Vehicle interior panel with sealed perforations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018162293-A1
Application number	US-201615379189-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 14, 2016
Publication date	Jun 14, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle interior panel includes a foam layer formed from a liquid foam precursor between a substrate and a visible decorative skin layer that has perforations formed therethrough. In some cases, the perforations are associated with a line of stitching sewn into and through the skin layer. A sealing film is located beneath the skin layer in the perforated region to prevent the liquid foam precursor from leaking through the perforations during foam formation. The sealing film extends beyond the perforated region and into a non-perforated region, in some cases extending substantially over the entire back side of the skin layer. In this manner, the edges of the sealing film do not cause visual blemishes on the visible surface of the decorative skin layer over time.

First claim

1 . A vehicle interior panel, comprising:
a substrate; a skin layer having a decorative side that faces away from the substrate and is exposed to an interior of a passenger cabin when the panel is installed in a vehicle; a plurality of perforations formed through the skin layer at a perforated region of the skin layer; a foam layer formed between the substrate and the skin layer; and a sealing film disposed between the foam layer and the skin layer, the sealing film being continuous along the entire perforated region of the skin layer and extending beyond the perforated region and into a non-perforated region of the skin layer.

2 . A vehicle interior panel as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a line of stitching formed along the skin layer, the line of stitching comprising thread that passes through needle holes formed through the skin layer, wherein the plurality of perforations comprises the needle holes and the sealing film is disposed between the thread and the foam layer.

3 . A vehicle interior panel as defined in claim 2 , wherein the sealing film comprises one or more edges defining a perimeter of the sealing film and none of the edges are parallel with the line of stitching.

4 . A vehicle interior panel as defined in claim 2 , further comprising a second line of stitching formed along the skin layer, the second line of stitching being non-parallel with the other line of stitching and comprising thread that passes through needle holes formed through the skin layer, wherein the plurality of perforations further comprises the needle holes along the second line of stitching and the sealing film is disposed between the thread and the foam layer.

5 . A vehicle interior panel as defined in claim 2 , wherein the line of stitching lies along a curvilinear path along the skin layer, and the sealing film is free from wrinkles and thickness variations alongside the line of stitching.

6 . A vehicle interior panel as defined in claim 1 , wherein the sealing film extends along the skin layer to cover an entire portion of a back side of the skin layer that is directly opposite a portion of the decorative side of the skin layer that is visible when the panel is installed in the vehicle.

7 . A vehicle interior panel as defined in claim 1 , wherein the sealing film comprises one or more edges defining a perimeter of the sealing film and none of the edges lie directly opposite a visible portion of the decorative side of the skin layer.

8 . A vehicle interior panel as defined in claim 1 , wherein the sealing film covers a majority of a back side of the skin layer.

9 . A vehicle interior panel as defined in claim 1 , wherein the sealing film and the skin layer are coextensive.

10 . A vehicle interior panel as defined in claim 1 , wherein the sealing film is directly bonded to the skin layer via lamination with no interposed adhesive layer.

11 . A method of making a vehicle interior panel, comprising the steps of:
(a) disposing a liquid foam precursor material between a vehicle interior panel substrate and a decorative skin layer, wherein the decorative skin layer comprises a perforated region within which a plurality of perforations are formed through the skin layer; (b) sealing the perforations with a sealing film before step (a), wherein the sealing film is continuous along the entire perforated region and extends beyond the perforated region and into a non-perforated region of the decorative skin layer; and (c) forming a foam layer between the substrate and the skin layer from the foam precursor material, wherein the foam precursor material undergoes volumetric expansion and is prevented from passing through the perforations by the sealing film.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein at least some of the perforations are needle holes that lie along a line of stitching formed along the skin layer before step (a).

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein at least some of the perforations are needle holes that lie along a second line of stitching formed along the skin layer before step (a), wherein the lines of stitching are non-parallel.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the line of stitching lies along a curvilinear path along the skin layer, and the sealing film is free from wrinkles and thickness variations along the line of stitching.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the sealing film extends along the skin layer to cover an entire portion of a back side of the skin layer that is directly opposite a visible portion of the decorative side of the skin layer.

Assignees

• Faurecia Interior Systems Inc

Inventors

• Kusky Bradley

Classifications

• B32B5/20

  foamed in situ · CPC title

• B32B3/14

  characterised by a face layer formed of separate pieces of material {which are juxtaposed side-by-side (B32B5/02 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B29K2509/08

  Glass · CPC title

• B29K2105/20

  Inserts · CPC title

• B32B2250/04

  4 layers · CPC title