Patents Assigned to Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbH
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Patent number: 8709324Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a flexible elastomeric composite polyurethane skin wherein a polyurethane reaction mixture is sprayed onto a mold surface and the polyurethane reaction mixture is allowed to cure to produce the skin layer. The polyurethane reaction mixture is composed of components comprising at least an isocyanate component, isocyanate-reactive components and a catalyst component and the isocyanate component is composed of at least one isocyanate having at least two NCO-groups which are not directly attached to an aromatic group. The catalyst component is substantially free of lead, which leads to a lower flexibility. In accordance with the invention, the flexibility of the polyurethane skin is increased by means of at least one flexibiliser which reduces the flexural modulus of the skin and which comprises at least one isocyanate-reactive group. The flexibiliser is preferably a monofunctional flexibiliser which comprises only one isocyanate-reactive group.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2012Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbHInventors: Kristof Benoit, Peter DeWilde, Geert Van Houcke, Koen Vanlandschoot, Yvan Vanluchene, Hugo De Winter
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Patent number: 8506866Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a multilayered part which comprises a moulded core (5) and a flexible polyurethane skin layer (4). The core itself comprises a moulded substrate layer (1) which is made of a substrate material, in particular a thermoplastic material, having a Shore A hardness higher than 60. The flexible polyurethane skin (4) is produced by a reaction overmoulding (ROM) process wherein a polyurethane reaction mixture is moulded in a closed mould (11, 12) over at least a first area of the core surface. The moulded core (5) comprises in addition to said substrate layer (1) a softer material which is moulded onto the substrate layer (1) and/or onto which the substrate layer (1) is moulded. This moulded softer material has a Shore A hardness lower than 60 and forms a softer layer (2) between the flexible polyurethane layer (4) and the substrate layer (1) and/or a seal (3) engaging the internal wall of the mould (11, 12) during the ROM process.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2007Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbHInventors: Jürgen Deseure, Koen De Metsenaere, Gert Raeymackers, Hugo De Winter, Siegfried Moens, Dirk Meert
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Patent number: 8318259Abstract: For producing a polyurethane layer by spraying a polyurethane reaction mixture, this mixture is supplied under pressure to a spray nozzle, within the nozzle the reaction mixture is accelerated by passing it through one or more channels having a reduced cross-sectional area, and the accelerated reaction mixture is sprayed, with a predetermined amount of kinetic energy, through a spray opening out of the spray nozzle onto a surface. The channels wherein the reaction mixture is accelerated have a total minimum cross-sectional area of S mm2, S being a value smaller than 1.0, the reaction mixture is sprayed out of the nozzle at a flow rate of between 10×S and 80×S g/sec, and, per gram reaction mixture, an amount of 0.05 to 2.5 mmol of a pressurized gas is sprayed together with the reaction mixture through said spray opening out of the nozzle to increase the kinetic energy of the reaction mixture which is sprayed out of the nozzle.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2005Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbHInventors: Hugo De Winter, Gert Stalpaert, Jan Willems
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Patent number: 8262002Abstract: The pressure swirl atomizing nozzle for spraying a curable composition comprises an orifice piece (16), which defines a funnel-shaped cavity and an exit orifice (17), and an injector piece (18) which closing off the funnel-shaped cavity so that the funnel-shaped cavity forms a swirl chamber (19) between a front side of the injector piece (18) and the exit orifice (17). The injector piece (18) comprises at least two swirl ports (20) which end in the swirl chamber (19) for injecting the curable composition therein and for thereby imparting swirl to the curable composition. Compared to the sum of the smallest cross-sectional areas of the swirl ports (20), the side wall (24) of the swirl chamber (19) has a relatively small surface area which is however still large enough to distribute the curable composition so as to achieve a uniform spray pattern. By the reduced size of the swirl chamber (19), the curable composition can be atomized more efficiently.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2007Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbHInventors: Christophe Vermeire, Kristof Benoit
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Patent number: 8231817Abstract: The three-dimensionally shaped sandwich structure is produced starting from a layered material (1) comprising a compressible core layer, in particular a paper honeycomb structure, having two opposite main faces which are each covered with a reinforcing material and with a mouldable material. The layered material (1) is moulded in a compression mould comprising two mutually movable mould sections (7, 9). In order to reduce the formation of cracks, tears or breaks in the core layer, the first mould section (7) is composed of at least two mutually movable mould parts (10 and 11-12). A first portion of the layered material (1) is first deep-drawn by moving the first mould part (10) towards its moulding position so that wrinkles are formed in the layered material and the second mould part (11-12) is moved later and/or more slowly than the first mould part (10) towards its moulding position.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2007Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbHInventor: Kristiaan Bracke
