The present invention relates to a panel for a vehicle. The present invention relates particularly to a panel for a vehicle formed from sound absorption materials. The present invention relates more particularly, to a composite panel formed from sound absorbent materials that may include protective features for use in vehicle trim panels and headliners.
The panels used in a vehicle cabin generally require the proper combination of sound absorbing characteristics, thickness, hardness, density and airflow resistance to absorb and attenuate sound in a desired manner. Sound is energy in the form of waves of air pressure that are carried through the air and can be absorbed and attenuated, or reflected by various materials. Typically, a foam-like material will attenuate sound through viscous losses and a fibrous material will attenuate sound through the kinetic energy dissipation created by movement of the fibers. Some materials utilize a combination of both viscous and mechanical losses.
Trim panels utilized in the vehicle cabins are typically manufactured with a barrier adhesive film or other form of barrier which laminates a substrate material and a fabric or other material. The interface formed by the adhesive film barrier in addition to holding the several materials together also prevents staining of the panel due to activities of the occupants of the vehicle such as smoking. However, this barrier layer tends to limit the panel's acoustic properties and tends to reflect sound rather than absorb sound.
Further, such known panels typically provide for impact protection in the form of additional components on a back (e.g. outer) surface of the panel, and typically do not provide occupant protection features that are integrated within the sound absorbing features of the panels.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a panel having sound absorbing characteristics that can be molded to a desired shape for trim in a vehicle passenger compartment and the like. It would also be desirable to provide a panel having sound absorbing characteristics in which several materials are bonded together without forming a barrier to sound waves. It would be further advantageous to provide a panel with sound absorbing characteristics and higher bending strength. It would be further advantageous to provide a method of manufacturing a sound absorbing panel which allows the fabric layer to be bonded to a substrate layer during the molding process. It would be further advantageous to provide a sound absorbing panel that uses a porous adhesive to bind or otherwise couple the components of the panel. It would be further advantageous to provide a panel having sound absorbing characteristics that include occupant safety features integrated therein.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a panel for a vehicle having any one or more of these or other advantageous features.
There is provided a sound absorbing panel comprising a sheet composed of an elastomer binding agent and fibers. The sheet has a first side and a second side with each of the first and second side including a scrim layer. A fabric layer is bound to one of the first side and second side of the sheet with a porous adhesive.
There is also provided a sound absorbing panel comprising a sheet composed of an elastomer binding agent and fibers. The sheet has a first side and a second side with one of the first and second side including a scrim layer. The other of the first and second side includes a barrier layer. A fabric layer is bound to one of the first side and the second side of the sheet having the scrim layer with a porous adhesive.
There is also provided a sound absorbing panel comprising a sheet composed of an elastomer binding agent and fibers. The sheet has a first side and a second side with one of the first side and second side including a first scrim layer. The other side of the first and second side includes a barrier layer. A second scrim layer is bound to the barrier layer. A fabric layer is bound to the side of the sheet having the first scrim layer by a porous adhesive.
According to an embodiment of the present invention a substrate is provided for a sound absorbing panel, the substrate having an acoustic absorptive inner portion and an acoustic flow-resistive outer portion having a first layer on a first side of the inner portion and a second layer on a second side of the inner portion. The inner portion may include a foam material or a fibrous material and each outer portion may include a structural material having a weight generally in the range of about 200 to 1000 grams per square meter.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a sound absorbing panel is provided for a vehicle and includes a composite structure having a core portion and a first outer layer and a second outer layer. The core portion includes at least one of a sound absorbing material, an airbag device and an impact cushion material.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a composite panel for a vehicle is provided having an acoustic absorptive layer and at least one acoustic flow resistive layer, where the acoustic absorptive layer is one of a vertically lapped fibrous mat and a sheet comprising a plurality of cojoined beads.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a headliner panel for a vehicle is provided having a first layer comprising an acoustic flow resistive material coupled to a second layer comprising an acoustic absorptive layer coupled to a third layer comprising an acoustic flow resistive material, where the acoustic flow resistive material provides a plurality of air passages adapted to attenuate sound.
