US 7,029,028 B2 · Automotive trim piece and method to form an air bag deployment opening

Abstract

An arrangement for forming an opening in an auto interior trim panel or piece normally having no visible indication of the opening just prior to inflation of an inflatable air bag, allowing deployment of the air bag into the passenger compartment of vehicle, the arrangement including a linear element positioned below the skin of the trim panel or wheel cover in a pattern corresponding to the opening. In a first embodiment a heat generating element is employed as the linear element which when activated degrades the covering skin layer of the trim piece in pattern shape. In a second embodiment detonating cord enclosed in a metal tube is employed with a series of holes directing the energy of detonation to sever the panel skin material. In a third embodiment a split sleeve having explosive coating on the inside is used to create a flame front severing the panel skin in the appropriate pattern. The skin may be mechanically preweakened prior to assembly by a precision cutting operation performed on the inside surface, in a pattern matching with the pattern of the linear element, aiding the process of foxing the opening in the trim piece at the instant of deployment.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A method of forming a deployment opening for deployment of an air bag to be inflated from a stored location behind a smooth expanse of a plastic covering layer of an interior trim piece mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the method including cutting into the inside of the covering layer along a deployment opening pattern located over said air bag, said deployment opening pattern occupying a limited area of said smooth expanse of said covering layer surrounded by remaining portions of said trim piece covering layer smooth expanse, said deployment opening pattern being invisible from within said passenger compartment, whereby inflation of the air bag causes opening of the covering layer along said deployment opening pattern to form said deployment opening.

An instrument panel for the interior of an automobile passenger compartment equipped with an inflatable air bag device including an air bag adapted to be deployed into a passenger space in said passenger compartment, said air bag device mounted at a particular location behind said instrument panel to normally be concealed from view from within said passenger space, said instrument panel fixed within said passenger space and including a covering layer having an outer surface exposed to view;

said instrument panel also including a supporting structure underlying said covering layer and providing support beneath said covering layer, said supporting structure including a substrate panel;
at least one separate substrate door panel included in said substrate panel, said door panel secured on one side to swing out from surrounding adjacent portions of said substrate panel when said air bag is deployed enabling said deploying air bag to pass through said substrate panel;
said covering layer including an area extending smoothly over said substrate panel and overlying said substrate door panel so as extend beyond the entire perimeter of said substrate door panel and to provide an exteriorly invisible air bag installation;
and
said covering layer cut from the inside, said cut extending in a deployment opening pattern lying over said perimeter of said substrate door panel and within a limited part of said covering layer area completely surrounded by remaining parts of said covering layer area, whereby said location of said air bag device behind said instrument panel is not indicated from within said passenger space before air bag device activation occurs.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

11/046,167Filed 28 Jan 2005 · division

Priority

30 Jan 1989

Published

US 2005/0285376 A129 Dec 2005

Granted

18 Apr 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

B60R 21/2165
Characterised by the covers for the inflatable member: characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening
B29C 59/007
Surface shaping of articles, e.g. embossing; Apparatus therefor: forming single grooves or ribs, e.g. tear lines, weak spots
B29C 2035/0838
Using electromagnetic radiation: using laser
B29C 2793/0054
Shaping techniques involving a cutting or machining operation: partially cutting through the material

Family

Application07/303,132Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 30 Jan 1989

Application07/380,156Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 Jul 1989

Application07/471,922Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Jan 1990

Application07/934,886Parent of this division · filed 24 Aug 1992

Application08/051,175Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Apr 1993

Application08/391,336Parent of this division · filed 21 Feb 1995

Application08/511,327Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Aug 1995

Application08/851,413Parent of this division · filed 5 May 1997

Application09/139,612Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Aug 1998

Application10/389,351Parent of this division · filed 14 Mar 2003

US 2005/0285376 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Dec 2005

US 6,848,707 B2Parent of this division

Application10/389,351Parent of this continuation

US 5,797,619 AParent of this division

Application09/139,612Parent of this division

Application08/851,413Parent of this continuation

Application08/511,327Parent of this division

Application08/391,336Parent of this continuation

US 5,217,244 AParent of this division

Application08/051,175Parent of this division

Application07/934,886Parent of this continuation

Application07/471,922Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 5,080,393 AParent of this continuation-in-part

US 2003/0155749 A1Published application

US 7,029,028 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Automotive trim piece and method to form an air bag deployment opening

Life of this patent

Automotive trim piece and method to form an air bag deployment opening

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7