阅读说明：本技术 用于制造可变特性的蒙皮的方法 (Method for producing a skin with variable properties ) 是由 索伦·鲁滕伯格 杰弗罗伊·塔佩 于 2020-04-03 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种用于由塑料材料制造蒙皮(1)的方法,该方法包括以下步骤：生产具有根据第一等级的特性的蒙皮(1)的第一部分(2)；生产蒙皮(1)的第二部分(3),该第二部分延伸第一部分(2),并且在与第一部分(2)接触的第一边缘上具有第一等级的所述特性,并且在与蒙皮(1)的第三部分(4)接触的第二边缘上具有第二等级的特性,该第三部分延伸第二部分(3)；以及生产具有第二等级的所述至少一个特性的蒙皮(1)的第三部分(4),生产步骤使用诸如3D打印的增材技术来进行。本发明还涉及一种通过这种方法获得的蒙皮(1)。(The invention relates to a method for producing a skin (1) from a plastic material, comprising the following steps: -producing a first portion (2) of the skin (1) having characteristics according to a first grade; -producing a second portion (3) of the skin (1) extending the first portion (2) and having a first level of said property on a first edge in contact with the first portion (2) and a second level of the property on a second edge in contact with a third portion (4) of the skin (1) extending the second portion (3); and producing a third portion (4) of the skin (1) having the at least one property of the second grade, the producing step being performed using an additive technique such as 3D printing. The invention also relates to a skin (1) obtained by such a method.)

1. A method for manufacturing a skin (1) from a plastic material, characterized in that: the method comprises the following steps: -producing a first portion (2) of the skin (1) having characteristics according to a first grade; -producing a second portion (3) of the skin (1) extending the first portion (2) and having the first level of properties on a first edge in contact with the first portion (2) and a second level of properties on a second edge in contact with a third portion (4) of the skin (1) extending the second portion (3); and producing the third portion (4) of the skin (1) having the at least one property of the second grade, the producing step being performed using additive technology.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic evolves between the first edge and the second edge in the second portion (3).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic comprises hardness, color, transparency, and/or surface condition.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the production of the first part (2) uses a first supply filament having the first grade of characteristics, the production of the third part (4) uses a second supply filament having the second grade of characteristics, and the production of the second part (3) uses the first supply filament and the second supply filament alternately.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the alternating is produced by alternating a first head supplied with the first filament and a second head supplied with the second filament.

6. The method according to claim 1, applied to the production of a skin (1) for a vehicle interior element.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the interior trim component is an instrument panel.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first portion (2) is rectangular, the second portion (3) is positioned on either side around the first portion (2), and the third portion (4) is positioned on either side around the second portion (3).

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first portion (2) is rigid and transparent, the third portion (4) is flexible and opaque, and the second portion has a gradation of at least one of the two characteristics.

10. A skin (1) made of plastic obtained by the method according to claim 1.

[ technical field ] A method for producing a semiconductor device

The present invention relates to the field of manufacturing skins for aesthetic treatment of surfaces, as used in the automotive or architectural field.

[ background of the invention ]

It is known to produce an instrument panel having a generally more rigid structure and to cover it with a skin that produces a finish. The skin, which is generally thinner, is more flexible. It makes it possible to introduce aesthetic effects (colour, gloss, etc.), tactile sensations (smooth, velvety feel, softness, particles, foam, etc.) or textures (appearance of wood, leather, snakeskin, etc.) that participate in both.

Depending on any item of equipment (luminous indicator, display, screen, etc.) that may be integrated into the dashboard, it may be necessary to change at least one characteristic of the skin. Thus, in the absence of equipment, the skin is advantageously opaque in order to hide the underlying structure. In contrast, consistent with a display, the skin is advantageously transparent. Likewise, in line with the screen, the skin is advantageously rigid in order to provide some protection to the screen, while the skin is preferably flexible elsewhere in order to combine with the generally curved shape of the structure.

Currently, such variations in characteristics necessarily result in the production of two distinct parts. A seam then inevitably occurs at the junction between the two parts and impairs the aesthetics of the whole.

Therefore, a solution is sought that makes it possible not to encounter this drawback.

