Vehicle Trim Panel Textile Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing paneling parts for vehicle interiors with visible wood veneers in potential head impact areas face challenges in crash safety, requiring flexibility and preventing sharp edges or splintering, while also being space-efficient and cost-effective, as they often incorporate multiple veneer layers and metal layers that increase thickness and cost.
Innovation Solution
A three-layer structure comprising a visible wood veneer, a plastic carrier layer, and a textile fabric layer made of reinforced fibers, which enhances flexural strength without the need for a metal layer, allowing for reduced component thickness and cost-effective production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If multiple veneer layers and metal layers are integrated into the trim panel structure, then the flexural strength and crash safety are improved, but the component thickness increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by integrating a textile fabric layer (made of glass, carbon, aramid, or basalt fibers) with a plastic carrier layer to create a reinforced composite structure. This composite replaces the traditional multi-layer veneer and metal layer construction, achieving high flexural strength with reduced thickness. The textile fabric embedded in the plastic carrier creates a lightweight yet strong composite material that satisfies both strength requirements and space constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the metal layer from the traditional multi-layer structure. By removing the metal reinforcement layer and replacing it with a textile-fabric-reinforced plastic carrier layer, the design achieves comparable or superior flexural strength without the thickness penalty associated with metal layers, thereby solving the contradiction between strength and thickness.
2Strength
If multiple veneer layers and metal layers are integrated into the trim panel structure, then the flexural strength and crash safety are improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The use of textile fabric reinforcement within a plastic carrier layer creates a cost-effective composite material that eliminates the need for expensive metal layers while maintaining structural integrity. The plastic carrier layer can be manufactured through conventional injection molding processes, and the textile fabric can be pre-cut and placed in the mold, simplifying the manufacturing process compared to integrating multiple veneer and metal layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the reinforcement function (previously performed by separate metal layers) with the carrier layer function (performed by the plastic substrate) into a single integrated textile-reinforced plastic carrier layer. This consolidation reduces the number of manufacturing steps, eliminates the need for separate metal layer integration processes, and reduces overall material and manufacturing costs while maintaining the required flexural strength.
3Length of stationary object
If a thin-film three-layer structure is used, then the component thickness is reduced for space efficiency, but the flexural strength may be insufficient without metal layers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials by embedding high-strength textile fabric (glass, carbon, aramid, or basalt fibers) within the plastic carrier layer. This composite structure provides exceptional flexural strength relative to the thin profile, enabling the trim panel to achieve both space efficiency and structural performance without requiring thick metal layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes a thin-film three-layer structure consisting of a decorative top layer, a textile-reinforced plastic carrier layer, and a backing layer. The textile fabric within the carrier layer acts as a reinforcement that maintains flexural strength despite the overall thinness of the component, enabling space-efficient design without sacrificing structural integrity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a trim part for a vehicle interior, in particular a visible trim strip or panel (3), with a visible, brittle outer layer (7) that is prone to breakage under crash loads (especially a head impact), such as a wood veneer or a carbon layer, which is back-injected with a plastic carrier layer (13), wherein the trim part (3) is subjected to deflection until component breakage in the event of a crash. According to the invention, a fabric layer (9) made of a textile material is integrated into the layer structure of the trim part (3) to increase its fracture resistance in the event of a crash.