surface of the trim piece 110.

[0064] The finishing layer 124 and the base portion 112 surround the active layer 122. The active layer 122 extends to the bottom of the recess, with the finishing layer 124 covering the active layer 122.

[0065] The active layer 122 does not form, even partially, the outer surface of the packing piece 110.

[0066] The finishing layer 124 here forms an exterior surface extending in continuity with the exterior surface 120 of the base portion 112 outside the recess.

[0067] The active layer 122 comprises the material exhibiting an appearance characteristic. More specifically, the active layer 122 is entirely made of the material such that its appearance characteristic, here its color, varies according to the parameter.

[0068] The active layer 122 is visible through the finishing layer 124.

[0069] The 124 topcoat is transparent or translucent, more specifically transparent here.

[0070] The topcoat 124 is, for example, made of polypropylene.

[0071] The active layer 122 and the top layer 124 are, for example, produced together by additive manufacturing. The invention further relates to an associated manufacturing process.

[0072] A first example of a manufacturing process for a trim piece as described above includes the following steps, in this order:

[0073] production of the effect portion 14, 114 by additive manufacturing, and production of the base portion 12, 112 on the effect portion 14, 114, in particular by introduction of thermoplastic material.

[0074] The realization of the portion with effect 14, 114 includes additive manufacturing with the use of the material which is such that its appearance characteristic, here its color, varies according to the parameter.

[0075] In the first example of a trim piece, the production of the portion with effect 14 corresponds, for example, to the manufacture of a layer by additive manufacturing with the material.

[0076] In the second example of a filling piece, the realization of the effect portion includes the manufacture of the active layer 122 and the finishing layer 124, for example by using the material and then another material for the finishing layer, for example polypropylene, or vice versa.

[0077] The active layer 122 and the finishing layer 124 are, for example, produced during the same additive manufacturing step, with the material for layer 124 being distributed before the material for layer 122.

[0078] After the effect portion has been made, the effect portion 14, 114 is, for example, placed in a mold having a molding cavity having the shape of the assembly formed by the effect portion 14, 114 and the desired base portion 12, 112.

[0079] The mold is, for example, an injection mold, for example, an injection overmolding mold.

[0080] Alternatively, the mold is a rotomolding mold or an injection and blow molding mold.

[0081] The effect portion 14, 114 is placed in the cavity at the location and according to the configuration that it will have within the whole of the effect portion 14, 114 and the base portion 12, 112.

[0082] In particular, the portion with effect 14, 114 is placed against a wall of the mold delimiting the molding cavity.

[0083] In the second example of a trim piece, the effect portion 114 is placed so that the finishing layer 124 extends against a wall of the mold delimiting the molding cavity. Material, here thermoplastic, is then introduced, more particularly injected, into the molding cavity, so as to form the base portion.

[0084] The thermoplastic material is introduced so that it spreads against the wall of the mold delimiting the molding cavity and the portion to be affected 14; 114.

[0085] More specifically, the plastic material is introduced in fluid form, here molten, so as to cover the portion to be affected.

[0086] During the introduction of the thermoplastic material, the affected portion remains in contact with the mold wall defining the mold cavity. More specifically, the thermoplastic material exerts a force pushing, at least partially, the affected portion against the mold wall defining the mold cavity.

[0087] In one embodiment, the material then fills the molding cavity and partially surrounds the effect portion 14, 114.

[0088] In the second example of a filling component, the injection of the base portion onto the effect portion is such that the base portion covers the active layer.

[0089] After hardening of the material, the assembly including the effect portion 14, 114 and the base portion 12, 112 is extracted and / or ejected from the mold.

[0090] The base portion 12, 112 and the effect portion 14, 114 become bonded during the making of the base portion and / or during the hardening of the material.

[0091] Since the base portion 12, 112 was molded directly onto the effect portion 14, 114, the latter adapts to the shape of the effect portion 14, 114.

[0092] This process allows the production of a trim piece according to the invention very easily, in just two steps.

[0093] In a particular embodiment, a facade is, for example, added to a portion of the exterior surface of the base portion 12, 112, said facade not extending over the effect portion 14, 114.

[0094] In an alternative embodiment to the injection molding method described above, the production of the base portion includes a step of introducing plastic material into the mold cavity via a material inlet, the mold being a rotomolding mold. The introduction of plastic material into the mold further includes setting the mold in motion, more specifically rotating the mold, to distribute the introduced thermoplastic material onto the mold wall that defines the mold cavity and covers the effect portion. Specifically, the introduced plastic material is in powder form. Thus, before rotating the mold, the powdered plastic is heated to obtain a fluid plastic that is evenly distributed over the molding surface.In an alternative embodiment to injection as described above and to rotomolding, the production of the base portion includes a step of introducing a preform into an injection-blowing mold, the preform being made in the thermoplastic material.

[0095] The injection-blowing mold has an inlet designed for the injection of a gas, for example, air. The preform is arranged so that the neck of the preform is held at the level of the inlet, allowing the inlet to inject the gas into the preform, thus blowing the preform.

[0096] More specifically, the preform is heated after its introduction so that it can be deformed by blow molding. The preform is then, for example, heated to a temperature between 170°C and 230°C.

[0097] The production of the base portion then also includes the introduction of gas into the preform, so as to blow the preform.

[0098] The preform is then blown until the walls of the preform extend against the wall of the mold delimiting the molding cavity and cover the portion to be affected.

[0099] In a particular embodiment, not shown, the molding cavity is partially delimited by a removable shell.

[0100] More specifically, the mold includes at least one removable shell capable of being reversibly attached to a part of the mold, so that the removable shell forms part of the wall delimiting the molding cavity.

