WO2006092501A1

WO2006092501A1 - Covering piece comprising a skin and a support and production method thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2006092501A1
Application number: PCT/FR2006/000460
Authority: WO
Inventors: Godefroy Beau; Jonathan Cassaro; Alexis Merimee
Original assignee: Faurecia Interieur Industrie
Priority date: 2005-03-01
Filing date: 2006-03-01
Publication date: 2006-09-08
Also published as: FR2882679B1; JP2008531348A; FR2882679A1; JP4847480B2

Abstract

The invention relates to a covering piece consisting of a support (126) which confers stiffness on the piece and a skin (110) comprising a peripheral skirt (112) which is connected to the support (126), the stiffness of the skin material not being adapted to the formation of a continuous connecting surface with the support (126). According to the invention, at the edge of the skirt (112), the skin (110) comprises an elongated element (124) which is made from a mechanically-deformable material with low or negligible springback, such as a metal or a metal alloy that has undergone annealing. The skin (110) is formed from leather and the elongated element (124) is held at the edge of the skirt (112) by means of a lip seal with two flanges (118, 120) which are applied against the opposing faces of the skirt (112) and a lip (122). The inventive piece is intended for the interior fittings of motor vehicles.

Description

Skin and support skin component and method of manufacturing

The present invention relates to trim parts, for example automobile interior trim, and their manufacturing process.

The dressing parts that the invention relates to have an apparent skin formed of an easily deformable material, such as leather or a textile material, carried by a support with the interposition of a foam. The conventional method of manufacturing such parts comprises the formation of a part comprising a support, a foam and an apparent skin formed of plastic material, for example obtained by rotational molding. Then, the piece obtained is sheathed by applying leather for example on a plastic skin. The finished product thus comprises two skins, and it requires two successive manufacturing operations, one of which is manual, and therefore expensive.

In addition, in some cases, for example that of automotive dashboards, finished products have apparent skins that can be selected by the buyer from among several types, such as leather skins and plastic skins. In the case of leather, the combined total skin thickness of the finished piece is the sum of the thicknesses of the inner skin of plastic and the leather, whereas in the case of the plastic, the single skin has a determined thickness. .

Accordingly, if the thickness of the single plastic skin is chosen to be equal to that of the only inner skin of the combined leather skin, the pieces can be made with the same tools; however, subsequent decorating operations then require different tooling for different types of skin, since the total thickness of the skin combined with leather is much greater than that of the single skin of plastic. If, on the contrary, the thickness of the single plastic skin is chosen so that it is equal to that of the combined skin of leather, the pieces must be manufactured in different tools. It is therefore conceivable that the tooling costs are high.

We already know a process that avoids these two successive operations, and allows the use of the same tools for both leather skins and for plastic skins, because the leather skin and the plastic skin can have the same effect. same thickness. Such a method directly implements a skin made of leather and possibly a sealing layer, when the skin has properties adapted to the bond between the skin and the material of the support. In the parts obtained, the skin is held on the support by applying a marginal portion or skirt of the skin against a hidden surface of the support, this skirt being applied against the support, for example by injection of foam material plastic between the skin and the support.

However, we know that leather does not hold the form, that is to say, can not keep the shape that we want to give it. For this reason, the above method poses problems. Thus, the skin material may be too soft and not sufficiently retain a plastic foam that can be injected into a mold, or the skin material may be too rigid to allow continuous bonding with the support. The disadvantages observed are then foam leakage at the interface of the skin and the support, and insufficient bonding of the skin and the support.

Document FR-2,843,066 describes a process in which rigidity is given to a peripheral part of a skin that is too soft, by the addition of a holding element which is associated with the peripheral skirt of the skin in the region which is next to the support at least. The skin is held in its area that could be deformed by the foam and could let it pass. The method described in this document is effective, but it requires the realization of a holding member adapted to the shape of the interface between the skin and the support. In this method, the holding element is made at the particular configuration required either by molding the holding member, in a specific mold, or by thermoforming a laminate formed by the holding member, the skin and optionally a sealing layer. The object of the invention is to remedy the disadvantage of producing a specific holding element for each covering part.

