Method for producing a decorative element, which has a functional opening, for a motor vehicle, and decorative element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024399731-A1
Application number	US-202418806357-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 15, 2024
Priority date	Feb 16, 2022
Publication date	Dec 5, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for the manufacturing of a decorative element, includes a functional opening, for a motor vehicle, as well as a decorative element. The method includes a decoration blank that includes a visible side and an adhesive side, and an application material layer that includes an adhesive side and a lamination side. The decoration blank is cut through along a functional opening contour by a cutting element of a cutting machine, and a waste piece is removed, forming the functional opening. The application material layer is applied onto the decoration blank by the adhesive side of the application material layer and the adhesive side of the decoration blank is adhered with each other by an adhesive layer. The functional opening is filled with a filler material that reacts into a cured state, wherein it is at least partially translucent, at least partially transparent, completely transparent, or light-impermeable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for manufacturing a decorative element, including a functional opening, for a motor vehicle, the method comprising:
providing a decoration blank that includes a visible side and an adhesive side, and an application material layer that includes an adhesive side and a lamination side; cutting through the decoration blank along a functional opening contour using a cutting element of a cutting machine to form a waste piece, and removing the waste piece to form the functional opening; before or after the cutting through of the decoration blank: applying the adhesive side of the application material layer onto the decoration blank, and the adhesive side of the decoration blank and the adhesive side of the application material layer being adhered with each other by an adhesive layer; and filling the functional opening with a filler material that reacts into a cured state, in which it is at least partially translucent, at least partially transparent, completely transparent, or is light-impermeable.

2 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein before the cutting through of the decoration blank, a cutting aid layer is applied onto the visible side of the decoration blank, and the cutting aid layer is non-destructively releasable from the visible side.

3 . The method according to claim 2 ,
wherein for the cutting through of the decoration blank, a cutting depth is predetermined such that the cutting element cuts through the decoration blank completely, but the cutting aid layer is not completely cut through.

4 . The method according to claim 2 ,
wherein the cutting aid layer is non-destructively released from the visible side of the decoration blank, and the waste piece resulting from the cutting through of the decoration blank that is adhered to the cutting aid layer is removed.

5 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cutting through of the decoration blank is performed by laser cutting.

6 . The method according to claim 5 ,
wherein the laser cutting includes a plurality of cutting operations that are carried out successively or at least partially temporally overlapping one another.

7 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein for the cutting through of the decoration blank, the cutting element impinges onto the adhesive side thereof, and cuts in toward the visible side of the decoration blank, so that the decoration blank is completely cut through.

8 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein in a first functional opening contour section the cutting element impinges onto the adhesive side of the decoration blank parallel to a surface normal of the adhesive side.

9 . The method according to claim 8 ,
wherein in a second functional opening contour section the cutting element impinges onto the adhesive side of the decoration blank obliquely to a surface normal of the adhesive side.

10 . The method according to claim 8 ,
further comprising generating a second functional opening that forms at least one of a flow-permeable or a sound-permeable opening by the decoration blank being cut through by the cutting element along a second functional opening contour to form the waste piece, and the waste piece being removed, wherein during the filling of the functional opening with the filler material, at least one of the flow-permeable and the sound-permeable opening is at most partially filled with the filler material.

11 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the decoration blank is formed from two mutually separate decoration blank parts that are adhered together with the application material layer, an edge opening is formed between the mutually separate decoration blank parts, and a second functional opening is formed by the edge opening.

12 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein on the adhesive side of the decoration blank, a narrow channel element is formed by the material of the decoration blank being removed from the adhesive side of the decoration blank, without damaging the visible side, and with the forming of the narrow channel element, at least two elements of the decoration blank are fluidically connected with each other, the at least two elements include at least two of the functional opening and one or more of second functional openings, wherein during the filling of the functional opening with the filler material, the narrow channel element is filled with the filler material, and the at least two elements, fluidically connected by the narrow channel element, of the decoration blank are connected in with each other in a material bonded manner by the filler material.

13 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the filler material for the filling of the functional opening is provided in a liquid state, and the method includes producing during the filling of the functional opening, a material-bonded connection between the decoration blank and the filler material.

14 . The method according to claim 13 ,
wherein the application material layer and the adhesive layer are each fluid-permeable, and the method further comprises introducing the filler material from the lamination side of the application material layer into the functional opening by the adhesive layer and supersaturating the application material layer with the filler material so that the adhesive layer and the application material layer are flowed through by the filler material toward the visible side of the decoration blank, and on the adhesive side of the application material layer, the filler material exits from the adhesive side and flows in into the functional opening.

15 . The method according to claim 13 ,
wherein for the filling of the functional opening with the filler material, the method further comprises fixing the visible side of the decoration blank including the functional opening and a seal element against each other, the seal element sealing the functional opening against fluids on the visible side and against an escape of the filler material onto the visible side.

16 . The method according to claim 15 ,
further comprising applying a cutting aid layer onto the visible side of the decoration blank, the cutting aid layer is non-destructively releasable from the visible side and the cutting aid layer is used as the seal element.

17 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the adhesive layer and the application material layer are provided with an opening that corresponds with the functional opening, and the method comprises introducing the filler material into the functional opening through the opening.

18 . A decorative element for a motor vehicle, wherein the decorative element is produced by a method according to claim 1 , and includes the functional opening.

Assignees

• Draexlmaier Lisa Gmbh

Inventors

• Schlemmer Christian
• Paintner Linda
• Strasser Wolfgang

Classifications

• B60R13/02

  {Internal} Trim mouldings {; Internal} Ledges; Wall liners {for passenger compartments}; Roof liners (B60R13/01 takes precedence {; padded linings for the vehicle interior B60R21/04; arrangements or adaptations of floor mats or carpets in vehicles B60N3/04; internal lining for trains B61D17/18}) · CPC title

• B32B2605/003

  Interior finishings · CPC title

• B32B2451/00

  Decorative or ornamental articles · CPC title

• B32B2307/414

  Translucent · CPC title

• B32B2307/412

  Transparent · CPC title