Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or... – Composite having voids in a component
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-13
2001-04-10
McAvoy, Ellen M. (Department: 1764)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or...
Composite having voids in a component
C428S317700, C428S218000, C442S149000, C442S151000, C442S324000, C442S326000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06214456
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an improved headliner material having outer polyester fiber mat layers surrounding an inner foam layer of a plastic other than polyester.
Headliners are utilized to cover the ceiling area in modern vehicles. Typically, headliners are formed of a plurality of layers of different materials.
The headliner layers are selected to achieve several different design objectives. First, the headliner must have an attractive appearance, and must maintain its shape over several years of use. In addition, the headliner must provide sound absorption in the vehicle interior.
Headliners have historical utilized layers of fiberglass in combination with foam layers. Fiberglass has some undesirable characteristics in that it is potentially irritating to the skin of the assemblers. More recently, headliners have been proposed wherein the fiberglass layers have been replaced by polyester layers. These proposals have typically been for headliners formed entirely of layers of polyester.
In particular, in one of the proposed polyester bats, the mats are formed of a mixture of low melt and high melt polyester fiber pieces. The low melt pieces are formed to have a polyester-based adhesive sheathing. Upon application of heat the adhesive melts and bonds the low and high melt fibers together. Such headliners are disclosed for example in co-pending patent applications Ser. No. 08/868,312 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,809.
For some headliner applications, the use of pure polyester materials might be somewhat limiting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a disclosed embodiment of this invention, two layers of polyester fiber pieces are formed into a felt mat. A central foam core is positioned between the layers. The central foam core is formed of a plastic material other than polyester. The combination of the foam core and the polyester layers provide a very good headliner construction. The foam core is preferably a polyurethane foam. The combination of the polyurethane foam core and the outer polyester layers provides a strong I-beam construction increases the strength of the headliner, and also increases the acoustical performance. The headliner construction of this invention provides a clean and smooth surface which is substantially wrinkle-free.
In preferred embodiments of this invention, adhesive layers are placed between the polyester layers and the central foam layer. The layers may either be polyurethane-based adhesives or polyester-based adhesives. A decorative layer is positioned outwardly of one of the polyester layers to complete the headliner construction. In some applications, if necessary, additional layers may be inserted into the sandwich construction to provide additional strength.
The polyester mat layers are preferably of the type described above formed a combination of low melt and high melt fiber pieces.
These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3867240 (1975-02-01), Doerfling
patent: 3966526 (1976-06-01), Doerfling
patent: 4211590 (1980-07-01), Steward et al.
patent: 4557970 (1985-12-01), Holtrop et al.
patent: 4695501 (1987-09-01), Robinson
patent: 5536556 (1996-07-01), Juriga
patent: 5582906 (1996-12-01), Romesburg et al.
patent: 5888616 (1999-03-01), Ang
patent: 5942321 (1999-08-01), Romesberg et al.
patent: 0 373 135 A2 (1990-06-01), None
patent: 0 419 439 A2 (1991-03-01), None
patent: WO 96 13377 A1 (1996-05-01), None
Boyd Stuart G.
Gebreselassie Girma
Wolf, Jr. Harold G.
Lear Automotive Dearborn Inc.
MacMillan Sobanski & Todd LLC
McAvoy Ellen M.
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