Patents Assigned to Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbH
  • Patent number: 8709324
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Kristof Benoit, Peter DeWilde, Geert Van Houcke, Koen Vanlandschoot, Yvan Vanluchene, Hugo De Winter
  • Patent number: 8506866
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Jürgen Deseure, Koen De Metsenaere, Gert Raeymackers, Hugo De Winter, Siegfried Moens, Dirk Meert
  • Patent number: 8318259
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Hugo De Winter, Gert Stalpaert, Jan Willems
  • Patent number: 8262002
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Christophe Vermeire, Kristof Benoit
  • Patent number: 8231817
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Kristiaan Bracke
  • Patent number: 8197939
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Kristof Benoit, Peter De Wilde, Geert Van Houcke, Koen Vanlandschoot, Yvan Vanluchene, Hugo De Winter
  • Patent number: 8142705
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Jürgen Breest, Hugo De Winter, Geert Van Houcke
  • Publication number: 20100178428
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: Recticel Automobilsysteme GMBH
    Inventors: Christophe Vermeire, Kristof Benoit
  • Patent number: 7744799
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbH
    Inventors: André Braeckman, Jan Willems, Yvan Vanluchene, Hugo De Winter
  • Patent number: 7633028
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Böbel, Berthold Esders, Hugo De Winter, Martin Sabelus, Jan Willems, Sven De Vis, Bart Broeckaert
  • Patent number: 7431962
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Recticel Automobilsysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Hugo De Winter, Yvan Vanluchene, Hans Demandt, Ivo Deblier, Roger Hackwell