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Patent number: 8197939Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a flexible elastomeric composite polyurethane skin comprising a first and a second flexible polyurethane layer obtained by spraying a first and a second polyurethane reaction mixture onto one another. The first reaction mixture is an aliphatic polyurethane reaction mixture which is free of lead and formulated to produce a polyurethane elastomer having a flexural modulus smaller than 35 MPa. The second reaction mixture is an aromatic polyurethane reaction mixture producing a polyurethane elastomer having a smaller flexural modulus. The thickness of the aliphatic polyurethane layer could be made so small with respect to the thickness of the aromatic polyurethane layer that the composite skin has an average flexural modulus smaller than 30 MPa.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2006Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbHInventors: Kristof Benoit, Peter De Wilde, Geert Van Houcke, Koen Vanlandschoot, Yvan Vanluchene, Hugo De Winter
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Patent number: 8142705Abstract: A method for manufacturing molded flexible plastic skins (9, 24, 27, 34) differing in their shape from each other, each skin being molded against a mold surface (2) of a mold (1), comprises the steps: —providing a mold surface (2) matching the shape of the skin to be molded by using a first mold surface provided by the mold itself or by altering the first mold surface by placing one or more mold inserts covering only a part of the first mold surface onto said mold surface and thereby providing an alternative second mold surface, —applying a plastic compound to be brought to shape by the mold surface (2) provided, —bringing to shape the plastic compound applied to the mold surface (2), and —demolding the molded skin (9) from the effective mold surface (2).Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2009Date of Patent: March 27, 2012Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbHInventors: Jürgen Breest, Hugo De Winter, Geert Van Houcke
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Publication number: 20100178428Abstract: The pressure swirl atomizing nozzle for spraying a curable composition comprises an orifice piece (16), which defines a funnel-shaped cavity and an exit orifice (17), and an injector piece (18) which closing off the funnel-shaped cavity so that the funnel-shaped cavity forms a swirl chamber (19) between a front side of the injector piece (18) and the exit orifice (17). The injector piece (18) comprises at least two swirl ports (20) which end in the swirl chamber (19) for injecting the curable composition therein and for thereby imparting swirl to the curable composition. Compared to the sum of the smallest cross-sectional areas of the swirl ports (20), the side wall (24) of the swirl chamber (19) has a relatively small surface area which is however still large enough to distribute the curable composition so as to achieve a uniform spray pattern. By the reduced size of the swirl chamber (19), the curable composition can be atomized more efficiently.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2007Publication date: July 15, 2010Applicant: Recticel Automobilsysteme GMBHInventors: Christophe Vermeire, Kristof Benoit
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Patent number: 7744799Abstract: The method according to the invention is a moulding method wherein a first layer (21), having a first colour, is produced against a first portion of a mould surface (10) and wherein, in a next step, a second layer (22), having a second colour, is produced against a second portion of the mould surface (10) and at least partially against the back of the first layer (21). The method is intended to obtain a qualitative transition between the colours of the two layers (21, 22) without having to hide the actual colour transition in a groove from view. This object is achieved by applying the material forming the first layer (21) in such a manner on the mould surface (10) that the edge (20) of the first layer (21), which will be situated on the mould surface underneath the second layer (22), is visually sharp and is produced without a mask.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2006Date of Patent: June 29, 2010Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbHInventors: André Braeckman, Jan Willems, Yvan Vanluchene, Hugo De Winter
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Patent number: 7633028Abstract: An electric switch module has one or more electric switches arranged on a substrate (7) of which at least one is designed as a push-pull rocker switch (2, 3) having an actuator (4) formed by a projection (5) that is asymmetrical to its tilting axis (6). The module is characterized in that the top side of the substrate (7), together with the actuators (4) of its switches (2, 3), is covered by a flexible outer skin (10a) that also covers the projection (5) that forms the actuator (4) of the at least one rocker switch (2, 3).Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2004Date of Patent: December 15, 2009Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbHInventors: Ralf Böbel, Berthold Esders, Hugo De Winter, Martin Sabelus, Jan Willems, Sven De Vis, Bart Broeckaert
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Patent number: 7431962Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a multi-layered moulded synthetic part comprising a preformed elastomeric moulded skin (5), a moulded carrier (8) of a thermoplastic material and optionally an intermediate foam layer (6). In this method, the elastomeric skin (5) is moulded in a first step and the thermoplastic material for the carrier (8) is subsequently moulded in molten state to the back of said moulded skin (5). According to the invention, the moulded skin is made of a thermosetting synthetic material. Compared to a thermoplastic skin, such a thermosetting skin is less subjected to visible defects, in particular in case it has been provided with a superficial texture such as a leather grain, when the thermoplastic carrier is moulded thereto. Moulding of the thermoplastic carrier can be done by an injection moulding, an injection pressure moulding or a low pressure moulding technique.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2005Date of Patent: October 7, 2008Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbHInventors: Hugo De Winter, Yvan Vanluchene, Hans Demandt, Ivo Deblier, Roger Hackwell