US 5,762,395 A · Molded cross car support structure

Abstract

A cross car support structure of an instrument panel assembly is provided for attachment to the vehicle side structure. The cross car support structure includes a one-piece, integrally molded beam preferably made entirely of plastic, the plastic beam having first and second opposing ends connected to the vehicle side structure. In addition, the beam includes a plurality of laterally extending, upwardly opening, U-shaped duct channels having upwardly facing edges. The cross car support further includes an instrument panel cover including a substrate layer having a bottom surface. The bottom surface of the substrate layer of the instrument panel cover is continuously secured to the upwardly facing edges of the beam so that the continuously secured instrument panel cover interconnects the upwardly facing edges and stiffens the beam such that the beam and the continuously secured instrument panel cover cooperatively provide the entire cross car support structure for the instrument panel assembly.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A cross car support structure of an instrument panel assembly for attachment to side structure of a vehicle, the cross car support structure comprising:

a one-piece, integrally molded beam made entirely of plastic, the plastic beam having at least one end connected to the vehicle side structure and extending laterally across the vehicle, the plastic beam including a plurality of laterally extending, upwardly opening, U-shaped duct channels, all of the duct channels lying in a same generally horizontal plane forward to rearward of each other, the duct channels each including a rearward generally vertical wall and a forward generally vertical wall, each of the duct channels sharing one of the generally vertical walls therebetween such that one of the forward generally vertical walls of one of the duct channels provides one of the rearward generally vertical walls for another of the duct channels the plastic beam having an overall vertical height substantially the same as a vertical height of a highest one of the forward and rearward generally vertical walls.

A cross car support structure of an instrument panel assembly for attachment to vehicle side structure, the cross car support structure comprising:

a one-piece, integrally molded beam, the beam having at least one end connected to the vehicle side structure, the beam including a plurality of laterally extending, upwardly opening, U-shaped duct channels, all of the duct channels lying in a same generally horizontal plane and aligned forward to rearward of each other, all of the duct channels including a rearward generally vertical wall and a forward generally vertical wall, each of the duct channels sharing one of the generally vertical walls therebetween such that one of the forward generally vertical walls of one of the duct channels provides one of the rearward generally vertical walls for another of the duct channels, the beam having an overall vertical height substantially the same as a vertical height of a highest one of the forward and rearward generally vertical walls.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Molded cross car support structure

Life of this patent

Molded cross car support structure

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10