Panel-Like Laminate and a Skin for Manufacturing Such Laminate

• US 20080229697A1
• Filed: 08/22/2006
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Recticel SA
• Original Assignee: Recticel SA
• Inventors: De Winter, Hugo, Broeckaert, Bart, Willems, Jan, Bosman, Nele, Bracke, Kristiaan
• Granted Patent: US 7,842,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/588.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/0038 with sealing means or the like seals on envelopes used in tyre retreading B29D30/542; for injection moulding footwear B29D35/0045
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/08 Coating a former, core or other substrate by spraying or fluidisation, e.g. spraying powder spray-up of reinforcing fibres B29C70/305
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/18 Slush casting, i.e. pouring moulding material into a hollow mould with excess material being poured off
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1252 Removing portions of the preformed parts after the moulding step
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/146 Shaping the lining before foaming
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/351 Means for preventing foam to leak out from the foaming device during foaming
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/246 Moulding high reactive monomers or prepolymers, e.g. by reaction injection moulding [RIM], liquid injection moulding [LIM] casting monomers B29C39/006, mixing construction B29B7/74
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3005 Body finishings
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/022 Foam
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/02 characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions non-uniform thickness B32B3/263
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/02 Internal Trim mouldings ; Internal Ledges; Wall liners for passenger compartments; Roof liners B60R13/01 takes precedence ; padded linings for the vehicle interior B60R21/04; arrangements or adaptations of floor mats or carpets in vehicles B60N3/04; internal lining for trains B61D17/18
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249989 Integrally formed skin

Abstract

The panel-like laminate comprises a flexible skin (1), a rigid substrate (2) and an intermediate layer (3). The flexible skin (1) comprises a main part (8) which forms the front side of the laminate and at least one flange (9) which extends from the main part (8) of the skin towards the substrate (2) to form at least a portion of the lateral side of the laminate. In order to avoid foam leakage when moulding the intermediate layer (3) between the skin (1) and the substrate (2), the flange (9) is extended by a border part (10) which comprises a flexible lip (11). The flexible lip is pressed against the rigid substrate (2) so that the flexible lip (11) forms a seal between the skin and the substrate. To prevent deformation of the skin, the border part (10) of the skin further comprises at least one continuous or discontinuous ridge (12) which extends along the flange (9) of the skin (1) and which prevents a sliding of this border part when closing the mould.

Claims

1. A panel-like laminate which has a front side (4), a back side (5) and at least one lateral side (6) and which comprises a rigid substrate (2) forming the back side (5) of the laminate, a flexible skin (1) having a front and a back side, and an intermediate layer (3) adhering the back side of the skin (1) to the substrate (2), the flexible skin (1) comprising a main part (8) forming the front side (4) of the laminate and at least one flange (9) extending from said main part (8) towards the substrate (2) to form at least a portion of the lateral side (6) of the laminate, the flange (9) being extended by a border part (10) of the skin (1) which comprises a flexible lip (11) having a top which is pressed against the rigid substrate (2) so that the flexible lip (11) is bent, characterised in that on the front side of the skin (1), the border part (10) further comprises at least one continuous or discontinuous ridge (12) extending along the flange (9) of the skin (1).

2. A laminate according to claim 1, characterised in that said flexible skin (1) has an average flexural modulus, measured in accordance with ASTM D790-03, which is smaller than 100 MPa, preferably smaller than 75 MPa and more preferably smaller than 55 MPa.

3. A laminate according to claim 1, characterised in that said ridge (12) is a continuous ridge.

4. A laminate according to claim 1, characterised in that said ridge (12) is situated substantially opposite said flexible lip (11) on the border part (10) of the skin (1).

5. A laminate according to claim 1, characterised in that the flexible lip (11) has a moulded free edge (21).

6. A laminate according to claim 1, characterised in that the flexible lip (11) is bent laterally by the pressure exerted by the rigid substrate (2) onto the lip (11), the flexible lip (11) being preferably pressed away from the main part (8) of the skin.

7. A laminate according to claim 1, characterised in that the flexible lip (11) has a free edge (21, 34) and a thickness decreasing towards said free edge.

8. A laminate according to claim 1, characterised in that the flexible lip (11) has a free edge (21, 34) forming at least a portion of an edge of the skin (1).

9. A flexible skin suited for manufacturing a panel-like laminate according to claim 1, and having a front and a back side, which flexible skin (1) comprises a main part (8) arranged to form the front side (4) of the laminate and at least one flange (9) arranged to extend from the main part (8) of the skin (1) towards the substrate (2) to form at least a portion of the lateral side (6) of the laminate, the flange (9) being extended by a border part (10) of the skin (1) which comprises a flexible lip (11) having a top arranged to be pressed against the rigid substrate (2) so that the flexible lip (11) is bent and forms a seal against said rigid substrate (2), characterised in that on the front side of the skin (1), the border part (10) further comprises at least one continuous or discontinuous ridge (12) extending along the flange (9) of the skin (1).

10. A skin according to claim 9, characterised in that it has an average flexural modulus, measured in accordance with ASTM D790-03, which is smaller than 100 MPa, preferably smaller than 75 MPa and more preferably smaller than 55 MPa.

