Patent Application
20080073465
The invention relates to a multi-layer interior fitting component which is in particular suitable for use in an aircraft cabin, with a transparent surface layer consisting of a thermoplastic plastics material, as well as a method for producing an interior fitting component of this kind.
Panel-shaped elements which are currently used as interior fitting components in an aircraft cabin comprise a basic structure which is shaped as a side covering, door frame covering, ceiling covering or similar, according to the purpose of the interior fitting components, which structure is usually in the form of a sandwich/honeycomb structure and consists, for example, of a glass fibre material. A multi-layer decorative laminate is glued onto the basic structure.
The decorative laminate comprises a first layer consisting of a thermoplastic plastics film as well as an embossing layer which is applied to the first layer. An embossing layer is understood to be a layer which is dyed a desired colour, for example, and can receive an embossed surface structure on its surface which is facing away from the first layer. Finally, a surface layer which likewise consists of a thermoplastic plastics film is applied to the embossing layer. The decorative laminate can be joined to the basic structure by means of an adhesive film, for example, which is applied to a surface of the first thermoplastic film layer which is facing away from the embossing layer.
The panel elements which are currently used as interior fitting components in an aircraft cabin entail the problem of the decorative laminate only being of limited suitability for compensating for or concealing surface defects of the basic structure, in particular on account of the low elasticity or flexibility of the embossing layer. A time-consuming and labour-intensive and therefore expensive surface treatment of the basic structure is for this reason necessary before applying the decorative laminate. Moreover, it has become apparent that the surface of the panel elements which is formed by the decorative laminate is hard and brittle to the touch, so that contact may be experienced as cold and therefore unpleasant.
The object of the invention is to provide a multi-layer interior fitting component which is in particular suitable for use in an aircraft cabin, renders an expensive surface treatment of a basic structure or the use of a basic structure as a whole dispensable and the surface of which is pleasant to the touch.
In order to achieve this object, a multi-layer interior fitting component according to the invention which is in particular suitable for use in an aircraft cabin comprises a carrier layer consisting of a foam in addition to a transparent surface layer consisting of a thermoplastic plastics material.
The transparent surface layer of the interior fitting component according to the invention may consist, for example, of a transparent polyvinylidene fluoride film or polyvinyl fluoride film. A pattern applied by means of screen printing or digital printing can be printed onto the surface of the surface layer which faces the foam carrier layer. Furthermore, the surface layer has good cleaning properties as well as a high scratch resistance and is therefore particularly suitable as a protective layer for the carrier layer consisting of a foam.
The thickness of the carrier layer consisting of a foam can be adapted in accordance with the intended application of the interior fitting component according to the invention. It is therefore possible, in the case of an interior fitting component which is not subjected to an excessive mechanical load, to form the component as a self-supporting component and to dispense with the use of a basic structure, as is absolutely necessary in the case of the interior fitting components which are known from the prior art. Instead the carrier layer, which consists of a foam and is therefore very easy to shape, can be easily brought into the desired shape and joined to the transparent surface layer at the same time. Considerable savings in terms of costs and weight are as a result possible.
A further advantage of the interior fitting component according to the invention lies in the fact that the carrier layer consisting of a foam is distinctly softer than the embossing layer contained in the interior fitting components which are known from the prior art. The surface of the interior fitting component according to the invention is therefore softer to the touch (soft touch effect).
If the interior fitting component according to the invention is subjected to higher mechanical load, the interior fitting component is preferably provided with a stiffening structure which is joined to the carrier layer consisting of a foam. The stiffening structure enables the mechanical properties of the interior fitting component to be adapted to increased mechanical requirements, although still makes it possible to dispense with the basic structure which is absolutely necessary in the case of the interior fitting components which are known from the prior art.
However, as an alternative to this, it is also possible to provide the interior fitting component according to the invention with an additional basic structure, in which case the carrier layer, consisting of a foam, of the interior fitting component can then be applied to the basic structure by means of an adhesive film, for example. An interior fitting component according to the invention which comprises an additional basic structure has particularly good mechanical properties and can therefore be used to advantage in particular when the interior fitting component is subjected to particularly high mechanical load. In contrast to a brittle embossing layer which is used in the decorative laminate of a conventional interior fitting component, the carrier layer consisting of a foam enables surface defects of the basic structure to be compensated for and concealed on account of its flexibility. It is for this reason possible to dispense with an expensive surface treatment of the basic structure. Considerable savings in terms of costs are as a result possible.
The carrier layer, consisting of a foam, of the interior fitting component according to the invention is preferably dyed a desired colour. The carrier layer consisting of a foam can then perform the additional function of giving the interior fitting component according to the invention the desired aesthetic properties.
In a preferred embodiment of the interior fitting component according to the invention the carrier layer consisting of a foam also comprises a surface structure, which is preferably produced by embossing, on its surface which faces the transparent surface layer.
The foam carrier layer consists, for example, of a thermoplastic foam such as, e.g. polyvinylidene fluoride foam, polyvinyl fluoride foam, polyamide foam, polysulphone foam or polyphenyl sulphone foam. However, as an alternative to this, the carrier layer consisting of a foam may also be formed by a silicone foam layer.
The carrier layer consisting of a foam preferably has a density between 15 kg/m3 and 120 kg/m3. Generally speaking, the density of the foam carrier layer can be adapted to the desired application of the interior fitting component according to the invention. In the case of a component which is subjected to little mechanical load, a foam carrier layer of a low density is preferably selected in order to make the interior fitting component as lightweight as possible. On the other hand, in the case of a component which is subjected to higher mechanical load, it may be desirable to provide the interior fitting component with a foam carrier layer of a higher density in order to improve its mechanical properties.
