阅读说明：本技术 用于车辆的模制玻璃装饰元件 (Molded glass trim element for a vehicle ) 是由 R·希克 于 2020-03-05 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及用于制造模制车辆装饰元件(1)的方法。根据本发明,所述方法包括以下步骤：(i)在用于注射模制的模具(100)中提供载体板(106),所述模具包括所述模具的移动芯(101)和所述模具的型腔(102),以给出所述车辆装饰元件(1)的最终形状,(ii)在所述模具(100)中提供玻璃面板(107),所述玻璃面板至少具有要弯曲的第一区域,(iii)在所述模具(100)内部以要求的形状将所述玻璃面板(107)冷弯曲,(iv)注射软材料(120)以形成由经由模制材料固定在一起的弯曲载体板和玻璃面板制成的所述车辆装饰元件(1),以及(v)从所述模具移除所述车辆装饰元件(1)。(The invention relates to a method for producing a molded vehicle trim element (1). According to the invention, the method comprises the following steps: (i) providing a carrier plate (106) in a mould (100) for injection moulding, the mould comprising a moving core (101) of the mould and a cavity (102) of the mould to give a final shape of the vehicle trim element (1), (ii) providing a glass panel (107) in the mould (100), the glass panel having at least a first region to be bent, (iii) cold bending the glass panel (107) inside the mould (100) in a desired shape, (iv) injecting a soft material (120) to form the vehicle trim element (1) made of a curved carrier plate and glass panel fixed together via a moulding material, and (v) removing the vehicle trim element (1) from the mould.)

1. A method for manufacturing a molded vehicle trim element (1), characterized by the steps of:

-providing a carrier plate (106) in a mould (100) for injection moulding, the mould comprising a moving core (101) of the mould and a cavity (102) of the mould to give a final shape of the vehicle trim element (1),

-providing a glass panel (107) in the mould (100), the glass panel having at least a first region to be bent,

-cold bending the glass panel (107) inside the mould (100) in the required shape,

-injecting a soft material (120) to form the vehicle trim element (1) made of a curved carrier plate and a glass panel fixed together via a molding material,

-removing the vehicle trim element (1) from the mould.

2. A method for manufacturing a molded vehicle trim element (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle trim element is a vehicle interior trim element (1).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the glass panel (106) has a second region (116) to be bent.

4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier plate (106) comprises an opening (113).

5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the mold (100) comprises a moving core (101) and/or a cavity (102), the moving core and/or the cavity further comprising means for cold bending at least a first region (110) and a second region (111) of the carrier plate and/or at least a first region (116) and a second region (117) of the glass panel.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the moving core (101) further comprises a second moving portion (115).

7. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cavity (102) of the mold having a fixed portion (103) and a moving portion (104) further comprises means for maintaining the glass panel (107), such as a suction cup (113).

8. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier plate (106) is made of a thermoplastic material or a metallic material.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier plate (106) is made of a material selected in the following: polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate-acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyamide PA6, polyamide copolymer PA66, polyoxymethylene, polypropylene, thermoplastic elastomers or thermosetting materials such as polyurethane, epoxy with or without fillers.

10. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the glass panel (107) is provided with a primer, preferably with a silane component.

11. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the soft material (120) is selected among thermoplastic elastomers, polyurethane, soft PVC and silicone.

12. A vehicle interior and/or exterior trim element manufactured by the method according to claims 1 to 11.

13. A bending die, comprising:

-a mould (100) having a moving core (101) and a fixed cavity (102), the moving core and/or the fixed cavity being designed for cold bending glass panels

-an injection unit (114) for injecting a soft material (120).

14. The bending mould (100) according to claim 13, comprising a moving core (101) adapted for receiving the carrier plate (106) on which the glass panel (107) is to be fixed due to the soft material (120) injected from an injection unit (114) preferably provided in the cavity of the mould.

Technical Field

The present application relates to a method for manufacturing a vehicle interior trim portion. In addition, the present application relates to a vehicle trim element.