[ summary of the invention ]

The principle of the invention consists in producing the whole in a single portion which gradually changes the composition of the material in order to have a variation of the characteristics within the same skin.

To this end, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing a skin from a plastic material, comprising the following steps: producing a first portion of skin having a characteristic according to a first grade; producing a second portion of the skin extending the first portion and having a first level of said property on a first edge in contact with the first portion and a second level of property on a second edge in contact with a third portion of the skin extending the second portion; and producing a third portion of the skin having the at least one characteristic of the second grade, the producing step being performed using additive technology such as 3D printing.

Specific features or embodiments that may be used alone or in combination are:

the characteristic evolves, preferably regularly, in the second portion between the first edge and the second edge;

the properties include hardness, color, transparency and/or surface state;

production of the first part uses a first supply filament (filament) having a first level of characteristics, production of the third part uses a second supply filament (filament) having a second level of characteristics, and production of the second part uses the first supply filament and the second supply filament alternately;

alternating by alternating a first head supplied with a first filament and a second head supplied with a second filament;

production of skins for application to vehicle interior elements;

application to the production of instrument panel skins;

the first portion is generally rectangular, the second portion is positioned on either side of the circumference of the first portion, and the third portion is positioned on either side of the circumference of the second portion;

the first portion is rigid and transparent, the third portion is flexible and opaque, and the second portion has a gradation (gradient) of at least one of the two characteristics.

The invention also relates to a skin made of plastic obtained by such a method.

[ description of the drawings ]

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, which is provided by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment obtained by the present invention; and

figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the skin of the embodiment of figure 1.

[ detailed description ] embodiments

The invention relates to a method for producing a skin 1 made of plastic. As illustrated in fig. 1, such a skin 1 can be positioned, for example, on the structure of an interior vehicle trim element so as to cover it and form a visible upper trim layer. The interior vehicle trim component is, for example, an instrument panel, a door panel, or a center console. The skin 1 is conventionally made of a plastic material, such as a thermoplastic like polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic olefin (TPO), Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) or any other equivalent, and the skin 1 is moulded to cover all or part of the structure.

The aim is to produce such a skin 1 in one piece. To this end, the skin 1 comprises a first portion 2. The first portion 2 has a first grade in view of the characteristics. The skin 1 also comprises a third portion 4 having a second grade in view of the same characteristics. The skin 1 further comprises a second portion 3, which adjoins the first portion 2 by means of a first edge or contour and adjoins the third portion 4 by means of a second edge or contour. In view of the same characteristics, the intermediate second portion 3 has a first rating on the first edge and a second rating on the second edge. Thereby, the second portion provides continuity with the characteristics of the first portion 2 and the third portion 4 at each of the two edges or contours.

The manufacturing method thus produces the skin 1 continuously in the following manner: during a first step, the first portion 2 is produced according to a first level of characteristics, during a second step, the second portion 3 is produced by starting according to the first level of characteristics and ending according to a second level of characteristics for the second edge, and during a third step, the third portion 4 is produced according to the second level of characteristics. These various steps may or may not be performed in sequence. For example, one part of a step may be performed, go to another part of another step, and then return to completing another part of the first step. The exact order of manufacture will be determined based on the desired product. Non-sequential production may be advantageous as it makes it possible to avoid defects.

The skin 1 obtained using the method of the invention is monolithic: the structure is without any interruption.

Between the first edge and the second edge of the second portion 3, the characteristic gradually evolves from a first level to a second level. The evolution is preferably regular.

The properties considered may be any of the properties of the plastic material used to produce the skin 1. As examples, the characteristic may be hardness, color, transparency, and/or surface state.

When the characteristic is color, the first level may be a first shade, e.g., white, and the second level may be a second shade, e.g., black. In this case, the first portion 2 is white, the third portion 4 is black, and the second portion 3 is white on its first edge shared with the first portion 2 and black on its second edge shared with the third portion 4. The second portion 3 also has a grey scale transition between its two edges.