11. A skin according to claim 9, characterised in that the flexible lip (11) has a moulded free edge (21).

12. A skin according to claim 9, characterised in that the skin (1) further comprises a tear off portion (30) united to a top edge (34) of the flexible lip (11) and arranged to be torn off therefrom, the tear off portion (30) comprising a further flexible lip (32) having a further top edge (33) contiguous to the top edge (34) of the flexible lip (11) and forming together with the flexible lip (11) a groove (35) in the front side of the skin (1), which groove (35) has a bottom (29) with a reduced thickness enabling to tear off the tear off portion (30) from said flexible lip (11).

13. A skin according to claim 12, characterised in that the tear off portion (30) of the skin (1) comprises at least one further continuous or discontinuous ridge (36) on the front side of the skin (1), which further ridge (36) extends along said groove (35).

14. A method for manufacturing a flexible skin according to claim 9, which has a front and a back side and which comprises a main part (8) arranged to form the front side (4) of said-panel-like laminate, and at least one flange (9) arranged to extend from the main part (8) of the skin (1) towards the rigid substrate (2) of the laminate to form at least a portion of the lateral side (6) of said laminate, the flange (9) being extended by a border part (10) of the skin (1) which comprises a flexible lip (11) having a top arranged to be pressed against the rigid substrate (2) so that the flexible lip (11) is bent and forms a seal against this rigid substrate (2), which method comprises the steps of:

providing a mould (13) defining at least one mould surface (14) having a shape which corresponds to a negative of the front side of the skin (1);

applying at least one flowable skin material for producing the flexible skin (1) against the mould surface (14);

allowing the flowable skin material to harden to produce the skin (1) with its front side against the mould surface (14), the flange (9) of the skin (1) being produced against a first upstanding flank (16) of the mould surface (14) and the flexible lip (11) against a second upstanding flank (17) of the mould surface (14); and

removing the produced skin (1) from the mould surface (14),

characterised in that

the mould surface (14) is provided between the first (16) and the second upstanding flanks (17) with a continuous or discontinuous groove (18), preferably a continuous groove (18), which extends along said second upstanding flank (17) and which is filled with the flowable skin material so that said border part (10) of the skin (1) comprises a continuous or discontinuous ridge (12) on the front side of the skin (1).

15. A method according to claim 14, characterised in that the flowable skin material is applied on said second flank (17) in a layer having a thickness which decreases towards the top of the second flank (17).

16. A method according to claim 14, characterised in that the second upstanding flank (17) has a convex top surface.

17. A method according to claim 14, characterised in that the flowable skin material is sprayed onto the mould surface (14).

18. A method according to claim 14, characterised in that the flowable skin material is a thermoplastic material which is applied in particular by a powder or liquid slush moulding process or by a spray process onto the mould surface (14).

19. A method according to claim 14, characterised in that the flowable skin material is a curable composition, in particular a curable polyurethane composition, which is applied preferably by a spray or by a reaction injection moulding (RIM) process onto the mould surface (14).

20. A method according to claim 14, characterised in that said second flank (17) is formed by an upstanding ridge (19) provided on the mould surface (14).

21. A method according to claim 20, characterised in that the upstanding ridge (19) has a top comprising a cutting edge (20) which has no curvature radius or a curvature radius smaller than 2 mm, preferably smaller than 1 mm, the flowable skin material being preferably sprayed onto the mould surface (14).

22. A method according to claim 14, characterised in that the flowable material is applied in a layer on the mould surface (14) which stops on top of said second upstanding flank (17).

23. A method according to claim 20, characterised in that the flowable skin material is applied in a layer on the mould surface (14) which extends entirely over the upstanding ridge (19), with a weakened zone (29) having a reduced thickness being formed in the skin (1) on top of the upstanding ridge (19).

24. A method according to claim 23, characterised in that the mould surface (14) is provided along the upstanding ridge (19), opposite said groove (18), with a further continuous or discontinuous groove, preferably a further continuous groove (31), which is also filled with the flowable skin material.

25. A method for manufacturing a panel-like laminate according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises the steps of:

providing a further mould comprising first and second mould sections (23 and 26) which are movable with respect to one another to open and close the further mould and which have a first (22) and respectively a second mould surface (25);

positioning a flexible skin (1) according to any one of the claims 8 to 11 onto the first mould surface (22) and a rigid substrate (2) onto the second mould surface (25) so that the continuous or discontinuous ridge (12) on the front side of the skin (1) extends in a recess (24) in the first mould surface (22);

closing the second mould so that a cavity remains between the skin (1) and the substrate (2) and so that a pressure is exerted by the rigid substrate (2) onto the flexible lip (11), the flexible lip (11) of the skin (1) being laterally bent by the pressure exerted thereon by the rigid substrate (2) to form a seal closing off said cavity and the border part (10) of the skin (1) is prevented from sliding on the first mould surface (22) towards the flange (9) of the skin upon bending of the flexible skin (11) by having positioned the continuous or discontinuous ridge (12) on the front side of the skin (1) in said recess (24);

applying either before or after having closed the second mould a curable composition between the skin (1) and the substrate (2) and allowing it to cure in said cavity to produce the intermediate layer (3) adhering the skin (1) to the substrate (2); and

opening the second mould and removing the produced laminate.