Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Pile or nap type surface or component – Particular backing structure or composition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-24
2002-12-10
Cole, Elizabeth M. (Department: 1771)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Pile or nap type surface or component
Particular backing structure or composition
C428S036100, C428S036500, C296S097230, C206S482000, C206S702000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06491999
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cabled covering part for vehicles, to a method for manufacturing such a covering part, as well as to a cable group suitable for manufacturing this covering part and a covering part capable of being cabled.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Vehicle coverings, in particular vehicle carpets, in which there are integrated the electrical leads required for the operation of the vehicle, are known from literature, but however still today have not prevailed in practice. Thus the required cables are as a rule manually bundled into a cable loom and provided with the necessary connectors. These cable looms are loosely applied into the vehicles independently of the coverings, i.e. only fastened in a makeshift manner. As a rule this leads to the fact that with the completed vehicles, the cables layed more or less loosely prevent a good fitting accuracy of the carpet. Furthermore it is necessary to protect the loosely layed cables from damage or rapid wearing, i.e. loadings causing material fatigue, with plastic sleeves or likewise. The assembly of such cable looms requires several working procedures in which the cable loom is first rolled out and roughly positioned and subsequently the layed cable loom is fastened with the help of adhesive tape before the vehicle carpet may be assembled. The assembly has shown to be difficult since the individual cable ends may not be manipulated in a simple manner. Often the cables or connectors are damaged on assembly of the carpet.
For this reason in IT 01274694 it has already been suggested to lay the cables into a cable channel provided in the covering part. These cable channels are closed with a material strip and secured with a further cover layer. It has however been shown that with the deformation of these covering parts as is necessary with vehicle carpets, the fitting accuracy between the cable channels and the covering material strips is lost, i.e. the cable channels may no longer be correctly closed. Furthermore a multitude of additional working procedures are required in that the covering part on one side must be provided with cable channels and additional material strips must be manufactured with an exact fitting in order to be able to close these cable channels. Furthermore an additional cover layer must be deposited in order to secure these material strips at the location of the cable channels. Thus the suggested arrangement has proven to be difficult in manufacture and in handling.
In another embodiment form the cables are directly foamed into the covering part. With this the cables may be better protected. It has however been proved that with the direct foaming-in of the cables, whose insulation material and the foam are not compatible with one another, the compatibility must be achieved by additional measures requiring expense. Furthermore the cables once foamed in may no longer be exchanged, i.e. render more expensive any occurring repair work given short circuits and cable breakage. Likewise defects or damaged carpets may not be exchanged in a simple manner, i.e. the whole cabling must be exchanged at the same time. Moreover the foaming and the forming and cutting of covering parts with cables cannot be accomplished in a simple manner, since a multidue of cable ends must be led out from the tools used for the foaming, deformation and the cutting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a cabled covering part which can be manufactured simply and inexpensively and also given a heavy deformation of the covering parts permits an exact leading of the cables and a simple and quick application and exchange of the well protected cables. Also there are to be provided a covering part capable of being cabled and means which allow the manufacture of this cabled covering part in a simple manner.
According to the invention this object is achieved by a covering part which is provided with several, self-closing cable channels accommodating a cable network. Such self-closing cable channels in a first embodiment form are formed directly into the spring-elastic part of the covering part. As a rule covering parts for vehicles and in particular carpets comprise a spring elastic underlayer and a decor layer. Preferably the cable channels according to the invention lie in the spring-elastic underlayer. According to the construction of the covering part this spring-elastic underlayer may be manufactured from a plastic foam or a fibre-fleece.
The shaping of the cable channels according to the invention is advantageously adapted to the shape of the cables to be applied and their specific application. Thus for ribbon cables flat cavities, or for cable bunches, cavities with a round cross section may be formed directly into the spring-elastic underlayer.
In a further formation of the cable channel according to the invention this may consist of a plastic or foam rubber sleeve slotted on the longitudinal side, which lies in the covering part. This embodiment form lends itself particularly to where the covering part, e.g. door covering, is not sufficiently spring-elastic.
With such covering parts the cabling may be carried out exactly on the spot. At the same time the cable network as well as the spring-elastic covering inlays may be manufactured in a simple manner in the manufacturing workshops already existing today. For applying the cable network into the self-closing channels, in the case of a vehicle carpet, the spring-elastic part with the self-closing cable channels may be set up in an A-shape. The use of premanufactured cable system permits the correct allocation of the cable ends without further checking. At the same time the individual cables may be layed through the covering part via the shortest possible path or via the path particularly adapted to the special shaping.
Preferably the cable network to be layed is applied on the rear side of the covering part. It is however to be understood that the cable channels arranged in the underlayer may be provided with the required cables, before this underlayer is provided with a decor or carpet layer.
The covering parts according to the invention find their application first and foremost as cabled vehicle carpets, but they may also be used with door coverings, roof skies etc., i.e. anywhere where cables and coverings are advantageously to be incorporated together and the cables in the vehicle must be led in a protected and exchangeable manner.
Further advantageous further formations of the covering part according to the invention and the means for manufacturing these covering parts are defined in the respective dependent claims.
The advantages of the covering part manufactured according to the invention can be directly seen by the man skilled in the art. In particular by the use of a loosely bundled cable system instead of the usually used rigidly bundled cable looms considerable material costs may be saved, since for the preassembly of the cable systems shorter cables and less adhesive tape are required. The covering part according to the invention further renders the particular plastic parts for the protection of the cable bundle superfluous. The use of cable networks instead of cable looms moreover leads to the fact that the cabling is not perceived by the vehicle occupants as a disturbing bulge and a precise laying of the carpets becomes possible. A further considerable cost saving has shown to be the time saving with the manufacture of the vehicles or with the assembly of the electric cables and carpets.
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Rudin, Alfred. The Elements of Polymer Science and Engineering. Academic Press, Inc. 1982. pp. 24-25.
Cawthra Christopher
Diegmann Wolfgang
Ehrler Peter
Hinz Norbert
Laux Joseph J.
Befumo Jenna-Leigh
Berkowitz Marvin C.
Cole Elizabeth M.
Nath Gary M.
Nath & Associates PLLC
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