A headliner for automobiles which uses natural fibres is the subject of US Patent 5 942 321, which is assigned to Findlay Industries (Ohio, USA). Headliners have three principal functions: (1) they reduce noise; (2) they provide a soft surface to minimise possible head injuries; (3) they provide thermal insulation. A headliner must be able to conform to the shape of the vehicle's roof, as well as being sufficiently rigid to hold its shape when mounted in the passenger compartment. The proposed liner replaces glass fibre with natural fibres such as jute, sisal and kenaf. These fibres are chopped to a suitable size and then deposited on a conveyor to form a web with a weight of about 75 - 80 gsm. This light web is sprayed with an adhesive, preferably a latex-type, to form a mat that is prevented from agglomerating. A sheet of polyurethane foam is partially saturated with polyurethane adhesive and sandwiched between two layers of the fibre sheet. Next, a layer of decorative material is applied and flame bonded to a thin polyurethane foam layer. An adhesive sheet is fed between the layers of saturated polyurethane and thin foam. Finally, a polyester web is applied as a backing as this will provide a good bonding surface for the Velcro-type patches that will serve to hold the liner in position in the compartment of the vehicle.
Headliner exploits natural fibres
Autohimmel aus Naturfasern
High Performance Textiles ; Apr ; 3-4
2000
2 Seiten
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Englisch
Online Contents | 1994
Online Contents | 1994
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