There is further provided a method of making a sound absorbing panel. The method comprises the steps of providing a substrate board composed of an elastomer binding agent and fibers, with the substrate board having a first side and a second side. Providing a fabric layer having a porous adhesive. Placing a scrim layer on the first side of the substrate board. Placing the fabric layer on the first side of the substrate board. Applying heat to the substrate board/fabric layer combination, wherein the fabric layer is bound to the substrate board. The substrate board/fabric layer combination is placed in a three-dimensional forming tool having two mating members wherein the sound absorbing panel is formed. Another embodiment of the method includes the step of placing a second scrim layer on the second side of the substrate board. A further embodiment of the method includes the step of placing a barrier layer on the second side of the substrate board and placing a second scrim layer on the barrier layer.
There is further provided an embodiment of a method of making a sound absorbing panel. The method comprises the steps of providing a substrate board (or sheet) composed of an elastomer binding agent and fiber, with the substrate board having a first side and a second side. Providing a film adhesive layer. Placing the film adhesive layer on the first side of the substrate board. Moving the substrate board/film adhesive layer combination through a hot roll process at a pre-selected speed, temperature and pressure, wherein the film adhesive layer is bonded to the substrate and becomes an open, porous adhesive layer. Another embodiment of the method includes applying a web adhesive to the substrate board prior to moving through the roller.
a is a partial cross-sectional diagram of a prior art panel illustrating the fibers extending from the edge of the panel sheet.
b is a partial cross-sectional diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a sound absorbing panel after being processed by the method and apparatus illustrated in
The following description of preferred and other exemplary embodiments is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application or its uses. Moreover, while the preferred and other exemplary embodiments describe a panel having sound absorbing properties and occupant protective features configured to operate with a vehicle, the following description is intended to adequately teach one skilled in the art to make and use the panel for other applications.
Referring to the figures,
Referring to
Core portion 52 may be made of any suitable material composition and structure that has sound attenuation or sound absorbing properties. According to one preferred embodiment, core portion comprises a thermo-formable foam material (e.g. polyurethane, polyethylene, etc.) having an open cell construction. According to another preferred embodiment, core portion 52 comprises a fibrous material that is vertically lapped to form a lightweight web with the fibers oriented in a vertical direction (i.e. in the direction of the thickness of the core portion) such as, for example, a “fan-folded” configuration to provide improved “crushability” and permeability for sound waves. According to another preferred embodiment, the core portion may comprise high-loft thermoplastic fibers (e.g. polyethylene terethalate (PET) fibers, etc.) in a vertically lapped or cross lapped configuration, and a mix of different denier fibers as well as binder fibers, at a weight in a range of approximately 300 to 500 grams per square meter (gsm). According to any preferred embodiment, the core portion may comprise other fiber materials, such as glass, graphite, natural fibers or a mixture thereof. The core portion may also have fibers configured in any suitable form to provide a mat or layer, such as vertically lapped, horizontally lapped, cross lapped, or an extruded fiber mat (e.g. geo-textile, etc.). According to another preferred embodiment, the core material may comprise beads made from polypropylene (or other suitable material) having an coating (e.g. elastomer, adhesive, etc.) that adheres the beads generally into a form suitable for use in the core portion (e.g. sheet, pad, cushion, mat, etc.) at a series of contact points between adjacent beads to provide a core material having air passages to provide acoustic permeability, such as Brock Foam® or Brock Quilt® as are commercially available from Brock USA of Boulder, Colo. According to an alternative embodiment, the core portion may be made of a latex-bound PET material. According to other alternative embodiments the core portion may be formed of any suitable material that provides the desired sound attenuation characteristics.
Referring further to
Substrate 50 may be used in combination with any other suitable materials to form a sound absorbing panel, and may include any one or more of other components such as a fabric layer, scrim layer(s), and adhesive layer(s) (as shown schematically in
Referring to
Substrate 150 may include the airbag device in certain locations within the inner layer and a core material having acoustic absorption properties (as described in reference to
Referring to
Substrate 250 may include a cushion material having a composition (e.g. material and structure, etc.) having sound absorbing properties and may be provided in combination with another core material (at locations adjacent to or surrounding the cushion material) having acoustic absorption properties (as described in reference to
Referring now to
The fabric layer, 26 has a porous adhesive 28 which binds the fabric layer to one of the first side 18 and second side 20 of substrate 12. The adhesive can be pre-applied to the fabric. The fabric layer 26 typically is either a non-woven needle punched thermal plastic fiber material or a knit (woven) textile with a foam backing. Such foam backing can be a polyurethane. The porous adhesive may be similar to adhesive 25 and can be a web, a powder coating, a rotogravure applied coated substance, melt-blown, spunbound or the like consisting of thermoplastic polymers including, but not limited, to polyolefins, modified polyolefins, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, polyester and polyurethane.
