JPH04197741A - Non-rigid automobile part and manufacture thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain non-rigid automobile part, the gripping feeling of which is favorable, the operability of which is good and which is excellent in safety, by a method wherein specified thermoplastic material is laminated onto the surface of metal part, which is surface-treated with primer, and then the thermoplastic material is covered by leather layer. CONSTITUTION:As preferable primer used for producing primer layer by surface- treating metal core material, carboxyl-modified polyolefin type primer, epoxy- modified polyolefin type promer or the like can be exampled. As the thermoplastic material laminated to the primer-treated metal core material, styrene- based thermoplastic elastomer or polyvinyl chloride-based thermoplastic polymer having JIS-A hardness of 20-55 by JIS-K 6301 is used. After thermoplastic material is injected in a mold under the condition that the metal core material, which is surface-treated with the primer, is inserted in the mold, leather layer is produced by covering the core material with natural or artificial leather. As a result, non-rigid automoble part, which has soft touch, the gripping feeling of which is favorable, the operability of which is good, which is excellent in safety and the leather-winding workability of which is excellent, is obtained.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Background of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to interior parts for soft automobile parts that have a soft feel, such as soft leather-wrapped steering wheels and shift levers that have a good feel. Relates to soft automobile parts used for knobs, console boxes with a soft paddle feel, etc., and their manufacturing method 1;

<Prior Art> Conventionally, automobile parts such as steering wheels and shift lever knobs are generally made of polypropylene (PP) or polyvinyl chloride (PV) around an inserted iron core.
C) Those coated with relatively hard synthetic resin materials such as foamed polyurethane (urethane integral skin foam) have been used.

However, in recent years, soft steering wheels and shift knobs have attracted attention from the viewpoint of safety, improved feel when gripping the steering wheel, and improved operability.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, these conventional technologies cannot provide a soft steering wheel and shift lever that meet these requirements.
Couldn't provide a knob.

That is, for example, those using the urethane integral skin foam have the problem of environmental damage caused by fluorocarbon gas during urethane foaming, and the molding cycle is long.
Due to drawbacks such as poor yield, low cost and mass production were difficult.

In addition, a hardening adhesive is applied to the iron core, and the outer surface is coated with PV
(c) There are also products molded with a soft layer such as polyurethane (PU) (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-94484), but this requires a long molding cycle and has problems with the grip feeling.

In addition, an adhesive is applied to the iron core, an outer skin layer made of a soft synthetic resin layer is formed on the surface of the iron core, and a PVC paste is deep-molded on the outer skin layer to form the outer skin layer. (Refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 178970/1983) is also known, but with this method, it is difficult to form a uniform coating layer, and it is not only impossible to obtain a good appearance, but also difficult to obtain. The molded product was also not satisfactory in terms of texture.

Furthermore, when a urethane resin coating layer is formed on the outer surface of a thermoplastic resin molded body by in-mold coating (see JP-A-60-264211), the adhesion between the iron core and the elastomer is poor, resulting in poor adhesion between the iron core and the elastomer. There is a problem with the handle operability.
In addition, there was also a problem in terms of the texture of the rice balls.

[Summary of the invention]

Summary> The present inventors have conducted intensive research in view of the above problems, and have found that a soft automobile part formed by treating the surface of a metal part with a brimer and laminating leather through a specific thermoplastic material, The present invention was completed based on the knowledge that the steering wheel and shift knob have a soft feel, have a good grip on the steering wheel and shift knob, are easy to operate, and are highly safe.

That is, the soft automobile parts of the present invention are coated with J Is-630 on the surface of metal parts that have been surface-treated with brimer.
A thermoplastic material selected from a styrene thermoplastic elastomer and a vinyl chloride thermoplastic polymer having a JIS-A hardness of 20 to 55 according to 1 is laminated, and a leather layer is further coated on top of the thermoplastic material. That is.

Another invention of the present invention, a method for manufacturing soft automobile parts, involves inserting a metal part whose surface has been treated with a brimer into a mold, and inserting it into a mold according to JIS-6301.
- A thermoplastic material selected from a styrene thermoplastic elastomer and a vinyl chloride thermoplastic polymer having an A hardness of 20 to 55 is injection-molded, and the thermoplastic material is laminated on the surface of the metal part. After forming a molded body, the surface of the thermoplastic material of the molded body is covered with laser.

<Effect> JI is applied to the surface of metal parts that have been surface-treated with Brimer.
The soft automobile part of the present invention is obtained by laminating a thermoplastic material selected from a styrene thermoplastic elastomer and a vinyl chloride thermoplastic polymer having an S-A hardness of 20 to 55, and further covering the layer with a leather layer. The product has a soft feel, good grip feel, good operability, excellent safety, and excellent leather wrapping workability.

