FOLDING INTERIOR LINING PANEL FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

The invention relates to a folding interior lining panel for a motor vehicle comprising a first articulated flap and a second articulated flap, having a first front face and a second front face and a first back face and a second back face. The front faces are covered with a first front covering layer and a second front covering layer. The articulation between the flaps is provided by two first strips spaced apart from each other, the strips being integral with the first layer, the strips having a free end portion attached to the second back face. At least one second strip is arranged between the first strips, the strip being integral with the second layer and having a free end portion attached to the first back face.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a folding interior lining panel for a motor vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Producing a folding interior lining panel for a motor vehicle is known, the panel having the following features:it comprises first and second flaps articulated on each other on two respective articulation edges, so as to allow rotation of substantially 360° of one of the flaps with respect to the other, so that the panel can have a use configuration where the flaps are in line with one another in a substantially coplanar fashion, and two retracted configurations corresponding to a folding through 180° in one direction or the other,the sides of the flaps at the edges is of similar thickness,the flaps have respectively a first and second front face and a first and second back face, the front faces being respectively covered with a first and second front covering layer.

The folding panel is in particular intended to cover the luggage or the floor of a luggage compartment.

Having available two retracted configurations is for example dictated, in the case of a panel covering a luggage compartment floor, by the fact that one face of the flaps may be covered with textile, for example in the form of carpet, the other face being covered with a washable covering, in particular of the nature of a sheet of plastics material.

Thus, when the folding panel is in the retracted configuration, it may be disposed against a wall of the luggage compartment while having a washable face, which may prove to be useful when the compartment is loaded with a dirty load.

Various arrangements have been proposed, in particular based on the use of attached flexible strips.

However, the known arrangements are often complex to implement and therefore expensive, mainly because of the many operations to be performed for fixing the strips.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the invention is to overcome this drawback.

To this end, the invention proposes a folding interior lining panel for a motor vehicle, the panel having the following features:it comprises first and second flaps articulated on each other on two respective articulation edges, so as to allow rotation of substantially 360° of one of the flaps with respect to the other, so that the panel can have a use configuration where the flaps are in line with one another in a substantially coplanar fashion, and two retracted configurations corresponding to a folding through 180° in one direction or the other,the sides of the flaps at the edges is of similar thickness,the flaps have respectively a first and second front face and a first and second back face, the front faces being respectively covered with a first and second front covering layer,

the articulation between the flaps being formed by:at least two first strips spaced apart from each other, the strips being integral with the first layer, the strips having a free end portion attached to the second back face so as to leave clear a middle portion, the dimension of which in a direction perpendicular to the edges corresponds substantially to the thickness,and at least one second strip arranged between the first strips, the strip being integral with the second layer, the strip having a free end portion attached to the first back face so as to leave clear a middle portion, the dimension of which in a direction perpendicular to the edges corresponds substantially to the thickness.

With the arrangement proposed, the strips are integral with the front covering layers, which avoids having to attach them to the flaps with which they are integral.

Thus the only operation for attaching the strips to be carried out is the one corresponding to the attaching of the free end portions of the strips.

In this way, the manufacture of the panel is simplified and the cost thereof is reduced.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the figures, a description is given of a folding interior lining panel1for a motor vehicle, the panel having the following features:it comprises first2and second3flaps articulated on each other on two respective articulation edges4, so as to allow rotation of substantially 360° of one of the flaps with respect to the other, so that the panel can have a use configuration where the flaps are in line with one another in a substantially coplanar fashion, and two retracted configurations corresponding to a folding through 180° in one direction or the other,the sides21of the flaps at the edges have a similar thickness26,the flaps have respectively a first6aand second6bfront face and a first7aand second7bback face, the front faces being respectively covered with a first25aand second25bfront covering layer, for example made of carpet or nonwoven material,
the articulation between the flaps being formed by:at least two first strips8spaced apart from each other, the strips being integral with the first layer, the strips having a free end portion27aattached to the second back face so as to leave clear a middle portion9a, the dimension of which in a direction perpendicular to the edges corresponds substantially to the thickness,and at least one second strip12arranged between the first strips, the strip being integral with the second layer, the strip having a free end portion27battached to the first back face so as to leave clear a middle portion9b, the dimension of which in a direction perpendicular to the edges corresponds substantially to the thickness.

The flaps may be based on various materials, for example based on polyurethane, injected plastics material, with a honeycomb structure, extruded and blow-moulded plastics material, etc.

According to the embodiment depicted inFIG. 1, two first strips8are disposed substantially at the lateral ends of the edges4.

According to one embodiment, the end portions27a,27bof the strips8,12are attached by adhesive bonding.

Naturally, any other attaching method may be provided—such as stapling, screwing, etc—knowing that it is possible to combine a plurality of methods with each other.

According to the embodiments depicted, the first2and second3flaps are respectively covered on their back faces7a,7bwith a first28aand second28bback covering layer, for example based on a sheet of plastics material, nonwoven material, or textile coated with plastics material, the end portions27a,27bof the strips8,12being inserted between the back face7b,7aand the back covering layer28b,28aof the corresponding flap3,2.

According to the embodiments depicted, the flaps2,3are provided with housings20a,20bfor receiving the end portions27b,27aof the strips12,8, so that the end portions do not form a projection with respect to the back faces7a,7bof the corresponding flaps2,3.

According to an embodiment that is not shown, at least one strip8,12is reinforced on its back with a reinforcing layer in order to improve the tensile strength thereof.

According to one embodiment, the reinforcing layer extends along the strip8,12while encroaching in particular on the front face6a,6bof the flap2,3with which the strip is integral, so as to provide reinforcement all along the strip.

The reinforcing layer is associated for example by adhesive bonding to the strip8,12.

The reinforcing layer is for example based on fabric used for manufacturing airbags, so as to have high tensile strength.

According to the second embodiment depicted, the flaps2,3are produced by extrusion-blow moulding, the back of the strips8,12being secured to a respective sheet29of plastics material integral with the flaps, the sheet being connected to the flap2,3with which it is integral by means of a first zone of thinned material30aso as to form a flexible hinge, the sheet having a second zone of thinned material30bsituated at the interface between the middle portion9a,9band the end portion27a,27bof the strips.

In this case, provision can be made for fixing the free ends27a,27bof the strips8,12in the same way as in the first embodiment, knowing that it is also possible to envisage attachment by welding.

In variants, not shown, applicable to all embodiments, it is possible to provide more than two first strips8and also more than a single second strip12, as it is the case in the embodiment inFIG. 1, which provides two second strips12.

In all embodiments, the strips8,12may at leisure be staggered in alternation and/or in series.

In all the embodiments, in a way that is not shown, it is possible to provide for the front covering layers25a,25bof the flaps2,3to cover, outside the zones of the strips8,12, the edges21of the flaps, and also folded over on a peripheral zone of the back faces7a,7bof the flaps, so as to provide an optimum peripheral finish.