JP7663066B2 - Vehicle exterior parts - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a recyclable vehicle exterior product and a method for recycling the vehicle exterior product.

A vehicle is equipped with various exterior vehicle components, such as a front grille, bumpers, emblems, and covers for various sensors.
High functionality is required for these various vehicle exterior parts, and various techniques have been proposed to improve the functionality of vehicle exterior parts (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1 discloses a protective film for use on the exterior of an automobile, which includes a film-like substrate made of an olefin-based elastomer and an adhesive applied to the adherend side of the substrate. Paragraph [0021] of Patent Document 1 describes that the protective film may have a decorative function. Furthermore, paragraph [0024] of Patent Document 1 describes that the protective film may have weather resistance and scratch resistance.

When a vehicle exterior product has a base and the above-mentioned protective film disposed on the surface side of the base, the vehicle exterior product is endowed with design, weather resistance, scratch resistance, and the like that are derived from the protective film. In other words, the functionality of the vehicle exterior product introduced in Patent Document 1, that is, design and durability, is exhibited by the presence of the protective film.

Here, this type of protective film is made of a material that is different from the material of the substrate as part or all of its material. The protective film is generally integrated with the substrate by being adhered to the substrate.

In recent years, active efforts have been made to reduce the environmental impact, and it has been proposed to use life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impact of each component in a vehicle from production to disposal.

Recycling of vehicle exterior parts is an important factor in reducing the environmental impact of vehicle exterior parts.
It is difficult to recycle a vehicle exterior product having a substrate and a protective film as it is, and when recycling the vehicle exterior product, a process of separating the substrate and the protective film is required. The substrate from which the protective film has been separated can be easily recycled.

The protective film and the substrate are generally integrated by adhesion. In order to easily separate the substrate and the protective film and efficiently recycle vehicle exterior parts, it is preferable to use an adhesive with low adhesive strength to bond the substrate and the protective film so that they can be easily separated from each other.

On the other hand, in consideration of the functionality of the vehicle exterior product, it is necessary to suppress separation between the substrate and the protective film and firmly integrate them. If the substrate and the protective film separate, the design, weather resistance, scratch resistance, etc., derived from the protective film are lost, and the vehicle exterior product deteriorates.
In order to prevent separation between the substrate and the protective film and increase the durability of the vehicle exterior part, it is necessary to use an adhesive that can maintain strong adhesive strength for a long period of time to bond the substrate and the protective film together so that they are difficult to separate from each other.

As such, functionality and recyclability are at odds when it comes to vehicle exterior parts, and it was thought to be difficult to obtain vehicle exterior parts that combine both.

JP 2004-115657 A

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a technology that can achieve both functionality and recyclability in vehicle exterior parts.

The vehicle exterior product of the present invention that solves the above problems is as follows:
A resin base;
A surface layer disposed on a surface side of the substrate;
and a release layer that is interposed between the surface of the base and the back surface of the surface layer, is fixed to the base and the surface layer, and is peeled off from the base or the surface layer when a trigger is applied.
Further, the recycling method for vehicle exterior parts of the present invention, which solves the above-mentioned problems, is a recycling method for vehicle exterior parts, which comprises applying the trigger to the above-mentioned vehicle exterior part of the present invention to peel off the release layer from the base or the surface layer.

The vehicle exterior part and the recycling method thereof of the present invention make it possible to achieve both functionality and recyclability of the vehicle exterior part.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates a vehicle exterior accessory according to a first embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates a vehicle exterior product according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram that illustrates a vehicle exterior product according to a third embodiment.

The following describes the embodiments of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the numerical range "a to b" described in this specification includes the lower limit a and the upper limit b. A numerical range can be formed by arbitrarily combining these upper and lower limit values, as well as the numerical values listed in the examples. Furthermore, numerical values arbitrarily selected from within the numerical range can be used as the upper and lower limit numerical values.

