Skin material and method for manufacturing automobile interior component

Abstract

[Problem] To ensure good workability when mounting onto a base material even if the base material has a curved part that is outwardly convex, to reduce the occurrence of abnormal noise by increasing the reliability of shape retention after mounting, and to increase the degree of design freedom. [Solution] A skin material 30 that is formed of a resin material, is laminated onto a base material 10 having an outer corner part 15 and an inner corner part 16 which are outwardly convex, and includes a front-side first surface 31 serving as a design surface, and a back-side second surface 32 laminated to the base material 10. In regions of the second surface 32 that oppose apex portions 15a and 16a of the outer corner part 15 and the inner corner part 16, there are formed an outer deformation-allowing portion 35 (V-notches 37) and an inner deformation-allowing portion 36 (V-notches 38) which allow deformation along the outer corner part 15 and the inner corner part 16 during lamination onto the base material 10.

Description

Skin Material and Method for Manufacturing Automotive Interior Component

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a skin material that forms a design surface of an automotive interior component and a method for manufacturing an automotive interior component.

[0002] An automotive interior component that constitutes an instrument panel, a door trim, or the like includes: a base material formed of a resin material such as PP or ABS; and a skin material formed of a resin material such as urethane, which covers the surface of the base material to form a design surface. The surface of the skin material is provided with decorations such as stitch patterns and grain patterns. Automotive interior components are formed by stacking the skin material on separately formed base materials and joining them by adhesion or the like. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an invention in which irregularities are provided on the back surface of the skin material, and the shape and distribution of the irregularities of the irregularities are made different depending on the部位 to increase the degree of design freedom, in order to create differences in the degree of hand feel and cushioning properties depending on the interior部位.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 5719786

[0004] Since the skin material has flexibility relative to the rigid base material, when it is stacked on the base material, it can be deformed according to the shape of the base material for mounting. However, when the base material has an outwardly convex curved portion such as a corner, it is difficult to stack the skin material along the curved portion, which takes time and effort for the mounting work. Further, in recent years, in consideration of convenience when disassembling, disposing, and reusing automotive interior components, there are an increasing number of cases where the skin material is not adhered to the base material. In this case, external force such as vibration during vehicle running may cause the skin material to slide relative to the base material, leading to deformation of the portion covering the surface of the curved portion or generation of abnormal noise.

[0005] Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a skin material and a method for manufacturing an automotive interior component, wherein even if the base material has an outwardly convex curved portion, the mounting work to the base material can be performed with good workability, the reliability of shape retention after mounting can be improved to reduce the generation of abnormal noise, and the degree of design freedom can also be increased.

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the first configuration of the present disclosure is a surface material formed of a resin material and laminated to a substrate having a curved portion that is convex outward, comprising a first surface on the front side which is a design surface, and a second surface on the back side which is laminated to the substrate, wherein a deformation-allowing portion is formed in at least the region facing the apex of the curved portion, which allows deformation along the curved portion when laminated to the substrate. Another embodiment of the first configuration is characterized in that, in the above configuration, the deformation-allowing portion is a plurality of rows of V grooves provided on the second surface, extending in the direction of the ridge of the apex and arranged in a direction intersecting the direction of the ridge. Another embodiment of the first configuration is characterized in that, in the above configuration, the deformation-allowing portion is a single recessed groove provided on the second surface and extending in the direction of the ridge of the apex. Another embodiment of the first configuration is characterized in that, in the above configuration, the deformation-allowing portion is a plurality of recesses provided on the second surface. Another embodiment of the first configuration is characterized in that, in the above configuration, the deformation-allowing portion is a thin-walled portion in which the thickness of the region is thinner than the thickness of the other regions. Another aspect of the first configuration is characterized in that, in the above configuration, the radius of curvature of the curved portion is 1.5 mm to 10 mm. Another aspect of the first configuration is characterized in that, in the above configuration, the Shore A hardness is 5 to 80. Another aspect of the first configuration is characterized in that, in the above configuration, a textured pattern is formed on the first surface and a parting line is formed on the second surface.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, a second configuration of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing an automotive interior part, comprising laminating a surface material onto a base material formed of a resin material and having a curved portion that is convex outward, the method comprising: a molding step of injecting raw material into the cavity of a mold to form a surface material in which a deformation-allowing portion corresponding to the top of the curved portion and allowing deformation along the curved portion when laminated onto the base material is integrally molded in a predetermined surface area, and a textured pattern integrally molded on a predetermined back surface area; and a lamination step of removing the molded surface material from the mold, inverting its front and back sides, and laminating it onto the base material with the deformation-allowing portion facing the top. Another aspect of the second configuration is characterized in that, in the above configuration, the molding step is formed to form the deformation-allowing portion into a curved shape corresponding to the curved portion. Another aspect of the second configuration is characterized in that, in the above configuration, the molding step is formed to form a plurality of rows of V-grooves as the deformation-allowing portion, extending in the direction of the ridge of the top and arranged in parallel in a direction intersecting the direction of the ridge. Another aspect of the second configuration is characterized in that, in the above configuration, the molding step forms a single groove extending in the direction of the ridge of the apex as the deformation-allowing portion. Another aspect of the second configuration is characterized in that, in the above configuration, the molding step forms a plurality of recesses as the deformation-allowing portion. To achieve the above objective, a third configuration of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing an automotive interior part, comprising laminating a surface material onto a base material formed of a resin material and having a curved portion that protrudes outward, the method comprising: a molding step of injecting raw material into the cavity of a mold to form the surface material; a processing step of post-processing a deformation-allowing portion in the region of the surface material corresponding to the apex of the curved portion, which allows deformation along the curved portion when laminated onto the base material; and a lamination step of laminating the surface material onto the base material with the deformation-allowing portion facing the apex.