When the characteristic is a hardness equivalent to its flexibility and/or pliability for a plastic material, the first scale may be a first hardness scale, e.g., rigid, whose hardness indicates and exemplifies a 95 shore hardness, and the second scale may be a second hardness scale, e.g., flexible, whose hardness indicates and exemplifies a 40 shore hardness (shore). In this case, the first portion 2 is rigid, the third portion 4 is flexible, and the second portion 3 is rigid on its first edge shared with the first portion 2 and flexible on its second edge shared with the third portion 4. The second portion 3 also has a gradual hardness change between its two edges. This is advantageous, since such a skin may thus comprise: a rigid portion (first portion 2) capable of protecting an item of equipment positioned below; a flexible portion (third portion 4) which can be combined with various shapes of the instrument panel; and an intermediate portion (second portion 3) having a transition which may or may not be gradual in terms of hardness between the two portions 2, 4, and most importantly without any cuts or breaks between the two portions 2, 4.

When the characteristic is opacity, the first level may be a first level of opacity, e.g., transparent (0% opaque), and the second level may be a second level of opacity, e.g., opaque (100% opaque). In this case, the first portion 2 is transparent, the third portion 4 is opaque, and the second portion 3 is transparent on its first edge shared with the first portion 2 and opaque on its second edge shared with the third portion 4. The second portion 3 thus has, between its two edges, a gradual opaque transition zone which may be steep or gradual, but above all the second portion 3 ensures continuity of the skin 1 without interruption or breakage between the two portions 2, 4. Such a skin 1 is advantageous because it makes it possible to produce: a window (first portion 2) through which items of equipment located under the skin can be seen; a cover (third portion 4) that hides the components that lie underneath them and remains in the monolithic skin 1.

When the property is a surface condition, the first level may be a first texture, e.g., smooth, and the second level may be a second texture, e.g., grooved or snakeskin or particle-containing. In this case, the first portion 2 is smooth, the third portion 4 is particle-containing, and the second portion 3 is smooth on its first edge shared with the first portion 2 and particle-containing on its second edge shared with the third portion 4. The second portion 3 also has an abrupt or gradual change in grain size between its two edges. This is advantageous because such a skin can thus comprise areas of different texture within the same monolithic skin 1, which has no cuts or breaks between the two portions 2, 4.

Obviously, different characteristics can be mixed deliberately, with or without spatial overlap.

In order to produce such a skin 1, and above all to produce characteristic variations within the same skin 1, the production steps are advantageously carried out using additive techniques such as 3D printing. Thereby, the characteristics can be changed by changing the material used for printing according to the portion of the skin 1 to be printed. Thus, by selecting a first material having a first level of properties, the first portion 2 may be printed. By selecting a second material having a second grade of the same property, the third portion 4 can be printed.

It should be ensured that the first and second materials are compatible so as to be able to mix with each other during the 3D printing process. Thus, the first material and the second material can be mixed by changing their respective proportions to produce the second part 3. Thus, for printing the second portion 3 near the first edge, the method uses 100% of the first material and 0% of the second material, and for printing the second portion 3 near the second edge, the method uses 0% of the first material and 100% of the second material. Between the two edges, the printing of the second portion 3 uses a variable ratio of 100-X% of the first material and X% of the second material according to the selected spatially-evolving profile, X varying from 0 to 100 between the two edges.

There are several types of 3D printers. All of these types can be used to carry out the present invention. Thus, it is possible to distinguish a filament printer from a freeform modeling printer without tools after the material has been melted according to the Aboberg (Arburg) Plastic free Forming (AFP) method. Without limiting the scope of the invention, the remainder of the description assumes the use of a filament printer.

The 3D printer is usually supplied with material obtained in the form of a spool of filament made of homogeneous material. A first supply filament having a first grade characteristic and a second supply filament having a second grade characteristic are advantageously used. Thus, the production of the first part 2 is conventionally done by using a first supply filament, whereas the production of the third part 3 is conventionally advantageously done by using a second supply filament.

The production of the second part 3 requires the possibility of mixing the two materials in order to vary their respective proportions.