The vehicle exterior product of the present invention is
A resin base;
A surface layer disposed on a surface side of the substrate;
The adhesive layer further comprises a release layer which is interposed between the surface of the base body and the back surface of the surface layer, is fixed to the base body and the surface layer, and is peeled off from the base body or the surface layer when a trigger is applied.
Further, in the recycling method for vehicle exterior parts of the present invention that solves the above-mentioned problems, the trigger is applied to the vehicle exterior part of the present invention described above to peel off the release layer from the base or the surface layer.

In the vehicle exterior product of the present invention, a release layer is interposed between the base and the surface layer. The release layer is adhered to the base and the surface layer, and is peeled off from the base or the surface layer when a trigger is applied. Therefore, when a trigger is applied to the vehicle exterior product of the present invention, the base and the surface layer are separated at the release layer.

In other words, in the vehicle exterior part of the present invention, under normal use conditions without the trigger being applied, the base and surface layer are stably integrated by the adhesive force of the peel-off layer. This stably imparts various functionalities, such as weather resistance and design, derived from the surface layer, to the vehicle exterior part of the present invention. On the other hand, when recycling the vehicle exterior part of the present invention, applying a trigger to the vehicle exterior part causes the peel-off layer to peel off from the base or surface layer, making it easy to separate. As a result, the vehicle exterior part of the present invention and its recycling method make it possible to achieve both functionality and recyclability of the vehicle exterior part.

The vehicle exterior part and the recycling method thereof of the present invention will be specifically described below. In addition, hereinafter, the recycling method of the vehicle exterior part of the present invention may be simply referred to as the recycling method of the present invention, as necessary.

The vehicle exterior part of the present invention may be any exterior part of a vehicle, and may be suitably embodied as, for example, a front grille, a bumper, an emblem, a cover for a light body, a cover for various sensors, various garnishes, etc., but is not limited thereto. The vehicle exterior part of the present invention may also include, for example, a vehicle door or body.

The vehicle exterior part of the present invention comprises a substrate, a surface layer, and a release layer.
The substrate is made of resin. In general vehicle exterior parts, the substrate often occupies a larger volume ratio than the surface layer and the release layer. For this reason, in the vehicle exterior part of the present invention, it is preferable to recycle the substrate. As the resin, general artificial polymer compounds (so-called synthetic resins) or biomass plastics may be used.

For reference, the base material in the vehicle exterior part of the present invention can be a resin material containing various additives such as pigments, or a composite resin material of resin and other materials, such as fiber reinforced plastic (FRP). In other words, the term "resin" in the vehicle exterior part of the present invention includes the composite resin material. In this case, the ratio of the composite resin material to the resin and other materials is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the blending ratio of the other materials is 80% or less, 75% or less, or 50% or less by mass.

When the above-mentioned composite resin material is selected as the material for the substrate, the composite resin material may be recycled as it is, or the resin material may be appropriately separated from the other materials and then recycled.
The substrate may have a single layer structure or a multi-layer structure in which each layer is made of a different resin material, but in consideration of recyclability, the substrate is preferably a single layer structure made of a single material.

In the vehicle exterior product of the present invention, the surface layer refers to a layer located on the surface side of the substrate, and the shape and thickness of the surface layer are not particularly limited. The surface layer may cover the entire surface of the substrate from the surface side, or may cover only a part of the surface of the substrate from the surface side.
The surface layer may be in the form of a film like the protective film described above, or may be a thick layer that is difficult to call a film. For example, the surface layer may be thicker than the substrate.
Furthermore, the thickness of the surface layer may be constant or may not be constant. For example, the surface layer may be partially raised on the front side or partially depressed on the back side.