Background

It is known to use glass panels in vehicle interiors, for example as mirrors or as instrument glass. Glass is known for its high quality optical and tactile appearance. In addition, a display is typically mounted inside the vehicle to provide information to the driver or occupant. In some applications, the display may be disposed behind an optically transparent glass panel, for example, to protect the display from food or beverages being spilled or scratched.

However, glass panels of today may not only be used as optically transparent glass panels, for example to protect displays, but also as glass interior trim elements or center consoles or glass exterior trim elements (also known as glass appliques) in motor vehicles.

Interior or exterior trim vehicles refer to items that may be added to the interior or exterior of an automobile or general motor vehicle (car, bus, train … …) to increase its appeal. There are several types of vehicle trim. Some trim pieces are used to protect some parts of the interior vehicle from adverse damage that may be caused by occupants, while other trim pieces are merely for aesthetic purposes.

However, nowadays car manufacturers tend to use more and more glass inside and/or outside the vehicle and in particular as a glass cover for the dashboard, and this has in particular a display behind the cover as e.g. an analog-digital hybrid touch panel device and a method for its identification.

Moreover, not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also in particular to add more and more functionality to a certain part of the interior and/or exterior of a vehicle (in particular to a decorative element), automobile manufacturers are seeking to replace the plastic, wood … … decorative element with glass, since glass is more resistant to scratching and more functionality can be added thereto.

Also, in many vehicles, particularly in automobiles, a vehicle console is provided between the left and right front seats. Typically, the center console is anchored to the dashboard of the automobile and extends over that portion. The center console may also be mounted to the left and right sides of the rear seat. In order to make the interior of the car more attractive and comfortable, a usually decorated panel covering the exposed part of the center console, such as a CD player, controls for audio, climate environment, infotainment etc., is mounted on the center console and in particular on the upper side of the center console.

Typically, the top portion of the center console is made of a plastic, polycarbonate member (the plastic material is used as a cover for the entire console system). Such solutions are often aesthetically pleasing, but do not effectively add some functionality (such as "touch screen functionality" … …) directly to the center console. In addition, plastic molded center consoles have the following disadvantages: since plastic does not provide touch functionality, an excessive number of useless buttons must be installed on the center console. Eventually, the multitude of buttons confuses the driver (safety aspect). Furthermore, since there is no seamless effect, it is more difficult to clean the center console (sanitary disadvantage) because dust scales around the buttons and the like. The plastic material used to cover the center console is difficult to recycle, while glass is always recyclable (environmental issues). The molding process of plastic parts results in the plastic eventually becoming waste (the price of recyclable plastic is not comparable to the price of newer plastic, so there is currently no viable alternative to address this environmental concern). In general, the plastic material using the glass cover cannot be highly UV-resistant, and the transparent hue turns yellow over time (design degradation). Furthermore, in order to present a similar stiffness compared to glass, a cover made of plastic will be heavier than a cover made of glass. Therefore, in order to lighten the car, the solution of plastic material is not optimal for this car part. As technology cycles get faster and faster, the glass center console will allow IT flexibility upgrades and seamless connectivity to nomadic devices. The use of a glass center console would allow many different software typically supported by automobiles to be coordinated into one operating system located at and commanded from the same site. Furthermore, glass may support the use of ambient light (improving occupant comfort/convenience) compared to most materials currently used as part of the center console. In addition, occupants do not want to see plastic in their car interior again similar to the interior of their house or their office.

Currently interior decorative or functional parts are mainly made of decorative plastics. Thus, the fixing element can be integrated directly into these parts. However, these plastic parts have the disadvantage of being vulnerable to damage when touched and over the service life of the vehicle due to low wear resistance. In addition, the effect of using plastic for a user interface (visible decorative panel or functional panel) in an automobile is not optimal for high-end decoration, and plastic is considered to be a low-quality material. Another criterion is the feel when touching plastic, the user's feeling of touching a weak material, the fingertip's feeling hot and soft, giving the impression of a low end material. Thus, the current solution does not require the integration of specific intermediate parts for assembly.

Thus, glass trim elements or glass center consoles are preferred, which are more aesthetically pleasing and may increase the attractiveness of the vehicle. The glass trim element is more difficult to secure to an interior vehicle because safety regulations must be met.

