Kasai Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Sadao Morishita

Hirokiyo Morita

Katsuji Ueki

Masamitsu Matsuki

Zenzo Fujita

An automotive interior component consisting of a resin core member and a surface skin member is fabricated by giving an approximately final shape to the surface skin member before mold press forming the resin core member with the surface skin member placed in the cavity of the die assembly for the mold press forming. Since the surface skin member is given with an approximately final shape in advance, even the most stretched part of the surface skin member would not break or wrinkle during the step of attaching the surface skin member to the resin core member as the latter is being molded.

Method for fabricating automotive interior components

A method for fabricating an automotive interior component. The automotive interior component consists of a laminated structure comprising a resin core member having a certain rigidity, a high density polyurethane foam layer, and a soft surface skin member. Since the high density polyurethane foam is bonded over the reverse surface of the surface skin member which is typically lined by a soft foam layer for giving a soft feel, it is possible to bond the surface skin member over the resin core member at the same time as mold press forming the resin core member from semi molten resin owing to the heat insulation and barrier capabilities of the high density polyurethane foam layer. Since the conduction of heat from the semi molten resin to the soft foam layer of the surface skin member is avoided, and the press pressure is mitigated so that the collapsing of the foam layer during the press molding process is prevented. The present invention further offers the advantage of simplifying the fabrication process by thus accomplishing the bonding of the surface skin member over the resin core member and the mold press forming of the resin core member at the same time as a single step.

A method for manufacturing automotive interior component parts, including the steps of: positioning a skin layer, having a back liner cushioning layer, on a mold surface of an upper mold with the cushioning layer facing downward; extruding a sheet of semi-molten thermoplastic resin material serving as a core layer directly onto a mold surface of a lower mold; clamping together the upper and the lower mold in such a manner that the core layer and the skin layer are bonded together with the cushioning layer interposed therebetween. Since the core material is sufficiently soft when it is bonded to the skin layer and the cushioning layer provides a buffer for the press pressure and a barrier against the infiltration of the soft core material, the skin layer is given with a very smooth surface even when it is made of porous material such as fabric. Additionally, since the core material is directly extruded onto a core surface, the pressure and the temperature involved the press forming process may be low.

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Kanagawa-ken, Japan

Sadao Morishita