JP2019000992A - Skin material and steering wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a skin material that has conductivity, secures flexibility, and can be easily processed with a structure of reduces layers, and a steering wheel.SOLUTION: A skin material 1 has a substrate layer 11 attached to the surface of a predetermined component, an elastic body layer 12 laminated on the substrate layer 11, and a coat layer 13 applied on the elastic body layer 12, the elastic body layer 12 including a conductive material 12a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention belongs to the technical field of a conductive skin material and a steering wheel using a conductive skin material.

  In recent years, a technique for acquiring a biological signal such as a human heart rate or a pulse rate as electrical information has been disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  In the technique described in Patent Document 1, a base coat layer and a top coat layer are formed on the surface of leather. The base coat layer is formed on the leather surface and is more flexible than the top coat layer. The top coat layer is composed of a first top coat layer and a second top coat layer formed by applying a paint. At least one of the first topcoat layer and the second topcoat layer contains carbon-based conductive particles.

Japanese Patent No. 5480396

  Since the first top coat layer and the second top coat layer are formed by painting, the flexibility is low. Therefore, in order to improve the flexibility when touched by a person, a highly flexible base coat layer is required in addition to the first top coat layer and the second top coat layer. That is, three layers were required: a layer that gives flexibility, a conductive layer, and a coating layer.

  In order to improve adhesion to leather, the base coat layer was subjected to an uncrosslinked formulation to improve flexibility, and the top coat layer was subjected to a highly crosslinked coating formulation to improve resistance. . Therefore, three layers were formed on the surface of the leather by a complicated processing process. In addition, because of the three-layer structure, the rigidity has been increased, and it has become a hard feel when touched by a person.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a skin material that has electrical conductivity and can be easily processed with a small number of layer structures while ensuring flexibility. It is to provide a steering wheel.

In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the skin material according to the present invention is:
A base material layer attached to a surface of a predetermined component;
An elastic layer laminated on the base material layer;
A coat layer coated on the elastic layer;
With
The elastic layer includes a conductive material.

In the skin material according to the present invention,
The elastic body layer is made of urethane foam containing conductive particles.

In the skin material according to the present invention,
The coat layer includes conductive particles.

The steering wheel according to the present invention is
An annular rim,
The skin material covering the rim,
A detection unit for detecting capacitance using the elastic layer of the skin material as a detection electrode;
It is characterized by providing.

  According to the skin material according to the present invention, a base material layer attached to the surface of a predetermined component, an elastic body layer laminated on the base material layer, and a coat layer coated on the elastic body layer are provided. Since the elastic layer includes a conductive material, the elastic layer has conductivity and can be easily processed with a small layer structure while ensuring flexibility.

  Moreover, according to the skin material concerning this invention, since the said elastic body layer consists of foaming urethane containing electroconductive particle, the thickness of the elastic body layer 12 which has electroconductivity is ensured, and the performance as an electrode is improved. It becomes possible.

  Further, according to the skin material according to the present invention, since the coating layer includes a conductive material, the conductive material is present at a position closer to the hand to be gripped and can be accurately detected. It becomes possible.

  The steering wheel according to the present invention includes an annular rim portion, the skin material covering the rim portion, and a detection portion that detects capacitance using the elastic body layer of the skin material as a detection electrode. Therefore, it is possible to easily process with a small number of layer structures while ensuring flexibility and giving a good feel, and it is conductive and can accurately detect the state of gripping.

The cross section of the skin material which concerns on this invention is shown. 1 shows a steering wheel using a skin material according to the present invention. The III-III cross section in FIG. 2 is shown. The IV-IV cross section in FIG. 2 is shown.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a skin material 1 according to the present invention.

  The skin material 1 includes a base material layer 11 attached to the surface of a predetermined component, an elastic body layer 12 laminated on the base material layer 11, and a coat layer 13 coated on the elastic body layer 12.

  The base material layer 11 is the outermost top leather, split leather torn from the top leather, or natural leather such as crust leather before surface finishing, artificial leather, synthetic leather, non-woven fabric, rubber sheet, or woven fabric. Good.