[Detailed description of the invention]

[I] Soft automobile part (1) Structure The soft automobile part of the present invention, for example, the steering wheel 1, basically has the following as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
A brimer is applied on the surface of the metal core material 2 to form a brimer layer 3, and furthermore, a brimer layer 3 is formed on the surface of the metal core material 2.
A thermoplastic material layer 4 selected from a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer and a vinyl chloride-based thermoplastic polymer having a J IIA hardness of 20 to 55 according to 01 is laminated, and further covered with a leather layer 5. .

Therefore, its structure is such that the basic structure of the metal core material 2 is laminated with the primer layer 3, the thermoplastic material layer 4, and the leather layer 5, so that its outer shape takes various shapes depending on the metal core material 2. be able to.

(2) Primer layer As the primer used when forming the primer layer by surface treating the metal core material mentioned above, use a normal primer that is generally used when laminating metal and polymer. Particularly suitable brimers include carboxyl-modified polyolefin (including copolymers) type, epoxy-modified polyolefin (including copolymer) type, silane-modified polyolefin (including copolymer) type, and chlorinated polyolefin. Examples include carboxyl-modified types of .

(3) Thermoplastic material layer The thermoplastic material to be laminated on the brimer-treated metal core material in the soft automobile parts of the present invention, such as a steering wheel and a shift lever knob, is J
JIs-A hardness according to IS-6301 is 20-55,
Preferably, it is a styrene thermoplastic elastomer or a vinyl chloride thermoplastic polymer having a molecular weight of 25 to 45.

Styrenic thermoplastic elastomer The above styrene thermoplastic elastomer is a block copolymer consisting of a monovinyl aromatic hydrocarbon polymer block and a conjugated diene elastomeric polymer block, or its hydrogenated derivative. Mention may be made of thermoplastic elastomers. Among these, those in which the base polymer is a hydrogenated derivative of a styrene polymer block and a butadiene and/or isoprene polymer block are preferred because of their excellent weather resistance, heat aging resistance, and flexibility controllability.

A more specific styrene thermoplastic elastomer is preferably 2 to 2 of various thermoplastic resins (for example, olefin resin, styrene resin, etc.) added to the above base polymer.
0% by weight, a softener for hydrocarbon rubber (e.g. paraffinic oil, naphthenic oil, etc.) preferably from 3o to 60%.
It is preferable to mix MIk% and inorganic fillers (calcium carbonate, talc, etc.) as necessary to form a composite to control quality such as hardness.

Specific products of these styrene thermoplastic elastomers include "Krayton G" manufactured by Shell Chemical Co., Ltd. and "Lavalon" manufactured by Mitsubishi Yuka Co., Ltd. (both are registered trademarks).

Vinyl chloride thermoplastic polymers In addition to general soft vinyl chloride resins, the vinyl chloride thermoplastic polymers include those based on polymerization degrees of 2000 or higher, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (
Examples include so-called vinyl chloride thermoplastic elastomers, such as those containing rubber components such as NBR) and those obtained by crosslinking and polymerizing these.

Specific products include Mitsubishi Monsando's "Vinica Conbound" and "Sunbrain," Denki Kagaku Co., Ltd.'s "Rheomer J rLC5J," and Sumitomo Bakelite's "Sumiflex" (all registered trademarks).

Hardness: The thermoplastic material used in the soft automobile parts of the present invention, such as steering wheels and shift lever knobs, has a soft, stiff feel in order to provide a good grip feel and improve operability, which is the object of the present invention. It is important to In order to provide such a soft feel, it is important to select and use a material with appropriate hardness. , preferably 25-4
A hardness of 5 is used.

If a thermoplastic material having a hardness less than the above range is used in the soft automobile parts of the present invention, such as a steering wheel and a shift lever knob, the thermoplastic material itself stretches during operation, impairing the sense of fixity when gripping. This results in a disadvantage of poor operability.

Furthermore, if a material exceeding the above range is used, there will be a drawback that a soft feeling with a good grip feeling cannot be obtained after wrapping the leather.

(4) Leather layer Natural or artificial leather is used as the leather layer used in the soft automobile parts of the present invention, such as steering wheels and shift lever knobs.

Examples of the natural leather include mainly cowhide (steer, collar, kip, calf, etc.) with a thickness of about 1 inch.

Further, examples of the above-mentioned artificial leather include those having similar thicknesses such as vinyl chloride leather, nylon leather, and urethane leather.

(5) Layer structure Flexible automotive parts with a structure in which these layers are laminated, for example,
In order for the steering wheel and shift lever knob to have the soft feel that is the object of the present invention, it is desirable that the layer configurations of the above-mentioned layers be as shown below.