The glass trim element is preferably a curved glass panel. The curved glass panel may be formed by first heating the glass panel to a temperature above the softening point of the glass panel. Subsequently, the glass panel may be deformed by actively bending the glass panel using a bending device or by bending the glass due to its own weight. Alternatively, a cold forming process may be used when bending the glass panel. These processes are known to consume less energy and time. In the cold forming process, the glass panel is typically bent over a bending frame at room temperature. After bending the glass panel, for example, when the curvature of the glass panel corresponds to the curvature of the bending frame, the glass panel is strained and tends to gradually return to its original shape. Thus, the curved glass panel typically needs to be mechanically fixed to the curved frame after bending to maintain the curvature of the glass panel.

A large number of flexible inorganic glass films are laminated with an adhesive layer interposed between the glass films. In the molding tool, the glass layer is compressed and held at a temperature below the glass transition temperature until the binder cures, such that a self-supporting molded glass part is formed.

When a glass panel comprising a functional element, such as a display, is bent, problems may arise relating to the strain imposed by the bending process on the bonding interface between the functional element and the glass panel or on the functional element itself. Therefore, the functional element may be separated or broken. Similar problems may arise when the glass panel comprises holes for receiving functional elements, such as a display, vents or knobs. The panel is weakened by the holes and the stress around the holes in the panel may exceed a critical value, resulting in undesired deformation or even breakage.

Nowadays mainly double-sided adhesive tapes are used in order to fix thin glass on a support (called carrier). This carrier is then used to assemble the module formed in the vehicle. This allows a complete surface connection between the glass and the plastic parts which are highly recommended as carriers, generally by passing the qualification tests. This solution results in acceptable bonding quality. However, the process for assembling is difficult to implement industrially. In fact, such adhesive tape bonding has the disadvantage that the glass will immediately glue to the tape as soon as it hits the tape. This means that the glass must be fixed in the correct position at an early stage of the assembly process, i.e. when the glass must be fixed on the carrier.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to propose a method for manufacturing a vehicle interior and/or exterior trim element that helps to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks. In particular, the object of the invention is to propose a method for manufacturing a vehicle interior and/or exterior trim element that allows a secure connection between one or more functional elements and a curved glass panel while reducing the risk of breakage of the glass panel or the functional element. In addition, it is an object of the present application to provide a similarly advantageous vehicle interior and/or exterior trim element.

These objects are achieved by a method having the steps of independent claim 1 and by a vehicle interior and/or exterior trim element having the features of another independent claim. Optional further features and further developments will become apparent from the dependent claims and the detailed description in conjunction with the drawings.

The proposed method for manufacturing a molded vehicle trim element comprises the steps of:

-providing a carrier plate in a mould,

-providing a glass panel in the mould, the glass panel having at least a first area to be bent,

-cold bending the glass panel in the desired shape inside the mould,

-injecting a soft material having a hardness of less than 90 Shore A to form the vehicle trim element, the vehicle trim element comprising the carrier plate and the glass panel fixed together via the soft material,

-removing the component.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the soft material having a hardness of less than 90 shore a is a thermoplastic polymer (such as polypropylene), a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) (such as an olefin thermoplastic elastomer (TPO), polyurethane, polyamide or soft polyvinyl chloride), silicone or similar material, or any material suitable for reaction injection molding.

According to the invention, the mould is designed to give the final shape of the glass decoration element and to fix it to the carrier by injecting a soft material between the glass panel and the carrier.

The present invention therefore proposes a solution for industrialising the fixing of glass panels to their carriers, instead of using adhesive tapes as previously used and reducing the manufacturing costs.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a soft material is injected between the glass panel and the carrier on all surfaces of the glass panel and/or the carrier to cause the complete surface adhesion of the glass panel to the carrier.

