JP4990730B2 - Vehicle body panel and vehicle equipped with the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle body panel and a vehicle including the same.

  Currently, hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles are attracting attention as vehicles that are friendly to environmental impacts, and development aimed at further miniaturization, weight reduction, and higher performance is being carried out daily by automobile manufacturers and automobile-related manufacturers. ing. Looking at these vehicles and other vehicles in general, a wood-based panel made of natural fibers or the like is used on part or all of the vehicle body panel for the purpose of reducing the weight of the vehicle and applying environmentally-circulating materials. The need to apply is increasing.

  For example, a conventional vehicle body panel (board), such as a roof panel, is composed of a sheet metal press plate on the vehicle exterior side and a roof lining on the vehicle interior side. In addition, since it has problems such as an unpleasant metal reverberation sound when it rains, the merit of substituting the above wood-based panel is immeasurable.

  However, there are various types of natural fibers, and if the wrong material is selected, the appearance (designability) of the vehicle may be impaired. It is also true that there are problems to be solved in the application of wood panels, such as a significant decline.

  By the way, Patent Document 1 discloses a crystalline resin composition containing a biodegradable crystalline thermoplastic resin material such as polylactic acid and particles made of a wood material. The biodegradability is maintained well and the crystallization performance is improved.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a biodegradable filter medium (filter) manufactured from kenaf fibers that are natural fibers and polylactic acid fibers that are plant-derived materials.

JP 2004-315577 A JP 2004-243233 A

  For example, by manufacturing the above-described vehicle body panel from the polymer fibers and natural fibers disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is possible to reduce the weight of the vehicle and to realize a vehicle with less environmental impact. However, the above-mentioned problems, i.e., improving the design of the vehicle, not lowering the rigidity of the vehicle, and reducing the uncomfortable noise during rain, still remain unsolved.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and can reduce the weight of the vehicle, reduce the environmental impact load, and further improve the design of the vehicle and reduce the rigidity of the vehicle. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle body panel capable of suppressing the above and a vehicle including the vehicle body panel in a part or all of the body.

  In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle body panel according to the present invention is a vehicle body panel having at least a three-layer structure, wherein the first layer and the third layer include at least a ramie fiber. And the second layer interposed between the first and third layers is formed from a second fiber mixed material in which kenaf fibers are further mixed with the first fiber mixed material. It is what.

  The vehicle body panel of the present invention is a panel having a multilayer structure formed by laminating a plurality of layers made of a mixture of natural fibers and resin fibers serving as a binder, and each layer has a rigidity-improving effect on the panel and is uncomfortable. By having a sound reduction effect, a designability-imparting effect, and the like, the panel has all of the panel rigidity and high designability and sound absorption. Needless to say, all of the panel materials used are environmentally recyclable materials and are lightweight.

  Here, for example, the first layer that forms the exterior surface of the vehicle and the third layer that forms the interior surface are formed from a first fiber mixed material containing at least ramie fibers in order to enhance design properties. Ramie fiber, which is a natural fiber, is a material that is glossy, has a small fiber diameter, is fine, has a high degree of alignment, and therefore can greatly contribute to the design of a vehicle. For example, by using a ramie fiber having a small diameter, it becomes possible to impart white and fine design. In addition, this ramie fiber has high strength (Young's modulus) among natural fibers, and is effective in ensuring the rigidity of the entire panel.

  Both the first and third layers are formed from the above-mentioned mixed material of ramie fibers and resin fibers. This resin is used to make the first and third layers extremely thin and integrated. It is preferable to use an aliphatic polyester fiber as the fiber, more preferably a polylactic acid fiber having a high melting point and excellent workability.

  The second layer interposed between the first and third layers is a layer for increasing the rigidity of the entire panel, and is a fiber obtained by adding kenaf fibers to the fiber material forming the first and third layers. It is formed from a mixed material.