More specifically, the invention relates to the solution of the two aforementioned problems posed by a skin that is too soft and by a skin that is too rigid. More specifically, according to the first problem, when the skin material is too soft and does not remain sufficiently in contact with the support, for example under the action of the plastic foam that can be injected, the skirt is reinforced and placed to the shape of the surface to which it must be bound. According to the second problem, when the skin material is too rigid to allow continuous bonding with the support, the skirt is shaped to the surface to which it is to be bonded, i.e. can be well adapted to the shape of the support.

More specifically, according to the invention, the skirt of the skin, intended to form the connection with the support, is provided at its edge with an elongated element of a mechanically deformable material, having practically no elastic return, so that the skin portion for forming the support connecting skirt may be shaped to the local shape of the support. For example, it can be shaped directly on its mold part used for the manufacture of the dressing part, without the use of a separate step of manufacturing a holding member.

In the present specification, a "mechanically deformable material having substantially no springback" is defined as being a material which substantially retains the shape to which it has been deformed. However, one skilled in the art knows that an equivalent result is obtained with a material that has an elastic return when the deformation given to this material corresponds to the sum of the elastic return deformation and static deformation. The term "mechanically deformable material having substantially no springback" thus also means, in the present specification, such a material which has a springback which can be compensated for. However, such a material complicates the process and is not advantageous.

More specifically, the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a dressing part, comprising a skin and a support part of which is covered by the skin, of the type in which the skin has a peripheral skirt in which its outer surface is in contact with the support, the method being of the type which comprises the arrangement of the support and the skin separately on parts of a mold, and the closing of the mold in a position such that the skirt is in contact with the support; according to the invention, the method comprises, before the closure of the mold, the preparation of the skin so that it comprises, in a peripheral portion of the skirt, an elongate member of a mechanically deformable material having a low or negligible elastic return this elongated element of deformable material being adjacent to the edge of the skirt, and the shaping of the peripheral zone of the skin so that the skirt takes a shape corresponding to that which it has in the finished dressing room. In one embodiment, the preparation of the skin comprises the formation of an inner sealing layer and the elongate member is a layer of a mechanically deformable material having a low or negligible springback, which layer is adjacent to the sealing layer.

In another embodiment, the preparation of the skin comprises crimping a lip seal containing the elongated member at the edge of the skirt.

Preferably, the shaping of the peripheral zone of the skin is provided by pushing the skin against a shaping surface.

When the skirt material is too soft to keep its shape, the shaping step prevents advantageously the skirt to deform on the closing path of the mold parts.

When the material of the skirt is too rigid to adapt to the shape of the support, the shaping step adapts the shape of the skin to that of the support.

Preferably, the mechanically deformable material of the elongated element is chosen from annealed metals and metal alloys. For example, the elongate member is an annealed wire annealed with ferrous or aluminum-based material, or an annealed aluminum foil having a thickness between 0.03 and 1 mm.

Preferably, the skin material is selected from leather and textile materials.

In one embodiment, the skirt is formed by beveled waist of the peripheral area of the skin.

Preferably, the method comprises, after closure of the mold, the injection of foam into the space formed between the support and the skin.

The invention also relates to a covering part, of the type which comprises a support intended to give rigidity to the covering part, and a skin having a peripheral skirt intended to be bonded to the support, the rigidity of the material of the skin not being adapted to form a continuous bonding surface with the support; according to the invention, the skin has, at the edge of the skirt, an elongated element of a mechanically deformable material having a low or negligible elastic return.

Preferably, the mechanically deformable material having a low or negligible springback is selected from annealed metals and metal alloys. For example, the elongate member is an annealed wire annealed with a ferrous or aluminum-based material, or an annealed aluminum foil having a thickness of between 0.03 and 1 mm. Preferably, the skin is selected from leather and textile materials.