By injecting a soft material on all surfaces of the glass panel and/or the carrier, the stress exerted on the soft material for bonding the glass to the carrier is reduced and the glass panel is well bonded to the carrier on all surfaces thereof. Thus, deformation of the glass panel is avoided. Thus, the curved glass panel is fixed to the curved carrier after bending to maintain the curvature of the glass panel.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the carrier may be provided in an injection mold, wherein the desired shape matches the desired final shape of the glass decoration element.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the carrier may be arranged in a flat or substantially flat shape in the injection mould and bent into the injection mould in the desired shape. Thus, the mold may be used not only to bend the glass panel, but also to bend the carrier and inject the injection material to secure the glass panel to the carrier. Thus, the method of manufacturing the vehicle glass trim element may be simplified and allow time to be saved during the process.

According to the invention, the injection mould comprises a moving core of the mould and a fixed cavity of the mould. The moving core and/or the mold cavity are designed to impart a desired shape to the glass trim component.

According to an embodiment of the invention, in case the glass decoration element should have different curvatures at different regions, the moving core of the mold and/or the stationary cavity of the mold may further comprise mechanical means to cold bend the glass panel at the desired radius of curvature at the different regions of the glass panel.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the mechanical means for imparting complex shapes (different radii of curvature at different regions) to the glass panel are selected from moving parts of a moving core added to the mould and/or a fixed cavity of the mould. These movement systems may be guided by mechanical (e.g. spring), hydraulic or pneumatic means. Vacuum cups may be used to hold the glass in its final shape. Conventional vacuum systems similar to thermoforming vacuum forming systems may also be used to form the glass accordingly.

After bending, the radius of curvature of the back surface of the glass panel may reach typically a few millimeters or a few centimeters. For a slightly curved panel, the radius of curvature may be much larger.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the mechanical component is comprised in an injection mould. In this case, some moving cores are integrated to the fixed and/or moving mold. This can be, for example, a well-known 2-component mold (also referred to as 2K mold) so that the carrier plate is produced during the first shot of the 2K process. The glass is then placed in the mold after the part is transferred in another cavity or the injection mold is rotated. The fixing is performed in the mould, for example by using a vacuum cup and/or a mechanical core compressed on the glass. Then, as a next step, the mold is closed and one area of the glass is bent, for example. After that, another moving core is used to bend another region of the glass. A particular core may be reused to accommodate the parting line of the mold from the carrier cavity to the curved cavity. At the end of this first stage, the glass conforms to its desired shape and remains in contact with the carrier fixed in the injection mold.

Thus, the second phase may start. TPE injection can be used, for example, to fix glass to a carrier.

According to one embodiment of the invention the soft material is made of a suitable material to withstand the differences in thermal expansion of the different materials of the carrier plate and the glass. Therefore, said viscoelastic materials are used, such as glues or thermoplastic elastomers (PU, silicon, MS polymers), preferably with a suitable shear strain between 10% and 300% or higher, to cope with dimensional changes due to differences in the thermal expansion coefficients of the materials used in the assembly.

In addition, the plastic carrier plate shape can be adjusted to match every geometry of glass, including for example holes made in glass for integrating storage boxes in the case of a center console. The storage box can also be closed with a glass removable cover to achieve the same high end decoration level, and this cover can be connected to the rest of the body by a plastic plate using the same interface. The plastic engagement structure provides the following advantages: which may integrate mechanisms for such applications.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the carrier plate is made of a material selected from the group consisting of: thermoplastics (e.g. polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polycarbonate-acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC-ABS), polyamides (PA6), polyamide copolymers (PA66), Polyoxymethylene (POM), polypropylene (PP)), thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), or thermosets such as Polyurethane (PUR), epoxy resins (EP) with or without fillers such as glass fibers for mechanical reinforcement to create additional properties.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the carrier plate for providing the assembly integrated into the motor vehicle, and in particular into the interior body of the car, may be a carrier plate/frame made of a metal material such as zamac, aluminum, magnesium (thixomolding) or the like. The carrier plate may be made of fibre-reinforced plastic.

According to the invention, injecting material between the glass panel and the carrier plate allows to provide the vehicle trim element with a safety backing to improve the safety of the glass and to prevent fragments from scattering in the vehicle in case of breakage. Thus, upon impact, the glass trim element does not break or the impact does not cause protrusion of glass fragments. Damage to the glass will be limited to potential cracks in the glass.

