LIGHTWEIGHT INNER DASH

Abstract

Moulded inner dash trim part for a vehicle comprising a porous fibrous layer comprising fibers and thermoplastic binder, and an air permeable foil laminated together wherein the fibers comprise conjugate frizzy fibers made of at least 2 sides with a difference between the two sides inducing an intrinsic permanent frizzy or curved shape in a random 3 dimensional form, and wherein the air permeable foil has an airflow resistance that is between 30-75% of the total airflow resistance of the trim part.

Claims

1. A moulded inner dash trim part for a vehicle,. comprising a porous fibrous layer comprising fibers and thermoplastic binder, and an air permeable foil laminated together wherein the fibers comprise conjugate frizzy fibers made of at least two sides with a difference between the two sides inducing an intrinsic permanent frizzy or curved shape in a random 3 dimensional form, and wherein the air permeable foil has an airflow resistance that is between 30-75% of the total airflow resistance of the trim part.

2. The moulded inner dash trim part according to claim 1, wherein the frizzy fibers are hollow.

3. The moulded inner dash trim part according to claim 1, wherein the total airflow resistance of the trim part is between 500 and 6000 Ns.Math.m.sup.3.

4. The moulded inner dash trim part according to claim 1, wherein the frizzy fibers are made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyamide (nylon) such as polyamide 6 or polyamide 66, polyester such as copolymers of polyester or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polybutylene terephthalate (PTB) or Polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polyolefin, polypropylene and polyethylene such as copolymer of polyethylene.

5. The moulded inner dash trim part according to claim 1, wherein the binder is made of at least one of the materials selected from the group consisting of polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate, copolymers of polyester, polyolefin, polypropylene, polyethylene, polylactic acid (PLA) and polyamide such as polyamide 6 or polyamide 66.

6. The moulded inner dash trim part according to claim 1, wherein the porous fibrous layer has an area weight between 200 and 2000 g.Math.m.sup.2.

7. The moulded inner dash trim part according to claim 1, wherein the density of the porous fibrous layer is essentially constant at variable thickness.

8. The moulded inner dash trim part according to claim 1, wherein the fibrous layer consists of 10 to 40% of binder, 10 to 70% of filler fibers, and 10 to 70% of frizzy fibers and wherein the total amount adds to 100% by weight.

9. The moulded inner dash trim part according to claim 1, wherein the fibrous layer consists of 10 to 40% of binder, 10 to 40% of filler fibers and 10 to 60% of frizzy fibers, and 10 to 50% shredded foam pieces and wherein the total amount adds to 100% by weight.

10. The moulded inner dash trim part according to claim 1, wherein the fibers further comprise mineral fibers, preferably one of glass fibers or recycled glass fibers or basalt fibers or carbon fibers or synthetic fibers selected from the group consisting of polyamide (nylon) such as polyamide 6 or polyamide 66, polyester such as copolymers of polyester or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polybutylene terephthalate (PTB) or Polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polyolefin, polypropylene and polyethylene such as copolymer of polyethylene.

11. The moulded inner dash trim part according to claim 1, wherein the filler fibers comprise reclaimed fibers made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of cotton shoddy, synthetic shoddy, polyester shoddy, natural fiber shoddy and mixed synthetic fiber, and natural fiber shoddy.

12. The moulded inner dash trim part according to claim 1, wherein the foil comprises at least one foil layer comprising at least one of the polymers or copolymers selected from the group consisting of Polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polybutylene terephthalate (PTB) or copolyester (CoPES), polyamide such as polyamide 6 or polyamide 66, polyolefin such as a polyethylene (PE) or low density polyethylene (LDPE) or linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) or high density polyethylene (HDPE), ethylene acrylic acid copolymers (EAA), polypropylene (PP), thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) such as thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyetherimide, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyetheretherketone and copolymers such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) or biopolymers such as polylactic acid.

13. The moulded inner dash trim part according to claim 1, further comprising an air permeable decorative layer adjacent to the foil.

14. Method A method for producing the moulded inner dash trim part according to claim 1, comprising: preparing an unconsolidated fibrous layer,. stacking the foil and the unconsolidated fibrous layer in a mould; and consolidating the material in said cavity by a consolidating treatment, whereby the material fibers at least partly will adhere to neighboring fibers.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising cooling and releasing the padding layer from the product shaping area

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the consolidating treatment employs hot air, steam, or infrared heating.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0067] FIG. 1 shows schematic examples of cross sections of conjugate fibers according to the invention.

[0068] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle and the inner dash trim part according to the invention.

[0069] FIG. 1 shows cross sections of conjugate side by side fibers (1) according to the invention. The fibers are produced from two thermoplastic polymers with a difference in the polymers such that the fiber will curl during the fiber production process forming frizzy fibers. The side (2) by side (3) can be symmetrical organised as shown in figure A or can be asymmetrical as shown in figure B. In addition the fibers may be hollow (4) as shown for the side by side fiber cross section of figure C as an example.

[0070] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle (5) with the inner dash trim part with the porous fibrous layer (6) facing the car body and the air permeable foil (7) facing the passenger department.