The surface layer is a layer for exerting various functionalities, and may be a single-layer structure made of a single material, or may be a multi-layer structure in which each layer is made of a different material. For example, the surface layer may be provided with a resin base layer and a coating layer formed on the surface of the base layer. In this case, it is preferable to select a coating layer that has functionality that contributes to maintaining the structure of the vehicle exterior product, such as weather resistance and scratch resistance. It is also preferable to provide a design layer that displays various designs such as letters and figures between the base layer and the coating layer, or on the back side of the base layer. Furthermore, it is also preferable to arrange a functional member for imparting further functions to the vehicle exterior product of the present invention, such as a heating wire for a heater device, on the back side of the surface layer, for example, on the base layer. Not limited to this, the surface layer can have various functions. In addition, similar functional members can be arranged on the substrate and the peeling layer, for example, and the substrate and the peeling layer can also have various functions.

The surface layer of the vehicle exterior product of the present invention may or may not be recyclable.

For example, if the surface layer is recyclable, a recyclable resin material can be selected as the material for the base layer of that surface layer.

For example, when the surface layer is equipped with the above-mentioned design layer or heating wire, the surface layer is often not recyclable. However, even in such cases, there is an advantage in that the surface layer can be easily disposed of by selecting an easily degradable resin material as the material for the base layer. As an easily degradable resin material, for example, biodegradable resins such as polylactic acid, and easily hydrolyzable resins such as polyglycolic acid and polyoxalate can be suitably used.

When the surface layer has a design layer, the structure and material of the design layer are not particularly limited. For example, the design layer can be formed on the surface side of the base layer by known methods such as lamination, printing, painting, vapor deposition, and transfer. Specific examples of materials for the design layer include resins, paints, pigments, metals, etc.

The design layer, etc. do not have to be recyclable, nor do they have to be biodegradable or hydrolyzable. Even in these cases, if the base layer decomposes, the design layer, etc. can be recovered and disposed of separately.

The release layer is interposed between the surface of the substrate and the back surface of the surface layer, and is fixed to the substrate and the surface layer. The release layer is peeled off from the substrate or the surface layer when a trigger is applied.
Therefore, the release layer needs to have the function of adhering to the substrate and the surface layer, and the function of peeling off from the substrate and the surface layer due to the action of a trigger.
Hereinafter, the former may be referred to as the adhesive function of the release layer, and the latter may be referred to as the release function of the release layer, as necessary.

Regarding the adhesion function of the release layer, the mechanism by which the release layer adheres to the base and surface layer is not particularly limited. For example, the release layer may contain an adhesive and adhere to the base and surface layer by the adhesive force derived from the adhesive.

Alternatively, the release layer may have thermoplasticity and be welded to the base and the surface layer. As a method for welding the release layer to the base and the surface layer, for example, a vibration welding method using ultrasonic waves can be exemplified.
The release layer can be given thermoplasticity by blending a thermoplastic material such as a thermoplastic resin that melts or softens at a relatively low temperature into the release layer. In consideration of adequately maintaining the shape and performance of the surface layer and the base, the release layer preferably has a low melting or softening temperature, and examples of suitable melting or softening temperatures include 120° C. or less, 100° C. or less, or 75° C. or less. It is particularly suitable that the release layer is fixed to the surface layer and the base by the adhesive or pressure-sensitive adhesive.

Regarding the peeling function of the release layer, the mechanism by which the release layer peels off from the base or surface layer, and the trigger of said mechanism are not particularly limited. For example, the action of the trigger may cause a physical change, such as deformation or a change in state, in the release layer, which reduces the adhesive strength of the release layer to the base or surface layer. Alternatively, the action of the trigger may cause a chemical change, such as alteration or denaturation, in the release layer, which reduces the adhesive strength of the release layer to the base or surface layer. The trigger may be anything that causes these physical or chemical changes in the release layer.

Adhesives that exhibit a peeling function include those known as dismantling adhesives. Representative examples of dismantling adhesives include those that utilize the softening of a thermoplastic adhesive by heating, those that utilize the increase in the volume of an additive by heating, those that utilize a physical change caused by the destruction of an internal additive by pressure, those that utilize an electrochemical reaction that occurs at the adhesive interface by passing an electric current, those that utilize a chemical change caused by ultraviolet light, those that utilize a chemical change caused by a reaction with a fluid, and those that utilize a physical change caused by absorbing and expanding a fluid.
These dismantling adhesives are suitable as materials for the release layer in the vehicle exterior product of the present invention.