Primer layer, 1 to 30 m, preferably 3 to 10 m, thermoplastic material layer: 2 to 12 m, preferably 5 to 10 m, thermal layer: 0.5 to 2 m, preferably 0.8 to 1.2 m, especially the above heat If the plastic material layer is thinner than the above-mentioned range, the soft feel of the present invention cannot be imparted, and the grip feeling is not good, and if the plastic material layer is thicker than the above-mentioned range, the operability is poor.

(6) Types Specific examples of automobile parts with this type of structure include steering wheels, knee bolsters, armrests, headrests, gear shift lever knobs, driver boards, console boxes, ceilings, interior corners, etc. be able to.

[■] Manufacturing method for soft automobile parts (1) Surface treatment step In order to manufacture the soft automobile parts of the present invention, it is important to first use a metal core whose surface has been treated with a brimer. be.

As such a brimer, those listed above may be used, or in the surface treatment process, first remove dirt (e.g., flakes, oil, rust, etc.) from the surface of the metal core material, and then Usually, a brimer is applied to the surface of the core material by air spraying, dipping, or brushing, and then dried at room temperature or, if necessary, at high temperature (50 to 100°C).

(2) Injection molding process After inserting the metal core material whose surface has been treated with the above-mentioned brimer into a mold, the above-mentioned thermoplastic material is injection-molded.

The injection molding process differs slightly depending on the thermoplastic material used, but generally an in-line screw type injection molding machine is used at a cylinder temperature of 180 to 250°C, an injection pressure of 400 to 1,000) cg/c, and a mold temperature of 10.
It is carried out under conditions of ~50° C. and a cooling time of 20 to 180 seconds.

(3) Leather coating step Natural or artificial leather is coated on the injection molded article obtained by the above injection molding to form a leather layer.

The formation of such a leather layer is generally completed by coating part or all of the molded body with an adhesive or pressure-sensitive adhesive, and then sewing the seams.

[Experiment example]

In order to explain the soft automobile parts of the present invention in more detail, examples and comparative examples will be given below to specifically explain them.

Note that the materials used in this experimental example were as shown below. Furthermore, the quality of the obtained steering wheel was evaluated according to the following method.

(1) Material Styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer As the styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer, a hydrogenated derivative of styrene-butadiene pro-link polymer having the following physical properties was used.

TPS-1: "Labalon"-33IC manufactured by Mitsubishi Yuka ■ Density 0. 9g/CII JIS-A hardness 28 TPS-2 + Mitsubishi Yuka Oki "Lavalon" MJ4300C Density 0.9g/ci JIS-A hardness 45 TPS-,>: Mitsubishi Yuka Oki "Lavalon" -320C Density 0.9g /cm JIS-A hardness 15 TPS-4: "Lavalon" MJ5301C manufactured by Mitsubishi Yuka ■ Density 0.9 g/cII JIS-A hardness 55 TPS-5: "Lavalon" MJ7300C manufactured by Mitsubishi Yuka ■ Density 0.9 g/Ca (JIS-A hardness 75 Vinyl chloride thermoplastic polymer The vinyl chloride thermoplastic polymer used had the following physical properties.

TPVC-1: Sumiflex J K580E-C manufactured by Sumitomo Bakelite Density: 1.2 g/cii JIS-A hardness: 43 Maleic anhydride-modified polyolefin was used as the brimer primer.

As the leather synthetic leather, Achilles■'s "Capron" (registered trademark) is used in a range of 0.8 to 1. It was used at a thickness of 2It. As the natural leather, cowhide was used in a thickness of 0.8 to 1.2 It.

Metal parts: As a metal core material for steering wheels, the outer diameter is 10 m.
m automotive carbon steel pipe (STKM) J l5G344
5 was used.

(2) Evaluation grip slip test Using a measuring device 6 as shown in FIG. 3, the steering wheel 1 shown in FIG.
c was clamped from all sides using a pushing tool 7 as shown in FIG. 5, and was rotated at a loading speed of 5 to 10 seconds/90 degrees to apply a torque of 35 kg.

Thereafter, those in which the grip returned to its original state when the torque was removed were considered to be good and were rated O.

In addition, those that did not return to their original state or that caused problems were marked as ×.

Grip feel test When you lightly grip the steering wheel, it feels comfortable in your hand (
, those with a moderate elasticity were judged to be good.

Performance was evaluated in a monitor test conducted by a panel of 102 people (60 men, 42 women, age range 19-50 years).

Only when 80% or more of the people judged the steering wheel performance to be good in the above monitor test, the steering wheel performance of the present invention was rated O as satisfying.