  A kenaf fiber, which is a natural fiber, is also a material having extremely high strength among natural fibers and excellent in heat resistance. A panel having a three-layer structure in which the intermediate layer (second layer) having the kenaf fiber is sandwiched between the first and third layers can provide a highly rigid and highly heat-insulating panel. Kenaf fiber also has an internal structure with a large number of cavities in the form of a honeycomb, and because of this internal structure, it has sound absorption properties. For example, it has the effect of absorbing impact sound when rainwater falls on the panel. It is done. Furthermore, the effect of suppressing the transfer of color from the first layer as the exterior layer to the third layer as the interior layer is also obtained by the second layer having kenaf fibers.

  In addition, by adjusting the thickness of the second layer, required rigidity, sound absorption, and heat insulation can be imparted to the panel. Further, in some cases, a plurality of second layers having different combinations of mixed fiber materials, mixing ratios of materials, and the like may be formed between the first and third layers. Thus, a panel in which four or more layers are laminated is obtained.

  In another embodiment of the vehicle body panel according to the present invention, a bone member having a higher density than the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer is provided in the second layer. It is built in, and this bone member is formed from the 3rd fiber mixed material containing a kenaf fiber at least.

In this embodiment, a relatively high-density bone member (a rod-like main member extending in the longitudinal direction of the panel or a branch member extending further in the other direction from the main member) is formed in the second layer. The present invention relates to a panel for a vehicle body that is further improved in rigidity by incorporating a member. For example, when the first layer to the third layer have a density of 0.2 to 0.3 (g / cm ³ ), the density of the bone member is set to 1.0 (g / cm ^3). ) By setting as described above, a vehicle body panel with higher rigidity can be obtained.

  In another embodiment of the vehicle body panel according to the present invention, in the vehicle body panel, the first fiber mixture material is a mixture of ramie fibers and polylactic acid fibers in a weight ratio of 70:30. In the second fiber mixture material, kenaf fiber, ramie fiber, and polylactic acid fiber are mixed at a weight percentage of 35:35:30.

  According to the verification by the present inventors, the ratio of ramie fibers and polylactic acid fibers forming the first and third layers and the ratio of kenaf fibers, ramie fibers and polylactic acid fibers forming the second layer are as described above. By setting as described above, the first and third layers have a particularly good design property although the strength is slightly inferior due to the above-mentioned weight percent ramie fibers, and the second layer has particularly high strength due to the above-mentioned weight percent kenaf fibers. Has been identified.

  Here, the third fiber mixed material can be produced by mixing kenaf fibers and ligrin resin at a weight percentage of 60:40. This ligrin resin is obtained by mainly converting ligrin extracted from kenaf core or wood into an adhesive.

Further, according to the present inventors, the basis weight of each layer for imparting light transmittance to the panel and the thickness of each layer are set such that the basis weights of the first and third layers are about 100 g / m ² and the thickness is about 0.1 mm. It is also specified that it is preferable to set the weight of the second layer to about 1 mm, the basis weight of the second layer to about 450 g / m ² , and the thickness to about 2 mm. In addition, what is necessary is just to adjust the fabric weight and thickness of a 2nd layer to a value higher than the said numerical value, when the light transmittance is not requested | required of a panel.

  For example, when the roof of a vehicle is taken, the thickness of the panel differs depending on the portion of the roof. Therefore, by providing light transparency to the relatively thin panel, soft light can be inserted into the vehicle, and in combination with the design of the third layer as the interior layer, It can enhance the aesthetics and provide an excellent ride.

  In addition to being able to reduce the weight and reducing the environmental impact load, the vehicle body panel can be reduced to a part of or all of the vehicle body (roof, door, bonnet, etc.). It is possible to provide a vehicle having all of the following: ensuring the rigidity of the body, ensuring the heat insulation, and realizing high design inside and outside the vehicle. Further, by providing light transmittance to the vehicle body panel, the ride comfort in the passenger compartment can be made more comfortable.