The method described above can also include a step of placing a second scrim layer 30 on the second side 20 of the substrate board. Yet another embodiment includes a step of placing a barrier 32 on the second side 20 of the substrate board 16. With yet another embodiment including the step of placing second scrim layer 30 on the barrier layer 32 as illustrated in
There is also provided a method for making a sound absorbing panel 10 which includes the following steps. Providing a substrate board 16 composed of an elastomer binding agent 14 and fibers 15 with the substrate board 16 having a first side 18 and a second side 20. Also providing a film adhesive layer 32. Placing the film adhesive 32 on the first side 18 of the substrate board 16. The substrate board 16/film adhesive 32 combination is then moved to a hot roll process. The hot roll process is configured at a temperature, pressure and speed to bond the film 32 to first side 18 of the substrate 12 creating an open, porous adhesive layer on the substrate board 16. Typical values for such parameters are: Temperature should be in excess of the softening point of the adhesive (typically around 100° C.), Roller speed can be in the range of 1 to 10 meters per minute. Pressure can be varied as required by the design of the panel.
Another embodiment utilizes an adhesive that is a powder and is applied to the substrate board. A further embodiment provides a web-type adhesive applied to the substrate board 16 prior to processing by the nip roll process 40. Applicants believe that any of the above described processes result in a molded sound absorbing panel 10 which is more permeable and absorptive to sound. Because of the excellent flow resistance of the substrate board 16/fabric layer 26, the panel is able to effectively utilize an air gap (or absorber pad) behind the material to enhance absorption of sound.
Another embodiment of the method of making the sound absorbing panel 10 includes the step of beveling the edge 22 of the sheet 12 of the sound absorbing panel 10. In the prior art, as illustrated in
Conventional substrate sheets such as those purchased from Azdel, Inc.'s Superlite™ product use a colorant containing carbon black to color the material. It is understood that the main purpose of using the carbon black is to make the product non-white. Applicants have determined that the control of the concentration of the carbon black to a certain level will allow infrared heating to heat the material faster and with more control than if hot air or hot gas is utilized in the heating process. Applicants have determined that carbon black concentration in the range of 0.0000001 to 1.0% by weight is appropriate to enhance infrared heating of the material. The assignee of this application holds a patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,837) that claim carbon black concentration in the range of 0.0000081 to 0.0081% by weight but in a foam, such as a polyurethane material.
It should be apparent that there has been provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention a sound absorbing panel composed of components such as a substrate having binding agent (elastomer or thermoplastic) and fibers together with a fabric bound to the substrate by a porous adhesive, and a method for making the same. Another embodiment of the present invention also provides a sound absorptive panel comprising an acoustic absorptive core portion and an acoustic flow resistive layer(s). A further embodiment of the present invention also provides a sound absorptive panel having occupant protective features, such as, but not limited to an airbag or impact cushioning materials for a vehicle. A further embodiment of the present invention provides a scrim layer on one or both of a B side surface and a C side surface of a sound absorbing core material and may be adhered thereto by a porous adhesive. While the embodiments illustrated in the FIGURES and described above are presented to illustrate various embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that these embodiments are offered by way of example only. The invention is not intended to be limited to any particular embodiment but is intended to extend to various modifications and configurations. Such modifications and configurations will be apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art.
The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments unless otherwise indicated. In the claims, any means-plus-function clause is intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating configuration and arrangement of the preferred and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present inventions as expressed in the appended claims.
The following patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/125,013 titled “Inflatable Headliner System” filed on Apr. 18, 2002 (Attorney Docket No. 26032-3814). This specification claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/378,692 titled “Sound Absorbing Panel and Method” filed on May 8, 2002 (Attorney Docket No. 26032-4000); and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/432,424 titled “Panel For A Vehicle” filed on Dec. 11, 2002 (Attorney Docket No. 26032-4131); and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/450,112, titled “Panel For A Vehicle” filed on Feb. 25, 2003 (Attorney Docket No. 26032-4216), all of which are hereby incorporated by this reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US03/14317 | 5/7/2003 | WO | 11/5/2004 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60378692 | May 2002 | US | |
60432424 | Dec 2002 | US | |
60450112 | Feb 2003 | US |