On the other hand, if less than 80% of the people judged it as good, it was marked as ×.

Handle operability test During actual steering operation, when the handle is gripped firmly and rotated, it is judged to be good if it has an appropriate repulsive force without bottoming out and feels solid.

Only if 80% or more of the people judged it to be good in a monitor test with the same personnel composition as the grip feel test above,
The rating was set to O as satisfying the steering wheel performance of the present invention.

On the other hand, if less than 80% of the people judged it as good, it was marked as ×.

Leather Wrapping Workability Test When sewing natural or synthetic leather in the shape shown in Figure 6 with a stitch width of 8 fins and 7M intervals, there is no slipperiness of the leather, and the thermoplastic material is suitable for knitting with stitches. A case where the layer did not become partially thick or thin was judged to be good and rated as 0. In addition, items in which a problem occurred were marked as ×.

Wear Resistance Test A circular test piece with a diameter of 130M with a hole of 7 mm in the center was attached to a tapered abrasion tester, and a wear ring C5-
10, 1000 at rotation speed 6orpOI and load 1kgf
○ If there is no fading or discoloration on the surface after rotational abrasion.
Those in which an abnormality was observed were judged as ×.

Weather resistance test Weather resistance at 83℃ rain sushi 600 with Sunshine W-0-M
After a period of time, the surface was observed using an optical microscope at a magnification of 50 times, and those with no chalking or craze were graded as Q, and those with any observed were graded as X.

Example 1 Metal core material 2 for steering wheel with outer diameter IC) + m
5 to 20 μm by depping the brimer 3 made of
, and insert it into a handle mold.

Meanwhile, Mitsubishi Yuka ■'s "Lavalon J TPS-1" was put into the hopper of the injection molding machine, and the cylinder temperature was set at 200-200℃.
240°C, adjust the mold temperature to 30 to 50°C, plasticize at an injection pressure of 400 to 700 kg/c, and inject the molten Lavalon TPS~1 into the cavity of the mold,
After cooling and holding for 30 to 60 seconds, the product was taken out from the mold.

The product taken out is left to cool sufficiently at room temperature, then covered with synthetic leather as shown in FIG. 6, and sewn using a sewing machine with stitches having a stitch width of 8 mm and an interval of 7 m.

The product performance of the steering wheel obtained in this way was evaluated using six items: grip slip test, grip feel, operability, leather wrapping workability, weather resistance, and abrasion resistance. are shown in Table 1.

Examples 2 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6 The same method as in Example 1 was conducted except that the materials shown in Table 1 were used.

The results are shown in Table 1.

Example 6 The thermoplastic material used in Example 2 was injection molded onto the surface of a brimer-treated iron core material for a shift lever knob, and "Kapron" was covered thereto to create a shift lever knob.

This product had a good grip feel and was easy to operate.

The products in the range of Examples 1 to 5 were good enough to fully satisfy the practical performance of the steering wheel, such as grip slip test, grip feel, operability, leather wrapping workability, abrasion resistance, and weather resistance. Ta.

Regarding Comparative Examples 1 to 6, problems remained in the practical performance of the steering wheel, and the performance was not sufficient.

Furthermore, compared to conventional steering wheels, the steering wheel of the present invention has excellent grip feel, operability, and safety in the event of a vehicle collision, and is also highly productive, making it possible to provide a soft steering wheel with a luxurious feel. did it.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a steering wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof, Fig. 3 is a device for measuring the quality of the steering wheel by a grip slip test, and Fig. 4 is a measurement thereof. FIGS. 5(a) and (b) are plan views showing the parts.
) are a front view and a partial side view of a pushing tool for clamping it, and FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a sewing part in a leather wrapping test. 1... Steering wheel, la, lb, lc. ,... Clamp part, 2... Metal core material, 3... Brimer layer, 4... Thermoplastic material layer, 5... Leather layer, 6... Measuring device, 7... Push tool. Applicant's agent Mr. Sato, District 1, Figure 2 ↑ Figure 3, District 4 Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. On the surface of metal parts surface-treated with a primer,
JIS-A hardness according to JIS-K6301 is 20-55
1. A soft automobile part, characterized in that a thermoplastic material selected from a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer and a vinyl chloride-based thermoplastic polymer is laminated, and a leather layer is further coated thereon. 2. Insert the metal part surface-treated with a primer into the mold, and use a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer and a vinyl chloride-based thermoplastic polymer with a JIS-A hardness of 20 to 55 according to JIS-K6301. The method is characterized in that, after injection molding a thermoplastic material to form a molded body in which the thermoplastic material is laminated on the surface of the metal part, the surface of the thermoplastic material of the molded body is covered with laser. Manufacturing method for soft auto parts.