WO2021007689A1

WO2021007689A1 - Thermoformable skin material for automotive interior and manufacturing method thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2021007689A1
Application number: PCT/CN2019/095713
Authority: WO
Inventors: Li Feng; Fei SHE
Original assignee: Freudenberg & Vilene Nonwovens (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2019-07-12
Filing date: 2019-07-12
Publication date: 2021-01-21
Also published as: CN114269986B; CN114269986A

Abstract

Thermoformable skin material (100) for automotive interior and manufacturing method thereof are provided. The skin material (100) includes: a non-woven fabric substrate (101) having a light color, wherein a color value of the light color in a LAB color model includes: a component value of a luminance ranging from 70 to 100, a component value in a range from red to green ranging from -6.88 to 6.12, and a component value in a range from yellow to blue ranging from -6.77 to 6.83; a binder (103) coated on the non-woven fabric substrate (101); a digital printing design (105) including ink jet sublimation ink (1051) on the binder (103), wherein the digital printing design (105) has a different color as the non-woven fabric substrate (101), and the binder (103) is dyed by the ink. Color of the non-woven substrate is prevented from being seen on face of the skin material (100), pattern design is flexible, and cost of the non-woven substrate is reduced.

Description

THERMOFORMABLE SKIN MATERIAL FOR AUTOMOTIVE INTERIOR AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to automotive decoration field, and more particularly, to a thermoformable skin material for automotive interior and a manufacturing method thereof.

BACKGROUND

Generally, a thermoformable skin material for automotive interior is manufactured using a dope-dyed non-woven substrate with a pattern applied by a screen printing process. It is necessary to use a doped-dyed non-woven substrate to prevent in case of elongation during thermoforming a color of the non-woven substrate from being seen on a face side of the skin material. However, dope-dyed fibers for the colored non-woven substrateare relatively expensive, and the screen printing is disadvantageous as it is inflexible for design change, and has high slot sizes and technical limitation for superior pattern design.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, a thermoformable skin material for automotive interior is provided, including: a non-woven fabric substrate having a light color, wherein a color value of the light color in a LAB (Lightness-A-B) color model includes: a component value of a luminance ranging from 70 to 100, a component value in a range from red to green ranging from -6.88 to 6.12, and a component value in a range from yellow to blue ranging from -6.77 to 6.83; a binder coated on at least one surface of the non-woven fabric substrate; and a digital printing design including an ink jet sublimation inkon the binder, wherein the digital printing design has a different color as the non-woven fabric substrate, and the binder is at least partly dyed by the ink jet sublimation ink.

In some embodiments, the binder has a glass transition temperature within a range from -30℃ to 10℃.

In some embodiments, the ink jet sublimation ink at least partly penetrates and at least partly dyes the non-woven fabric substrate.

In some embodiments, the color value of the non-woven fabric substrate in the LAB color model includes: a component value of a luminance ranging from 70 to 100, a component value in a range from red to green ranging from -1.88 to 1.12, and a component value in a range from yellow to blue ranging from -1.77 to 1.83.

In some embodiments, the binder at least partly fills pores of the non-woven fabric substrate.

In some embodiments, the binder includes: a resin, a citric acid, a sodium sulfonate, a pH adjuster and/or a glycerin.

In some embodiments, the binder includes acrylic resin, polyurethane resin or mixtures.

In some embodiments, the binder has a base weight from 5g/m ² to 20g/m ².

In some embodiments, the digital printing design has a base weight from 0.5g/m ² to 10g/m ².

In some embodiments, the non-woven fabric substrate is needle punched with 400 to 500 punches per cm ².

In some embodiments, fibers of the non-woven fabric substrate have a fineness of 2.2 to 3.3 dtex.

In some embodiments, the ink jet sublimation ink includes a sublimable dye, a disperse dye or a solvent dye, which is capable of sublimation. Preferred are sublimation inks according to chemical classes: azo, anthraquinone, quinophthalone, styryl, diphenylmethane or triphenylmethane, oxazine, triazine, xanthene, methine, azomethine, acridine, ordiazine.

In some embodiments, the thermoformable skin material is applied to an automobile ceiling, a door side, a pillar garnish and/or a rear package.

In an embodiment, use of any one of the above-mentioned thermoformable skin materials as a headliner facing material, pillar facing material, door trim facing material, a rear package and/or a cargo screen is provided.