[0008] According to this disclosure, even if the base material has a curved portion that protrudes outward, the surface material can be easily deformed using the deformation-tolerant portion and laminated onto the base material. Therefore, the attachment work to the base material can be performed with good workability. Furthermore, even if the surface material is not bonded to the base material, the deformation-tolerant portion ensures integration with the base material, so even if external forces such as vibrations during vehicle operation are applied, the risk of the surface material sliding against the base material, causing deformation of the deformation-tolerant portion, or generating abnormal noise is reduced. Therefore, the reliability of shape retention after attachment can also be improved. In addition, by varying the shape and distribution of the deformation-tolerant portion depending on the part of the automotive interior component, the degree of design freedom can be increased. According to another aspect of this disclosure, in addition to the above effects, the deformation-tolerant portion is made of multiple rows of V-grooves, a single recessed groove, or multiple recesses, so that the deformation-tolerant portion can be easily formed and deformation-tolerant portion that can reliably tolerate deformation during attachment can be obtained. In particular, an air layer is formed in the V-groove and other formed areas, creating a partially thin-walled portion, which leads to the assurance of flexibility and improvement of tactile feel. According to another aspect of this disclosure, in addition to the above effects, since the deformation-tolerant portion is made of a thin-walled portion, the deformation-tolerant portion can be easily formed, and a deformation-tolerant portion that can reliably tolerate deformation during mounting can be obtained. In particular, since no V-grooves, recesses, or concave parts are provided in the surface material, the shape of the mold is simplified, leading to cost reduction. According to another aspect of this disclosure, in addition to the above effects, since the radius of curvature of the curved portion is 1.5 mm to 10 mm, the surface material can be mounted without hindrance even in curved portions with small R shapes. According to another aspect of this disclosure, in addition to the above effects, since the Shore A hardness of the surface material is 5 to 80, the surface material can be mounted without being affected by the level of hardness. According to another aspect of this disclosure, in addition to the above effects, since a textured pattern is formed on the first surface and a parting line is formed on the second surface, an aesthetically pleasing surface material can be obtained.

[0009] This is a cross-sectional view of the armrest. These are enlarged cross-sectional views of the external deformation tolerance portion and the internal deformation tolerance portion. These are explanatory diagrams of the armrest manufacturing method and the surface material, where Figure 3A shows the molding state by an injection molding apparatus and Figure 3B shows the surface material inverted after being removed. These are explanatory diagrams of the armrest manufacturing method and the surface material of a modified example, where Figure 4A shows the molding state by an injection molding apparatus and Figure 4B shows the surface material inverted after being removed. These are explanatory diagrams of the armrest manufacturing method and the surface material of a modified example, where Figure 5A shows the molding state by an injection molding apparatus and Figure 5B shows the surface material inverted after being removed. These are explanatory diagrams of the surface material of a modified example, where Figure 6A shows the case where the radius of the first surface is increased, Figure 6B shows the case where the radius of the second surface is decreased, and Figure 6C shows the case where the radius of the first surface is increased and the radius of the second surface is decreased.

