JPH09300376A - Manufacture of laminate having surface soft in touch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manufacture a laminate having a surface soft in touch so that a flexible foam material forming the pad interposed between a base material and a skin is not collapsed. SOLUTION: The space between a skin material 25A composed of a synthetic resin molded into a sheet shape and molded into the shape coming into close contact with the molding surface 16 of a mold 15 on a skin side and the molding surface 11 of a mold 10 on a base material side made possible to approach and separate from the mold 15 is filled with a molten synthetic resin 20A becoming a base material 20 to produce a laminate. In this case, the interval between the respective molding surfaces in such a state that both molds are allowed to mutually approach the most approach position is made almost constant excepting a predetermined range C and made large within a predetermined range and a flexible foam material forming the pad interposed between the base material and the skin material is preliminarily bonded to the part corresponding at least to the predetermined range on the side of the mold 10 of the skin material. The flexible foam material is pref. preliminarily bonded only to the part corresponding to the predetermined range of the skin material. The skin material may be formed by preliminarily laminating and bonding a flexible sheet like surface layer and a foam layer.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laminate used for door trims and interior materials for automobiles, interior materials for buildings, exterior materials for furniture, and the like, and more particularly to a method for producing a laminate having a surface having a soft feeling.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of a conventional method for producing a laminate having such a soft-feeling surface is shown in FIGS. As the skin material 6A that is formed into the skin 6, as shown in FIG. 7, a surface layer 6a made of a thin synthetic resin sheet with a foam layer 6b laminated and bonded in advance on the back surface thereof is used. First,
The molten synthetic resin 5A from the resin supply device 4 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the resin is supplied onto the molding surface 1a through the resin supply passage 3 formed in the lower mold 1 as shown by the chain double-dashed line.
As shown in the alternate long and two short dashes line, the skin material 6A whose periphery is supported by the holding frame 7 is placed on the lower mold 1 and then the upper mold 2 is lowered to bring the two molds 1 and 2 into the closest state as shown in FIG. As
The synthetic resin 5A in a molten state is spread between the lower mold 1 and the skin material 6A to be compressed and filled, and at the same time, the skin material 6A is molded into a shape in which it is in close contact with the molding surface 2a of the upper mold 2. After cooling until the skin 6 hardens, the upper mold 2 is lifted to take out the laminate A. Instead of covering the lower mold 1 with the skin material 6A, the molding surface 2a is formed by a negative pressure applied through a large number of suction pipe lines (not shown) opening to the molding surface 2a of the upper mold 2.
Alternatively, the upper mold 2 may be lowered to bring it into the closest state.

[0003]

However, in such a molding method, the skin material 6A is stretched and pressed from both sides during molding, and the foamed layer 6b side is in contact with the synthetic resin 5A in a molten state. As a result, the foam layer 6b of the skin material 6A is crushed and the soft feel of the surface of the skin 6 is reduced. For example, in a vehicle door trim, since there is a protrusion B for armrest, the skin material 6A that covers this portion is particularly greatly stretched. Therefore, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 7, the skin 6 covering such a protruding portion B has a thin foam layer 6b, so that the soft feel of the surface is lowered, and the armrest surface Ba where flexibility is most required is reduced.
There is a problem that the flexible feeling of is lost. As a measure against this, even if the thickness of the foamed layer 6b and the degree of foaming are increased, the problem that the flexibility of the armrest surface Ba is lower than that of the other portions is not solved.

On the other hand, it is also possible to preform the base material 5, attach a member giving a soft feeling to the portion corresponding to the armrest surface Ba in advance, and adhere the skin 6 to the surface by vacuum forming. Conceivable. However, since the parts to be molded and the number of sub-assembling steps are required in advance, the cost is increased, and highlights due to shrinkage are generated on the surface of the skin 6 corresponding to the boundary between the member and the base material 5 to give a soft feeling. This causes a problem that the appearance becomes unsightly. It is an object of the present invention to solve each of these problems and produce a laminate having a surface having a soft feeling.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention comprises a flexible skin material which is made of a synthetic resin which has been molded into a sheet shape in advance, and which is molded into a shape that comes into close contact with the molding surface of a skin side molding die to form a skin.
In the method for manufacturing a laminate, in which a synthetic resin in a molten state serving as a base material is compression-filled between the molding surfaces of a base material side molding die that can approach and separate from the skin side molding die, both molding dies are The distance between the molding surfaces in the state where they are brought close to each other to the closest position is almost constant except for a predetermined range and is larger than that in the predetermined range, and at least the base material side of the skin material and the molding die side. A flexible foam material that forms a pad interposed between the base material and the skin is adhered to a portion corresponding to a predetermined range, and a synthetic resin in a molten state is used as a base in a state where both molds are brought close to each other. It is characterized in that the material is compression-filled between the molding surface of the material-side molding die and the skin material that is in close contact with the molding surface of the skin-side molding die.