In an embodiment, a method for manufacturing a thermoformable skin material for automotive interior is provided, including: providing a non-woven fabric substrate having a light color, wherein a color value of the light color in a LAB color model includes: a component value of a luminance ranging from 70 to 100, a component value in a range from red to green ranging from -6.88 to 6.12, and a component value in a range from yellow to blue ranging from -6.77 to 6.83; coating a binder on at least one surface of the non-woven fabric substrate; and applying a digital printing design on the binder, wherein the digital printing design has a different color with the non-woven fabric substrate, and includes an ink jet sublimation ink which at least partly dyes the binder.

In some embodiments, the binder may be coated in the form of foam.

In some embodiments, the amount of the foam may be 5g～25g/sqm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only several embodiments in accordance with the disclosure and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a structural diagram of a thermoformable skin material for automotive interior according to an embodiment; and

Figure 2 is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a thermoformable skin material for automotive interior according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the Figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated and make part of this disclosure.

In existing techniques, a thermoformable skin material for automotive interior is generally manufactured using a dope-dyed non-woven substrate for following reasons. First, a screen printing process only allows a superficial coloring of the substrate. Second, it is necessary to use a dope-dyed non-woven substrate to prevent in case of elongation during thermoforming a color of the non-woven substrate from being seen on a face side of the skin material. However, dope-dyed fibers for the colored non-woven substrateare relatively expensive, and the screen printing is disadvantageous as it is inflexible for design change, and has high slot sizes and technical limitation for superior pattern design.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a new thermoformable skin material for automotive interior, which may prevent a color of a non-woven substrate from being seen on a face side of the skin material even when the skin material is elongated up by a relatively large extent (for example, 20%) , provide convenience for flexible pattern design, and reduce cost of the non-woven substrate.

Figure 1 is a structural diagram of a thermoformable skin material 100 for automotive interior according to an embodiment.

Referring to Figure 1, the thermoformable skin material 100 for automotive interior includes a non-woven fabric substrate 101, a binder 103 and a digital printing design 105. The thermoformable skin material 100 may be applied to an automobile ceiling, a door side, a pillar garnish and/or a rear package.

The non-woven fabric substrate 101 has a light color. In some embodiments, a color value of the light color in a LAB color model includes: a component value of a luminance ranging from 70 to 100, a component value in a range from red to green ranging from -6.88 to 6.12, and a component value in a range from yellow to blue ranging from -6.77 to 6.83.

In some embodiments, the light color may be white. Specifically, the color value of the non-woven fabric substrate in the LAB color model includes: a component value of a luminance ranging from 70 to 100, a component value in a range from red to green ranging from -1.88 to 1.12, and a component value in a range from yellow to blue ranging from -1.77 to 1.83. It is known in the art that a white non-woven fabric substrate is much cheaper than a colored non-woven fabric substrate.

In some embodiments, the non-woven fabric substrate 101 may be gray or cream-colored.

In some embodiments, the non-woven fabric substrate 101 is needle punched with 400 to 500 punches per cm ².

In some embodiments, the binder 103 may be coated on at least one surface of the non-woven fabric substrate 101, for example, an upper surface of the non-woven fabric substrate 101. In some embodiments, the binder not only covers the upper surface of the non-woven fabric substrate 101, but also at least partly fills pores of the non-woven fabric substrate 101.

In some embodiments, the binder 103 may include a resin, a citric acid, a sodium sulfonate, a pH adjuster and/or a glycerin. In some embodiments, the binder 103 may include acrylic resin, polyurethane resin or mixtures.

The digital printing design 105 has a different color as the non-woven fabric substrate 101, and includes an ink jet sublimation ink 1051 on the binder 103. In some embodiments, the ink jet sublimation ink 1051 serves as an underpainting layer, and the digital printing design 105 may further include a pattern layer 1052 printed on the ink jet sublimation ink 1051. The binder 103 is at least partly dyed by the ink jet sublimation ink 1051. The ink jet sublimation ink 1051 may further at least partly penetrate and at least partly dye the non-woven fabric substrate 101.

Those skilled in the art know that there are generally two types of ink, sublimation ink and pigment ink. The sublimation ink is prone to penetrate a film under it and dye the film, while the pigment ink hardly penetrates a film under it and just stays on a surface of the film. Therefore, a color layer formed with the sublimation ink is more stable. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the ink jet sublimation ink is employed, so that the binder and even the non-woven fabric substrate can be dyed by the ink.

