Patent Application
20050168015
The present invention relates to vehicular interior trim components of a vehicle, and in particular to a headliner with at least one integrally-molded energy distribution zone for head impact situations.
Conventional headliner assemblies may include safety features. In one example, countermeasures, such as, for example, crush zones, may be tooled and then glued to a headliner substrate. The crush zones enhance the headliner by providing additional material, which is typically formed into a pyramid- or diamond-shape, to increase a thickness of the headliner. After the glue has cured and the crush zones are secured to the headliner substrate, a decorative fabric may be stretched over the adhered crush zones and headliner substrate.
Although adequate for most situations, conventional headliners with glued-on crush zones increases cost of the headliner as a result of having to tool and attach the crush zones to the headliner substrate. Additionally, crush zones in the shape of a pyramid or diamond tend to effectively manage energy when the force is applied in only one direction, such as, for example, in a generally perpendicular direction with respect to the crush zone of the headliner. However, in an accident situation, the headliner may be impacted from a variety of different directions. Thus, a need exists for an interior trim component, such as a headliner, with improved energy distribution zones, while also reducing and/or maintaining manufacturing costs.
The inventors of the present invention have recognized these and other problems associated with vehicular trim components. To this end, the inventor has developed a vehicular interior trim component, such as a headliner. The headliner includes a core having an exterior surface with at least one integrally-molded energy distribution zone. A method of manufacturing the headliner is also disclosed.
The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring initially to
As seen in
Referring to
The channels 52 are also not limited to having constant amplitude, which is referenced from thickness T1, T2, or a constant period, P. For example, the amplitude may vary continuously throughout the zone 50 such that peaks 54 may be recessed below the dashed line, D, or, alternatively, the peaks 54 may extend past the dashed line, D. Additionally the frequency of each peak 54 may vary by lengthening the period, P, or shortening the period, P. Also, each peak and valley may have variable designs by varying the corner radii, r1, r2. According to one embodiment of the invention, the thicknesses T1, T2 may be approximately equal to 7.00 mm and 14.00 mm, respectively, and the corner radii, r1, r2 may be approximately equal to 5.00 mm each. Although the preferable embodiment of the invention has been described with sinusoidal periods, P, and each zone 50 is not limited to be a sinusoidal period, P, and may be, if desired, any shape including, but not limited to, for example, flattened or pointed periods, P.
Referring now to
As seen in
In addition to the advantages described above relating to the distribution of the load, F, the channels 52 are preferable to maintain consistency of the final form of the headliner 10a-10f once the manufacturing process is completed. The manufacturing process of the headliner 10a-10f includes inserting a covering layer, such as a film 150, over a mold half (not shown). Then, a core 175, such as a urethane material, is foamed over the film 150. Next, another layer of film 125 is applied to the exterior surface 25 of the core 175. Then, the mold is closed, allowing the core 175 to expand between the films 125, 150. Next, the molded headliner 10a-10f is removed from the mold tool with the films 125, 150 adhering to the core 175. Because of the core 175 being made of urethane material, the core 175 may form a substrate of the headliner 10a-10f. A decorative covering layer (not shown) may be applied to the film 125 to form an A-surface of the molded headliner 50, 100 exposed to the passengers of the vehicle. When installed in the vehicle, the film 150 may form the B-surface positioned adjacent the roof (not shown) of the vehicle. It will be appreciated that the headliner 50, 100 can include additional layers of material as contemplated by one skilled in the art.
The consistency of the headliner 10a-10f is maintained by integrally molding the zones 50, 100 with the headliner 10a-10f during the manufacturing process described above, rather than adhering conventional crush zones to a substrate or core material. Additionally, the sinusoidal patterns of the integrally-molded zones 50, 100 maintains each film 125, 150 disposed over the upper and lower mold halves because the flow pattern of the foamed urethane 175 flows with the shape of the mold tool cavity that defines the zones 50, 100. If the zones 50, 100 comprise flattened or pointed surfaces, the flow pattern of the foamed urethane 175 may undesirably punch through the A-surface film 125 at a sharp point of the cavity defining the zone 50, 100. One technique that may be used to manufacture the headliner 10a-10f is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,796, entitled, “Spray Urethane Method Of Making A Headliner Assembly,” to Kornylo et al., which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. As a result, each zone 50, 100 not only increases the thickness of the headliner 10a-10f without having to adhere additional countermeasures, but the manufacturing cycle time and cost is maintained by integrally and locally molding the zones 50, 100 with the headliner core 175.
It should be understood that the aforementioned and other various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that the method and apparatus within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.