When the two molding dies are in the closest position, the spacing between the molding surfaces in the predetermined range is larger than that of the other parts, so that the molding surface of the base material side molding die and the skin side molding die are molded. The synthetic resin in a molten state, which is compressed and filled between the skin materials that are in close contact with the surface, has a smaller compression pressure than other portions in this predetermined range. Therefore, the flexible foam material that is provided in this predetermined range and forms the pad interposed between the base material and the skin is less likely to be crushed because the applied pressure is small.

The flexible foam material is preferably adhered only to a portion of the skin material corresponding to a predetermined range. In this case, the skin material may be formed by laminating and adhering a sheet-like flexible surface layer on the skin side forming die side and a sheet-like flexible foam layer on the substrate side in advance.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments in which the method for manufacturing a laminate having a surface having a soft feeling according to the present invention is applied to the manufacture of automobile door trim will be described below with reference to FIGS. The door trim A manufactured according to this embodiment has an armrest projecting portion B having an armrest surface Ba, which is required to have flexibility, formed on one side. As shown mainly in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a manufacturing apparatus used in this embodiment has a lower die (base material side molding die) 1 attached to a fixed side die supporting member (not shown) at a lower portion of the molding apparatus.
0, and an upper mold (skin side molding mold) 15 attached to a movable mold supporting member (not shown) at the upper part of the molding apparatus. A molding surface 11 for molding the back surface of the base material 10 of the door trim A is formed on the upper surface of the lower mold 10. The resin supply passage 12 formed in the lower mold 10 is branched into a plurality of branch passages 12a, each tip of which is opened to the molding surface 11, and the resin supply passage 1
2 resin supply device (only a part of the tip is shown)
The tip ends of 13 are joined and the synthetic resin 20A in a molten state is supplied. A heater for keeping heat may be provided around the resin supply passage 12 and the branch passage 12a.

Upper mold 1 attached to the movable mold support member
5 is capable of approaching and separating from the lower mold 10 from above.
Shows the separated state, and FIG. 2 shows the closest state. Upper mold 1
A molding surface 16 having a shape corresponding to the surface shape of the outer skin 25 of the door trim A is formed on the lower surface of 5. Joining surfaces 11b and 16b are formed on the outer peripheral portions of the respective molding surfaces 11 and 16 of the lower mold 10 and the upper mold 15 so as to be bonded to each other via the skin material 25A in the closest state. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the distance between the molding surfaces 11 and 16 when the upper mold 15 is closest to the lower mold 10 is determined by the armrest of the armrest protrusion B of the door trim A. It is almost constant except for the predetermined range C corresponding to the surface Ba, but it is larger than that in the portions 11a and 16a which are in the predetermined range C.

The synthetic resin 20A, which is supplied from the resin supply device 13 in a molten state to form the base material 20, is a thermoplastic resin having a relatively high elasticity such as polypropylene. The skin material 25A serving as the skin 25 is a thin sheet-like surface layer 25a made of a solid layer of a flexible synthetic resin (for example, a thermoplastic plastic olefin resin sheet having a thickness of 0.35 mm, a vinyl chloride resin sheet, etc.) and a flexible material. A sheet-shaped foam layer 25b (for example, a heat-resistant polyethylene foam sheet having a thickness of 2 mm) made of a synthetic resin foam material is laminated and adhered in advance to form a sheet. On the surface of the foam layer 25b of the skin material 25A on the lower die 10 side, the flexible foam material 26A is bonded over a range slightly wider than the predetermined range C corresponding to the armrest surface Ba. The flexible foam material 26A is obtained by cutting a sheet of heat-resistant polyethylene foam or urethane foam having a thickness of 3 mm, for example, and as the adhesive, a mixture of a chloroprene adhesive and a rubber adhesive is used. To be done. Skin material 25
On the surface of the surface layer 25a of A, a grain such as a leather pattern is formed in order to enhance the design effect.