During a thermoforming process of the thermoformable skin material 100 in production, the thermoformable skin material 100 may deform to a certain extent. When the thermoformable skin material 100 is elongated, the binder 103 is capable of protecting a pattern of the digital printing design 105 to avoid a crack of the pattern as the binder 103 is elastic. Furthermore, when the thermoformable skin material 100 is elongated, the binder 103 can prevent the color of the non-woven fabric substrate 101 from being seen on a face side of the thermoformable skin material 100 as the binder 103 is dyed by the ink jet sublimation ink 1051.

In some embodiments, the ink jet sublimation ink 1051 includes a sublimable dye, a disperse dye or a solvent dye, which is capable of sublimation. Preferred are sublimation inks according to chemical classes: azo, anthraquinone, quinophthalone, styryl, diphenylmethane or triphenylmethane, oxazine, triazine, xanthene, methine, azomethine, acridine, ordiazine.

From above, by employing the ink jet sublimation ink, the binder and the non-woven fabric substrate are dyed by the ink. When the skin material is elongated, the color of the non-woven fabric substrate cannot be seen on the face side of the skin material. Further, with the elastic binder between the non-woven fabric substrate and the digital printing design, a crack of the pattern may be avoided during the thermoforming process, and the digital printing design and the non-woven fabric substrate may be better attached with each other.

Further, the conventional screen printing is replaced by the digital printing process, which is more flexible for design change and provides convenience for superior pattern design. Further, when the digital printing process is applied for forming the digital printing design, the non-woven fabric substrate with a light color can be employed, which reduces cost of the non-woven substrate.

In some embodiments, the binder 103 has a glass transition temperature within a range from -30℃ to 10℃. With the glass transition temperature, stability of the binder 103 is much higher, that is, the binder 103 impossibly breaks during the thermoforming process. Accordingly, the binder 103 can better protect the pattern of the digital printing design 105. In some embodiments, the glass transition temperature may be determined based on the standard of GB-T 19466.8-2004.

In some embodiments, fibers of the non-woven fabric substrate 101 have a fineness of 2.2 to 3.3 dtex. In some embodiments, the non-woven fabric substrate 101 has a base weight from 150g/m ² to 300g/m ². In some embodiments, the binder 103 has a base weight from 5g/m ² to 20g/m ². In some embodiments, the digital printing design 105 has a base weight from 0.5g/m ² to 10g/m ².

Figure 2 is a flow chart of a method 200 for manufacturing a thermoformable skin material for automotive interior according to an embodiment.

Referring to Figure 2, in S201, a non-woven fabric substrate having a light color is provided.

In some embodiments, a color value of the light color in a LAB color model includes: a component value of a luminance ranging from 70 to 100, a component value in a range from red to green ranging from -6.88 to 6.12, and a component value in a range from yellow to blue ranging from -6.77 to 6.83.

In S203, a binder is coated on at least one surface of the non-woven fabric substrate.

In some embodiments, the binder may be coated on an upper surface of the non-woven fabric substrate. In some embodiments, the binder may further fill pores of the non-woven fabric substrate.

In some embodiments, the binder may include a resin, a citric acid, a sodium sulfonate, a pH adjuster and a glycerin. In some embodiments, the binder may include acrylic resin, polyurethane resin or mixtures.

In some embodiments, the binder may be coated in the form of foam. In some embodiments, the amount of the foam may be 5g～25g/sqm.

In some embodiments, coating the binderon at least one surface of the non-woven fabric substrate may include: coating mucilage on a surface of the non-woven fabric substrate; and heating the mucilage to form the binder.

In some embodiments, the mucilage includes a resin, a citric acid, a sodium sulfonate, a pH adjuster and a glycerin. The resin may be an acrylic resin or an aqueous polyurethane resin. In some embodiments, the resin has a mass concentration within a range from 5%to 30%, the citric acid has a mass concentration within a range from 1%to 2%, the sodium sulfonate has a mass concentration within a range from 1%to 5%, the pH modifier has a mass concentration within a range from 1%to 5%, and the glycerol mass has a mass concentration within a range from 1%to 5%.

In some embodiments, a temperature of the heating is within a range from 160℃ to 200℃.

In S205, a digital printing design is applied on the binder, wherein the digital printing design has a different color with the non-woven fabric substrate, and includes an ink jet sublimation ink which at least partly dyes the binder.

In some embodiments, the ink jet sublimation ink includes a sublimable dye, a disperse dye or a solvent dye, which is capable of sublimation according to chemical classes: azo, anthraquinone, quinophthalone, styryl, diphenylmethane or triphenylmethane, oxazine, triazine, xanthene, methine, azomethine, acridine, ordiazine.

