Door trim bolster with electroluminescent lamp and injection molding method of making same
AssigneeLear Corporation
InventorsBogdan Radu, David Dooley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automotive interior component including an electroluminescent lamp capable of emitting visible light. The electroluminescent lamp of the component may integrally molded with a polymer body to define a unitary assembly. The interior component may be, for example, a bolster mounted to a door trim panel for concealing an opening in the door panel. The electroluminescent lamp is mounted to the door bolster and emits that visible light, when powered, for illuminating a portion of the door trim panel. A covering may be provided over the electroluminescent lamp through which the visible light is transmitted. The assembly of the interior component and the electroluminescent lamp may be formed by an injection molding process.
Claims9
An automotive interior component for a vehicle door, comprising:
- a door trim panel capable of being mounted to the vehicle door, said door trim panel including an opening;
- a bolster engaged with said door panel to conceal said opening;
- and
- an electroluminescent lamp mounted to said bolster, said electroluminescent lamp emitting visible light, when powered, that illuminates at least a portion of said door trim panel, wherein said bolster and said electroluminescent lamp are integrally molded to define a unitary construction.
A method of making an automotive interior trim assembly including a bolster and a trim panel, the method comprising:
- placing an electroluminescent lamp between mold sections of a mold;
- closing the mold sections to form a mold cavity with a geometrical shape resembling the bolster;
- injecting a molten polymer resin into the mold cavity to fill a portion of the mold cavity unfilled by the electroluminescent lamp;
- opening the mold sections after the molten polymer resin solidifies;
- ejecting the bolster from the mold;
- and
- coupling the bolster to the trim panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.