  The natural leather may be leather such as mammals such as cows, birds and reptiles. Artificial leather is a non-woven fabric base coated with a resin. Synthetic leather is a fabric or knitted fabric such as cotton or cotton coated with a resin.

  The elastic body layer 12 uses a flexible elastic body. The elastic body includes an elastomer material including a foam material, a rubber material, or polyvinyl chloride. The elastomer material may be styrene, silicon, olefin or urethane. The rubber material may be butadiene rubber, silicon rubber or ethylene propylene diene rubber. In particular, a two-component foamed urethane obtained by mixing a liquid A mainly composed of polyol and a liquid B mainly composed of diphenylmethane diisocyanate is preferable.

  The elastic body layer 12 includes a conductive material 12a in an elastic body. As the conductive material 12a, silver, copper, gold, platinum, palladium, iron, nickel, carbon, or the like may be used. By including the conductive material 12a, the elastic body layer 12 has conductivity. The conductive material 12a is preferably made of conductive particles.

  The coat layer 13 paints and coats the surface of the elastic body layer 12. The paint may be either water-based or solvent-based. Alternatively, a two-component paint used by mixing a main agent and a curing agent or a one-component paint used alone may be used. The paint may contain a urethane resin, an acrylic resin, a silicon resin, a fluorine resin, or the like. The coat layer 13 may be an insulating layer or a conductive layer. In order to form the conductive layer, a paint containing a conductive material may be used. The total thickness of the elastic body layer 12 and the coat layer 13 is preferably 150 μm or less.

  Since the skin material 1 has flexibility, it can give a soft and good feel when in contact with a person. Moreover, since the skin material 1 has electroconductivity, it can be used as a part of sensor which detects having contacted the person. For example, it is used for a rim skin of a steering wheel of a vehicle, a skin of a door handle, a skin of a seat, a skin of an instrument panel, an airbag cover, or a skin of an interior trim.

  According to the skin material 1 of this embodiment, since the elastic body layer 12 includes the conductive material 12a, the elastic layer 12 has conductivity and is flexible compared to the conventional three-layer structure, and has a small layer structure. It can be easily processed. Moreover, since the elastic body layer 12 consists of foaming urethane containing electroconductive particle, it becomes possible to ensure the thickness of the elastic body layer 12 which has electroconductivity, and to improve the performance as an electrode.

  Moreover, according to the skin material 1 of this embodiment, since the coating layer 13 contains a conductive material, the conductive material is present at a position closer to the hand to be gripped, and can be accurately detected. Is possible.

  Next, an example in which the skin material 1 of the present embodiment is used mainly for the skin of the annular rim 20a of the steering wheel 20 of the vehicle will be described.

  FIG. 2 shows a steering wheel 20 using the skin material 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a III-III cross section in FIG.

  The steering wheel 20 has an annular rim portion 20a and a hub portion 20b installed at the center of the rim portion 20a. The hub portion 20b is connected to the rim portion 20a on the left and right and below.

  The rim portion 20 a includes a ring-shaped and conductive core metal 21, an insulating core metal coating part 22 that covers the core metal 21, and a skin material 1 that covers the core metal coating part 22. The cored bar 21 is installed in the cored bar cover 22 and is made of a conductive member such as metal. Although the cross section of the cored bar 21 of this embodiment is U-shaped, it is not restricted to this, What kind of cross section may be sufficient. The cored bar covering portion 22 of the present embodiment is a soft material such as urethane foam and covers the cored bar 21. The cored bar covering portion 22 may be a hard material. The skin material 1 of this embodiment is wound so as to cover the rim portion 20a.

  The hub portion 20 b includes a conductive frame 23 and a frame covering portion 24 that covers the frame 23. The frame 23 is made of a conductive member such as metal and is connected to the cored bar 21. The frame 23 of the present embodiment is connected to the cored bar 21 on the left and right and below. That is, the core metal 21 and the frame 23 are one of the electrodes. The frame covering portion 24 of the present embodiment is a soft material such as urethane foam and covers the frame 23.

  The cored bar covering portion 22 mainly covers the cored bar 21, but may cover the frame 23. The frame covering portion 24 mainly covers the frame 23, but may cover the cored bar 21. In the present embodiment, the cored bar covering portion 22 and the skin material 1 also cover the left and right upper and lower portions of the hub portion 20b.