Next, the manufacturing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The lower mold 10 and the upper mold 15 are 50 to 8 in advance.
The temperature is adjusted to 0 ° C. First, as shown in FIG.
In a state where the upper die 15 is separated from the lower die 10 upward, the molten state (180 to 200
The synthetic resin 20A of (.degree. C.) passes through the resin supply passage 12 and the plurality of branch passages 12a and is supplied in a lump form onto the molding surface 11 of the lower mold 10. The discharge pressure of the resin supply device 13 and the resin supply passage 1 are adjusted so that the discharge amount of the molten synthetic resin 20A is slightly larger than the volume of the base material 20 to be molded.
2 and the size of the branch passage 12a and a valve (not shown) provided in a part of the supply passage.

Next, a flexible foam material 26A is applied to the lower mold 10 on which the synthetic resin 20A in a molten state is supplied on the molding surface 11.
Is covered and a sheet-like skin material 25A whose periphery is supported by the holding frame 27 is covered (see the prior art of FIG. 5).
The skin material 25A may be softened by heating with a far infrared heater or the like. Then, the upper mold 15 is lowered toward the lower mold 10 until the closest position shown in FIG. 2 is reached, the molten synthetic resin 20A is spread between the lower mold 10 and the skin material 25A, and compression filling is performed. At the same time, the skin material 25A is the upper mold 15
It is molded into a shape that is in close contact with the molding surface 16 of. In this state, the outer surface of the skin material 25A outside the molding surfaces 11 and 16 of both molds 10 and 15 is the joint surface 11 of both molds 10 and 15.
The extra synthetic resin 20A in a molten state is abutted against and sandwiched between a and 16a, and is discharged to the outside from between the joint surface 11a of the lower mold 10 and the skin material 25A. In this state, the molded synthetic resin 20A and the skin material 25A are cooled until they are hardened, and then the upper mold 15 is raised to raise the base material 20, the skin 25, and the pad 2.
Take out the door trim A consisting of 6. Armrest surface B
As shown in FIG. 3, a is located at a position where it is pushed inward by the portion 16a of the molding surface 16 when the two molds 10 and 16 are closest to each other, but in the free state in which the upper mold 15 is raised,
As shown in FIG. 4, the pad 26 is in a slightly bulged position due to its elasticity (see also the alternate long and two short dashes line Bb in FIG. 3).

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, both upper and lower molds 1
In the state where 0 and 15 are closest to each other, the interval between the molding surfaces 11 and 16 of both molds 10 and 15 is almost constant except for the portions 11a and 16b corresponding to the predetermined range C.
1a and 16b are larger than the other parts. Therefore, the skin material 2 closely attached to the molding surface 16 of the upper mold 15
The synthetic resin 20A in a molten state, which is compressed and filled between 5A and the molding surface 11 of the lower mold 10, has a smaller compression pressure than other portions in a predetermined range C corresponding to the armrest surface Ba. Therefore, the flexible foam material 26A which is provided in the predetermined range C and forms the pad 26 interposed between the skin 25 and the pad 26 has a small pressure applied except for the peripheral portion protruding from the predetermined range C and is crushed. Because there are few
It is possible to give a soft feeling to the surface of the skin 25 in the portion that becomes the armrest surface Ba.

A flexible foam material 26 protruding from a predetermined range C
The peripheral portion of A is compressed by the synthetic resin 20A in a molten state which has a large compression pressure and fluidity in the vicinity thereof, and some gaps formed between the peripheral portion A and the foam layer 25b at the boundary with the foam layer 25b are also made of this synthetic resin. Since the surface of the skin 25 is filled with 20A, there is little risk of highlighting due to shrinkage. Form the outer peripheral edge of the flexible foam material 26A on the molding surface 1
If it is located near the portion with a small radius of curvature of 6, such a highlight becomes even less noticeable.

The skin material 25A whose periphery is held by the holding frame 26 is heated by a far-infrared heater or the like to be softened, and then abutted on the joint surface 16a around the upper die 15 and opened to the molding surface 16. Apply negative pressure to the road (not shown),
After molding the skin material 25A into a shape in which it is in close contact with the molding surface 16, the upper mold 15 is lowered to spread the molten synthetic resin 20A between the lower mold 10 and the skin material 25A for compression filling. Good.

