WO2003086752A1

WO2003086752A1 - Recyclable interior trim part

Info

Publication number: WO2003086752A1
Application number: PCT/US2003/009256
Authority: WO
Inventors: James Daniel Asbury
Original assignee: Intier Automotive Inc.
Priority date: 2002-04-11
Filing date: 2003-03-27
Publication date: 2003-10-23
Also published as: AU2003233440A1

Abstract

An apparatus and method of manufacturing a totally recyclable interior trim part (10) is disclosed. The trim part (10) includes a recyclable fibrous batting (12), such as polyethylene terepthalate (PET), a carbon-fiber batting, a polypropylene-fiber batting, or the like. The fibrous batting (12) is defined by a vertically lapped multiple fiber dinure that is homogeneously blended together. As a result of the vertically lapped fibrous batting, an increased structural integrity and reduced mass and weight of the interior trim part is realized. The interior trim part also achieves improved acoustics, modularity, and dimensional stability. The fibrous batting (12) may be intermediately located between optional layers of fiber reinforcement (14). The interior trim part (10) may include an optional layer of adhesive film/webbing material (16), first and second scrim materials (18) and (2), and a coverstock material (22). A method of manufacturing the interior trim part (10) is also disclosed.

Description

RECYCLABLE INTERIOR TRIM PART

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the assembly of interior trim parts of a vehicle, and in particular to a recyclable interior trim part of a vehicle.

Background of the Invention

Conventional interior trim part assemblies normally employ a fibrous batting substrate including fiberglass, and other non-recyclable elements that are formed in a multi-step manufacturing and binding process. One problem associated with fibrous substrates including fiberglass is that the assemblies have a greater mass and increased weight. Another problem associated with fibrous substrates including fiberglass is that the assembly is not totally recyclable when the part reaches its end-of-life period. Further, a problem associated with the manufacturing and binding process is that the multi-step process is complicated and requires extra handling of the interior trim part.

Summary of the Invention

The inventor of the present invention has recognized these and other problems associated with conventional interior trim parts that include fiberglass and other non- recyclable materials. To this end, the inventor has developed an interior trim part that is made of 100% recyclable material.

In an illustrated embodiment of the invention, the interior trim part of the invention comprises a fibrous batting made of 100% recyclable material, a first scrim material, such as a hydrophilic scrim material, an optional adhesive film/webbing material, a second scrim material, and a coverstock material. The hydrophilic scrim material is placed adjacent to a first side of the fibrous batting. The optional adhesive film/webbing material can be placed adjacent to a second side of the fibrous batting. When the optional adhesive film/webbing material is used, the second scrim material is placed adjacent to the optional adhesive film/webbing material. Alternatively, the second scrim material can be placed adjacent the second side of the fibrous batting. The coverstock material is placed adjacent to the hydrophilic scrim material.

A method of manufacturing the interior trim part is also disclosed. The method comprising the steps of : rolling the fibrous batting, the adhesive film/webbing material, the first scrim material, the second scrim material, and the coverstock material; applying a binder to the fibrous batting; pinching the fibrous batting, the adhesive film/webbing material, the first scrim material, the second scrim material, and the coverstock material together; cutting the fibrous batting, the adhesive film/webbing material, the first scrim material, the second scrim material, and the coverstock material; and pressing the fibrous batting, the adhesive film/webbing material, the first scrim material, the second scrim material, and the coverstock material to form the interior trim part.

One advantage of the method of the invention is that the method can be practiced in a one-step process without the need to perform a series of steps to manufacture the interior trim part, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a representative cross-sectional view of an interior trim part with 100% recyclable fibrous batting according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a representative view of a process for manufacturing the interior trim part of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the vertically lapping of the fibrous batting with multiple dinure according to the embodiment of the invention; and Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the vertical lapping of the fibrous batting with multiple dinure shown in Figure 3.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring now to Figure 1, a totally recyclable, one-piece interior trim part for a vehicle is shown generally at 10. The interior trim part 10 comprises a layer of fibrous batting material, shown generally at 12. The fibrous batting 12 may be made of any type of 100% recyclable material, such as polyethylene terepthalate (PET), a carbon-fiber batting, a polypropylene-fiber, or the like. The recyclable fibrous batting 12 reduces to the interior trim part 10 down to a mono-material that may be recyclable into a new product when the interior trim part 10 reaches its end-of-life period. The entire interior trim part 10 can be recycled by melting down and re-spinning the fibrous batting 12 into new fibers for reuse in a new trim part 10.