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of an armrest 1, which is an example of an automotive interior part (hereinafter simply referred to as "interior part") of the present disclosure. The armrest 1 is provided on the upper part of the center console between the driver's seat and the passenger seat of an automobile and has a rectangular shape in plan view that extends in the front-rear direction. A recessed portion 2 that is recessed upward is formed on the lower surface of the armrest 1. For the sake of explanation, the right side of Figure 1 will be described as the front, the left side as the rear, the upper side as the up, and the lower side as the down. The armrest 1 has a base material 10, a core material 20, and a surface material 30 that covers the surfaces of the base material 10 and the core material 20. The base material 10 is a molded product of a resin material such as PP or ABS. The base material 10 is provided at the bottom of the armrest 1. The base material 10 has an upper plate portion 11, a side plate portion 12, and a lower plate portion 13.

[0011] The upper plate portion 11 is located in the center of the base material 10 and forms the ceiling surface of the recessed portion 2. The side plate portion 12 curves downward from the outer circumference of the upper plate portion 11 outwards, then extends downward to form the side surface of the recessed portion 2. The lower plate portion 13 extends horizontally outwards in the front, back, left, and right directions from the lower end of the side plate portion 12. At both the front and rear ends of the lower plate portion 13, semicircular protrusions 14, 14 are formed in the left-right direction. The tip of each protrusion 14 has a rounded cross-sectional shape and forms an outer corner portion 15 with a small radius that curves outwards. Between the side plate portion 12 and the lower plate portion 13, an inner corner portion 16 with a small radius that curves outwards is formed around the entire circumference. The radius of curvature between the outer corner portion 15 and the inner corner portion 16 is set to, for example, 2 mm. This radius of curvature is selected within the range of 1.5 mm to 10 mm depending on the type of interior fittings, etc. The outer corner 15 and the inner corner 16 are examples of the curved portion of this disclosure.

[0012] The core material 20 is a molded product of a cushioning resin material, such as urethane. The core material 20 covers the entire upper surface of the base material 10 and has an outer shape that matches the armrest 1. The surface material 30 is a molded product of a resin material, such as elastomer, and has a softness such that its Shore A hardness is, for example, 30. The Shore A hardness is selected in the range of 5 to 80 depending on the type of interior product. The surface material 30 is a sheet-like material with a predetermined thickness, comprising a first surface 31 that serves as the design surface and a second surface 32 that is laminated onto the base material 10 and the core material 20. The surface material 30 also has an outer skin portion 33 and four inner skin portions 34, 34... The outer skin portion 33 has the first surface 31 facing outwards and the second surface 32 laminated onto the entire upper surface of the core material 20, covering the upper surface and the front, rear, left, and right outer surfaces of the armrest 1. Each inner skin portion 34 extends from the four outer edges of the outer skin portion 33 (front, back, left, and right), folds inward from the tip of the protruding portion 14 of the lower plate portion 13, and then folds upward at the position of the inner corner portion 16 and is bonded to the side plate portion 12. Therefore, the folded portion on the outside of the inner skin portion 34 becomes an external deformation-allowing portion 35 that curves along the outer corner portion 15. Also, the folded portion on the inside of the inner skin portion 34 becomes an internal deformation-allowing portion 36 that curves along the inner corner portion 16. The external deformation-allowing portion 35 and the internal deformation-allowing portion 36 are examples of deformation-allowing portions of this disclosure.