Among the various dismantling adhesives mentioned above, examples of additives used in dismantling adhesives that utilize the increase in volume of additives caused by heating include foaming agents and microcapsules containing said foaming agents. A release layer containing this type of dismantling adhesive can peel off from the base or surface layer by deforming and weakening due to the change in volume of the additive.

As a dismantling adhesive that utilizes the physical change caused by the destruction of the internal additive when pressure is applied, for example, a pressure-sensitive adhesive, such as that disclosed in JP 2004-326015 A, may be used. An example of an additive used in this type of dismantling adhesive is microcapsules that contain a gas such as air. A release layer containing this type of dismantling adhesive becomes weakened when pressure is applied and the additive is destroyed, and can be peeled off from the base or surface layer.

As a dismantling adhesive that utilizes an electrochemical reaction that occurs at the adhesive interface when electricity is applied, for example, what is called an electrically peelable adhesive, as disclosed in JP-A-2003-504504, etc., may be used. A peelable layer containing this type of dismantling adhesive is selectively peeled off from the target layer (substrate or surface layer) on the anode side when electricity is applied. In either case, the peelable layer is peeled off from the substrate or surface layer when a trigger is applied.

As a dismantling adhesive that utilizes chemical changes caused by ultraviolet light, a so-called UV-peelable adhesive can be preferably used, in which gas is generated at the adhesive interface when exposed to ultraviolet light, reducing the adhesive strength at the adhesive interface and causing the adhesive to peel off from the base or surface layer.

The release layer may peel off from the surface layer, from the substrate, or from both the surface layer and the substrate. Furthermore, the release layer may have a multi-layer structure of two or more layers, and peeling may occur between adjacent release layers. In this case, a part of the release layer peels off from the surface layer, and another part of the release layer peels off from the substrate.

The trigger may be appropriately selected depending on the release layer, and may be at least one selected from energy rays, heat, electricity, pressure, reactive fluids, or non-reactive fluids. Only one type of trigger may be used, or multiple different types may be used in combination.

Among these, the energy rays may be any that bring about a physical or chemical change in the peeling layer, and examples of such rays include ultraviolet rays, such as UV-C rays with wavelengths of 280 nm or less and UV-B rays with wavelengths of 280 nm to 320 nm, infrared rays, microwaves, electromagnetic waves such as radiation of various wavelengths, plasma, and sound waves including ultrasound.

The reactive fluid may be any fluid that exhibits chemical reactivity with the peeling layer. For example, it is preferable to use an oxidizing agent such as oxygen, ozone, hydrogen fluoride, hypochlorous acid, or water, or an organic solvent such as acetone or ethanol, either in liquid or gas form.

As a non-reactive fluid, a fluid that does not show chemical reactivity with the release layer but can cause a physical change, such as swelling the release layer, can be used.

For example, if the trigger is heat, the heated release layer softens or denatures and weakens, thereby allowing the release layer to be peeled from the substrate or surface layer.
In this case, the vehicle exterior part of the present invention to be recycled may be placed in a heating device whose temperature is equal to or higher than the trigger temperature, and the entire vehicle exterior part may be heated.

Alternatively, when the vehicle exterior part is equipped with the above-mentioned electric heating wire for the heater device, the electric heating wire may be used to apply heat as a trigger from the inside of the vehicle exterior part. Specifically, it is preferable that the heater device be capable of operating in a normal heating mode and a peeling heating mode, which is a trigger and in which the electric heating wire becomes hotter than in the normal heating mode. The heater device operates in the normal heating mode in cold weather to suppress condensation on the vehicle exterior part, and operates in the peeling heating mode during recycling to peel off the peeling layer from the base or surface layer.