The present invention relates to the use of a plastic frame to couple with the back of the glass and integrate to it some function such as: reinforcement to meet specifications under load, fixing points to the vehicle interior, fixing shape to the glass, matching desired geometric aspects for fixing to the functional/decorative element, and interfacing with the vehicle.

The main functions of the carrier plate can be listed as follows:

function as an interface glass/body

Reinforcement of the sub-assembly, which can be advantageously adjusted according to the glass used

Using and supporting other decorative elements, such as bright profiled edges, panels … …

Slightly visible and therefore aesthetic function in certain areas, without affecting the advantages brought by the glass

Use as a substrate and/or to mask different functions, such as making connections through frames and/or glass to add value to the sub-assembly. Wherein the additional value and the connecting element through the frame may be a touch function in glass, a button, an edge lighting, an LED, a screen, a sound device, a vibration device … …

As part of the support for the glass pieces which can be added to the main console to give a decorative appearance. The decoration may be, in particular, coloured glass, glass with engravings, glass with lamp integration and a frame serving as support for the cables.

Reduction of noise/vibration between the glass cover and the vehicle interior

Ensure minimum glass deformation but allow proper energy absorption in the event of a given impact/shock.

According to the invention, the carrier plate is provided with at least holes for injecting a soft material between the glass panel and the carrier plate.

The carrier plate may be provided with recesses on its face intended to be in contact with the glass panel, which recesses are filled with an injection material to perform the adhesion/fixing of the glass panel to the carrier plate.

The glass panel is typically flat prior to the cold bending process, but it may be slightly curved. The carrier ensures that the glass panel retains its shape during the bending process. The stiffening region is thus suitable for attaching a functional element benefiting from a surface having the shape of the adapted element. For example, the functional element may be a flat panel display. The functional element may be attached to the stiffening region before bending the glass panel or after bending the glass panel. The proposed method can prevent the functional element from separating during the bending process and from breaking if the functional element is attached to the stiffening region before bending the glass panel. For example, the display may be attached to the back of the glass panel in an area corresponding to the strengthened area. In this embodiment, the glass panel is at least partially optically transparent. The display may be attached to the back of the glass panel before bending the glass panel.

The cold forming process according to the invention is typically fast and energy efficient and therefore helps to reduce production costs. The cold forming process is typically performed at room temperature and/or below the softening point of the glass. If the functional element is attached to the glass panel before bending, the temperature may not exceed the degradation temperature of the functional element.

The invention further relates to a vehicle interior trim part. In one embodiment, the vehicle interior trim portion includes a cold-formed glass panel secured to the carrier by injection molding. The vehicle interior trim portion may include a display attached to the back of the glass panel in an area corresponding to, for example, the bending area. The front face of the glass panel typically faces the vehicle interior. The front face of the glass panel typically forms the visible face of the vehicle interior trim portion when the vehicle interior trim portion is installed in a vehicle.

In particular, the decorative element may comprise an opening and/or a functional element, such as a display. The opening of the glass panel may be adapted to receive a functional module, such as a vent and/or a trash can.

The glass panel may comprise soda lime and/or aluminosilicates. The glass panel may be chemically strengthened and/or thermally strengthened. The thickness of the glass panel may be at least 0.01mm and/or at most 2 mm.

According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, which can be combined with the preceding embodiments, the glass sheets can be coated with a layer or film capable of modifying or neutralizing the colour, for example that may be due to the presence of chromium (for example a coloured PVB film).

The glass sheet according to the invention may advantageously be chemically or thermally tempered in order to avoid scratches and to enhance the electrical resistivity of the upper part of the center console.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the at least one decorative element is made of a chemically strengthened flat or curved glass plate. Generally, chemical strengthening is performed by exchanging Na + ions with K + ions at the surface of a glass sheet by immersing the glass sheet in a molten salt bath at a temperature lower than the glass transition temperature. Advantageously, the bath consists of KNO3 of high purity and the treatment is carried out at a temperature between 350 ℃ and 470 ℃ for 1 to 24 hours. Chemical strengthening is preferably applied to glass sheets having a thickness of less than 3mm, more preferably less than 2mm, even more preferably less than 1mm or even better less than 0.7 mm.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the glass plate is coated with at least one thin transparent and electrically conductive layer. The transparent and electrically conductive thin layer according to the invention can be, for example, a layer based on SnO2: F, SnO2: Sb or ITO (indium tin oxide), ZnO: Al or also ZnO: Ga.

