Interior paneling component for a motor vehicle

    公开(公告)号:US12005680B2

    公开(公告)日:2024-06-11

    申请号:US13309439

    申请日:2011-12-01

    申请人: Rainer Ankele

    发明人: Rainer Ankele

    摘要: The present invention relates to a molded part, in particular, to an interior panel component for a motor vehicle, having a core layer comprising a mixture of natural or synthetic fibers and thermoplastic binding fibers, which are processed to form a nonwoven, and a thermoplastic cover layer, the core layer and the cover layer being fused together and the cover layer being such that the molded part has a visible surface, which is terminated by the cover layer, the visual appearance of the visible surface being at least shaped by the fibers of the core layer. The present invention furthermore relates to the manufacturing of a molded part in which the nonwoven of the core layer is warmed and pre-compressed in a contact heater, and the compressed nonwoven, together with the cover layer is introduced into a mold and recast.

    System and method of manufacturing fiber based articles with steam molding

    公开(公告)号:US11975475B2

    公开(公告)日:2024-05-07

    申请号:US17547362

    申请日:2021-12-10

    摘要: In an example method, a NWM molding blank, including a non-woven material held in compression by a binder, is placed in a separable mold, and heated to a melting temperature of the binder. The molding blank expands, forming as an intermediate NWM object a NWM molded object with a 3D geometric form. The intermediate NWM object is cooled through a temperature band with an upper boundary and a lower boundary, and further cooled to a solidifying temperature of the binder. The upper boundary is above the solidifying temperature and the upper boundary is lower than the binder melting temperature. While in the temperature band, the mold is separated, rendering accessible an exposed surface of the intermediate NWM object. The object is then transported to a contoured forming surface of a forming base, by an actuatable arm having an end effector gripping the exposed surface via vacuum suction, lifting the object from the mold and placing the object on the contoured forming surface. Optionally, the end effector contact surface includes a final forming feature. The actuatable arm compresses the intermediate NWM object against the contoured forming surface, and the optional end effector final forming feature and continues compressing until cooling to the solidifying temperature.