For example, if the trigger is an energy ray, the energy ray can be irradiated onto the vehicle exterior part and transmitted to the peeling layer, thereby physically or chemically changing the peeling layer so that it can be peeled off from the substrate or surface layer.

In addition, when the energy ray such as ultraviolet ray, infrared ray, or radiation to which the vehicle exterior part is exposed during normal use functions as a trigger, it is preferable to select a part of the vehicle exterior part located on the front side of the peeling layer, i.e., the surface layer, that does not transmit the energy ray. In this case, "not transmitting" means that the transmittance of the energy ray is 10% or less. The transmittance of the energy ray is preferably 5% or less, more preferably 1% or less, and particularly preferably 0%.
For example, if the trigger is ultraviolet light, it is advisable to provide a coating layer on the surface that blocks or absorbs ultraviolet light of the target wavelength.

Similarly, when a reactive fluid, such as water or water vapor, to which a vehicle exterior part is exposed during normal use functions as a trigger, it is preferable to select a surface layer that is difficult for the reactive fluid to penetrate. For example, by providing a water-repellent coating layer on the surface layer, the reactive fluid is blocked by the surface layer and difficult to reach the release layer, so physical or chemical changes to the release layer can be suppressed and the durability of the vehicle exterior part can be improved.

Similarly, when heat functions as a trigger, it is preferable to select a surface layer that can block or suppress the transfer of heat to the release layer. For example, by selecting a material for the coating layer, base layer, or design layer that has a lower thermal conductivity than the material for the release layer, the heat is blocked by the surface layer and is less likely to reach the release layer.
Similarly, when electricity functions as a trigger, it is preferable to select a surface layer that can block or suppress the conduction of electricity to the release layer. For example, by selecting a material for the coating layer, base layer, or design layer that is less electrically conductive than the material for the release layer or that is insulating, electricity is blocked at the surface layer and is less likely to reach the release layer.
Similarly, when a reactive or non-reactive fluid functions as a trigger, it is preferable to select a surface layer that can block or suppress the fluid from reaching the release layer. For example, if the fluid is water, a hydrophobic material can be selected as the material for the coating layer, base layer, or design layer.
In either case, physical or chemical changes in the release layer can be suppressed, and the durability of the vehicle exterior product can be improved.

In order to minimize physical or chemical changes in the release layer caused by the trigger during normal use and to increase the durability of vehicle exterior parts, it is also useful to suppress the penetration of the trigger from the back side of the release layer into the release layer.

In this case, it is preferable to provide a layer that is impermeable to the energy ray serving as a trigger, the reactive fluid, the non-reactive fluid, etc. on the back side of the release layer, that is, on the substrate side of the release layer.
Specifically, it is preferable that a part or the whole of the substrate is made of a shielding layer containing a material that is impermeable to the energy rays that serve as the trigger, the reactive fluid, the non-reactive fluid, and the like.
In addition, when the trigger is not one to which the vehicle exterior accessory is exposed during normal use, a material that allows the trigger to pass through may be selected as the surface layer material, and a material that does not allow the trigger to pass through may be selected as the base material.

When a portion of the substrate is made of the above-mentioned shielding layer, it is preferable that the portion of the substrate that is not the shielding layer (referred to as the main body portion) and the shielding layer are fixed together with a peelable adhesive or pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. Since the back side of the substrate is a portion of the vehicle exterior product of the present invention that is not or is difficult to expose to the outside of the vehicle, the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer or the like that fixes the shielding layer to the substrate can be smaller than the adhesive strength of the peelable layer. Therefore, for example, a general double-sided tape or the like can be used as the adhesive layer.

When the vehicle exterior part of the present invention has a shielding layer, the shielding layer can be peeled off from the main body and the trigger applied to the exposed main body.

If the main body is permeable to the trigger, the trigger will penetrate the main body and reach the release layer, causing a physical or chemical change in the release layer, causing the release layer to peel off from the surface layer or substrate.