  FIG. 4 shows a IV-IV cross section in FIG.

  The cored bar covering part 22 and the skin material 1 cover the rim part 20a by dividing it into four parts: upper part, left and right side part, and lower part. As shown in FIG. 4, each connecting portion is bent and inserted into the cored bar covering portion 22. The elastic body layer 12 having conductivity in the skin material 1 is connected by a lead wire 15.

  The steering wheel 20 has a detection unit 30. The detection unit 30 uses the elastic body layer 12 of the skin material 1, the core metal 21 and the frame 23 as electrodes, respectively, and a capacitance sensor 31 that detects a capacitance therebetween, and the capacitance sensor 31 detects the capacitance. The determination unit 32 that determines the gripping state of the steering wheel 20 based on the change in the capacitance that has been performed, and the lead wire 33 that connects the capacitance sensor 31 and the determination unit 32.

  When the driver grips the rim portion 20a, the capacitance detected by the capacitance sensor 31 changes with respect to the capacitance when the rim portion 20a is not gripped. The current value changed with this is compared with a predetermined threshold value to determine whether or not the rim portion 21a is gripped.

  According to the steering wheel 20 using the skin material 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to easily process with a small number of layer structures while ensuring flexibility and giving a good feel, and having conductivity and gripping. It is possible to accurately detect the situation.

  In the present embodiment, the example in which the skin material 1 is used for the steering wheel 20 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the skin material 1 may be used for a seat, a door handle, an instrument panel, a DAB cover, an interior trim, or the like. By using the skin material 1 of the present embodiment, it can be determined whether or not a person has touched the applied product.

  As mentioned above, according to the skin material 1 of this embodiment, the base material layer 11 attached to the surface of a predetermined | prescribed component, the elastic body layer 12 laminated | stacked on the base material layer 11, and the coat coated on the elastic body layer 12 Since the elastic body layer 12 includes the conductive material 12a, the elastic layer 12 has conductivity and can be easily processed with a small layer structure while ensuring flexibility.

  Moreover, according to the skin material 1 of this embodiment, since the elastic body layer 12 consists of foaming urethane containing electroconductive particle, the thickness of the elastic body layer 12 which has electroconductivity is ensured, and the performance as an electrode is improved. It becomes possible to make it.

  Moreover, according to the skin material 1 of this embodiment, since the coating layer 13 contains a conductive material, the conductive material is present at a position closer to the hand to be gripped, and can be accurately detected. Is possible.

  Furthermore, according to the steering wheel 20 of the present embodiment, an annular rim portion 21, a skin material 1 covering the rim portion 21, and a detection unit that detects capacitance using the elastic body layer 12 of the skin material 1 as a detection electrode. Therefore, it is possible to easily process with a small number of layer structures while ensuring flexibility and giving a good feel, and having conductivity, it is possible to accurately detect the state of gripping. Become.

  Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and embodiments configured by appropriately combining the configurations of the respective embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention. Is.

  The skin material 1 of the present invention has electrical conductivity and can be easily processed with a small layer structure while ensuring flexibility.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Skin material, 11 ... Base material layer, 12 ... Elastic body layer, 12a ... Conductive material, 13 ... Coat layer, 15 ... Lead wire, 20 ... Steering wheel, 20a ... Rim part, 20b ... Hub part, 21 ... Core metal, 22 ... Core metal coating part, 23 ... Frame, 24 ... Frame coating part, 30 ... Detection part, 31 ... Capacitance sensor, 32 ... Determination part, 33 ... Lead wire

Claims (4)

A base material layer;
An elastic layer laminated on the base material layer;
A coat layer coated on the elastic layer;
With
The skin material, wherein the elastic layer includes a conductive material. The skin material according to claim 1, wherein the elastic layer is made of urethane foam containing conductive particles. The skin material according to claim 1, wherein the coat layer includes a conductive material. An annular rim,
The skin material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which covers the rim portion;
A detection unit for detecting capacitance using the elastic layer of the skin material as a detection electrode;
A steering wheel characterized by comprising:

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