Modular composite instrument panel
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsKalyanaraman Bharathan, Jeff Webb, Tim Beard, Bernard Gerard Marchetti
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Abstract
A vehicular instrument panel, including a substrate comprising a plurality of chopped carbon and chopped glass fibers within a nylon resin, the substrate defines an airbag canister. The plurality of chopped carbon and chopped glass fibers are segregated such that the chopped carbon fibers are substantially concentrated within a driver-side portion of the substrate and the airbag canister, and the chopped glass fibers are substantially concentrated within a passenger-side portion of the substrate. The substrate can also include a boundary region such that the plurality of chopped carbon and glass fibers in the substrate are substantially mixed in the boundary region.
Claims18
A vehicular instrument panel, comprising:
- a substrate comprising a plurality of chopped carbon and chopped glass fibers within a nylon resin, the substrate defining an airbag canister,
- wherein the plurality of chopped carbon and chopped glass fibers are segregated such that the chopped carbon fibers are substantially concentrated within a driver-side portion of the substrate and the airbag canister, and the chopped glass fibers are substantially concentrated within a passenger-side portion of the substrate, and
- further wherein the substrate further comprises a boundary region proximate the airbag canister, and the plurality of chopped carbon and glass fibers in the substrate are substantially mixed in the boundary region.
A vehicular instrument panel, comprising:
- a member comprising a first fiber material and a second fiber material within a resin;
- and
- a housing integrally formed from the member, the housing configured to encase a vehicular feature,
- wherein the first fiber material is substantially concentrated within a driver-side portion of the member and the second fiber material is substantially concentrated within a passenger-side portion of the member and the housing, and
- further wherein the member further comprises a boundary region substantially surrounding the housing, and the first fiber material and the second fiber material in the member are substantially mixed in the boundary region.
A vehicular instrument panel, comprising:
- a member comprising a first fiber material and a second fiber material within a resin, the first and second fiber materials being substantially segregated within the member;
- a hollow-body within the member that comprises a portion of the first fiber material in the resin;
- and
- a boundary region within the member that substantially surrounds the hollow-body, wherein the first and second fiber materials are substantially mixed in the boundary region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.