According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the glass plate is coated with at least one antireflection layer. The antireflection layer according to the invention can be, for example, a porous silicon-based layer with a low refractive index or it can consist of several layers (stacks), in particular of alternating layers of dielectric material with low and high refractive index, and ending with a layer stack with a low refractive index. Textured glass panels may also be used to limit reflections within the vehicle interior. Etching or coating techniques may also be used to avoid reflections.

According to another embodiment, the glass plate is coated with at least one anti-fingerprint layer or has been treated in order to reduce or prevent fingerprints. This embodiment is also advantageous in case the glass plate of the invention is used as a front face of a touch screen. This layer or this treatment can be combined with a thin transparent and electrically conductive layer deposited on the opposite side. Such a layer may be combined with an anti-reflection layer deposited on the same face, the anti-fingerprint layer being external to the stack and thus covering the anti-reflection layer.

Depending on the desired application and/or properties, further layers may be deposited on one and/or the other side of the glass sheet according to the invention.

The glass sheet according to the invention may be a glass sheet obtained by a float process, a drawing process, a rolling process or any other process known to manufacture glass sheets starting from a molten glass composition. According to a preferred embodiment according to the invention, the glass sheet is a float glass sheet. The term "float glass sheet" should be understood to mean a glass sheet formed by a float glass process that includes pouring molten glass onto a bath of molten tin under reducing conditions. Float glass sheets comprise, in a known manner, a "tin face", i.e. a face rich in tin within the bulk of the glass close to the surface of the sheet. The term "tin-rich" should be understood to mean an increase in tin concentration relative to the composition of the glass at the core, which may or may not be substantially zero (no tin).

The glass sheet according to the invention may preferably have a thickness varying between 0.1mm and 2mm, for example, for weight reasons.

In accordance with the present invention, the glass sheet exhibits a curvature for properly fitting the upper portion of the center console and its particular design.

In order to provide a better aesthetic appearance of the center console, the decorative elements can be made of digital or screen-printed glass plates, etched glass plates, painted/enamelled glass plates, cast glass plates, antibacterial glass plates, colored float glass plates.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the decorative element is made of laminated glass panels. According to this embodiment, at least one thermoplastic interlayer is used to laminate at least two glass sheets. Advantageously, a colored or reactive interlayer may be present between the at least two glass sheets. The interlayer or layers between the glass and interlayer may have a low refractive index (<1.43, <1.4, <1.38, … <1.3) in order to ensure TIR in the upper glass, if compatible from an IR absorption standpoint.

The invention is applicable to trim or decorative elements … … present in the interior and/or exterior of a vehicle as door handle profiles, door panels, trim elements for instrument panels, backrest of seats

The invention therefore also relates to an assembly for the interior of a motor vehicle and more particularly for the interior (or exterior) of a motor vehicle, which assembly comprises a glass decorative element as described above and a carrier plate. The advantages of such an assembly are as described above.

The invention also relates to a bending mould for cold bending a glass panel and a mould for injecting the glass panel to a carrier plate according to the method of the invention. The bending die according to the present invention comprises:

-a mould having a moving core and a fixed cavity, the moving core and/or the fixed cavity being designed for cold bending a glass panel,

-an injection unit for injecting a soft material.

According to the invention, the bending mould comprises a moving core adapted to receive a carrier plate on which the glass panel is to be fixed due to the soft material injected from an injection unit preferably provided in the cavity of the mould.

The bending mould may comprise mechanical means to cold bend the glass panel having a complex shape.

The present invention relates to a vehicle interior or an exterior glazing obtained by the above process.

Drawings

Exemplary embodiments will be described in conjunction with the following figures.

Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a 2K injection mould according to one embodiment of the invention after injection of a carrier plate,

figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an injection mold according to one embodiment of the invention in an open position and prior to bending of a glass panel,

figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an injection mold according to one embodiment of the invention after bending a first region of a glass panel by closing the mold,

figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an injection mould according to one embodiment of the invention after bending a second region of the glass panel by using a mechanical member integrated to the fixed side of the mould,

figures 5a and 5b show cross-sectional views of an injection mold according to one embodiment of the invention after bending the first and second regions of the glass panel and injecting the molding material,

figure 6 shows an exploded view of a glass panel and a carrier plate after a cold forming and injection process according to one embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a vehicle interior trim component according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Corresponding features shown in fig. 1 to 7 of the following drawings are denoted with the same reference numerals.

For the avoidance of doubt, the invention is applicable to all means of transport such as automobiles, trains, aircraft … …

The following description relates to a method for manufacturing a vehicle interior trim element. However, the method is suitable for measuring exterior trim elements.

Fig. 1 illustrates a mold for carrying out a method for manufacturing a molded vehicle interior trim component according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 1 shows a mold 100 that allows 2-component (2K) injection molding for manufacturing a vehicle interior trim element 1. In this particular embodiment, the carrier plate 106 is formed by mold injection. The mold 100 includes a moving core mold 101 and a cavity mold 102. The moving core mold 101 and the cavity mold 102b are designed according to the final shape required for the vehicle trim component. The cavity 102b of the mold 100 is used to make the carrier plate 106. The cavity 102b may be one of the sides of a mold used to make the carrier plate 106. The mold 100 is provided with a cavity 102 to inject the soft material 120 and shape the glass panel 107, and the moving core 101 changes its position to face the cavity 102. According to one embodiment of the invention, the carrier plate 106 is made of polypropylene. It will be appreciated that it is well known that … … injection molding machines can be made of another injection molding material such as ABS and the mechanism will not be described in detail herein. According to the invention, the carrier plate 106 may be provided with openings, for example, to be placed in a display. In this particular embodiment, the carrier plate is designed for a console or dashboard of a vehicle. The console trim element may extend between the left and right rear seats. The upper trim element may cover an upper portion of the center console from a middle portion of the center console to a portion directly above the instrument panel. This decorative element may be substantially flat or have a curvature. Some access to the functional part may be provided by this decorative element. The middle portion exhibits a curvature for properly fitting the design of the center console. The middle portion may show an opening where function buttons may be accessed to control, for example, sound, air conditioner … … the opening may be covered by another glass plate, which may be openable (e.g., by a sliding movement). However, in another embodiment of the present invention, the function buttons placed into the trim component may be replaced with touch functions, thereby inhibiting unsightly function buttons that would normally protrude from the center console. In this particular embodiment, this decorative element presents some holes for the example storage compartment or for the cup holder system.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the upper trim element extends to the dashboard and integrates the display panel into such a GPS, CD/audio player screen … ….

According to an embodiment of the invention, the moving core 101 of the mold 100 may comprise a second moving core 115 to help handling the glass when the carrier plate 106 is provided with an opening (e.g. for a display). As a mechanical means, a second moving core 115 is provided to impart a complex shape (different radii of curvature at different regions) to the glass panel. The second moving core 115 may be guided by mechanical (e.g. spring), hydraulic or pneumatic means.