As best seen in Figures 3 and 4, the fibrous batting 12 is formulated with multiple dinure fibers 40 that are homogeneously blended together. Typically, the dinure of fibers in the batting 12, which is referred to as the fiber diameter, may be in a range from about 0.1 to about 70.0 dinure. The dinure proportionally increases as the diameter of the fiber increases. Thus, a fiber having a dinure of 0.1 will have a smaller diameter than a fiber having a dinure of 70.0.

The multiple dinure fibers in the fibrous batting 12 provides an increased structural integrity, a higher fiber melting point, and achieves a decreased density of the interior trim part 10. The multiple dinure fibers of the batting 12 are homogeneously blended, very course in nature, and eliminates the need of the less course fiberglass fibers that were previously employed in the layers of the interior trim part 10.

The courser homogenous fiber blend is achieved by vertically lapping the fibrous batt 12 in a specific process known in the art as "Strutto." The vertical lapping of the fibrous batting 12 tends to cause the fibers to rest vertically in an accordion-like shape across the whole length of the part 10. Nertical lapping the fibrous batting 12 factors in the reduction of the overall mass and weight of the trim part 10 through the homogeneous blending of the fibers. However, if the fibers are blended in layers, such as in a laminated structure by stacking layer upon layer, the mass and weight of the trim part 10 tends to increase.

Nertical lapping also creates air pockets (not shown) in the fibrous batting 12. The air pockets also factor into the reduction of mass and weight of the trim part 10. Even further, the air pockets factor into improved acoustics of the part 10. The air pockets tend to absorb sound waves that normally impinge upon the vehicle and into the cabin. Vertically lapped fibrous batting substrates similar to the fibrous batting 12 are commercially available from the Carlee Corporation of Rockleigh, New Jersey.

The fibrous batting 12 of the interior trim part 10 also has the ability to be modular and carry vehicle components. For example, if the interior trim part 10 is a headliner, the components may be sunvisors, consoles, and dome lights. If the interior trim part 10 is a door bolster assembly, for example, the components may include a switch bezel or switches for windows, locks, mirrors, or the like. Even further, the modularity of interior trim part 10 increases dimensional stability. Rather than assembling the interior trim part 10 with the components on site in a manufacturing assembly line, the components are integrally formed on the part 10 prior to shipping. Thus, because the part 10 is integrally formed with all of its components prior to installation on a manufacturing assembly line, dimensional stability is ensured.

Referring back to Figure 1, the fibrous batting 12 has a thickness, T, and may be intermediately located between optional layers of fiber reinforcement 14, preferably made of 100% recyclable material. If the layers of fiber reinforcement 14 are not included in the interior trim part 10, the dinure of the fibers in the fibrous batting 12 does not necessarily have to be increased. However, if the layers of fiber reinforcement 14 are omitted, the dinure of the fibers in the fibrous batting 12 may have to be increased in order to support the structure of the trim part 10.

The interior trim part 10 may include an optional layer of an adhesive film/webbing material 16, which may be an interchangeable multi-layer adhesive that is tacky on one or both sides, 16A and 16B. In addition, the interior trim part 10 may also include a first scrim material 18, a second scrim material 20, such as a hydrophilic scrim, and a coverstock material 22, which is the decorative side of the trim part 10. The second scrim material 20 serves as the carrier for various catalyst formulations that help bind the interior trim part 10. The weight of the second scrim material 20 can be varied in order to provide the appropriate ratio of catalyst 30 (Figure 2) to a binder 28. Liquid binders, such as binder 28, may be, for example, a thermoset binder, such as an acrylic, an isocyanide (ISO), or water-based adhesive. ISO is a methylene-diphenylene-diisocyanate (MDI) chemical that is used to bind fibers together. ISO and water-based adhesives burn off from the trim part 10 when it is melted in a recycling process. Water-based adhesives are preferred because of their chemical-free nature. The use of a specific adhesive depends on the mechanical properties of the interior trim part 10.

