BASED ON RENEWABLE RAW MATERIALS

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to a component for an interior of a vehicle, in particular of a car or truck.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Such components for an interior of a vehicle, for example air outlets or the like, are regularly produced from plastics. When these are in use, relatively large quantities of air flow through or around same. PC-ABS (polycarbonate-acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene blend) is used by way of example as plastic. Such plastics have a high level of haptic properties and at the same time are very robust, and can therefore be used in particular for components for an interior. However, it is disadvantageous that, in particular in the case of components for an interior where air flows through or flows around said components, considerable emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) can arise, as also can what is known as fogging. Air quality in the interior of a vehicle is thus impaired.

SUMMARY

[0003] Starting from the prior art explained above, the invention is based on the object of providing a component of the type mentioned in the introduction for an interior, where said component has a high level of haptic properties and good robustness, and also can provide improved air quality in the interior of a vehicle.

[0004] The invention achieves the object via the subject matter of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are found in the dependent claims, the description and the figures.

[0005] For a component of the type mentioned in the introduction for an interior, the invention achieves the object in that it consists at least sectionally of a plastic based on renewable raw materials.

[0006] The component for an interior is installed in the interior of a vehicle, for example a car or truck. It can be a sheet-like component for an interior. In this case it is in particular visible to vehicle occupants in the interior of a vehicle. It is in particular a component for an interior where air flows around or through said component. As mentioned in the introduction, emission behavior is particularly relevant for such components for an interior.

[0007] The component of the invention for an interior consists at least sectionally of a plastic based on renewable raw materials. It can in particular consist entirely of a plastic based on renewable raw materials. Plastics can also be produced from renewable raw materials, instead of from fossil raw materials, such as petroleum or natural gas. Such plastics based on renewable raw materials are also termed bioplastics. They can be biodegradable. However, they can also be non-biodegradable. An advantage of plastics based on renewable raw materials consists in the considerably improved emission behavior in comparison with conventional plastics: tendency toward fogging is considerably reduced, as also is emission of volatile organic compounds. In comparison to the use of conventional plastics, it is thus possible to achieve a considerable improvement of air quality in the interior of a vehicle. Reductions of emission values and fogging values that can be achieved in comparison with conventional plastics such as PC-ABS are at least 20%.

[0008] The plastic used in the invention can be a plastic based on a plant-derived raw material. Such plastics feature particularly little emission of volatile organic compounds.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the plastic can be a cellulose-based plastic. Such cellulose-based plastics have a high level of haptic properties and good robustness. At the same time, their heat resistance is similar to that of conventional plastics, such as PC-ABS, with considerably reduced emission values. Suitable cellulose-based plastics are by way of example predominantly produced from wood. An example of a cellulose-based plastic that can be used in the invention is the plastic obtainable as TREVA from the manufacturer Eastman. Examples that may be mentioned are the plastics TREVA GC6011 and TREVA GC6021.

[0010] In order to achieve a further improvement of the emission values, the proportion of the plant-derived raw material in the plastic can be at least 30%, preferably at least 40%.

[0011] In another embodiment, the emission value of the plastic used in the invention in a thermal desorption analysis of organic emissions in accordance with VDA278 can be less than 10 pg/g, preferably less than 5 pg/g, more preferably less than 2 pg/g. Such emission values are considerably lower than for conventional oil-based plastics.

[0012] In a particularly practical application, the component for an interior can be an air outlet where at least the housing of the air outlet consists of the plastic based on renewable raw materials. The air outlet can also consist entirely of the plastic based on renewable raw materials. Air outlets serve to conduct fresh air from outside into the interior of a vehicle. They have a housing which forms an air flow duct for the air flow. Within the air flow duct, there is/are one or more adjustable air-conducting elements arranged with which the air flow can be conducted in the desired direction and quantity into the interior of a vehicle. Housings of such air outlets moreover regularly have a bezel facing toward the interior of a vehicle. The housing of air outlets has exposure to a considerable air flow, and emission values are therefore particularly relevant here. Accordingly in this embodiment at least the housing inclusive of the walls delimiting the air flow duct, and optionally inclusive of a bezel of the housing, is composed of the plastic of the invention.

[0013] However, the component for an interior can also be any other component in the interior of a vehicle, in particular a component around which air flows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0014] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail with reference to a figure. The single figure is a diagram of an air outlet of the invention in a perspective view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The air outlet 10 shown in the figure has a housing 12 with a bezel 14 facing toward the interior of a vehicle. The housing 12 forms an air flow duct for air to be conducted from the outside of a vehicle into the interior of a vehicle. In the region of the outlet aperture, facing toward the interior of a vehicle, of the housing 12 there are, in the example shown, a plurality of frontally located air-conducting lamellae 16 which can be swiveled around an axis that in the installed condition is in essence horizontal. On the frontally located air-conducting lamella 16 that is central in the example shown, there is an operating button 18 arranged, which can be operated manually by a vehicle occupant. By swiveling the operating button 18 around the swiveling axis of the central frontally positioned air-conducting lamella 16 it is possible to swivel the central frontally positioned air-conducting lamella 16 around said axis. The frontally positioned air-conducting lamellae 16 are coupled to one another in a manner known per se by way of one or more coupling rods, so that a swiveling motion of the frontally positioned air-conducting lamella 16 is transmitted to the other frontally positioned air-conducting lamellae 16 and the frontally positioned air-conducting lamellae are swiveled synchronously.

[0016] Behind the frontally positioned air-conducting lamellae 16 in the view provided by figure 4 in the example shown there are a plurality of rear air-conducting lamellae 20 in the air-flow duct, each of these being mounted so that they can swivel around an axis that in the installed condition is in essence vertical. The rear air-conducting lamellae 20 are also by way of example coupled to one another by way of one or more coupling rods so that swiveling of one of the rear air-conducting lamellae 20 is transmitted to the other rear air conducting lamellae 20 for the purpose of synchronous swiveling. The operating button 18 is coupled, likewise in a manner known per se, to at least one of the rear air-conducting lamellae 20. If a vehicle occupant moves the operating button 18 to left or right in the figure, this leads to swiveling of the rear air-conducting lamellae 20 around their respective swiveling axis. It is thus possible by way of the operating knob 18 to deflect, in desired manner, the fresh air that is to be passed through the air outlet 10 into the interior of a vehicle.

[0017] An operating wheel can be seen with reference sign 22. This is coupled to a shut off flap known per se, not visible in the figure, in the air flow duct. By rotating the operating wheel 22 it is possible to swivel the shut-off flap and thus adjust the quantity of air introduced into the interior of a vehicle. This is also known per se.

[0018] The housing 12 of the air outlet 10 of the invention, shown in the figure, inclusive of the bezel 14, consists of a cellulose-based plastic, in particular of a wood-based plastic.

It is thus possible, in comparison with conventional plastics, to achieve a considerable reduction of the VOC emission values and of any fogging that may occur. Key

10 Air outlet

12 Housing

14 Bezel

16 Frontally positioned air-conducting lamellae

18 Operating button

20 Rear air-conducting lamellae

22 Operating wheel