In some embodiments, the ink jet sublimation ink serves as an underpainting layer, and the digital printing designmay further include a pattern layerprinted on the ink jet sublimation ink.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, the digital printing process is employed, which is more flexible for design change and provides convenience for superior pattern design. Further, when the digital printing process is applied for forming the digital printing design, the non-woven fabric substrate with a light color can be employed, which reduces cost of the non-woven substrate.

By S205, the binder is at least partly dyed by the ink jet sublimation ink. And the ink jet sublimation ink may further at least partly penetrate and dye the non-woven fabric substrate.

Therefore, the thermoformable skin material may include the non-woven fabric substrate, the binder and the digital printing design.

Afterward, a thermoforming process may be performed on the thermoformable skin material, during which process the thermoformable skin material may be elongated. However, the binder is capable of protecting a pattern of the digital printing design to avoid a crack of the pattern as the binderis elastic, and can prevent the color of the non-woven fabric substratefrom being seen on a face side of the thermoformable skin material as the binder is dyed by the ink jet sublimation ink.

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

A thermoformable skin material for automotive interior, comprising:

a non-woven fabric substrate having a light color, wherein a color value of the light color in a LAB color model comprises: a component value of a luminance ranging from 70 to 100, a component value in a range from red to green ranging from -6.88 to 6.12, and a component value in a range from yellow to blue ranging from -6.77 to 6.83;

a binder coated on at least one surface of the non-woven fabric substrate; and

a digital printing design comprising an ink jet sublimation ink on the binder, wherein the digital printing design has a different color as the non-woven fabric substrate, and the binder is at least partly dyed by the ink jet sublimation ink.
The thermoformable skin material according to claim 1, wherein the binder has a glass transition temperature within a range from -30℃ to 10℃.
The thermoformable skin material according toclaim 1, wherein the ink jet sublimation inkat least partly penetrates and at least partly dyes the non-woven fabric substrate.
The thermoformable skin material according to claim 1, wherein the color value of the non-woven fabric substrate in the LAB color model comprises: a component value of a luminance ranging from 70 to 100, a component value in a range from red to green ranging from -1.88 to 1.12, and a component value in a range from yellow to blue ranging from -1.77 to 1.83.
The thermoformable skin material according to claim 1, wherein the binder at least partly fills pores of the non-woven fabric substrate.
The thermoformable skin material according to claim 1, wherein the binder comprises: a resin, a citric acid, a sodium sulfonate, a pH adjuster, and/or a glycerin.
The thermoformable skin material according to claim 1, wherein the binder comprises acrylic resin, polyurethane resin or mixtures.
The thermoformable skin material according to claim 1, wherein the binder has a base weight from 5g/m ² to 20g/m ².
The thermoformable skin material according to claim 1, wherein the digital printing design has a base weight from 0.5g/m ² to 10g/m ².
The thermoformable skin material according to claim 1, wherein the non-woven fabric substrate is needle punched with 400 to 500 punches per cm ².
The thermoformable skin material according to claim 1, wherein fibers of the non-woven fabric substrate have a fineness of 2.2 to 3.3 dtex.
The thermoformable skin material according to claim 1, wherein the ink jet sublimation ink comprises a sublimable dye, a disperse dye or a solvent dye, which is capable of sublimation according to chemical classes: azo, anthraquinone, quinophthalone, styryl, diphenylmethane or triphenylmethane, oxazine, triazine, xanthene, methine, azomethine, acridine, ordiazine.
The thermoformable skin material according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the thermoformable skin material is applied to an automobile ceiling, a door side, a pillar garnish and/or a rear package.
Use of a thermoformable skin material according to any one of claims 1 to 12, as a headliner facing material, pillar facing material, door trim facing material, a rear package and/or a cargo screen.
A method for manufacturing a thermoformable skin material for automotive interior, comprising:

providing a non-woven fabric substrate having a light color, wherein a color value of the light color in a LAB color model comprises: a component value of a luminance ranging from 70 to 100, a component value in a range from red to green ranging from -6.88 to 6.12, and a component value in a range from yellow to blue ranging from -6.77 to 6.83;

coating a binder on at least one surface of the non-woven fabric substrate; and

applying a digital printing design on the binder, wherein the digital printing design has a different color with the non-woven fabric substrate, and comprises an ink jet sublimation ink which at least partly dyes the binder.
The method according to claim 15, wherein the binder is coated in the form of foam.