In one embodiment, the skin has an outer appearance layer and an inner layer of étanσhéité, and the elongate member is a layer of a mechanically deformable material having a low or negligible springback, which layer is adjacent to the sealant layer. In another embodiment, the elongate element is held at the edge of the skirt by a ribbon having at least one cheek applied against one face of the skin near the edge. For example, the ribbon is soft and is stuck to the skin. In another embodiment, the elongated member is held at the edge of the skirt by a ribbon having two cheeks pressed against opposite sides of the skirt near the edge.

Preferably, the ribbon further has a lip pressed against the portion of the support adjacent to the skirt.

In one example, the ribbon forms a lip seal pinched on the edge of the skirt.

In one example, the skin is made of leather, and the skirt has a reduced thickness at least locally, for example when its edge is bevelled.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be better understood on reading the following description of embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic section of the edge of a skin; prepared according to an embodiment of the invention, before it is shaped; Figure 2 shows the skin portion of Figure 1 when the edge has formed a connecting skirt; FIG. 3 represents an intermediate step of the process according to the invention, in the mold closing phase; Figure 4 shows the disposition of the various elements when the dressing part is completed, before being demolded; Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of the edge of a skin being prepared according to another embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 is a sectional view of a skin edge provided with a lip seal containing an elongated member, positioned relative to a rigid support prior to foam injection, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 5; and Fig. 7 shows a skin held in shape by an elongate member in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5.

Figure 1 shows in section an edge portion of a skin for use in the manufacture of a dressing part by the method of the invention.

The skin 10 is made from a material 12 for forming an appearance surface. This material is for example leather, a fabric, a nonwoven or any other sheet of textile material or other. The method of the invention is particularly useful when this outer layer 12 forming the appearance surface is made of a material too flexible to keep its shape when it is for example curved. In general, this material 12 is not waterproof, and it is lined with a thin inner sealing layer 14, for example a plastic material which is very flexible.

According to the invention, in the peripheral zone of the skin is inserted a sheet 18 of a mechanically deformable material and presenting only a weak or negligible elastic return. Materials of the layer 18 include annealed metals and alloys. For example, it is possible to use an aluminum foil whose thickness is a few tenths of a millimeter, for example between 0.03 and 1 mm.

Fig. 2 shows the skin edge portion of Fig. 1 when placed on a shaping surface, advantageously consisting of the mold portion subsequently used with the skin, supplemented with an anvil portion 22. Pressure is applied to the peripheral portion of the side opposite to the mold portion 20, as indicated by the arrow 24 (for example by means of a simple roller) so that the peripheral portion is practically in the configuration that she must possess in the finished room. In this way, a skirt 25 is formed against the anvil portion 22, and, thanks to the sheet 18 of the deformable material, it keeps its shape. This skirt is intended to be in contact with the support in the finished piece. Figures 3 and 4 indicate how is then used the skin having the shape shown in Figure 2.

In Figure 3, the anvil portion 22 has been removed and a mold portion 28 carrying a support 26 is advanced for closing an injection mold. When the support 26 is in position relative to the skin, a foam is injected into the space 30 formed between the support and the skin. The pressure exerted by the foam causes the application of the inner layer 14 at its edge 16 against the support.

If the skin was not shaped as shown in Fig. 2, when closing the mold shown in Fig. 3, in the direction of the arrow 32, the mold portion 28 carrying the support could hook the peripheral portion. of skin, so that the mold could not be properly closed. Compared to the prior art, this embodiment of the invention does not require the manufacture of a specific holding element. The realization of the skin shown in Figure 1 is very simple since it simply comprises the application of a sheet to the peripheral portion, the sheet may be discontinuous. Indeed, it is possible to place several pieces of leaf whose sides can overlap. The holding in position can be obtained with materials having different resistance to deformation. It suffices that, as shown in FIG. 2, the deformation force applied at least at the edge of the skirt, as indicated by the reference 24, sufficiently deforms the material 18.

It should be noted that it is not essential that the skirt be placed exactly in the shape of the support. Indeed, it is possible that the shaping illustrated in Figure 2 is a little downwards, so that the skirt is self-plate against the support, or a little upward, especially when the mold is closed in a direction parallel to the skin surface; in the latter case, the injected foam suitably applies the skirt against the support since the skirt is stiffened by the material 18.