This mixing is accomplished by alternating the two materials using two print heads. The first head is supplied with a first filament and the second head is supplied with a second filament. By alternating the use of the heads during printing of the material, a desired proportion of mixing is achieved. The respective duration of use of each head is determined according to the desired respective ratio of the two materials. Thereby, near the first edge, short-time use of the second material/second head intersects longer-time use of the first material/first head, so as to obtain a mixture comprising a high proportion of the first material. In contrast, near the second edge, the prolonged use of the second material/second head intersects the short use of the first material/first head, so as to obtain a mixture comprising a high proportion of the second material. Between the two edges, the respective lengths of the use vary, the use of the first material becoming shorter as the use of the second material becomes longer.

This manufacturing method is advantageously used for producing a skin of an interior trim element. Such a manufacturing method is preferably used to produce a skin intended to cover a decorative element containing an item of equipment (for example a screen), which skin is intended to cover said item of equipment at least partially (preferably entirely).

An exemplary application illustrating the advantages of the present invention will now be described with respect to fig. 1.

The skin 1 produced is intended to cover a dashboard incorporating a screen shown by a rectangle in the centre of the figure. The skin 1 produced is monolithic and covers at least part of the instrument panel, including the screen. The skin 1 has a first portion 2 conformed to the screen, which has rigid characteristics in order to protect the screen surface, and transparent characteristics in order to allow the screen to be seen. In contrast, in the third portion 4, the skin 1 is flexible so as to combine with the curved shape of the instrument panel, and is opaque so as to hide the instrument panel. In the second transition portion 3 positioned between the first portion 2 and the third portion 4, the hardness preferably varies continuously between the hardness (stiffness) of the first portion 2 and the hardness (flexibility) of the third portion 4. Also, the opacity preferably varies continuously between the opacity (transparent) of the first portion 2 and the opacity (opaque) of the third portion 4. Advantageously, the skin 1 according to the invention makes it possible to produce a single skin without any breaks or delimitations at the screen boundaries.

Here, if the two properties vary spatially uniformly, a mixture of two materials can be used: a first rigid and transparent material and a second opaque and flexible material.

The skin 1 of fig. 1 may also have variable surface state properties. Thereby, advantageously, the first portion 2, which coincides with the screen, has a surface that is as smooth as possible. Conversely, the particles in the second portion 3 may emphasize the outline of the screen and thereby facilitate its positioning by touch. In this embodiment, the first portion 2 is smooth and the third portion 4 is textured. The second portion 3 has, for example, a surface state that varies, preferably regularly, between the surface state of the first portion 2 (smooth) and the surface state of the third portion 4 (textured).

It appears that the arrangement of the first, second and third portions may be linear: 2. 3, 4, symmetrically reproduced: 4. 3, 2, 3, 4, or two-dimensional, as illustrated in fig. 1: a central first portion 2, a second portion 3 surrounding the first portion 2 and a third portion 4 surrounding the second portion 3.

The invention also relates to a skin 1 made of plastic obtained by a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

According to a preferred embodiment, the method according to the invention is used to produce a portion of the dashboard skin comprising a portion covering the screen and a portion covering the dashboard around the screen instead of covering the entire dashboard. This skin will then be used as an insert in conventional molding methods of instrument panel skins (such as spray coating, rotational molding, injection molding). This two-part production makes it possible to limit the use of 3D printing to the insert only, in order to reduce costs by using only the more expensive 3D printing method for one part of the skin and the cheaper conventional method for the remaining part of the skin.

This is illustrated in more detail in fig. 2. The central clear part 1 is the skin 1 made by 3D printing, while the grey part 5 is made by conventional processes. The portion 6 indicated with dashed lines depicts a cover 6 for protecting the portion 1 made by 3D printing during a conventional molding step.

Each of the first edge and/or the second edge may have any shape. Such edges may for example be curved or straight. Advantageously, the edges follow the lines of items of equipment positioned under the skin 1. Thus, in the illustrative case of a rectangular screen, substantially parallel straight edges are preferred.

The invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description. The description is to be regarded as illustrative in nature and is provided by way of example rather than by way of limitation. Many implementation variations are possible.

List of reference numerals

1: covering skin

2: the first part

3: the second part

4: third part

5: part of conventional manufacture

6: covering article