[0013] Here, on the second surface 32 side of the external deformation allowance portion 35, as shown in Figure 2, a plurality (three in this case) of V-grooves 37, 37... are formed. Each V-groove 37 is formed at equal intervals along the curve of the external deformation allowance portion 36, extending in the left-right direction which is the direction of the ridge of the ridge of the ridge of the outer corner portion 15, and in the region corresponding to the apex 15a, which is the most protruding part toward the external deformation allowance portion 35, and intersects with the direction of the ridge. Similarly, on the second surface 32 side of the internal deformation allowance portion 36, a plurality (three in this case) of V-grooves 38, 38... are formed. Each V-groove 38 is formed at equal intervals along the curve of the internal deformation allowance portion 36, extending in the left-right direction which is the direction of the ridge of the apex 16a, and in the region corresponding to the apex 16a, which is the most protruding part toward the internal deformation allowance portion 36, and in the left-right direction which is the direction of the ridge of the apex 16a, and in the curve of the internal deformation allowance portion 36, which intersects with the direction of the ridge. Because the outer corner 15 and inner corner 16 have a curved shape with a small radius of curvature, when folding the inner skin portion 34 without V grooves to match these corners, it becomes difficult to deform due to the material's rigidity. However, by forming the outer deformation-allowing portion 35 and inner deformation-allowing portion 36, which have V grooves 37 and 38, the rigidity of the folded portion is reduced, making it easier to deform and allowing for easier installation. The V grooves 37 and 38 are formed to a depth of about 0.2 mm if the thickness of the outer skin material 30 is, for example, 1 mm.

[0014] The formation of the surface material 30 is carried out in the following steps. The surface material 30 is injection molded by an injection molding apparatus (hereinafter referred to as "molding apparatus") 50, for example, as shown in Figure 3. The molding apparatus 50 has a cavity 53 for forming the surface material 30 between an inner mold 51 and an outer mold 52, and resin material can be injected into the cavity 53 from an injection port (not shown). Figure 3A shows an enlarged view of the part where the external deformation allowance 35 is formed. The inner mold 51 and outer mold 52 are examples of molds of this disclosure. The cavity 53 has a curved shape corresponding to the curved shape of the external deformation allowance 35. The inner surface 53a of the cavity 53 on the inner mold 51 side forms the first surface 31 of the surface material 30. Therefore, if a textured pattern is to be formed on the first surface 31, the inner surface 53a is textured. The inner surface 53b of the cavity 53 on the outer mold 52 side forms the second surface 32 of the surface material 30. Therefore, in the portion of the inner surface 53b that is the region of the external deformation-allowable area 35, protrusions 54, 54... for forming the V-grooves 37 are formed. Each protrusion 54 has an inverted V-shape in its cross-section.

[0015] When resin material is injected into the cavity 53 by this molding apparatus 50 and molded (molding process), a surface material 30 is obtained in which V-grooves 37, 37... are formed on the front side and a textured pattern is formed on the back side. If the outer mold 52 is divided into split molds 52A and 52B, a parting line PL will be formed on the front side along the mating surface of the split molds. After removing this surface material 30 from the cavity 53, as shown in Figure 3B, when the surface material 30 is inverted to expose the first surface 31 to the front side, the V-grooves 37, 37... are formed inside the external deformation allowance portion 35 (on the second surface 32 side), and the parting line PL is formed on the inner surface and is not exposed, resulting in a surface material 30. The same applies to the internal deformation allowance portion 36. Therefore, when the inverted surface material 30 is laminated and attached to the base material 10 and core material 20 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 (lamination process), an armrest 1 is obtained in which a textured pattern is formed on the first surface 31.

[0016] The surface material 30 of the above embodiment according to the first configuration of this disclosure is made of a resin material and is laminated onto a base material 10 having an outer corner portion 15 and an inner corner portion 16 that are convex outwards. It comprises a first surface 31 on the front side which serves as the design surface, and a second surface 32 on the back side which is laminated onto the base material 10. In the region of the second surface 32 facing the tops 15a and 16a of the outer corner portion 15 and the inner corner portion 16, an outer deformation allowance portion 35 and an inner deformation allowance portion 36 are formed, which allow deformation along the outer corner portion 15 and the inner corner portion 16 when laminated onto the base material 10.

[0017] With this configuration, even if the base material 10 has outwardly convex outer corners 15 and inner corners 16, it can be easily deformed using the outer deformation allowance 35 and inner deformation allowance 36 and laminated onto the base material 10. Therefore, the mounting work to the base material 10 can be performed with good workability. Furthermore, even without bonding the surface material 30 to the base material 10, the outer deformation allowance 35 and inner deformation allowance 36 ensure integration with the base material 10. Therefore, even if external forces such as vibrations during vehicle operation are applied, the risk of the surface material 30 sliding against the base material 10, causing deformation of the outer deformation allowance 35 and inner deformation allowance 36, or generating abnormal noise is reduced. Therefore, the reliability of shape retention after mounting can also be improved. In addition, by varying the shape and distribution of the V grooves 37 and 38 of the outer deformation allowance 35 and inner deformation allowance 36 depending on the part of the interior component, the degree of design freedom can be increased.

