Vehicle Interior Skin Material with Heat-Fusible Fiber Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional skin materials for vehicle interiors using optical fibers face issues with abrasion, scratches, and fraying at cut edges due to the exposure of optical fibers on the surface, and existing solutions fail to adequately suppress these problems while maintaining the design and light emission properties.
Innovation Solution
A woven fabric using synthetic resin fibers, side emission type optical fibers, and heat fusible fibers with a specific fineness ratio, where heat fusible fibers are woven between synthetic resin and optical fibers to bond them in longitudinal directions, preventing abrasion and fraying, and maintaining the appearance and light emission properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If optical fibers are used as warps or wefts in woven fabric, then light emission function is achieved, but optical fibers are exposed on the surface and prone to abrasion and scratches
Solution Approach 1:
Heat fusible fibers are introduced as an intermediary bonding agent between the optical fibers and synthetic resin fibers. These heat fusible fibers are woven between adjacent optical fibers and synthetic resin fibers, and when heated, they melt and bond the fibers together, preventing optical fibers from being exposed on the surface and reducing abrasion and scratches
Solution Approach 2:
The woven fabric is constructed as a composite material system comprising optical fibers, synthetic resin fibers, and heat fusible fibers. This composite structure allows the optical fibers to be embedded within the fabric matrix rather than exposed on the surface, while maintaining the light emission function through the integrated structure
2Illumination intensity
If optical fibers are woven into the fabric, then lighting function is provided, but cut edges fray due to lack of bonding between fibers
Solution Approach 1:
Heat fusible fibers serve as a bonding intermediary that physically connects optical fibers to synthetic resin fibers through thermal fusion. When the fabric is heated after cutting, the heat fusible fibers melt and create strong bonds between fibers at the cut edges, preventing fraying while preserving the lighting function
Solution Approach 2:
The heat fusible fibers utilize phase transition (melting) as a bonding mechanism. When heated to their melting point, the heat fusible fibers transition from solid to liquid state, flowing between and bonding the optical fibers and synthetic resin fibers, then solidify upon cooling to create a durable bond that prevents fraying
3Shape
If multifilaments with small fineness are used on the surface, then appearance is improved, but they are easily pushed in when pressed and optical fibers become exposed
Solution Approach 1:
Heat fusible fibers act as a bonding intermediary that secures multifilaments to synthetic resin fibers. When pressed, the heat fusible fibers provide thermal bonding that prevents multifilaments from being pushed in and exposing the optical fibers underneath, while maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the fabric surface
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 effectively prevents abrasion and scratches of optical fibers, suppresses fraying at cut edges, and maintains the design and light emission properties of the skin material for vehicle interiors, ensuring durability and aesthetic appeal.
Implementation Method 1
heat fusible fibers are woven between synthetic resin and optical fibers to bond them in longitudinal directions
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a skin material for vehicle interior which forms a vehicle interior design surface, functions as lighting, and suppresses the fray of side emission type optical fibers when the skin material for vehicle is cut into a predetermined shape and size. A skin material for vehicle interior 100 is bonded to a resinous vehicle interior base. The skin material for vehicle interior 100 includes a woven fabric woven by using synthetic resin fibers lb and la, side emission type optical fibers 2, and heat fusible fibers as warps or wefts. A ratio (dS/df) of fineness (ds) of the synthetic resin fibers to fineness (df) of the side emission type optical fibers is from 1.5 to 7.0. The synthetic resin fibers and the side emission type optical fibers adjacent to the synthetic resin fibers are bonded in respective longitudinal directions thereof by the heat fusible fibers. It is preferable, that when a plurality of the side emission type optical fibers are woven between the adjacent synthetic resin fibers, the adjacent side emission type optical fibers are bonded to each other in the longitudinal direction by the heat fusible fibers.