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US 7,143,663 B2Granted
Steering wheel with thermoplastic composites
AssigneeKey Safety Systems, Inc.
InventorsLorenzo Menaldo, Giuseppe Testa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A steering wheel or other component for motor vehicle interiors, is produced by pressure thermoforming an external layer of decorative material, together with an internal structural layer of support material that includes a matrix of thermoplastic material and a plurality of reinforcing fibers for the thermoplastic matrix. The matrix may be of polymer that impregnates the fabric or made of fabrics that are interwoven or mixed with the reinforcing fibers.
Claims14
A steering wheel comprising:
- (a) a base structure;
- and
- (b) at least one covering element formed as a subassembly and then applied onto said base structure, wherein said covering element comprises
- (i) at least one internal structural layer comprising a thermoplastic material containing reinforcing fibers, the reinforcing fibers comprising 10 to 80% by weight of the internal structural layer and wherein the fibers are at least 12.0 mm long and in the form of a mat or in a woven or non-woven fabric impregnated with the thermoplastic material, and
- (ii) at least one external decorative layer located on and bonded to a side of the internal structural layer distal from said base structure wherein melted thermoplastic material of the internal structural layer penetrates pores of the external decorative layer to bind the two layers together in the absence of thermoset resin adhesives.
2 more elements
A component for a motor vehicle interior comprising:
- (a) a base structure;
- and
- (b) at least one covering element formed as a subassembly and then applied onto said base structure, wherein said covering element comprises
- (i) at least one internal structural layer comprising a thermoplastic material containing reinforcing fibers, the reinforcing fibers comprising 10 to 80% by weight of the internal structural layer and wherein the fibers are at least 12.0 mm long and in the form of a mat or in a woven or non-woven fabric impregnated with the thermoplastic, and
- (ii) at least one external decorative layer located on and bonded to a side of the internal structural layer distal from said base structure wherein melted thermoplastic material of the internal structural layer penetrates pores of the external decorative layer to bind the two layers together in the absence of thermoset resin adhesives.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.