[0018] The external deformation-tolerant portion 35 and the internal deformation-tolerant portion 36 are multiple rows of V-grooves 37 and 38 that extend in the direction of the ridges of the top portions 15a and 16a and are arranged side by side in a direction intersecting the direction of the ridges. Therefore, the external deformation-tolerant portion 35 and the internal deformation-tolerant portion 36 can be easily formed, and the external deformation-tolerant portion 35 and the internal deformation-tolerant portion 36 that can reliably tolerate deformation during installation can be obtained. In particular, an air layer is formed in the areas where the V-grooves 37 and 38 are formed, creating a partially thin-walled portion, which leads to improved flexibility and a better tactile feel. The radius of curvature of the outer corner portion 15 and the inner corner portion 16 is 1.5 mm to 10 mm. Therefore, the surface material 30 can be installed without problems even on the outer corner portion 15 and the inner corner portion 16 which have a small radius shape. The Shore A hardness of the surface material 30 is 5 to 80. Therefore, the surface material 30 can be installed without being affected by the level of hardness. A textured pattern is formed on the first surface 31, and a parting line PL is formed on the second surface 32. Thus, an aesthetically pleasing surface material 30 is obtained.

[0019] A method for manufacturing the above-described embodiment of the armrest 1 according to the second configuration of this disclosure involves laminating a surface material 30 onto a base material 10 formed of a resin material and having an outer corner portion 15 and an inner corner portion 16 that are convex outwards. The manufacturing method includes a molding step of injecting raw material into the cavities 53 of an inner mold 51 and an outer mold 52 to form a surface material 30 in which an outer deformation-allowing portion 35 and an inner deformation-allowing portion 36 are integrally molded in a predetermined surface area, corresponding to the tops 15a and 16a of the outer corner portion 15 and the inner corner portion 16, and which allow deformation along the outer corner portion 15 and the inner corner portion 16 when laminated onto the base material 10, and a textured pattern is integrally molded on a predetermined back surface area; and a lamination step of removing the molded surface material 30 from the inner mold 51 and the outer mold 52, inverting it, and laminating it onto the base material 10 with the outer deformation-allowing portion 35 and the inner deformation-allowing portion 36 facing the tops 15a and 16a.

[0020] With this configuration, even if the base material 10 has outer corners 15 and inner corners 16, the mounting work to the base material 10 can be performed with good workability, the reliability of shape retention after mounting can be increased, the generation of abnormal noise can be reduced, and a surface material 30 with increased design freedom can be obtained. In particular, a textured pattern can be easily formed on the first surface 31 which is the surface, and the parting line PL can be positioned on the second surface 32 which is the back surface, so an aesthetically pleasing armrest 1 can be obtained.

[0021] In the molding process, the external deformation allowance portion 35 and the internal deformation allowance portion 36 are molded into a curved shape corresponding to the outer corner portion 15 and the inner corner portion 16. This makes it easier to attach the external deformation allowance portion 35 and the internal deformation allowance portion 36 to the outer corner portion 15 and the inner corner portion 16. In the molding process, multiple rows of V-grooves 37 and 38 are formed as the external deformation allowance portion 35 and the internal deformation allowance portion 36, extending in the direction of the ridges of the top portions 15a and 16a and arranged side by side in a direction intersecting the direction of the ridges. This makes it easy to obtain the external deformation allowance portion 35 and the internal deformation allowance portion 36 that are easy to deform during installation.

