US 6,120,090 A · Structural headliner

Abstract

A headliner for motor vehicles includes first and second sheets of material in juxtaposition to each other and adapted for positioning in a mold having two mold portions. The material of at least one of the sheets is fluid deformable with respect to another of the sheets, and is attachable to the material of the other of the sheets by the mold portions at sufficient locations to outline a potential duct between the sheets. The potential duct is adapted to receive fluid between the sheets for forming an actual duct. When fluid is received between the sheets, the material of the at least one sheet is deformed with respect to the material of the other of the sheets to define the actual duct. In one embodiment of the headliner, at least one head impact block is disposed in the duct. The headliner may also include at least one substantially air-impermeable layer disposed within the duct and attached to at least one of the the first and second sheets. Furthermore, the layer preferably includes a polymer powder.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A headliner for motor vehicles, the headliner comprising:

first and second sheets of material in juxtaposition to each other and adapted for positioning in a mold having two mold portions, the material of at least one of the sheets being fluid deformable with respect to another of the sheets and being attachable to the material of the other of the sheets by the mold portions at sufficient locations to outline a potential duct between the sheets, the potential duct being adapted to receive fluid between the sheets for forming an actual duct;
wherein the material of the at least one sheet is deformed with respect to the material of the other of the sheets to define the actual duct when the fluid is received between the sheets.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Structural headliner

Life of this patent

Structural headliner

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26