If the body is not transparent to the trigger, a passage may be provided in the body to allow the trigger to pass therethrough.
Specifically, it is preferable to provide a hole in the main body that opens on the back surface of the main body and extends toward the front surface, and to block the hole from the back surface side with a shielding layer that covers the back surface of the main body. In this case, the hole is exposed by peeling the shielding layer from the main body, and when a trigger is made to reach the release layer through the hole, a physical or chemical change occurs in the release layer, causing the release layer to peel off from the surface layer or substrate.
Examples of the trigger that can pass through the hole include energy rays, reactive fluids, and non-reactive fluids.

In addition, if the main body is not permeable to the trigger, a conductive wire may be provided in the main body as a passage for the trigger to pass through.
Specifically, it is preferable to embed two conductive wires in the main body, bring a terminal connected to one end of each conductive wire into contact with the release layer, and expose a terminal connected to the other end on the back side of the main body. The back side of the main body is further preferably covered with an insulating shielding layer. In this case, the shielding layer is peeled off from the main body to expose the terminal, and the terminal is connected to a power supply device, and electricity is passed between the release layer and the power supply device, so that electricity can be applied to the release layer as a trigger.

In addition, if the main body is not permeable to the trigger, a hole that reaches the peelable layer can be formed in the main body or surface layer during recycling, and the hole can be used as a passage for the trigger to pass through.

The vehicle exterior product and its recycling method of the present invention will be explained below using specific examples.

Example 1
In the vehicle exterior part and the recycling method thereof of Example 1, a cover for covering a LiDAR mounted on a vehicle was adopted as the vehicle exterior part. An explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of the vehicle exterior part of Example 1 is shown in FIG.

As described above, the vehicle exterior product 1 of Example 1 is a cover that covers a LiDAR mounted on a vehicle. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a remote sensing technology that has been installed in vehicles in recent years to ensure driving safety, pedestrian protection, etc., and irradiates a target with near-infrared rays and detects the reflected light.
The vehicle exterior part 1 of the first embodiment is disposed on the front side of the LiDAR 90 and transmits near-infrared irradiated light and reflected light.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle exterior part 1 of the first embodiment includes a substrate 2 , a surface layer 3 and a release layer 4 .
Of these, the base 2 is made of an acrylic resin that is transparent to UV-C waves.

The surface layer 3 has a base layer 31, a coating layer 32 formed on the surface of the base layer 31, and a design layer 33 formed on the back surface of the base layer 31, and is generally in the form of a film. The base layer 31 is made of polycarbonate and is generally in the form of a film. The coating layer 32 is a so-called hard coat layer, and is applied to the surface of the base layer 31. The design layer 33 has an adhesive layer (not shown) for transfer and a paint layer (not shown) superimposed on the surface side of the adhesive layer, and is transferred to the back surface of the base layer 31. Of these, the base layer 31 and the coating layer 32 are made of materials that have low UV-C wave transmittance, so the surface layer 3 as a whole does not transmit UV-C waves.

The release layer 4 is made of a UV-peelable adhesive and is interposed between the front surface of the base 2 and the back surface of the surface layer 3. The release layer 4 is fixed to the base 2 and the surface layer 3 by its own adhesive strength.
The trigger in the vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 1 is UV-C radiation, and the release layer 4 undergoes a chemical change when exposed to UV-C radiation, causing it to peel off from the substrate 2 .
A method for recycling the vehicle exterior part 1 of the first embodiment will be described below.

When recycling the vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 1, first, the vehicle exterior part 1 is removed from the vehicle, and UV-C waves are irradiated from the back side to the front side, i.e., from the substrate 2 side toward the peeling layer 4 side. By irradiating UV-C waves with a predetermined intensity for a predetermined period of time, the peeling layer 4 is chemically changed. After that, a force is applied to the vehicle exterior part 1 in the front-rear direction to separate it, and the peeling layer 4 and the surface layer 3 are peeled off from the substrate 2.