[0022] The following describes examples of modifications to this disclosure. The number of V-grooves is not limited to the above configuration and can be increased or decreased as appropriate. V-grooves with different depths and angles may be mixed together. The spacing between adjacent V-grooves is not limited to equal spacing and can be changed as appropriate. The deformation-allowing portion is not limited to the V-grooves of the above configuration. The deformation-allowing portion may be, for example, a single recessed groove 39 extending in the direction of the ridge of the top portion 15a (16a), as shown in Figure 4. In this case as well, as shown in Figure 4A, a protrusion 55 is provided on the inner surface 53b of the cavity 53 corresponding to the outer deformation-allowing portion 35 (inner deformation-allowing portion 36) to form the surface material 30A, and then it is inverted as shown in Figure 4B. Thus, even if the external deformation-tolerant portion 35 and the internal deformation-tolerant portion 36 are made as a single groove 39 extending in the direction of the ridges of the top portions 15a and 16a, the external deformation-tolerant portion 35 and the internal deformation-tolerant portion 36 can be easily formed, and the external deformation-tolerant portion 35 and the internal deformation-tolerant portion 36 can be made thin, thereby reliably tolerating deformation during installation. In particular, an air layer is formed in the area where the groove 39 is formed, creating a partially thin-walled portion, which leads to improved flexibility and a better tactile feel.

[0023] Furthermore, the deformation-tolerant portion may be a plurality of recesses 40, 40... as shown in Figure 5, for example. In this case as well, as shown in Figure 5A, a plurality of protrusions 56, 56... are provided on the inner surface 53b of the cavity 53 corresponding to the outer deformation-tolerant portion 35 (inner deformation-tolerant portion 36) to form the surface material 30B, and then it is inverted as shown in Figure 5B. The recesses 40 (protrusions 56) can be, for example, hemispherical (dimpled). Other shapes such as cylindrical or conical shapes can also be used. In this way, even if the outer deformation-tolerant portion 35 and the inner deformation-tolerant portion 36 are a plurality of recesses 40, 40..., the outer deformation-tolerant portion 35 and the inner deformation-tolerant portion 36 can be easily formed, and an outer deformation-tolerant portion 35 and an inner deformation-tolerant portion 36 can be obtained that are thin and can reliably tolerate deformation during installation. In particular, an air layer is formed in the recess 40, 40... formation area, forming a partially thin-walled portion, which leads to improved flexibility and a better tactile feel.

[0024] Furthermore, the deformation-allowing portion may be provided by combining the V-grooves, recesses, and concave sections of each of the above embodiments. If the shape of the curved portion of the base material (especially the radius of curvature) differs depending on the location, the deformation-allowing portion of each embodiment can be selected and combined. On the other hand, in each of the above embodiments, the deformation-allowing portion is formed by molding, but it is also possible to form a surface material with a flat surface in the area corresponding to the curved portion, and then provide deformation-allowing portions such as V-grooves, recesses, and concave sections in the region corresponding to the top of the curved portion by post-processing (processing steps).

[0025] On the other hand, the deformation-allowing portion is not limited to being provided by forming V-grooves or recessed grooves. For example, as shown in Figure 6, the first surface 31 and / or the second surface 32 can be made to have different radii in the region facing the top portions 15a and 16a, and the thickness of that region can be made thinner than the thickness of the other regions, thus forming a thin-walled portion. Figure 6A shows the case where the R1' of the folded portion of the first surface 31 is made larger than the original R1 shown by the dashed line to form an external deformation-allowing portion 35 (internal deformation-allowing portion 36) as a thin-walled portion. Figure 6B shows the case where the R2' of the folded portion of the second surface 32 is made smaller than the original R2 shown by the dashed line to form an external deformation-allowing portion 35 (internal deformation-allowing portion 36) as a thin-walled portion. Figure 6C shows the case where the R1' of the folded portion of the first surface 31 is made larger than the original R1, and the R2' of the folded portion of the second surface 32 is made smaller than the original R2 to form an external deformation-allowable portion 35 (internal deformation-allowable portion 36) as a thin-walled portion. In all cases of Figures 6A to 6C, as with the other examples described above, the front and back sides are reversed after molding and laminated onto the base material.

[0026] In the surface material 30C of Figure 6, the external deformation-tolerant portion 35 and the internal deformation-tolerant portion 36 can be easily formed, and the thin-walled external deformation-tolerant portion 35 and the internal deformation-tolerant portion 36 can be obtained that reliably tolerate deformation during installation. In particular, since V-grooves, recesses, and indentations are not provided in the surface material as in other embodiments, the shape of the mold is simplified, leading to cost reduction. Note that the thinner the thin-walled portion, the easier it is to deform when installed on the base material, but in order to ensure the fluidity of the resin material during molding, it is desirable to make the thickness about half that of the other areas. Note that if a thin-walled portion is formed as a deformation-tolerant portion and the design is not integrally molded on the first surface of the front side, it can be used as is without inversion after molding.

