Interior trim component for a motor vehicle

• US 4,781,956 A
• Filed: 12/24/1985
• Issued: 11/01/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Hartmann, Klaus, Wessel, Heinz, Zimmermann, Willibald
• Primary Examiner(s): Epstein, Henry F.
• Application Number:
  US06/813,304
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 428/31, 428/43, 428/165, 428/172, 428/174
• US Class Current: 428/43
• CPC Class Codes: B27N 3/22 Charging or discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B27N 5/00 Manufacture of non-flat articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/188 thermosetting adhesives, e.g. polyurethane adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3613 applying pressure locally
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 31/00 Handling, e.g. feeding of the material to be shaped , storage of plastics material before moulding; Automation, i.e. automated handling lines in plastics processing plants, e.g. using manipulators or robots discharging moulded articles from the mould B29C37/0003; storage of prepregs or SMC after impregnation or during ageing B29C70/54; baling of rubber B29B15/02
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/082 by shaping between complementary mould parts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/261 Handling means, e.g. transfer means, feeding means B29C51/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/44 Removing or ejecting moulded articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/46 using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/461 Rigid movable compressing mould parts acting independently from opening or closing action of the main mould
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3014 Door linings
• 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 156/1768 Means simultaneously conveying plural articles from a single source and serially presenting them to an assembly station
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1776 Means separating articles from bulk source
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1778 Stacked sheet source
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/15 Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24554 including cellulosic or natural rubber component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24628 Nonplanar uniform thickness material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/253 Cellulosic [e.g., wood, paper, cork, rayon, etc.]

Abstract

An interior trim component 1 for a motor vehicle comprises a base 2 of a fibrous base material of approximately 80% wood fibers and approximately 20% synthetic resin fibers, which is compressed and consolidated by the action of pressure and heat into the desired shape. Padding and/or a fabric insert 5 may be placed over selected areas of the surface of the base 2 and a sheet 7 of plastic material is bonded over the whole of the visible side of the base 2, the parts of the plastic sheet 7 overlying the insert 5 having a continuous impressed separation so that they may be removed. The fibrous base material which is in the form of fibrous fleece mats of approximately 20 to 30 mm thickness is consolidated in a hot-pressing shaping tool at 4000 N/M² and approximately 200° C. to a final thickness approximately one tenth the initial thickness, but is consolidated to a lesser extent in selected surface areas 4 to produce a greater final thickness between one fifth and two fifths the initial thickness, so as to provide a cushioning effect.

Claims

1. An interior trim component for a motor vehicle comprising a compressed fiber base having a decorative surface, a plastic sheet adhered to at least selected portions of said decorative surface of said base, wherein said base is formed by compression molding a fibrous mat of substantially uniform thickness, selected areas of said fibrous mat being subjected to a lesser degree of compression than remaining areas of said fibrous mat, areas of said base corresponding to said selected areas of said mat being thicker than areas of said base corresponding to said remaining areas of said mat, and wherein a covering material other than said plastic sheet is adhered to said base and overlies said thicker areas of said base and portions of said base peripheral thereto, said plastic sheet and said covering material overlapping one another at said peripheral surface portions, and wherein said plastic sheet has impressed separation seams adapted to enable the removal of portions of said plastic sheet overlapping said covering material.

2. An interior trim component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said covering material comprises fabric.

3. An interior trim component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said covering material further comprises resilient padding material between said base and said fabric.

4. An interior trim component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said covering material is secured to said base by application of thermosetting adhesive to said base and, subsequently, heat sealing of said covering material thereto.

5. A trim component in a motor vehicle, having a visible surfaoe and comprising a substantially self-supporting fibrous base material and a plastic sheet bonded to said base material and forming at least a portion of said visible surface, said fibrous base material being the product of compression molding of a fibrous fleece mat of substantially uniform thickness of about 20 to 30 mm, under pressure of about 4000 N/M² and at a temperature of about 200°

C., selected areas of said mat being subjected to a lesser degree of compression than remaining areas of said mat, areas of said base corresponding to said remaining areas having thickness equal to approximately one tenth that of said mat and areas of said base corresponding to said selected areas having thickness equal to approximately two to four tenths that of said mat.