Airbag tear seam tape
AssigneeFaurecia Interior Systems, Inc.
InventorDavid Zhang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle interior panel for use over an airbag includes a covering disposed over a substrate. The covering includes a decorative layer with an inner surface that faces the substrate and an opposite decorative surface. A non-visible tear seam is formed at the inner surface of the decorative layer. Tear seam tape is attached to the inner surface of the decorative layer along at least a portion of the tear seam to hold the decorative layer together at the tear seam. The tear seam tape can help prevent the tear seam from becoming visible at the decorative surface.
Claims16
A panel for use over a vehicle airbag, comprising:
- a substrate having an outer surface;
- a decorative layer disposed over the outer surface of the substrate, the decorative layer having an inner surface that faces toward the substrate;
- a tear seam formed in the inner surface of the decorative layer at a predetermined airbag deployment opening location;
- and
- tear seam tape attached to the inner surface of the decorative layer along at least a portion of the tear seam, the tear seam tape being shaped to fit the tear seam.
A method of making a panel for use over a vehicle airbag, comprising the steps of:
- (a) attaching a strip of tear seam tape to an inner surface of a decorative layer along at least a portion of a tear seam formed in the decorative layer;
- (b) attaching an intermediate layer to the inner surface of the decorative layer such that the tear seam tape is sandwiched between the decorative layer and the intermediate layer;
- and
- (c) disposing the decorative layer with the tear seam tape and the intermediate layer over a substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.