In the above embodiment, the skin material 25A obtained by laminating and adhering the surface layer 25a and the foam layer 25b is used, and the flexible foam material 26A is provided only in the vicinity of the predetermined range C corresponding to the armrest surface Ba. , 15 forming surfaces 11, 1
The distance between the portions 11a and 16a corresponding to the predetermined range C of 6 in the closest state and the thickness and the degree of foaming of the flexible foam material 26A are adjusted to provide the armrest surface Ba with necessary and sufficient flexibility, and the foam layer 25b. The thickness and the degree of foaming can be adjusted to give other portions desired flexibility.

In the above embodiment, the molten synthetic resin is supplied to the molding surface of the lower mold through the resin supply passage formed in the lower mold, but the resin provided so as to move above the lower mold. The material may be supplied in the form of a lump or a sheet thicker than the base material from the discharge port of the supply device onto the molding surface. Alternatively, instead of supplying the synthetic resin in a molten state onto the molding surface of the lower mold, lowering the upper mold to the closest state and spreading it between the lower mold and the skin material to perform compression filling, After sandwiching the skin material between them, the upper mold is lowered to the closest state and clamped, and then the molten synthetic resin is injected between the lower mold and the skin material from the resin supply passage provided in the lower mold and compressed. It may be filled.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, the flexible foam material which forms the pad interposed between the base material and the skin in the predetermined range is less likely to be crushed. A soft feeling can be given to the surface of the skin of the corresponding portion. Further, the flexible foam material need only be adhered to the skin material in a relatively free shape, and there is no need for parts to be molded in advance or the number of sub-assembling steps, so that the cost does not increase.

When the flexible foam material is adhered only to the portion corresponding to the predetermined range of the skin material, it is possible to give a particularly soft feeling to the surface of the skin corresponding to the predetermined range. Further, by using a skin material in which a surface layer and a foam layer are laminated and adhered in advance, it is possible to separately adjust the soft feel of the surface of the predetermined range and the other part.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a method for producing a laminate having a soft-feeling surface according to the present invention in a state where a base material side mold and a skin side mold are separated from each other.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in a state where a base material side mold and a skin side mold are closest to each other.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the closest state shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a state where the upper die is lifted from the closest state.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a method for manufacturing a laminate having a soft-feeling surface according to a conventional technique in a state where an upper die and a lower die are separated from each other.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional technique shown in FIG. 5 in a state where the upper die and the lower die are closest to each other.

FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the laminate having a soft-feeling surface manufactured by the conventional technique shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Base material side molding die (lower mold), 11 ... Molding surface, 15 ... Skin side molding die (upper mold), 16 ... Molding surface, 20 ... Base material, 20
A ... Synthetic resin in a molten state, 25 ... Skin, 25A ... Skin material, 25a ... Surface layer, 25b ... Foam layer, 26 ... Pad,
26A ... Flexible foam material, C ... Predetermined range.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Internal reference number FI Technical display location B29L 31:58 (72) Inventor Kotaro Eto 25 Kamifujiike, Yoshihara-cho, Aichi Prefecture Araco Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A flexible skin material, which is made of a synthetic resin that has been molded into a sheet shape in advance, and is molded into a shape that comes into close contact with the molding surface of the skin-side molding die to form a skin, and a separation distance from the skin-side molding die. In a method for producing a laminate in which a molten synthetic resin serving as a base material is compression-filled between the molding surfaces of the possible base material side molding dies, the two molding dies are brought close to each other to the closest position. In this state, the spacing between the respective molding surfaces is made substantially constant except for a predetermined range and is larger than that in the predetermined range, and corresponds to at least the predetermined range on the base material side molding die side of the skin material. A flexible foaming material that forms a pad interposed between the base material and the skin is adhered to the portion to be formed, and the molten synthetic resin is applied to the base material in a state where the two molds are brought close to each other. Molding surface of side mold and above table A method for producing a laminate having a soft-feeling surface, characterized in that the laminate is compression-filled between skin materials that are in close contact with the molding surface of the skin-side mold. 2. The method for producing a laminate having a soft-feeling surface according to claim 1, wherein the flexible foam material is adhered only to a portion corresponding to the predetermined range of the skin material. 3. The skin material is obtained by laminating and adhering a sheet-like flexible surface layer on the skin side forming die side and a sheet-like flexible foam layer on the base material side in advance.
A method for producing a laminate having a soft-feeling surface according to [4].