[0027] The molding apparatus is not limited to the above-described form. A split mold is not required, and the cavity may be formed using an upper mold and a lower mold instead of an inner mold and an outer mold. Depending on the type and shape of the interior part, a core may also be provided. Furthermore, the armrest itself can be modified as appropriate. This disclosure is not limited to armrests provided on the center console, but may also be applied to armrests provided on the inside of vehicle doors, for example. This disclosure is not limited to seat components (center console, armrest, etc.), but can also be applied to other interior parts such as instrument panels and door panels.

[0028] 1...Armrest, 2...Recess, 10...Base material, 11...Upper plate, 12...Side plate, 13...Lower plate, 14...Protruding part, 15...Outer corner, 15a...Top, 16...Inner corner, 16a...Top, 20...Core material, 30, 30A, 30B, 30C...Surface material, 31...First surface, 32...Second surface, 33...Outer skin, 34...Inner skin, 35...Outer deformation allowable part, 36...Inner deformation allowable part, 37, 38...V groove, 39...Concave groove, 40...Recess, 50...Injection molding device, 51...Inner mold, 52...Outer mold, 53...Cavity, 54...Protrusion, 55, 56...Convex part.

Claims

1. A surface material formed of a resin material and laminated onto a base material having a curved portion that protrudes outward, comprising a first surface on the front side which serves as the design surface, and a second surface on the back side which is laminated onto the base material, wherein a deformation-allowing portion is formed in at least the region facing the apex of the curved portion, which allows deformation along the curved portion when laminated onto the base material.

2. The surface material according to claim 1, wherein the deformation-allowing portion is provided on the second surface and consists of a plurality of rows of V grooves extending in the direction of the ridge of the top and arranged in a direction intersecting the direction of the ridge.

3. The surface material according to claim 1, wherein the deformation-allowing portion is provided on the second surface and is a single groove extending in the direction of the ridge of the top.

4. The surface material according to claim 1, wherein the deformation-allowing portion is a plurality of recesses provided on the second surface.

5. The surface material according to claim 1, wherein the deformation-tolerant portion is a thin-walled portion in which the thickness of the region is thinner than the thickness of the region other than the region.

6. The surface material according to claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature of the curved portion is 1.5 mm to 10 mm.

7. The surface material according to claim 1, wherein the Shore A hardness is 5 to 80.

8. The surface material according to claim 1, wherein a textured pattern is formed on the first surface and a parting line is formed on the second surface.

9. A method for manufacturing an automotive interior part, comprising laminating a surface material onto a base material formed of a resin material and having a curved portion that protrudes outward, the method comprising: a molding step of injecting raw material into the cavity of a mold to form a surface material in which a deformation-allowing portion corresponding to the top of the curved portion and allowing deformation along the curved portion when laminated onto the base material is integrally molded in a predetermined surface area, and a textured pattern integrally molded on a predetermined back area; and a lamination step of removing the molded surface material from the mold, inverting its front and back sides, and laminating it onto the base material with the deformation-allowing portion facing the top of the curved portion.

10. The method for manufacturing an automotive interior part according to claim 9, wherein in the molding step, the deformation-tolerant portion is molded into a curved shape corresponding to the curved portion.

11. The method for manufacturing an automotive interior part according to claim 9, wherein in the molding step, a plurality of rows of V-grooves are formed as the deformation-allowable portion, extending in the direction of the ridge of the top and arranged in parallel in a direction intersecting the direction of the ridge.

12. The method for manufacturing an automotive interior part according to claim 9, wherein in the molding step, a groove extending in the direction of the ridge of the top is formed as the deformation-allowable portion.

13. The method for manufacturing an automotive interior part according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of recesses are formed as the deformation-allowable portion in the molding step.

14. A method for manufacturing an automotive interior part, comprising laminating a surface material onto a base material formed of a resin material and having a curved portion that protrudes outward, the method comprising: a molding step of injecting raw material into the cavity of a mold to form the surface material; a processing step of post-processing a deformation-allowing portion in the region of the surface material corresponding to the apex of the curved portion, which allows deformation along the curved portion when laminated onto the base material; and a lamination step of laminating the surface material onto the base material with the deformation-allowing portion facing the apex.

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