Pleated Vehicle Interior Covering for Complex Surface Lamination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for creating a pleated appearance on vehicle interior surfaces fail to securely attach flexible materials to complex shapes, such as concavities and convexities, while withstanding stresses and environmental conditions like cold and humidity.

Innovation Solution

A method involving shaping flexible material strips with right and left flaps, stitching them together, and using hot melt or heat reactive glue to create a pleated appearance that can be securely laminated onto vehicle parts, allowing for matching complex shapes and providing both aesthetic appeal and structural solidity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a pleated appearance is created on flexible material for vehicle interior surfaces, then aesthetic appeal and user attraction are improved, but secure attachment to complex shapes and resistance to environmental stresses deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaesthetic appealVSAvoidsecure attachment
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible material is divided into multiple strips that are stitched together to form the pleated appearance. This segmentation allows each strip to be independently shaped and attached, maintaining both the aesthetic pleated effect and secure attachment to complex surfaces while accommodating environmental stresses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If flexible material is used to cover complex shapes including concavities and convexities, then adaptability to passenger compartment surfaces is improved, but firm fixation and durability under stress deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to complex shapesVSAvoidfirm fixation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The material is segmented into strips that can be independently conforming to complex shapes. The stitching lines act as pivot points that allow the strips to adapt to concavities and convexities while maintaining structural integrity and firm fixation through the stitched connections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The pleated structure created by stitching strips together provides inherent curvature and flexibility, allowing the material to conform to complex three-dimensional surfaces including concavities and convexities while maintaining firm attachment through the rigid stitching lines.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Strength

If stitching is used to create pleated appearance by joining flaps, then structural solidity and shape conformity are improved, but manufacturing complexity and process time deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural solidityVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The flaps are prepared and positioned in advance before final stitching. The stitching lines are planned as pivot points that will serve both the pleated aesthetic and structural functions. This preliminary preparation simplifies the overall manufacturing process by organizing complex operations into sequential, manageable steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 allows for a securely fixed, pleated appearance on vehicle interior parts that matches complex shapes, offering both user appeal and durability against environmental stresses, while conserving high-value materials like leather.

Implementation Method 1

a hot-melt or thermoreactive adhesive is previously coated on the back of a sheet of the flexible material over the entire surface thereof

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHot-melt adhesive: Adhesive

Implementation Method 2

a hot-melt or thermoreactive adhesive is previously coated on the back of a sheet of the flexible material over the entire surface thereof

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermoreactive adhesive: Adhesive

Implementation Method 3

laminating on a passenger compartment part a covering sheet comprising said surface for decoration

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLamination: Lamination

Data Source

PatentEP4056428B1Method for manufacturing a decorative layer for a vehicle passenger compartment
Publication Date: 2024.10.23 EUROSTYLE SYST TECH CENT FRANCE
  • EP4056428B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP4056428B1 patent drawingFigure 5~7
  • EP4056428B1 patent drawingFigure 8~12

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for covering and decorating a vehicle interior part, comprising installing a decorative surface (100A) made of a flexible surface material, and applying a covering sheet comprising said decorative surface (100A) to the interior part. The method includes preparing strips (10, 20,...) of the flexible material, free from one another, creating right and left flaps (13, 22, 23, ...) on the long sides of said strips, placing the strips side by side to form the decorative surface (100A), and joining at least one right flap (13) with a corresponding left flap (22), said flaps being brought together face to face under the decorative surface, until the covering sheet for said interior part is formed from the free strips with a pleated appearance.