DE202019005293U1 - Cladding component - Google Patents

Abstract

Cladding component for a vehicle comprising a protective layer which forms a visible side of the cladding component, a carrier layer (2) which faces a rear side of the cladding component facing away from the visible side, a fiber layer arranged between the protective layer (4) and the carrier layer (2), and a carrier for the fastening arrangement of the cladding component, the fiber layer comprising a plurality of fibers (3) which are arranged at least in sections in multiple layers from the carrier layer (2) towards the protective layer (4) and are irregularly aligned with respect to one another, the fibers (3) in each case at least are directly connected in sections to the carrier layer (2) and overlap each other in sections and the protective layer (4) extends between the fibers and forms a closed-pore surface on the visible side of the cladding component.

Description

The invention relates to a trim component, in particular a decorative part for the interior of motor vehicles.

A wide variety of cladding components are known from the prior art, which provide different optical properties and designs. In addition, various fiber composite components are also known. For example, from the EP 2 816 916 B1 a structural component known to absorb high forces.

Cladding components should not serve as structural components, but should in particular provide a surface that is perceived as aesthetic and valuable.

The optical appearance of fiber components is perceived by many viewers as aesthetic and valuable. Therefore, in the field of vehicle construction and in particular in the field of sports car construction, fiber composite components are also used as cladding components in the vehicle interior or for the design of certain other vehicle areas, such as in the engine compartment.

In the prior art, however, these are often formed by non-wear-resistant foils or, like the structural components which can be subjected to high forces, are produced. Since the cladding components do not have to meet the technical requirements of structural components, the corresponding manufacturing processes are too expensive for the design function to be performed.

In particular, reference is made to the above-mentioned patent EP 2 816 916 B1 referenced, which proposes a method for producing a fiber composite component currently known as “forged carbon”. A component produced using such a method is expensive due to the high pressures and the high temperatures during manufacture and the tools required for this, but it offers an interesting and appealing visual appearance.

The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a cladding component which is inexpensive and at the same time provides an aesthetically pleasing surface as in the case of a fiber composite component used as a structural component.

This object is achieved by the combination of features according to protection claim 1.

• Anordnen von Fasern auf einer Haftfolie, so dass eine Seite der Haftfolie flächig mit Fasern bedeckt ist, wobei die Fasern an der Seite der Haftfolie anhaften;
• Anordnen der Haftfolie mit den anhaftenden Fasern an einer Trägerschicht, so dass die Fasern zwischen der Haftfolie und der Trägerschicht liegen, wobei zumindest ein Teil der Fasern wenigstens abschnittsweise unmittelbar an der Trägerschicht anliegt;
• Verbinden der unmittelbar an der Trägerschicht anliegenden Fasern mit der Trägerschicht;
• Entfernen der Haftfolie von der Trägerschicht;
• Bilden einer die Fasern auf der Trägerschicht abdeckenden Schutzschicht.

According to the invention, a cladding component is proposed, a method for producing such a cladding component being explained below. Such a process comprises the following steps:

• Arranging fibers on an adhesive film so that one side of the adhesive film is covered with fibers, the fibers adhering to the side of the adhesive film;
• Arranging the adhesive film with the adhering fibers on a carrier layer so that the fibers lie between the adhesive film and the carrier layer, at least some of the fibers being in direct contact with the carrier layer at least in sections;
• Connecting the fibers lying directly on the carrier layer to the carrier layer;
• Removing the adhesive film from the carrier layer;
• Form a protective layer covering the fibers on the carrier layer.

The steps of the method are preferably carried out in the given order, it being possible to insert further intermediate steps.

By removing the adhesive film from the carrier layer, only the fibers attached to it remain, which at least partially overlap due to their disordered orientation. If the protective layer is arranged on the carrier element or on the fibers attached to it, the fibers lie in different planes of the protective layer. When viewed from the visible side, fibers with different orientations are visible at different distances from the surface of the protective layer that determines the visible side, resulting in an aesthetically appealing and valuable-looking surface.

Because no high pressures or temperatures are used in the process, less energy is required for the production of the cladding components and the demands on the load capacity of the tools are lower. In addition, the time required to produce individual components is shortened, so that the costs for the production process and the material costs for the trim component are lower in the case of alternatives known in the prior art. As a result, the cladding components can be produced more cost-effectively and offer a similar or almost identical and valuable appearance.

The fibers are preferably arranged on the adhesive film as a plurality of fiber bundles, the fiber bundles of the plurality of fiber bundles having different lengths from one another. Fiber bundles are also known as roving. In particular, the Fiber bundles around sections or "snippets" of fiber bundles. These are preferably arranged on the adhesive film in a non-directional manner. The fiber bundles or rovings each preferably have a flat or elliptical cross section. The lengths of the roving or fiber bundles influence in particular the visual appearance of the trim part.

