Wind deflector and roller blind panel of an automobile and method for producing a functional element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11052735-B2
Application number	US-201615580219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2016
Priority date	Jun 11, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A method for producing a functional element of an automobile that can be folded and/or wound up, having the steps of providing a fabric that can be folded and/or wound up, arranging the fabric on an application table or in a casting tool in a level arrangement and molding at least one edge strip made of a polyurethane material to the fabric under atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, a wind deflector element of an automobile is provided to a roller blind panel of an automobile, each comprising a fabric that can be folded and/or wound up and that is provided with an edge strip made of a polyurethane material and forming an edge reinforcement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a functional element of an automobile that can be folded or wound up, comprising the steps of:
providing a fabric that can be folded or wound up;
arranging the fabric on an application table in a level arrangement;
molding at least one edge strip made of a polyurethane material to a level surface of the fabric under atmospheric pressure:
wherein the edge strip is formed by a dispensing head which applies the polyurethane material onto the fabric in a controlled manner; and
wherein the dispensing head, by means of which the edge strip is formed, is connected to a movement controller which defines a path of movement of the dispensing head during formation of the edge strip.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fabric is unwound onto the application table from a fabric roll and is provided with the edge strip while in an uncut state on the application table.

3. The method according to claim 1 , where after the edge strip has been molded on, the fabric is fed to a cutting unit and is cut along the edge strip.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the cutting unit is a die-cutting device.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fabric is cut before the edge strip is molded on.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein during molding, the polyurethane material permeates the fabric, thus forming the edge strip on both sides of the fabric.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the application table has a molding groove into which the polyurethane material flows.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the hardness of the edge strip is adjusted by adjusting the composition of the polyurethane material.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the edge strip is formed in such a manner that it has zones of different hardness.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polyurethane material flows without pressure from the dispensing head into a cavity of the casting tool.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polyurethane material is a casting resin.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the functional element that can be folded or wound up is a wind deflector element comprising a mesh material.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the functional element that can be folded or wound up is a roller blind panel of a roller blind arrangement.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the edge strip is a guiding element into which a constant force spring is embedded.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the edge strip is a beading for connecting the roller blind panel to a winding shaft or to a pull bar.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the edge strip is a winding core onto which the roller blind panel can be wound.

17. A method for producing a functional element of an automobile that can be folded or wound up, comprising the steps of:
providing a fabric that can be folded or wound up;
arranging the fabric on an application table in a level arrangement;
molding at least one edge strip made of a polyurethane material to the fabric under atmospheric pressure:
wherein the edge strip is formed by a dispensing head which applies the polyurethane material onto the fabric in a controlled manner; and
wherein the dispensing head, by means of which the edge strip is formed, is connected to a movement controller which defines a path of movement of the dispensing head during formation of the edge strip,
wherein the functional element that can be folded or wound up is a wind deflector element having zones of different hardness by forming the edge strip with a beading made of a hard component on each of a lower edge and an upper edge of the edge strip and a soft component connecting the upper edge and the lower edge.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the hard component has a hardness between 30 and 50 Shore D and the soft component has a hardness between 50 and 70 Shore A.

19. A method for producing a functional element of an automobile that can be folded or wound up, comprising the steps of:
providing a fabric that can be folded or wound up;
arranging the fabric on an application table in a level arrangement;
molding at least one edge strip made of a polyurethane material to the fabric under atmospheric pressure:
wherein the edge strip is formed by a dispensing head which applies the polyurethane material onto the fabric in a controlled manner; and
wherein the dispensing head, by means of which the edge strip is formed, is connected to a movement controller which defines a path of movement of the dispensing head during formation of the edge strip.
wherein the functional element that can be folded or wound up is a wind deflector element or roller blind panel having zones of different hardness by forming the edge strip with a beading made of a hard component on each of a lower edge and an upper edge of the edge strip and a soft component connecting the upper edge and the lower edge.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein during molding, the polyurethane material permeates the fabric, thus forming the edge strip on both sides of the fabric.

21. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the application table has a molding groove into which the polyurethane material flows.

22. A method for producing a functional element of an automobile that can be folded or wound up, comprising the steps of:
providing a fabric that can be folded or wound up;
arranging the fabric on an application table in a level arrangement;
molding at least one edge strip made of a plastic material to a level surface of the fabric under atmospheric pressure;
wherein the edge strip is formed by a dispensing head which applies the plastic material onto the fabric in a controlled manner; and
wherein the dispensing head, by means of which the edge strip is formed, is connected to a movement controller which defines a path of movement of the dispensing head during formation of the edge strip.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the plastic material is polyurethane.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the plastic material is elastic.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the application table has an exposed upper side.

26. A method for producing a functional element of an automobile that can be folded or wound up, comprising the steps of:
providing a fabric that can be folded or wound up;
arranging the fabric on an application table in a level arrangement;
molding at least one edge strip made of a plastic material to the fabric under atmospheric pressure;
wherein the edge strip is formed by a dispensing head which applies the plastic material onto the fabric in a controlled manner;
wherein the dispensing head, by means of which the edge strip is formed, is connected to a movement controller which defines a path of movement of the dispensing head during formation of the edge strip; and
wherein the functional element that can be folded or wound up is a wind deflector element having zones of different hardness by forming the edge strip with a beading made of a hard component on each of a lower edge and an upper edge of the edge strip and a soft component connecting the upper edge and the lower edge.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the hard component has a hardness between 30 and 50 Shore D and the soft component has a hardness between 50

Assignees

• Webasto SE

Inventors

• Wimmer Rudolf

Classifications

• B29C39/18 Primary

  incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. casting around inserts or for coating articles {(B29C39/206 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B29C39/30

  with means for cutting the article · CPC title

• B60J1/2041

  Blind sheets, e.g. shape of sheets, reinforcements in sheets, materials therefor · CPC title

• B29C39/006

  Monomers or prepolymers (by reaction injection moulding B29C67/246) · CPC title

• B29C31/045

  moving along predetermined circuits or distributing the material according to predetermined patterns · CPC title