Trim panel having zig zag fiber construction

Details Trim panel having zig zag fiber construction Trim panel having zig zag fiber construction

2000-07-27

2001-03-27

Jones, Deborah (Department: 1775)

Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes

Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article

Shaping against forming surface

C428S171000, C428S173000, C428S218000, C428S292100, C428S357000, C264S113000, C264S122000, C297S452200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06207096

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an improved construction for a fibrous layer used in vehicle trim panels.
In the prior art fibrous layers are utilized in vehicle trim panels. As one example, vehicle headliners have been proposed which have layers made up of a plurality of fibers joined together at intersections. One proposal is a combination of binder and non-binder fibers. A percentage of fibers are formed with a binder covering, and the remainder of the fibers are formed without the binder. The layer is constructed of a combination of these fibers. When the layer is heated, the binder melts providing an adhesive to secure the two types of fibers together.
The fibrous layers to date have utilized two basic constructions. In a first construction, a plurality of fibers are randomly mixed. The fibers are then needled through the thickness of the layer. Needling provides structure to the overall fiber layer.
In a second basic type of construction, a so-called “flat mat” construction is utilized wherein the fibers are laid down in angled paths extending from one lateral side of the layer to the opposed lateral side. The fibers are deposited from a known fiber depositing structure such as a nozzle. The large angled paths of the nozzle results in the fibers building up to form the layer. With either type prior art structures, there has typically been a general constant amount of material at any one location throughout the layer.
It is desirable in trim applications, and in particular in headliner applications to have different densities and thicknesses at different locations in the layer. As an example, it may be desirable to have a thinner high density portion at one portion of the headliner. It is also sometimes desired to have thicker portions at the outer periphery of a headliner. In general, the prior art has required that if it is desired to have a high density portion at one location on the layer, the entirety of the layer must be have sufficient mass to achieve the same high density. It has been somewhat difficult to have variable mass or variable thickness in the amount of material deposited into the layers with the prior art approaches. This has resulted in undesirable large material requirements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a disclosed embodiment of this invention, a fibrous layer has greater amounts of material deposited at certain locations on the layer than there is at other locations. Stated another way, the present invention relates to a layer formed of a plurality of fibrous pieces, wherein there are locations on the layer where there is a greater mass of the fibrous pieces. The layers are preferably incorporated in a vehicle trim panel, and most preferably into a headliner.
In a method according to the present invention, the fibers are placed down in a zig zag pattern which does not extend across the entire width of the layer. In this way, the mass of material can be controlled and placed selectively at desired locations on the layer. It is thus relatively easy to achieve higher density locations or thicker locations without requiring the entire layer to be formed of the same high mass of material.
In a layer made according to the inventive method, there thus may be higher density or thicker locations formed by depositing a greater amount of material. The present invention achieves a layer with the exact desired mass at each location, without requiring an undue amount of material to be utilized at locations where it is not necessary.
These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, of which the following is a brief description.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4426340 (1984-01-01), Goller
patent: 4851283 (1989-07-01), Holtrop et al.
patent: 5492662 (1996-02-01), Kargol et al.
patent: 0 229 196 A1 (1987-07-01), None
patent: 0 530 100 A1 (1993-03-01), None
patent: 2 074 802 (1971-10-01), None
English abstract for 0 530 100 A1; 2 074 802; 0 299 196 A1.

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