[0101] The affected portion is distributed over said part, that is, over the removable shell. This distribution is carried out, for example, when the removable shell is separated from the mold part.

[0102] Then, the removable shell is attached to the mold part before the base portion is made, more specifically so that the removable shell partially delimits the molding cavity during insertion.

[0103] In one particular embodiment, the mold includes several copies of at least one removable shell.

[0104] The process then includes, for example, simultaneously the step of producing the base portion for a first filling element in the mold equipped with a first copy of at least one removable shell, and the distribution of the effect portion on a second copy of at least one removable shell for the production of a second filling element.

[0105] This allows, in particular, the distribution of the portion with effect to be carried out in the background. As soon as the first filling element is extracted from the mold equipped with the first copy of at least one removable shell, the second copy of at least one removable shell is fixed to the part of the mold, so as to equip the mold with this second copy of at least one removable shell.

[0106] This allows for the production of trim elements using the process described above more quickly.

[0107] In a particular embodiment, not shown, the method further includes a step of distributing a wall along at least a portion of at least one lateral surface of the effect portion, after the effect portion has been created and before the base portion has been created.

[0108] The lateral surface corresponds to one side of the portion with effect arranged on the wall surface of the mold delimiting the molding cavity.

[0109] The wall is made of the same material as the base portion.

[0110] The wall is, for example, made by additive manufacturing, more specifically by fused deposition modeling (FDM), or by extrusion of molten granules.

[0111] The presence of a wall against a lateral surface of the limiting effect portion, or even avoids, the phenomenon of material displacement of the effect portion during the realization of the base portion, so that the contours of the effect portion are particularly sharp.

[0112] A second example of a manufacturing process for a trim piece as described above includes the following steps, in this order:

[0113] realization by injection of the base portion 12, 112, and

[0114] production of the effect portion 14, 114 by additive manufacturing in the receiving part 18 of the base portion 12, 112.

[0115] The base portion 12, 112 is, for example, made directly with a recess forming the receiving part 18.

[0116] More specifically, the mold for injecting the base portion has a complementary protrusion of the receiving part to be produced.

[0117] Alternatively, the base portion 12, 112 is, for example, made without the recess forming the receiving part 18.

[0118] The recess is then, for example, formed by machining the portion produced by injection.

[0119] The effect portion 14, 114 is then produced directly in the receiving part 18 by additive manufacturing. In the second example of a filling part, the step of producing the effect portion 114 includes, for example, a first sub-step of additive manufacturing of the active layer 122 at the bottom of the recess, then a second sub-step of additive manufacturing of the finishing layer 124, so as to cover the active layer 122.

[0120] A trim piece according to the invention presents a dynamic visual effect, through the variation of the appearance characteristic, here the color, of the material of the portion of effect, when the parameter varies.

[0121] Furthermore, this does not require the addition of diodes or connection to an electrical system.

Claims

DEMANDS 1. Trim piece (10; 110) for a vehicle, comprising a base portion (12; 112) and an effect portion (14; 114), the base portion (12; 112) partially delimiting a receiving portion (18), the receiving portion (18) being arranged on an external surface (20) of the base portion (12; 112), the effect portion (14; 114) being disposed in the receiving portion (18) and filling the receiving portion (18), the effect portion (14; 114) partially forming an external surface of the trim piece, the effect portion (14; 114) comprising a material having an appearance characteristic, said material being such that said appearance characteristic varies according to a parameter.

2. A packing piece according to claim 1, wherein the parameter is one of the following: electromagnetic radiation on the effect portion, a temperature of the effect portion, application of light on the effect portion, application of an electrical charge to the effect portion, an ionic factor, a mechanical stress applied to the effect portion, a pressure applied to the effect portion, or a pH surrounding the effect portion.

3. Trim piece according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base portion (12; 112) has a recess, said recess forming the receiving part (18).

4. Trim piece according to claim 3, wherein the effect portion (14; 114) is flush with the base portion (12; 112).

5. Filling piece according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the effect portion (14; 114) comprises polypropylene and fillers and / or additives, the fillers and / or additives being adapted so that the appearance characteristic varies according to the parameter.

6. A trim piece according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the effect portion (14; 114) comprises an active layer (122) and a finishing layer (124), the finishing layer (124) covering the active layer (122), the finishing layer (124) partially forming the outer surface of the trim piece (110), the active layer (122) comprising the material, the finishing layer (124) being transparent or translucent.

7. A trim piece according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the trim piece (10; 110) is adapted so that the effect portion (14; 114) is visible from inside a vehicle passenger compartment.

8. A trim piece according to any one of claims 1 to 7 in which the effect portion (14; 114) completely fills the receiving portion (18).

9. A trim piece according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the material has one of the following characteristics: photochromic, photoluminescent, thermochromic, electrochromic, ionochromic, tribochromic, piezochromic, and halochromic.

10. A method for manufacturing a trim piece (10; 110) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprising the following steps, in this order: production of the effect portion (14; 114) by additive manufacturing, and production of the base portion (12; 112) on the effect portion (14; 114).

11. A manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein the production of the effect portion (114) comprises the production of an active layer (122) and a finishing layer (124), the active layer (122) having the characteristic appearance, the finishing layer (124) being transparent or translucent, the injection of the base portion (112) onto the effect portion (114) being such that the base portion (112) covers the active layer (122).

12. A method for manufacturing a trim piece (10; 110) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprising the following steps, in this order: fabrication of the base portion (12; 112), including an injection, and fabrication of the effect portion (14; 114) by additive manufacturing in the receiving part (18) of the base portion (12; 112).

Images