According to one embodiment of the invention, as shown in fig. 2, a carrier plate 106 having a shape according to the final desired shape of the decorative element is provided on the moving core 101 of the mold 100. The carrier plate 106 may have a first region 110 which is flat or has a first curvature and a second region 111 which has a second curvature. According to this embodiment, the vehicle trim such as the instrument panel has a complicated shape. In order to cold-bend the glass panel 107 to be fixed to the carrier plate 106 to form the vehicle trim element, the glass panel 107 is processed inside the mould 100 by means of a cavity 103 of the mould 100, for example with a vacuum cup 113. The vacuum cup 113 may be used to hold the glass panel 107 and fix the glass in its final shape, as shown in FIG. 2. Conventional vacuum systems similar to thermoforming vacuum forming systems may also be used to form the glass accordingly. The mold cavity 102 is a mold cavity for injecting a soft material according to the invention between the carrier plate 106 and the glass panel 107. According to this embodiment, the moving core 101 may be provided with a second moving core 115, as previously described in the case of the carrier plate 106, and the glass panel 107 is provided with an opening. The cavity of the mold 100 may be provided with a moving core 104 to handle the glass panel and to facilitate bending of glass panels having complex shapes. The cavity 102 may be provided with a moving core 104 to bend the glass panel in the second region 117. The second moving core 104 moves toward the moving core 101. The moving core 101 provided with the carrier plate 106 is moved towards the cavity 102 of the mould 100 so that the carrier plate 106 is in contact with the glass panel 107. The pressure applied between the moving core 101 and the cavity 102 allows the first region 116 of the glass panel to be cold bent as shown in fig. 3. The glass panel 107 is fixed to its shape by the vacuum cup 113. The movement 104 of the cavity 102 of the mould 100 is then directed downwards towards the moving core 101 to bend the second region 117 of the glass panel 107, as shown in fig. 4, so as to give the final shape of the glass panel 107 on the carrier plate 106.

As shown in fig. 5b, once the final shape of the vehicle trim element 1 is completed, a soft material 120 is injected between the carrier plate 106 and the glass panel 107 by means of an injection unit 114 provided in the cavity 102 of the mold 100 to fix the vehicle trim element 1. The soft material 120 is, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or polyurethane or any material suitable for injection molding. The carrier plate may be provided with a recess on its side intended to be in contact with the glass panel, which recess is filled with a soft material to perform the adhesion/fixing of the glass panel to the carrier plate.

Once the soft material 120 is injected between the glass panel 106 and the carrier plate 106, the mold 100 opens to release the vehicle trim element 1, as shown in fig. 5 b.

Fig. 6 shows an exploded view of the glass panel 106 and the carrier plate 106 prior to assembly. The carrier plate 106 comprises a first region 110, a second region 111 and a third region 112. The three regions have different radii of curvature, determining the complexity of the shape of the decorative element and more particularly of the bending of the glass panel 107 also having the first, second and third regions 116, 117, 118.

Fig. 7 shows a cross section of a vehicle trim element comprising a carrier plate 106 assembled to a glass panel 107 with a soft material 120.

According to the invention, the carrier plate may be made of any material as described above. The glass panel may comprise soda lime and/or aluminosilicates. The glass panel may be chemically strengthened and/or thermally strengthened. The thickness of the glass panel may be at least 0.01mm and/or at most 2 mm. The soft material may be made of any material as described above. The decorative element may be of simple or complex shape, requiring the components in the mold to bend the glass panel (carrier panel) according to the different specifications required by the automotive manufacturer.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a trim or decorative element may be present in the interior of a motor vehicle, in particular an automobile, as a door handle profile, door panel, decorative element of the instrument panel, seat back … …

According to another embodiment of the invention, the functional part can be managed directly from the decorative element by means of providing the "touch function" of the touch panel. Thus, the decorative element made of glass plates can aggregate different functions around the electronic components and vehicle control information, connections, touches, displays and audio. Thus, the upper portion of the center console may be made of a glass plate in a larger portion of the upper portion of the center console, without aesthetic buttons for controlling, for example, audio control volume and on/off, engine start/stop systems, head-up display control systems, glazed openings, display system controls allowing information in the automobile to be displayed cyclically on different glass panels, SMART glazed controls, and the like. According to this embodiment, the touch panel may be curved to improve the ergonomic conditions for the driver/passenger (viewing adaptation and glare related issues). The cavity on the decorative element may be treated to provide tactile feedback on the flat glass plate for simple detection of the touch sensor (for driver safety reasons).

According to another embodiment of the invention, some lighting devices, e.g. OLEDs, LEDs, special glass paint/enamel backings may be integrated into the center console or on the edge thereof. A polycarbonate plate may be provided behind the glass trim element to better scatter light.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the decorative element is made of a glass plate extending from the rear of the console body to the dashboard, in which a plurality of openings are arranged in order to provide access to the functional parts. Such an opening may be covered by an openable glass plate.