Nonwoven Resin Interior Panels for Lightweight Flame-Compliant Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle interior panels lack improved tensile properties, impact resistance, and cost-effectiveness while meeting flammability standards, and are difficult to manufacture efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A nonwoven fabric impregnated with a resin, such as polyphenylene sulfide, polyetherimide, or polyaryletherketone, is consolidated into a solid sheet without metal coated filler particles or lubricants, forming a lightweight, durable panel that can be used in various vehicle components and is compliant with FAR §25.853.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional composite materials (honeycomb center sheet with woven glass filament fiber impregnated with phenolic resin) are used for vehicle interior panels, then the panels meet flammability standards and provide structural integrity, but the panels have insufficient tensile properties and impact resistance, and are heavy and expensive to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using a nonwoven fabric made of high-strength fibers (such as aramid, glass, or carbon fibers) impregnated with thermoplastic resin instead of traditional woven glass filament fiber with phenolic resin. This parameter change results in improved tensile strength and impact resistance while reducing panel weight by eliminating the heavy honeycomb core structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials consisting of nonwoven fabric reinforcement (high-strength fibers) combined with thermoplastic resin matrix. This composite structure provides superior tensile properties and impact resistance compared to traditional composites, while the absence of metal coated filler particles and lubricants maintains flammability compliance and reduces weight
2Reliability
If traditional composite materials with honeycomb core are used, then structural integrity is achieved, but manufacturing complexity increases and production costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex honeycomb core structure from the traditional composite panel design. By using a solid sheet formed from nonwoven fabric impregnated with thermoplastic resin, the design removes the multi-step assembly process required for honeycomb cores, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining structural integrity through the continuous fiber reinforcement in the nonwoven fabric
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the skin and core functions into a single integrated solid sheet structure. The nonwoven fabric impregnated with thermoplastic resin forms both the structural core and surface skin simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate honeycomb core assembly and skin lamination steps, thereby simplifying manufacturing processes
3Object-affected harmful factors
If woven glass filament fiber impregnated with phenolic resin is used, then flammability standards are met, but tensile properties and impact resistance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the resin parameter from thermoset phenolic resin to thermoplastic resin, and the fabric structure from woven to nonwoven. This parameter change enables the use of high-strength fibers (aramid, glass, or carbon) in a nonwoven configuration that provides superior tensile strength and impact resistance while the thermoplastic resin formulation maintains compliance with flammability standards
4Ease of manufacture
If metal coated filler particles and lubricants are used in the composite material, then manufacturing processability is improved, but flammability compliance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates metal coated filler particles and lubricants from the composite material formulation. The nonwoven fabric is impregnated solely with thermoplastic resin without these additives, ensuring flammability compliance while the thermoplastic resin provides adequate processability for consolidation into solid panels
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material composition parameters by formulating a resin system that does not require metal coated filler particles or lubricants. The thermoplastic resin is selected and formulated to provide sufficient flow and consolidation properties without these additives, thereby maintaining both flammability compliance and manufacturability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides vehicle interior panels with enhanced tensile strength, impact resistance, and cost-effectiveness, while ensuring compliance with flammability standards and ease of manufacturing, replacing traditional composite materials.
Implementation Method 1
a nonwoven fabric impregnated with a resin. The nonwoven fabric and resin are consolidated into a solid sheet
Data Source
AI summary
An interior component for a vehicle may include a nonwoven fabric impregnated with a resin. The nonwoven fabric and resin are consolidated into a solid sheet devoid of pockets. The interior component may exclude metal coated filler particles and lubricants. The method of making the interior component includes the steps of: forming a nonwoven fabric of a staple fiber and a resin, consolidating the nonwoven fabric and the resin into a solid sheet, and forming the solid sheet into the vehicle component. The vehicle may be an airplane, train, subway car, light rail car, bus, or automobile. The resin may be a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyphenylene sulfide, polyetherimide, polyaryletherketone, co-polymers thereof, and combinations thereof.