  As can be understood from the above description, according to the vehicle body panel of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the weight of the vehicle including the panel and reduce the environmental impact load, and further to ensure the rigidity of the vehicle body and to provide heat insulation. Ensuring and high designability inside and outside the vehicle can be achieved.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are schematic views for explaining a state in which an embodiment of a roof panel comprising a vehicle body panel of the present invention is attached to a roof frame, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are vehicle body panels of the present invention. It is a perspective view of one embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, a state in which the vehicle body panel (panel) of the present invention is attached to the roof frame is illustrated, but the panel of the present invention is a vehicle part other than the roof, for example, a door, a bonnet, Of course, it can be applied to various parts such as a trunk. Moreover, although the vehicle body panel shown in the figure has a three-layer structure of first to third layers, it goes without saying that this may be a panel having a layer structure of four or more layers. Furthermore, the mixing ratio of the fiber material forming the first to third layers is not limited to the mixing ratio described below.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the roof panel 100 is formed by attaching the panels 10 and 10 ′ of the present invention to the frame forming the vehicle body C, more specifically, the roof frame F of the vehicle body. FIG. 5 is a diagram in which illustration of other parts of the vehicle is omitted. The panel 10 ′ is a thin panel compared to the panel 10, and the panels 10 and 10 ′ having different thicknesses are laid at appropriate positions on the roof frame F.

  The roof frame F is composed of a windshield header, a roof side inner, a rear head, a roof R / F, and the like. Panels 10 and 10 'are laid on the roof frame F at predetermined positions, respectively. It is fixed with adhesive or with a mechanical fastener.

  The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a form in which a plurality of panels 10 and 10 ′ are laid out in the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the roof frame F to form a roof panel 100. On the other hand, in the roof panel 100A shown in FIG. 2, a single panel having a length in the longitudinal direction of the roof frame F becomes the roof panel 100A as it is.

  FIG. 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of the panel 10 shown in FIG. In the panel 10, three fiber layers are integrally formed, and the fibers used are natural fibers or polymer fibers, and all are derived from plants. Note that the thin panel 10 ′ has the same configuration as the panel 10 although the thickness is different.

  First, both the first layer 1 that forms the exterior surface of the roof and the third layer 3 that forms the interior surface of the roof are mixed with a mixture of ramie fibers and polylactic acid fibers at a weight percentage of 70:30. Formed from material. Here, the ramie fiber is a perennial bast fiber of the nettle family, and a fiber diameter of about 40 μm can be used.

  The polylactic acid (PLA) fiber is a fiber made of polylactic acid, which is a thermoplastic plastic, and serves as a binder for bonding ramie fibers, which are natural fibers, and the like.

  Further, the second layer 2 interposed between the first layer 1 and the third layer 3 is a fiber mixed material in which kenaf fiber, ramie fiber and polylactic acid fiber are mixed at a weight ratio of 35:35:30. Formed from. Here, the kenaf fiber is a bast fiber of an annual plant of the genus Fuaceae, and a fiber diameter of about 100 μm can be used.

  Each layer is formed by forming the nonwoven fabric bodies of the first to third layers by opening the fibers constituting the fiber mixture materials of the respective weight percentages, and then heating and compressing the nonwoven fabric bodies. A hard board for each layer is formed.

  It is possible to manufacture a panel 10 (or panel 10 ′) in which the layers are integrally formed by heat-welding each layer by a so-called frame laminating method in which the hard boards of the respective layers are laminated and recompressed while reheating each layer. it can.

Here, regarding the basis weight and thickness of each layer from the first layer 1 to the third layer 3, the basis weight of the first and third layers is about 100 g / m ² and the thickness is about 0.1 mm. The basis weight of the second layer can be about 1800 g / m ² and the thickness can be about 8 mm. In addition, since the 1st layer 1 is an exterior material, the water-resistant coating process may be performed.

For example, in the case where the thin panel 10 ′ has light transmittance, it is preferable that the basis weight of the second layer is about 450 g / m ² and the thickness is about 2 mm.

By using small-diameter ramie fibers for the first and third layers, it is possible to obtain panels 10 and 10 ′ having white and fine grain and excellent design.