Referring now to Figure 2, a one-step manufacturing and binding process for the interior trim part 10 is shown generally at 100. The fibrous batting 12, the adhesive film/webbing material 16, the first scrim material 18, the second or hydrophilic scrim material 20, and the coverstock material 22 are simultaneously rolled from rollers 24 during the manufacture of the interior trim part 10. Alternatively, the coverstock material 22 may be pre-sized and pre-cut, rather than being rolled from a roller 24. If the coverstock material 22 is pre-cut, the coverstock 22 may be inserted manually into a forming tool 36 after the other materials are cut with a cut-off device 34 during a cut-off step 108. Also, if the layers of fiber reinforcements 14 are included in the structure of the interior trim part 10, the layers of fiber reinforcements 14 may disposed over the adhesive film/webbing material 16 and fibrous batting 12.

A coater, shown generally at 26, applies the binder 28 to the fibrous batting 12 at step 102. An optional catalyst 30 may be applied to the hydrophilic scrim 20 at step 104. Then, at step 106, saturators 32 pinch and squeeze the fibrous batting 12, the adhesive film/webbing material 16, the first scrim material 18, the second or hydrophilic scrim material 20, and the coverstock material 22 together. After being squeezed together, the layers are handled at the cut-off step 108 where the trim part 10 is cut and sized by the cutoff device 34. The saturators 32 cause the binder 28 to penetrate deeper into the fibrous batting 12, rather than just being coated upon the outer surface of the fibrous batting 12. The saturators 32 also may cause the optional catalyst 30 to penetrate deeper into the fibrous batting 12, which catalyzes the binder 28 when it is pressed and formed in the forming tool 36 at step 110. Once the trim part 10 is cut and sized, it is completely bonded and formed in the forming tool 36 at step 110. Once the trim part 10 is formed and bonded at step 110, it is removed from the tool 36 and subsequently cooled at step 112. As described above, the present invention provides for a totally, 100% recyclable interior trim part 10 for a vehicle. In addition, the reduction of the mass and weight of the trim part 10 provides ease of shipping, installation, and assembly in a vehicle when handled in a manufacturing assembly line. Even further, when the vehicle leaves the assembly line, the reduced mass and weight of the trim part 10 reduces of the overall weight of the vehicle, and therefore, improves vehicle gas mileage. When the trim part 10 reaches its end-of-life period, the trim part 10 may be melted down and recycled, thereby leaving behind only the fibrous material, so that the fibrous material may be re-spun into new fibers for reuse. The invention is also formed by a one-step manufacturing and binding process that simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces the extra handling of the components of the trim part 10.

It should be understood that the aforementioned and other various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that the method and apparatus within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.

Claims

ClaimsWhat is claimed is:

1. A recyclable interior trim part, comprising: a fibrous batting made of 100% recyclable material; a first scrim material adjacent a first side of the fibrous batting; an adhesive film/webbing material applied to a second side of the fibrous batting; a second scrim material adjacent the adhesive film/webbing material; and a coverstock material adjacent the first scrim material.

2. The recyclable interior trim part of Claim 1, wherein the interior trim part further comprises a first layer of fiber reinforcement material located between the first side of the fibrous batting and the first scrim material, and a second layer of fiber reinforcement material located between the second side of the fibrous batting and the adhesive film/webbing material.

3. The recyclable interior trim part of Claim 1, wherein the fibrous batting is defined by a vertically lapped multiple fiber dinure that is homogeneously blended together.

4. The recyclable interior trim part of Claim 3, wherein a fiber diameter of the fibrous batting ranges from about 0.1 to about 70.0 dinure.

5. A method for manufacturing a recyclable interior trim part, the recyclable interior trim part comprising a fibrous batting made of 100% recyclable material, adhesive film webbing material, a first scrim material, a second scrim material, and a coverstock material, the method comprising the steps of : rolling the fibrous batting, the adhesive film/webbing material, the first scrim material, the second scrim material, and the coverstock material; applying a binder to the fibrous batting; pinching the fibrous batting, the adhesive film/webbing material, the first scrim material, the second scrim material, and the coverstock material together; cutting the fibrous batting, the adhesive film/webbing material, the first scrim material, the second scrim material, and the coverstock material; and pressing the fibrous batting, the adhesive film/webbing material, the first scrim material, the second scrim material, and the coverstock material to form the interior trim part.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of applying a catalyst to one of the first and second scrim materials.