US 2020/0061883 A1 · VEHICLE TRIM COMPONENT

Abstract

A trim component for a vehicle interior is disclosed. The trim component may comprise a fiber panel comprising a compression-formed component and a structure comprising a resin. The compression-formed component may provide a structural substrate. The structure may comprise a molded resin feature for the structural substrate formed in at least one hole of the fiber panel. The structure may reinforce the structural substrate. The structure may also comprise a border. The fiber panel may comprise structural fibers and a resin. The structural fibers may comprise at least one of natural fibers; synthetic fibers; glass fibers; carbon fibers; polymeric fibers. The resin may comprise at least one of thermoplastic resin; polypropylene; acrylonitrile butadiene styrene; polycarbonate; thermoset resin; epoxy; polyimide; polyester; vinylester. The component may comprise at least one of a center console; a floor console; a door panel; an instrument panel; a headliner; an overhead console; a sun visor.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a vehicle trim component in a mold comprising the steps of:

heating a fiber panel comprising a plurality of structural fibers;
disposing the fiber panel in the mold;
compressing the fiber panel in the mold to form the fiber panel into a compression-formed component having a shape;
and
injecting resin into at least one void in the mold with the compression-formed component to form a structural substrate;
so that the vehicle trim component comprises:
the structural substrate comprising the fiber panel and a resin-formed structure;
wherein the at least one void in the mold comprises at least one hole in the fiber panel;
wherein the resin-formed structure comprises a molded feature formed in the at least one hole of the fiber panel;
wherein the structural substrate is formed from the compression-formed component with the molded feature in the at least one hole of the fiber panel of the compression-formed component.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/671,793Filed 1 Nov 2019

Priority

30 Aug 2011

Published

27 Feb 2020

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification32 codes

B29C 45/0005
Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor: using fibre…
B29C 43/02
Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor: of articles of definite length, i.e.…
B29C 43/361
Moulds for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles: with pressing members independently movable of the parts for opening or…
B29C 43/40
Moulds for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles: with means for cutting the article

Family

Application61/528,832Us provisional application · filed 30 Aug 2011

Application13/595,741Continuation · filed 27 Aug 2012

Application13/846,529Division · filed 18 Mar 2013

Application14/808,938Continuation · filed 24 Jul 2015

Application15/995,621Continuation · filed 1 Jun 2018

Application16/654,620Continuation · filed 16 Oct 2019

Application16/671,793Continuation

Application14/808,938Division

Application13/846,529Continuation

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