Prestressing fixture to eliminate automotive P.S.I.R. door-chute vibration weld visibility
AssigneeIntertec Systems
InventorGregg S. Evans
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automotive interior component including an airbag chute having at least one weld bar, and a pre-stressed instrument panel having a substrate layer for bonding to the weld bar. The pre-stressing provides tensile stress at weld bar bonding areas to reduce any deformation visible on an exposed surface of the instrument panel.
Claims20
An apparatus for manufacturing a pre-stressed automotive instrument panel for eliminating distortion in an area of vibration welded airbag chutes, said apparatus comprising:
- a first weld fixture including a plurality of convex pre-stressors each aligned to correspond to a respective weld bar of an instrument panel for creating compression in an area of contact with the instrument panel and creating tension in a surface opposite the contact area upon application of vacuum to draw the instrument panel toward the first weld fixture;
- and
- a second weld fixture disposed opposite the first weld fixture and configured to hold an airbag chute for the instrument panel.
An apparatus for manufacturing a pre-stressed automotive instrument panel for eliminating distortion in an area of vibration welded airbag chutes, said apparatus comprising:
- a first weld fixture configured to hold an instrument panel;
- a second weld fixture configured to hold an airbag chute, the airbag chute including at least one weld bar;
- wherein the first weld fixture includes at least one convex pre-stressor aligned to correspond to at least one weld bar of the airbag chute;
- and
- wherein at least one of the first weld fixture and the second weld fixture is configured to move relative to the other of the first weld fixture and the second weld fixture to vibration weld the airbag chute to the instrument panel.
An apparatus for manufacturing a pre-stressed automotive instrument panel for eliminating distortion in an area of vibration welded airbag chutes, said apparatus comprising:
- a weld fixture including a plurality of convex pre-stressors each aligned to correspond to a respective weld bar of an instrument panel for creating compression in an area of contact with the instrument panel and creating tension in a surface opposite the contact area upon application of vacuum to draw the instrument panel toward the weld fixture, the weld fixture including a coating layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.