The invention is described in the case where the layer of the deformable material is between the leather and the layer of etanσhéité. However, this layer of deformable material may be disposed on the side of the sealing layer opposite the leather. For example, it can be glued to the sealing layer, and annealed metal sheets with an adhesive on one side and even on both sides are already known. The benefits obtained are practically the same.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a skin 110 having a peripheral skirt 112 which terminates at an edge 114. The skirt 112 is shown outside the plane of the skin 110, with a configuration approximately close to that which she must have in the finished dressing room.

The skin 110 is made from a material intended to form an appearance surface. This material is for example leather, a fabric, a nonwoven or any other sheet of textile material or other. The method of the invention is particularly useful in the case where this outer layer 112 forming the appearance surface is made of a material too flexible to keep its shape when it is for example curved.

According to the invention, an elongated element of mechanically deformable material having only a weak or negligible springback is integrated near the edge 114 of the skirt 112. More specifically, in the example under consideration, a lip seal 116 comprising two cheeks 118 and 120, intended to be clamped on either side of the skirt, and a sealing lip 122, is shown at the edge 114 of the skirt. It is depressed as indicated by the arrows of FIG. 5, and is crimped on the skirt 112 by bringing the two cheeks 118 and 120 closer together. A wire 124 of a mechanically deformable material having a weak or negligible springback chosen from annealed metals and metal alloys, such as drawn wire annealed with ferrous material or aluminum-based, is integrated in the lip seal so that it is close to the edge 114 after crimping thereof.

Figure 6 shows the part of the skin 110 of Figure 5 when its skirt 112, provided with the lip seal 116, is close to a surface 128 of a rigid support 126 of a trim piece. The lip 122 of the seal 116 is applied against the surface 128 of the support and prevents the passage of injected foam in a subsequent step. FIG. 7 represents in perspective the shape that the skin 110 may have when its skirt 112 has been put into a precise shape that is suitable for positioning in the support 126, as represented in FIG. 6. This precise shape is obtained simply by pushing on a mold such that the elongate element contained in the seal 116 takes the desired shape and keeps it, thanks to these properties of deformability and low elastic return.

If the skin was not shaped as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when closing the trim piece manufacturing mold, the skirt 112 would not be in continuous contact with the support and the skin. injected foam could escape. In an extreme case, a mold portion 128 could hang the skirt, so that the mold could not be properly closed. Although it has been indicated that the lip seal is crimped, it can also be glued. In addition, it does not need to have two cheeks 118 and 120, only one being sufficient.

Compared to the prior art, the invention does not require the manufacture of a specific holding element. The realization of the skin shown in Figure 6 is very simple since it includes only the application of a lip seal at the edge of the skirt.

In addition, the seal may be discontinuous, that is to say disposed only at the places where the shaping is necessary, for example in the curve 130 of Figure 7.

The invention has been described in the case where the elongated element of the deformable material is outside the the skirt. However, especially when this element is flat, it may be adjacent to one side of the skirt or both. It is however necessary that at least part of this element is beyond the edge to have a sufficient thickness to fulfill its function of maintaining the shape of the edge of the skirt.

It should be noted that it is not essential that the skirt be placed exactly in the shape of the support, as long as the injected foam correctly applies the skirt 112 against the support 126, thanks to the rigidity obtained with the wire 124. A example of skin that may have too much flexibility in the skirt is a leather skin whose skirt is thinned, for example formed by bevelled waist edge. The sheet or the wire of the deformable material then allows the holding of the skirt to its end. The invention has been described in its application to the manufacture of a dressing part in which the skin is too flexible to keep a shape adapted to the shape of the complementary part of the support. However, the invention also applies to the case where the skin has a stiffness a little too high to follow the curve of the support. In this case, the sheet or the wire of the deformable material maintains the skin so that it is sufficiently close to the support not to allow foam leakage.

The invention has been described in its application to the manufacture of a covering part in which a support comprises a skin supported by a foam and surrounded by a rigid support. However, the invention applies to any process in which it is necessary to give a very flexible material rigidity sufficient to keep a shape that allows it to cooperate with a rigid support before application of an internal pressure.