An advantageous variant of the method provides that when the adhesive film is removed, the fibers connected to the carrier layer are connected to the carrier layer and remain arranged thereon, and fibers not connected to the carrier layer, adhering to the adhesive film, are removed with the adhesive film. As a result, preferably only the fibers directly connected to the carrier layer remain on the carrier.

In a likewise advantageous embodiment, the fibers or the fiber bundles are preferably non-directional and chaotically distributed to one another in each step of the method. Correspondingly, the fibers on the adhesive film are arranged in a non-directed or disordered manner with respect to one another and the fibers connected to the carrier layer are arranged in a non-directed or disordered manner with respect to one another. If the fibers are applied to the adhesive film as a fiber bundle, the fibers of a fiber bundle are essentially parallel to one another, the fibers of different fiber bundles or the different fiber bundles being arranged in an undirected and chaotic manner.

In a further advantageous development, the method provides that the adhesive film is a statically chargeable film, the adhesive film is charged with a predetermined static charge, and the fibers adhere to the adhesive film when arranged on the adhesive film due to a static attraction caused by the static charge.

Here, a continuation of the method is advantageous, in which the fibers adhering to the adhesive film adhere to the adhesive film in multiple layers at least in sections and form a fiber layer which is determined at least in sections by a plurality of fiber layers. A layer thickness of the fiber layer is determined by a number of the fiber layers adhering to the adhesive film, the number of fiber layers adhering to the adhesive film or the layer thickness formed thereby being determined by the predetermined static charge. The higher the static charge, the more fibers are attracted, the more fiber layers are formed or held on the adhesive film and the greater the resulting layer thickness. The layer thickness can differ in sections. For example, fewer fibers can be provided in sections or the static charge and the resulting static attraction can be different in sections.

As an intermediate step, it is also possible to statically discharge the fibers connected to the carrier layer so that they do not repel each other.

It is preferably provided that the adhesive film is formed from or coated with PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), for example a PTFE material currently known under the name “Teflon” can be used for this. Alternatively, the adhesive film can also be formed from another statically chargeable material or coated with it. The adhesive film can also be designed as an adhesive element in which one side of the element can be statically charged. In addition, an adhesive film coated with adhesive can be used.

An adhesive film can also be provided for metallic fibers by magnetism or electromagnetism.

In the case of the method, it can also be provided that the adhesive film is pressed against the carrier layer when the fibers lying directly on the carrier layer are connected. A pressing force in such a pressing is comparatively low and is preferably between 0.1 N / mm ² and 2.0 N / mm ² .

If the fibers are arranged as a plurality of fiber bundles or rovings on the adhesive film and pressed against the carrier layer with the adhesive film, the fiber bundles or rovings lose their respective initial shape and are pressed flat, so that the individual fibers of a roving continue to be essentially parallel to one another run, but lose their cohesion.

Furthermore, in an advantageous variant, it is provided that an adhesive is applied over the entire area of the carrier layer, so that an adhesive layer is formed on which the fibers of the second plurality of fibers are arranged when the adhesive film is arranged on the carrier layer. Accordingly, the fibers lying directly on the carrier layer are connected to the carrier layer by gluing. In this variant, all fibers which are in direct contact with the adhesive layer are considered to be in direct contact with the carrier element.

As an alternative to connecting the fibers via an adhesive layer, the method provides in an advantageous variant that the fibers lying directly on the carrier layer are laminated to the carrier layer by pressing and preferably by heating, so that the fibers are bonded to the carrier layer .

The protective layer is preferably rigid and scratch-resistant. A reshaped surface According to a further advantageous embodiment, the method provides that the carrier layer with the fibers connected to it is formed into a composite layer before the protective layer is formed. For example, the carrier layer can be designed as a film and in particular as a flexible film, so that the carrier layer with the fibers can be reshaped by being applied to a carrier, the carrier serving to fasten the trim part to the vehicle, for example. As an alternative, however, the carrier layer can be essentially rigid and can be deformed by applying heat or by pressing. Alternatively, the carrier layer can also be formed from a fabric together with a thermoplastic layer, the thermoplastic layer being arranged in particular as a thermoplastic film between the fabric and the fibers.

In a further development of the method, the molded layer composite can be glued onto a carrier or back-injected with a carrier in an injection molding process. The protective layer is preferably applied only subsequently. In addition, the carrier is formed in particular from plastic.

When the protective layer is formed, according to an advantageous embodiment of the method, a cover material is applied to the fibers connected to the carrier layer, so that the fibers are locally covered by the material and the protective layer formed therefrom and the protective layer on a side facing away from the carrier layer the fibers form a closed-pore surface. The closed-pore surface defines a visible side of the cladding component. The material can be applied locally, for example by hand, but also mechanically through cannulas.