  Furthermore, by interposing a second layer made of kenaf fibers between the first and third layers, both the rigidity of the panel and the heat insulating effect can be enhanced. Furthermore, the sound absorption effect of the panel can be enhanced by the structure of the porous kenaf fiber, and the effect of reducing the reverberant unpleasant sound caused by rainwater or the like can also be provided.

  In addition, by installing the above-mentioned light-transmitting panel at the thin part of the roof, it is possible to project soft light like that through the lampshade into the vehicle, which is comfortable to ride. This leads to the formation of an in-vehicle environment.

  FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the panel of the present invention.

  This panel 10A incorporates a bone member 4 made of a fiber material derived from a plant at a higher density than the first layer 1, the second layer 2, and the third layer 3 in the second layer 2. Is. The bone member 4 can be formed by forming a thin hard board from a fiber mixed material obtained by mixing kenaf fibers and lignin resin fibers at a weight ratio of 60:40, and laminating a plurality of them. Here, the lignin resin is obtained by mainly converting lignin extracted from kenaf core or wood into an adhesive.

  Here, the bone member 4 can be selected in any form such as a rod-like form extending in one direction of the panel 10A as shown in the drawing, and a form in which a branch member extends from the main member with the rod-like form as a main member. .

Further, the basis weight of the bone member 4 can be set to about 2400 g / m ² with respect to the basis weight of each layer described above.

Furthermore, when the density of each layer of the first layer 1 to the third layer 3 is about 0.2 to 0.3 (g / cm ³ ), the density of the bone member 4 is 1.2 (g / cm ³ ). ³ ) It can be adjusted to about.

  According to the roof panels 100 and 100A described above, the weight of the roof panel made of a conventional steel plate is about 13 kg, for example, and it is possible to reduce the weight to about 6 kg, which is half or less. In addition, since it has a three-layer structure with the second layer 2 interposed, and in some cases has a structure in which the bone member 4 is built, the rigidity is not greatly reduced as compared with the steel plate panel. Furthermore, it is possible to achieve the formation of a vehicle that is excellent in the appearance and interior design of the vehicle and also has excellent reflection sound reduction performance during rainfall.

  By manufacturing a vehicle by applying the above-mentioned multi-layered panel made of plant-derived fibers to the appropriate place on the vehicle body, it is lightweight, has very little environmental impact, and has excellent design and heat insulation properties. A vehicle with ensured rigidity can be obtained.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and there are design changes and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention. They are also included in the present invention.

It is the schematic diagram explaining the state by which one Embodiment of the roof panel which consists of a panel for vehicle bodies of this invention is attached to the roof frame. It is the schematic diagram explaining the state by which other embodiment of the roof panel consisting of the panel for vehicle bodies of this invention is attached to the roof frame. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a vehicle body panel of the present invention. It is a perspective view of other embodiment of the panel for vehicle bodies of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... 1st layer, 2 ... 2nd layer, 3 ... 3rd layer, 4 ... Bone member 10, 10 ', 10A ... Panel, 100, 100A ... Roof panel, C ... Vehicle body, F ... Roof Frame

Claims (3)

A vehicle body panel having at least a three-layer structure,
The first layer and the third layer are formed of a first fiber mixture in which ramie fibers and polylactic acid fibers are mixed at a weight ratio of 70:30,
The second layer interposed between the first and third layers is formed of a second fiber mixture in which kenaf fiber, ramie fiber, and polylactic acid fiber are mixed at a weight ratio of 35:35:30. And
The basis weight of the first and third layers is 100 g / m ² and the thickness is 0.1 mm so that the vehicle body panel is light transmissive, and the basis weight of the second layer is A vehicle body panel having a thickness of 450 g / m ² and a thickness of 2 mm . A bone member having a higher density than that of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer is incorporated in the second layer, and the bone member includes at least a kenaf fiber. vehicle body panel according to 請 Motomeko 1 formed from a fiber blend material. Car becomes a vehicle body panel according to claim 1 or 2 provided on a part or the whole of the vehicle body both.

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