Vehicle Interior Panels Sealed Stitching Elastomeric Foam
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle interior panels with visible stitching face issues due to needle holes allowing underlying materials to show through, leading to visual defects, especially when using traditional sealing methods like tape which wrinkle or crease on complex contours.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a perforated decorative covering with stitching, where a viscous liquid formulated to solidify into an elastomeric material is applied at the needle holes to create a seal, preventing foam from passing through and embedding the stitching partially in the elastomeric seal, allowing for sealing along complex contours and shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional sealing methods like tape are used to seal needle holes, then the foam is prevented from leaking through perforations, but the tape wrinkles or creases on complex contours causing visual defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the sealing material from rigid tape to a fluid elastomeric material that can flow and conform to complex contours. The elastomeric material is applied in a liquid or semi-liquid state, allowing it to penetrate and seal needle holes effectively, then cures to form a smooth surface that eliminates wrinkles and creases associated with tape sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an elastomeric material that forms a flexible seal around the needle holes and stitching elements. This elastomeric layer acts as a thin film that can conform to the complex three-dimensional contours of the decorative covering while maintaining sealing integrity, preventing foam leakage without the rigidity that causes tape to wrinkle.
2Manufacturing precision
If sewn stitching is used to provide luxury aesthetic, then visible stitching is achieved, but needle holes allow underlying materials to show through causing visual defects
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric material serves as an intermediary substance that fills and seals the needle holes created by stitching. It acts as a mediator between the stitching process and the final aesthetic appearance, preventing underlying materials from showing through the perforations while preserving the visible stitching effect on the surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of needle holes (which allow material show-through) into a beneficial sealing mechanism. The same stitching process that creates the luxury aesthetic also creates the needle holes, but the elastomeric material transforms these holes into sealed features that enhance rather than detract from the appearance.
3Reliability
If elastomeric material is applied to seal needle holes, then foam leakage is prevented and stitching is embedded, but additional manufacturing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sealing function with the existing stitching process by applying the elastomeric material during or immediately after the stitching operation. This integration combines what would otherwise be separate operations (stitching and sealing) into a unified process flow, reducing the need for additional discrete manufacturing steps while maintaining effective sealing.
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 elastomeric seal effectively prevents foam from leaking through needle holes, maintaining the decorative integrity by sealing perforations along intricate stitch paths and contours, eliminating visual defects and enhancing the aesthetic of vehicle interiors.
Implementation Method 1
applying a viscous liquid at an opposite second side of the covering at perforations of the decorative covering, the viscous liquid being formulated to solidify into an elastomeric material; solidifying the viscous liquid into the elastomeric material
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle interior panel includes stitching sewn through a decorative skin layer of the panel. The associated sewing needle holes are sealed by an elastomeric material before a foam layer is formed on the non-visible side of the skin layer to prevent the expanding foam from leaking through the needle holes and becoming visible at the visible side of the panel. The elastomeric material is initially applied as a viscous liquid formulated to solidify and can be applied by spraying, enabling lines of stitching to be located along complex contours of the panel. A latex emulsion is one suitable type of viscous liquid.