The cover material forming the protective layer is transparent and preferably comprises a PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), PC (polycarbonate) or PUR (polyurethane) material. Alternatively, the material can also be another scratch-resistant and transparent curing lacquer.

The protective layer can optionally also be formed by a TPU film (thermoplastic polyurethane) or a PUR potting compound or a PUR potting compound (polyurethane). The fibers are preferably completely encapsulated and / or impregnated by the protective layer. In addition, the protective layer, in particular a protective layer formed from PUR or a protective layer applied as a film, is thermoplastic and thus 3D deformable.

A TPU film, from which the protective layer is formed, preferably has a thickness of 200 to 300 μm. To form the protective layer, the film is placed on a side of the fibers facing away from the carrier layer and then pressed with pressure and heat with the fibers or against the carrier layer, as a result of which the protective layer formed from the film has a side facing away from the carrier layer forms a closed-pore surface and at the same time encloses the fibers.

After reshaping and preferably after gluing or back-molding the molded layer composite to the carrier, a transparent surface layer can also be formed on a surface of the protective layer facing away from the carrier layer, so that the protective layer forms an intermediate layer or intermediate layer surrounding the fibers between the carrier layer and the Surface layer forms. A preferably closed-pore surface of the protective layer further determines the visible side of the trim part through the transparent surface layer together with the surface layer. The surface layer can be formed from PUR (polyurethane) or a scratch-resistant protective lacquer.

So that the fibers lie closer to the carrier layer and individual fiber ends do not protrude far from the carrier layer, it can also be provided as an embodiment variant that the fibers already connected to the carrier layer are pressed against the carrier layer by an intermediate step after removal of the adhesive film.

The fibers are in particular basalt fibers, carbon fibers, plastic fibers, metallic fibers, metal-vapor-coated or other fibers which can be attracted by electrostatic charging.

Furthermore, it is proposed in a variant of the method that the fibers are designed as fiber pieces, each having a length between 2 mm and 200 mm, preferably lengths from 3 mm to 25 mm and further preferably lengths from 5 mm to 10 mm. If the fibers are arranged as a large number of fiber bundles or pieces of fiber bundle on the adhesive film and by means of the adhesive film on the carrier layer, the fiber bundles each have lengths between 2 mm and 200 mm, preferably lengths from 3 mm to 25 mm and further preferably lengths from 5 mm to 10 mm on.

The individual fibers and / or fiber bundles preferably have different lengths from one another.

In addition, the fibers are in particular recycled fibers, which are used, for example, as Fiber waste obtained from other manufacturing processes and can be reused in the process proposed according to the invention.

The fibers are preferably not connected to one another before being applied to the carrier layer, and thus in particular are not a “prepreg”, fabric, scrim or the like. In addition, the fibers are not a fleece and are essentially independent of one another. The fibers on the adhesive film and, as a result, on the carrier layer, are therefore chaotic, disordered and undirected towards one another.

Fibers are preferably provided as fiber strands or fiber bundles, which comprise a multiplicity of individual fibers or fiber filaments aligned in parallel.

According to the invention, a trim component for a vehicle is proposed, which is preferably produced by the method described above. The cladding component comprises a protective layer, which forms a visible side of the cladding component, a carrier layer which faces a rear side of the cladding component facing away from the visible side, and a fiber layer arranged between the protective layer and the carrier layer. The fiber layer comprises a multiplicity of fibers, which are arranged in multiple layers, at least in sections, from the carrier layer to the protective layer and are irregularly aligned with one another. The fibers are each connected at least in sections directly to the carrier layer and overlap one another in sections. The protective layer also extends between the fibers and forms a closed-pore surface on the visible side of the cladding component. On the back, the cladding component comprises the carrier for fastening or fastening the cladding component at the place of use. The carrier can have fastening elements for fastening.

The features disclosed above can be combined in any way as far as this is technically possible and they do not contradict each other.

• 1 bis 4 Querschnitte durch verschiedene Varianten eines Verkleidungsbauteils;
• 5 schematische Aufsicht auf ein Verkleidungsbauteil von der Sichtseite;
• 6a und bfotografische Abbildung zweier Verkleidungsbauteile mit verschiedenen Materialien aus der Aufsicht;
• 7a bis d fotografische Abbildungen eines Verkleidungsbauteils in verschiedenen Beleuchtungs- bzw. Blickwinkeln.

Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims or are shown below together with the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the figures. Show it:

• 1 to 4th Cross sections through different variants of a cladding component;
• 5 schematic plan view of a cladding component from the visible side;
• 6a and photographic illustration of two cladding components with different materials from the supervision;
• 7a to d photographic images of a cladding component in different lighting or viewing angles.

The 1 to 5 are exemplary schematic. Both 6 and 7 These are photographic images to illustrate the optical properties that can be achieved with a cladding component according to the invention or a cladding component according to the invention produced using the described method. The same reference symbols in the figures indicate the same functional and / or structural features.

