Sound-absorbing materials, vehicle exterior member using same, and method of manufacturing same

A sound-absorbing material attached to a vehicle exterior member, comprising:

• an intermediate layer made of a fiber web of entangled thermoplastic synthetic fibers;
• a skin layer made of a nonwoven fabric containing thermoplastic synthetic fibers, the skin layer being laminated with at least one surface of the intermediate layer;
• a peripheral edge portion in which a portion of a peripheral edge of the intermediate layer is heat-compress bonded with a portion of a peripheral edge of the skin layer;
• crimped portions in which the intermediate layer and the skin layer are heat-compress bonded, each of the crimped portions being spaced apart from each other and from the peripheral edge portion;
• and
• a sound-absorbing portion positioned between a first and second crimped portion of the crimped portions and in which the intermediate layer and the skin layer are laminated, wherein:
• the sound-absorbing portion has a thickness suppression area where a portion of the fiber web of the sound-absorbing area is compressed thinner than its natural thickness by the skin layer between the first and second crimped portions, the natural thickness of the fiber web being a thickness of the fiber web in an uncompressed state;
• and
• the thickness of the sound-absorbing portion is adjusted by having a plurality of different thicknesses by varying an interval of the crimped portions scattered over the area and includes a thickness suppression area with a relatively wide interval of the crimped portions and a thickness suppression area with a relatively narrow interval of the crimped portions.