The interior fitting component according to the invention may also comprise an intermediate layer which consists of a dyed thermoplastic plastics material and is disposed between the carrier layer consisting of a foam and the transparent surface layer consisting of a thermoplastic plastics material. Generally speaking, if an intermediate layer which consists of a dyed thermoplastic plastics material is used, it is not necessary to dye the foam forming the carrier layer. However, should this be desirable, for example in order to obtain special colour effects or similar, both a carrier layer consisting of a dyed foam and an intermediate layer consisting of a dyed thermoplastic plastics material can be used. A dyed polyvinylidene fluoride film or polyvinyl fluoride film can be used as the dyed thermoplastic intermediate layer, for example.
Additionally or alternatively to an intermediate layer consisting of a dyed thermoplastic plastics material, the interior fitting component according to the invention may also comprise an intermediate layer which consists of a dyed lacquer and is disposed between the carrier layer consisting of a foam and the transparent surface layer consisting of a thermoplastic plastics material. A dyed resin layer can be used as the lacquer intermediate layer, for example. The resin can then, for example, be applied to a thermoplastic plastics film forming the transparent surface layer and then joined to the carrier layer consisting of a foam at the same time as the film.
In a method according to the invention for producing a multi-layer interior fitting component a transparent surface layer consisting of a thermoplastic plastics material is provided and joined to a carrier layer consisting of a foam.
The carrier layer consisting of a foam can be dyed. It is also possible to provide the carrier layer consisting of a foam with a surface structure, preferably by embossing. The carrier layer consisting of a foam is then preferably joined to the transparent surface layer consisting of a thermoplastic plastics material so that the surface of the carrier layer provided with the surface embossing faces the surface layer.
An intermediate layer consisting of a dyed thermoplastic plastics material can be disposed between the carrier layer consisting of a foam and the transparent surface layer consisting of a thermoplastic plastics material.
Alternatively or additionally to this, an intermediate layer consisting of a dyed lacquer can also be disposed between the carrier layer consisting of a foam and the transparent surface layer consisting of a thermoplastic plastics material, in which case the lacquer intermediate layer can, for example, be applied to a thermoplastic plastics film forming the transparent surface layer and then joined to the carrier layer consisting of a foam at the same time as the film.
The carrier layer consisting of a foam and the transparent surface layer consisting of a thermoplastic plastics material can be joined together by hot-joining, welding or gluing. Should the interior fitting component according to the invention comprise an intermediate layer consisting of a dyed thermoplastic plastics material and/or an intermediate layer consisting of a dyed lacquer, these intermediate layers can likewise be joined to the respective layers adjacent to them by hot-joining, welding or gluing. If a gluing method is used to join two layers of the interior fitting component according to the invention, an adhesive film is preferably applied to a surface of a layer to be joined to an adjacent layer before this layer is joined to the adjacent layer.
In a particularly preferred method for producing an interior fitting component the carrier layer consisting of a foam and the transparent surface layer consisting of a thermoplastic plastics material are roll-treated by at least one profiling roll and joined together during rolling. The carrier layer and the surface layer are preferably passed through between two rolls disposed opposite one another and joined together during this rolling step by means of an adhesive layer, for example. The adhesive layer may be heated before rolling takes place.
If the interior fitting component which is to be produced is also to comprise an intermediate layer consisting of a dyed thermoplastic plastics material and/or an intermediate layer consisting of a dyed lacquer, it is of course also possible to join these layers to the foam carrier layer and/or the transparent surface layer by rolling with at least one profiling roll, optionally using appropriate adhesive layers.
The carrier layer consisting of a foam can easily be provided with the desired surface structure by rolling with at least one profiling roll. Regions of compressed foam are then obtained in the surface region of the carrier layer. Welding of the foam forming the carrier layer to the layer(s) applied to the carrier layer takes place during rolling, in particular in these compressed regions, so that a particularly good bond is produced here. In other words, the foam carrier layer can be provided with the desired surface structure in a single method step and joined to the layer(s) disposed on the carrier layer at the same time.
Depending on the intended application of the interior fitting component and, in particular, depending on the mechanical requirements to be met by the interior fitting component, the carrier layer consisting of a foam can be joined to a stiffening structure and/or a basic structure. For this purpose an adhesive layer, for example, can be applied to a surface of the carrier layer which is to be joined to the stiffening structure and/or the basic structure.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in detail in the following on the basis of the accompanying schematic drawings, of which
The carrier layer 14 consists of polyvinylidene fluoride foam or polyvinyl fluoride foam. Depending on the desired application of the interior fitting component 10 and, in particular, depending on the mechanical requirements to be met by this component, a polyvinylidene fluoride foam or a polyvinyl fluoride foam of a density between 15 kg/m3 and 120 kg/m3 can be used.
The polyvinylidene fluoride foam or polyvinyl fluoride foam forming the carrier layer 14 is dyed a desired colour and provided with a desired surface structure by embossing. The carrier layer 14 is joined to the surface layer 12 by welding.
Finally, an adhesive film 16 is applied to a surface of the carrier layer 12 which is facing away from the surface layer 12. The adhesive film 16 serves to join the interior fitting component 10 to a stiffening structure or a basic structure.
However, in contrast to the interior fitting component which is represented in
The interior fitting component 10 which is shown in
The interior fitting component 10 which is shown in
The different application possibilities of an interior fitting component 10 are illustrated in
However, as an alternative to this, it is also possible to use the interior fitting component 10 as a self-supporting decorative shell, as shown in
As shown in
In order to produce an interior fitting component 10 according to the method which is shown in
The carrier layer 14 is provided on its surface which faces the surface layer 12 with the surface structure represented in an enlarged form in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE 102006041787.9 | Sep 2006 | DE | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60824621 | Sep 2006 | US |
