Knitted Vehicle Interior Panel With Seamless 3D Surface Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing interior panels in vehicles face challenges in meeting both safety and aesthetic requirements, particularly in high-performance luxury vehicles, due to traditional textile manufacturing methods leading to waste and unsightly seams.
Innovation Solution
The use of a knitted fabric with varying stitch densities and surface-relief patterns, integrated with a support panel, to create seamless and aesthetically pleasing interior panels that house components like speakers and displays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional 2D roll goods textiles are cut and sewn to the required shape, then the interior panel can be manufactured with conventional techniques, but this results in a large amount of waste in the form of offcuts and creates unsightly seams where two pieces of fabric meet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the textile from traditional 2D roll goods to a 3D knitted fabric structure. This parameter change from 2D to 3D knitting allows the fabric to be formed in the exact shape required, eliminating the need for cutting and sewing operations that generate offcut waste. The 3D knitting process creates the final three-dimensional form directly, reducing material loss while maintaining manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention moves from 2D textile manufacturing to 3D knitting, adding a dimensional aspect to the fabric production. This dimensionality change enables the fabric to be constructed in its final three-dimensional shape without requiring subsequent cutting and assembly operations, thereby eliminating offcut waste while preserving ease of manufacture through automated knitting processes.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional 2D roll goods textiles are cut and sewn to the required shape, then the interior panel can be manufactured with conventional techniques, but this results in unsightly seams where two pieces of fabric meet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the textile from traditional 2D roll goods to a 3D knitted fabric structure. This parameter change from 2D to 3D knitting allows the fabric to be formed in the exact shape required, eliminating the need for cutting and sewing operations that create unsightly seams. The 3D knitting process creates the final three-dimensional form directly, achieving a seamless appearance while maintaining manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention moves from 2D textile manufacturing to 3D knitting, adding a dimensional aspect to the fabric production. This dimensionality change enables the fabric to be constructed in its final three-dimensional shape without requiring subsequent cutting and assembly operations, thereby eliminating unsightly seams while preserving ease of manufacture through automated knitting processes.
3Shape
If the knitted fabric has high stitch density overlaying the surface, then the luxury aesthetic and structural integrity are enhanced, but this reduces acoustic transparency for components like speakers housed in apertures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different stitch densities to different locations of the knitted fabric. High stitch density is used in areas overlaying the dashboard surface to provide luxury aesthetic and structural integrity, while low stitch density is used in areas overlaying apertures housing speakers to maintain acoustic transparency. This local differentiation of fabric properties allows each region to optimize its function without compromising overall performance.
4Loss of substance
If the knitted fabric is made as a single piece with varying stitch densities, then waste is minimized and seams are eliminated, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes variable stitch density as a parameter change within the 3D knitting process. Modern 3D knitting machines are capable of adjusting stitch density dynamically during the knitting process, allowing different regions of the fabric to have different densities without requiring multiple separate pieces or post-manufacturing assembly. This parameter control enables waste reduction and seamless construction while managing manufacturing complexity through automated machine capabilities.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
An interior panel (201, 401, 501, 701) for a vehicle (101), the interior panel comprising: a support panel (202, 304, 402, 502, 702); and a knitted fabric (208, 218, 309, 406, 504, 706) covering at least part of the support panel, the knitted fabric comprising a region of surface-relief (505, 709) comprising areas of elevated stitching (506) and areas of depressed stitching (507) such that when the knitted fabric is viewed from a first direction (510), the one or more areas of depressed stitching are obscured by the one or more areas of elevated stitching and when viewed from a second direction (511), the one or more areas of depressed stitching are visible.