According to the recycling method for vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 1, by peeling off the release layer 4 and surface layer 3 from the base 2, the base 2 can be made recyclable, and the functionality and recyclability of the vehicle exterior part 1 can be compatible. In addition, simply by irradiating the vehicle exterior part 1 with UV-C waves, the release layer 4 and surface layer 3 can be easily peeled off from the base 2 and made recyclable, thereby reducing the time and cost required for recycling.

Example 2
The vehicle exterior part and recycling method thereof of Example 2 differs significantly from the vehicle exterior part and recycling method thereof of Example 1 in the structure of the base.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic diagram of an exterior vehicle accessory according to a second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 2 has a surface layer 3 and a release layer 4 similar to those of the vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 1.

The base 2 in the vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 2 has a main body 21 and a shielding layer 22. The main body 21 is the part of the base 2 that is located on the peel layer 4 side, i.e., the front side, and the shielding layer 22 is the part of the base 2 that is located on the back side.

The main body 21 is made of polycarbonate and is almost opaque to UV-C waves. The main body 21 is provided with a plurality of holes 210 that open on the back surface and extend toward the front surface.
The shielding layer 22 has a film-like shielding base portion (not shown) and an adhesive layer (not shown) interposed between the shielding base portion and the main body portion 21. The shielding base portion is made of polycarbonate and is almost opaque to UV-C waves. The adhesive layer is a double-sided tape, and adheres the shielding base portion and the main body portion 21 with a weak adhesive force that allows them to be peeled apart.

The trigger in the vehicle exterior part 1 of the second embodiment is also UV-C radiation, similar to the first embodiment.
A method for recycling the vehicle exterior part 1 of the second embodiment will be described below.

When recycling the vehicle exterior part 1 of the second embodiment, the vehicle exterior part 1 is first removed from the vehicle.
In the recycling method for the vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 2, the shielding layer 22 of the substrate 2 is then peeled off from the main body part 21 to expose the hole part 210. As described above, the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer (not shown) that bonds the shielding layer 22 to the main body part 21 is weak, so the shielding layer 22 easily peels off from the main body part 21. The shielding layer is located on the back side of the vehicle exterior part 1 of the example, and is not exposed to the outside of the vehicle. Therefore, it does not matter if the adhesive strength of the shielding layer 22 is weak.

After exposing the holes 210 as described above, UV-C waves are irradiated from the back side to the front side of the main body 21, allowing the UV-C waves to reach the peeling layer 4 through the holes 210. This causes a chemical change in the peeling layer 4, causing it to peel off from the base 2 together with the surface layer 3.

Similarly to the recycling method for vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 1, the recycling method for vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 2 also makes it possible to make the base 2 recyclable by peeling off the release layer 4 and the surface layer 3 from the base 2, thereby achieving both functionality and recyclability of the vehicle exterior part 1.

Example 3
The vehicle exterior part and recycling method thereof of Example 3 differs significantly from the vehicle exterior part and recycling method thereof of Example 1 in that the release layer of the vehicle exterior part is made of a thermoplastic adhesive and that the vehicle exterior part is equipped with a heating wire for a heater device.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic diagram of a vehicle exterior product according to a third embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 3 has a surface layer 3 and a base body 2 similar to those of the vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 1.

The release layer 4 in the vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 3 is made of a thermoplastic adhesive. One of the triggers in the vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 3 is heat, and the other is water.

A heating wire 50 is embedded in the radially outer portions of the base 2 and the peeling layer 4, i.e., the outer edge of the vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 3. The heating wire 50 is embedded in the boundary between the base 2 and the peeling layer 4 and is connected to a power source (not shown) via a heater device (not shown), and generates heat when it receives power from the power source.