1 shows a cladding component 1 in cross section. The individual fibers 3rd of the cladding component 1 are each at least in sections on the carrier layer 2nd and are over this section with the backing layer 2nd connected. The fibers that are orthogonal to the display plane 3 ' lie directly on the carrier layer in another cutting plane, not shown 2nd on and are there with the backing layer 2nd connected. The fibers 3rd are with each other only over the support layer 2nd and the protective layer 4th connected, but not directly with each other. The protective layer 4th is designed to be the fibers 3rd completely covered towards the visible side S and provides a closed-pore surface towards the visible side S.

Will the fibers 3rd , 3 ' in an alternative embodiment, not shown, applied as pieces of rovings or fiber bundles, the fiber bundles are pressed when the adhesive film is pressed against the carrier layer 2nd pressed on or pressed so that the fiber bundles lose their original cross-sectional shape and their individual fibers are distributed over the surface. The fibers 3rd , 3 ' of a fiber bundle continue to run essentially parallel, the fibers of different fiber bundles being undirected to one another. In 1 would the fibers 3rd of a fiber bundle are therefore essentially congruent in the representation plane, the fibers 3 ' of a fiber bundle would be arranged side by side in the display plane.

In 2nd an alternative embodiment of a cladding component is shown, which basically consists of the cladding component 1 corresponds with the protective layer 4th in 2nd is also formed with a closed-pore surface that forms a plane, thereby providing a smooth and flat surface to the visible side S of the trim part.

Alternatively, as in 3rd shown the protective layer 4th as in 1 an uneven Form the surface towards the visible side S, the cladding component being a surface layer 5 has, whereby the unevenness of the protective layer can be compensated and a flat surface can be provided on the visible side S of the trim component. The surface layer 5 is like the protective layer 4th also made transparent, so that the underlying one, through the fibers 3rd , 3 ' formed structure is visible.

Is already through the protective layer 4th a flat surface towards the visible side can additionally be provided, as in 4th shown, a surface layer 5 be provided, the preferably scratch and impact resistant surface layer 5 the fibers underneath 3rd , 3 ' and the protective layer 4th additionally protects.

In 5 is a cladding component 1 shown from the top or top view, the transparent protective layer not being provided with a reference symbol. Only part of the fibers are shown 3rd on the carrier layer 2nd , whereby the chaotic, non-directional orientation can be seen. In the 5 fibers shown 3rd can also be fiber bundles or fiber bundle pieces.

As 6a and 6b and 7a to 7d depicted photographic illustration are intended to illustrate the surface structure or the optical appearance achievable by the method.

At the in 6a The cladding component shown was used as fibers or as fiber bundles, carbon fibers, the visible snippets each being parts of a flat pressed fiber bundle.

For that in 6b A cladding component shown uses a mixture of carbon and basalt fibers. For this purpose, fiber bundles made of carbon fibers and fiber bundles made of basalt fibers were mixed and processed according to the process, the different materials resulting in different optical properties in sections.

In the 7a to 7d a cladding component is shown at different angles of incidence or light, through which the structure formed by the fibers or fiber bundles is recognizable and that the fiber bundles are arranged chaotically to one another. In addition, it can be clearly seen that in the different 7a to 7d due to the changing light incidence or viewing angle, other fibers reflect or are visible and stand out visually.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent literature cited

• EP 2816916 B1 [0002,0006]

Claims (6)

Cladding component for a vehicle comprising a protective layer, which forms a visible side of the cladding component, a carrier layer (2) which faces a rear side of the cladding component facing away from the visible side, a fiber layer arranged between the protective layer (4) and the carrier layer (2), and a carrier for the fastening arrangement of the trim component, wherein the fiber layer comprises a multiplicity of fibers (3) which are arranged in multiple layers from the carrier layer (2) to the protective layer (4) at least in sections and are irregularly aligned with one another, the fibers (3) are each connected at least in sections directly to the carrier layer (2) and overlap each other in sections and wherein the protective layer (4) extends between the fibers and forms a closed-pore surface on the visible side of the cladding component. Cladding component after Claim 1 The fibers (3) lying directly on the carrier layer (2) are integrally connected to the carrier layer (2). Cladding component after Claim 1 or 2nd , wherein the carrier layer (2) with the fibers (3) connected to it is formed into a molded layer composite and the molded layer composite is glued to the carrier or back-molded with the carrier. Cladding component according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a transparent surface layer (5) is formed on a surface of the protective layer (4) which faces away from the carrier layer (2). Cladding component according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the fibers are basalt fibers, carbon fibers, plastic fibers, metallic fibers, metallized or other fibers which can be attracted by electrostatic charging. Cladding component according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the fibers and / or fiber bundles have different lengths.

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