Claims

6 00046012REVENDICATIONS

A method of manufacturing a dressing part, comprising a skin (10, 110) and a support (26, 126), a part of which is covered by the skin (10, 110), of the type in which the skin ( 10, 110) has a peripheral skirt (25, 112) in which its outer surface is in contact with the support (26, 126), the method being of the type which comprises: the arrangement of the support (26, 126) and the skin (10, 110) separately on parts of a mold, and the closure of the mold in position such that the skirt (25, 112) is in contact with the support (26, 126), characterized in that it comprises, before closing the mold, preparing the skin (10, 110) so that it comprises, in a peripheral portion of the skirt (25,

112), an elongate member (18, 124) of a mechanically deformable material having a low or negligible springback, said elongated member (18, 124) of deformable material being adjacent to the edge of the skirt (25, 112), and the shaping of the peripheral zone of the skin

(10, 110) so that the skirt (25, 112) takes a shape corresponding to that which it has in the finished dressing room. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the preparation of the skin comprises the formation of an inner sealing layer (14) and the elongated element is a layer (18) of a mechanically deformable material having a low or negligible elastic return, this layer being adjacent to the sealing layer (14).

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the preparation of the skin (110) comprises crimping a lip seal (116) containing the elongated member (124) at the edge of the skirt (112).

4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shaping of the peripheral zone of the skin (10, 110) is ensured by pushing the skin (10, 110) against a shaping surface.

5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the material of the skirt (25, 112) is too flexible to keep its shape, and the shaping step prevents the skirt (25, 112) to deform on the closing path of the mold parts.

6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the material of the skirt (25, 112) is too rigid to adapt to the shape of the support, and the shaping step adapts the shape of the skin (10, 110) to that of the support (26, 126).

7. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mechanically deformable material is selected from annealed metals and metal alloys.

8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the material of the skin is selected from leather and textile materials.

9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the preparation of the skin (10, 110) comprises the beveled waist of the peripheral zone of the skin.

10. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises, after the closure of the mold, the injection of foam into the space formed between the support (26, 126) and the skin (10, 110).

11. A trim member, of the type comprising: a support (26, 126) for providing rigidity to the trim piece, and a skin (10, 110) having a peripheral skirt (25,

112) intended to be bonded to the support (26, 126), the rigidity of the skin material (10, 110) not being adapted to the formation of a continuous bonding surface with the support (26, 126), characterized in that the skin (10, 110) has, at the edge of the skirt (25, 112), an elongate member (18, 124) of a T / FR2006 / 000460

14 mechanically deformable material having a low or negligible springback.

12. Dressing part according to claim 11, characterized in that the mechanically deformable material having a low or negligible springback is selected from annealed metals and metal alloys.

13. A dressing part according to one of claims 11 and 12, characterized in that the skin (10) has an outer layer of appearance (12) and an inner sealing layer (14) and the elongate member is a layer (18) of a mechanically deformable material having a low or negligible springback, this layer (18) being adjacent to the sealing layer.

14. A dressing member according to claim 13, characterized in that the layer (18) of a deformable material is formed of annealed aluminum and has a thickness between 0.03 and 1 mm.

15. A trim piece according to one of claims 11 and 12, characterized in that the elongate member is a stretched wire annealed with a ferrous material.

16. A dressing part according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that the skin (10, 110) is selected from leather and textile materials.

17. Dressing part according to one of the claims

11 and 12, characterized in that the elongated element (124) is held at the edge of the skirt (112) by a ribbon having at least one cheek (118, 120) applied against one face of the skin

(110) near the edge.

18. Dressing part according to one of claims 11 and 12, characterized in that the elongated element (124) is held at the edge of the skirt (112) by a ribbon having two cheeks (118, 120) applied against the opposite faces of the skirt (112) near the edge (114).

19. A dressing part according to one of claims 17 and 18, characterized in that the ribbon further has a lip (122) pressed against the part of the support adjacent to the skirt.

20. A trim piece according to any one of claims 11 to 19, characterized in that the skirt (25, 112) is formed of a beveled edge.