Ford Motor Company Limited

Willibald Zimmermann

Heinz Wessel

Klaus Hartmann

An interior trim component 1 for a motor vehicle comprises a base 2 of a fibrous base material of approximately 80% wood fibers and approximately 20% synthetic resin fibers, which is compressed and consolidated by the action of pressure and heat into the desired shape. Padding and/or a fabric insert 5 may be placed over selected areas of the surface of the base 2 and a sheet 7 of plastic material is bonded over the whole of the visible side of the base 2, the parts of the plastic sheet 7 overlying the insert 5 having a continuous impressed separation so that they may be removed. The fibrous base material which is in the form of fibrous fleece mats of approximately 20 to 30 mm thickness is consolidatd in a hot-pressing shaping tool at 4000 N/M.sup.2 and approximately 200.degree. C. to a final thickness approximately one tenth the initial thickness, but is consolidated to a lesser extend in selected surface areas 4 to produce a greater final thickness between one fifth and two fifths the initial thickness, so as to provide a cushioning effect.

Apparatus for producing interior trim component for a motor vehicle

An interior trim component 1 for a motor vehicle comprises a base 2 of a fibrous base material of approximately 80% wood fibers and approximately 20% synthetic resin fibers, which is compressed and consolidated by the action of pressure and heat into the desired shape. Padding and/or a fabric insert 5 may be placed over selected areas of the surface of the base 2 and a sheet 7 of plastic material is bonded over the whole of the visible side of the base 2, the parts of the plastic sheet 7 overlying the insert 5 having a continuous impressed separation so that they may be removed. The fibrous base material which is in the form of fibrous fleece mats of approximately 20 to 30 mm thickness is consolidated in a hot-pressing shaping tool at 4000 N/M.sup.2 and approximately 200.degree. C. to a final thickness approximately one tenth the initial thickness, but is consolidated to a lesser extent in selected surface areas 4 to produce a greater final thickness between one fifth and two fifths the initial thickness, so as to provide a cushioning effect.

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Cologne, Germany

Willibald Zimmermann