The heater device controls the temperature of the heating wire 50 by adjusting the power applied to the heating wire 50. Specifically, the heater device operates in two modes: a normal heating mode in which the heating wire 50 is heated at a low temperature of about 60°C, and a peeling heating mode in which the heating wire 50 is heated at a high temperature of about 190°C.
A method for recycling the vehicle exterior part 1 of the third embodiment will be described below.

When recycling the vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 3, first, the vehicle exterior part 1 is removed from the vehicle, and the vehicle exterior part 1 is connected to a heater device (not shown) that is separately prepared, and the heating wire 50 is heated to a high temperature.
Since the release layer 4 in the vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 3 is a thermoplastic adhesive, heat acts as a trigger to soften the release layer 4 located near the heating wire 50. As described above, since the heating wire 50 is disposed on the outer edge of the vehicle exterior part 1, the surface layer 3 and the release layer 4 peel off from the base 2 at the outer edge.

Next, the vehicle exterior part 1 is removed from the heater device and immersed in water. At the outer edge of the vehicle exterior part 1, the surface layer 3 and the release layer 4 are in a state of being peeled off from the base 2, so the release layer 4 comes into contact with water. As described above, water also acts as a trigger for the release layer 4, so that the release layer 4 swells when it comes into contact with water. Water gradually infiltrates the release layer 4 from the outside to the inside in the radial direction, and the entire release layer 4 swells, causing the entire surface layer 3 and the release layer 4 to peel off from the base 2.

Similarly to the recycling method for vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 1, the recycling method for vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 3 also makes it possible to make base body 2 recyclable by peeling off release layer 4 and surface layer 3 from base body 2, thereby achieving both functionality and recyclability of vehicle exterior part 1.

In the vehicle exterior part 1 of Example 3, the vehicle exterior part 1 removed from the vehicle was connected to a separately prepared heater device, and heat was applied as a trigger to the peeling layer 4. However, for example, a heater device mounted on the vehicle may be operated in a peeling heating mode to apply heat as a trigger to the peeling layer 4.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, each of the components shown in this specification, including the embodiments, can be arbitrarily extracted and combined for implementation.

1: Vehicle exterior product 2: Base 21: Main body 210: Hole 22: Shielding layer 3: Surface layer 4: Peeling layer 50: Heating wire

Claims (7)

A resin base;
A surface layer disposed on a surface side of the substrate;
a release layer interposed between the surface of the base and the back surface of the surface layer, fixed to the base and the surface layer, and peeled off from the base or the surface layer when a trigger is applied;
The substrate is
A main body having a hole opening on a rear surface and extending toward a front surface side;
a shielding layer that covers the back surface of the main body and closes the hole from the back surface side. A resin base;
A surface layer disposed on a surface side of the substrate;
a release layer interposed between the surface of the base and the back surface of the surface layer, fixed to the base and the surface layer, and peeled off from the base or the surface layer when a trigger is applied;
and a heating wire for a heater device located on the back side of the surface layer,
The heater device performs a normal heating mode and a peeling heating mode in which the heating wire has a temperature higher than that in the normal heating mode,
The trigger is heat generated in the heating wire in the peeling heating mode. Further, a heating wire for a heater device is provided on the back side of the surface layer,
The heater device performs a normal heating mode and a peeling heating mode in which the heating wire has a temperature higher than that in the normal heating mode,
The vehicle exterior part according to claim 1 , wherein the trigger is heat generated in the heating wire in the peeling heating mode. The vehicle exterior part according to claim 1 , wherein the trigger is at least one selected from the group consisting of energy rays, heat, electricity, pressure, a reactive fluid, and a non-reactive fluid. The trigger is UV-C radiation,
The exterior part for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein one of the base body and the surface layer is permeable to the trigger. The exterior part for a vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the surface layer is opaque to the trigger, and the base is transparent to the trigger. The substrate is
A main body having a hole opening on a rear surface and extending toward a front surface side;
The vehicle exterior part according to claim 2 , further comprising: a shielding layer that covers a rear surface of the main body and closes the hole from the rear surface side.

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