Fiber Composite Profile Section for Motor Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing profile sections with textile-like surfaces for motor vehicles are sensitive to mechanical stress, such as abrasion, and increasing their resilience through thicker finish layers results in a loss of haptic and visual depth, which is undesirable.
Innovation Solution
A profile section composed of a fiber composite material with an elastomer matrix and flock fibers, where the fibers have both embedded and exposed portions, providing a textured surface that mimics textiles while being resistant to mechanical stress without the need for additional flocking or adhesives, and allowing for extrusion or injection molding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thicker finish layer is used to increase mechanical resilience, then abrasion resistance is improved, but haptic and visual depth are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining an elastomer matrix with embedded flock fibers to create a decorating portion that inherently provides both mechanical resilience and texture depth. The fiber-reinforced composite structure allows the material to resist abrasion while maintaining surface characteristics, eliminating the need for thick finish layers that would otherwise be required to achieve adequate mechanical durability.
2Reliability
If a thicker finish layer is used to increase mechanical resilience, then abrasion resistance is improved, but additional process steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the structural reinforcement function and the surface decorating function into a single integrated component. The flock fibers are embedded directly into the elastomer matrix during manufacturing, combining the mechanical strengthening effect with the aesthetic surface appearance in one element, thereby eliminating separate finishing and decorating process steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The fiber-reinforced elastomer composite integrates mechanical reinforcement and surface decoration in a single material system, allowing both structural and aesthetic requirements to be met simultaneously during one manufacturing process, thus reducing the total number of process steps required.
3Shape
If textile tape is glued to the profile, then a textile-like surface is achieved, but mechanical stress resistance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a homogeneous fiber-reinforced elastomer composite where the flock fibers are embedded within the matrix material, forming an integrated structure that behaves as a unified material system. This eliminates the adhesive interface between separate layers, preventing adhesive failure under mechanical stress while maintaining the desired textile-like surface appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves homogeneity by distributing flock fibers uniformly throughout the elastomer matrix, creating a consistent material structure without distinct layered interfaces. This homogeneous composition ensures uniform mechanical properties and eliminates weak points where adhesive bonds might fail under stress.
Data Source
AI summary
A profile section (10) for a motor vehicle comprises a decorating portion (40), which is composed of a fiber composite material. The fiber composite material comprises an elastomer matrix made of a first elastomer and flock fibers (50). The flock fibers (50) each have a fiber length which is comprised of a first length and a second length. In addition, the flock fibers have one matrix portion embedded in the elastomer matrix and one exposed portion protruding from the elastomer matrix. The matrix portion has the first length and the exposed portion has the second length.