# US 9,434,095 B2 · Hybrid composite utilizing gas-assisted molding geometries > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,434,095 B2 - Document ID: US9434095B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/711,064 - Filed: 2015-05-13 - Published: 2015-11-12 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-06 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Bernard Gerard Marchetti; Kalyanaraman Bharathan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434095B2 ## CPC - B29C 45/0005: {using fibre reinforcements} - B29C 45/16: Making multilayered or multicoloured articles {(B29C45/0062 takes precedence; feeding colouring materials into the injection unit B29C45/1816)} - B29C 45/1704: {the fluid being introduced into the interior of the injected material which is still in a molten state, e.g. for producing hollow articles (B29C45/1732 and B29C45/1734 take precedence; injection blow-moulding B29C49/06)} - B62D 25/14: Dashboards as superstructure sub-units (other dashboard aspects B60K) - B62D 27/026: {Connections by glue bonding (in general F16B11/00; processes C09J5/00)} - B62D 29/043: {Superstructures (B62D25/161 takes precedence)} - B29K 2105/12: of short lengths, e.g. chopped filaments, staple fibres or bristles - B29L 2031/3008: {Instrument panels} - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract A vehicular instrument panel includes a substrate having a first plurality of chopped carbon fibers and a first plurality of chopped glass fibers within a first nylon resin. The first plurality of chopped carbon fibers and the first plurality of glass fibers in the substrate are segregated such that the carbon fibers and the glass fibers are each substantially concentrated within respective driver-side and passenger-side portions of the substrate. A reinforcement includes a second plurality of chopped carbon fibers within a second nylon resin. A reinforcement rib is integrally defined by the reinforcement. The reinforcement rib is substantially hollow and positioned on a driver-side portion of the reinforcement. A substrate rib is integrally defined by the substrate. The substrate rib is substantially hollow and positioned on the driver-side portion of the substrate. The substrate rib and the reinforcement rib are bonded to one another. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicular instrument panel, comprising: a substrate comprising a first plurality of chopped carbon fibers and a first plurality of chopped glass fibers within a first nylon resin, wherein the first plurality of chopped carbon fibers and the first plurality of glass fibers in the substrate are segregated such that the carbon fibers and the glass fibers are each substantially concentrated within respective driver-side and passenger-side portions of the substrate; a reinforcement coupled to the substrate comprising a second plurality of chopped carbon fibers within a second nylon resin; a reinforcement rib integrally defined by the reinforcement, the reinforcement rib being substantially hollow and positioned on a driver-side portion of the reinforcement; and a substrate rib integrally defined by the substrate, the substrate rib being substantially hollow and positioned on the driver-side portion of the substrate, wherein the substrate rib and the reinforcement rib are bonded to one another. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of chopped carbon fibers in the substrate has a fiber volume fraction in the first nylon resin of about 15% to about 40%. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 1, wherein the substrate rib and the reinforcement rib are defined and bonded adjacent a steering column mount on the substrate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 3, further comprising: a duct, wherein the duct, the reinforcement, the reinforcement rib, and the substrate rib cooperatively form a hollow tube. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 1, wherein the substrate further comprises a boundary region where the first plurality of chopped carbon fibers and the first plurality of chopped glass fibers are substantially mixed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 5, wherein the first plurality of chopped carbon fibers in the driver-side portion of the substrate has a fiber volume fraction of about 30% to 40% in the first nylon resin, the first plurality of chopped glass fibers in the passenger-side portion has a fiber volume fraction of about 30% to 40% in the first nylon resin, and the first plurality of chopped carbon fibers and the first plurality of chopped glass fibers in the boundary region each have a fiber volume fraction of about 15% to 20% in the nylon resin. ### Claim 7 A vehicular instrument panel, comprising: a first member comprising a fiber material within a first resin, the first member defining a first hollow rib; and a second member coupled to the first member having driver-side, passenger-side, and center-stack portions, the second member defining a second hollow rib in the driver-side portion which is bonded to the first hollow rib, wherein the driver-side portion comprises a first fiber material within a second resin, the passenger-side portion comprises a second fiber material within the second resin, and the center-stack portion comprises a mixture of the first and second fiber materials within the second resin. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 7, wherein the first and second fiber materials are each selected from the group of materials consisting of carbons, aramids, aluminum metals, aluminum oxides, steels, borons, silicas, silicon carbides, silicon nitrides, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylenes, A-glasses, E-glasses, E-CR-glasses, C-glasses, D-glasses, R-glasses, and S-glasses. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 7, wherein the first and second resins are each selected from the group of materials consisting of a nylon, a polypropylene, an epoxy, a polyester, a vinyl ester, a polyetheretherketone, a poly(phenylene sulfide), a polyetherimide, a polycarbonate, a silicone, a polyimide, a poly(ether sulfone), a melamine-formaldehyde, a phenol-formaldehyde, and a polybenzimidazole. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 7, wherein the first and second resins have substantially the same composition. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 7, wherein the driver-side and passenger-side portions of the second member each have a fiber volume fraction of the respective first and second fiber materials in the second resin of about 15% to about 40%. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 11, wherein the first fiber material in the driver-side portion has a first fiber volume fraction of about 30% to 40% in the second resin, the passenger-side portion has a second fiber volume fraction of about 30% to 40% in the second resin, and the first and second fiber materials in the center-stack portion each have a fiber volume fraction of about 15% to 20% in the second resin. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 7, wherein the first and second fiber materials each have an average fiber length of about 5 mm to about 7 mm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 7, wherein the driver-side portion of the second member further comprises a fiber mat reinforcement. ### Claim 15 A vehicular instrument panel, comprising: a reinforcement comprising a plurality of chopped carbon fibers within a nylon resin, the reinforcement having a hollow reinforcement rib; and a substrate coupled to the reinforcement comprising a plurality of chopped carbon and chopped glass fibers segregated into respective driver-side and passenger-side portions, the substrate having a hollow substrate rib, wherein the reinforcement rib and the substrate rib are bonded to one another. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 15, wherein the plurality of chopped carbon fibers and the chopped glass fibers of the substrate are disposed in a nylon resin, further wherein the substrate has a carbon fiber volume fraction in the nylon resin of about 15% to about 40%. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 15, wherein the chopped carbon fibers in the substrate have an average fiber length of about 5 mm to about 7 mm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 15, wherein the substrate further comprises a boundary region where the plurality of chopped carbon and glass fibers are substantially mixed. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The vehicular instrument panel of claim 15, further comprising: a duct, wherein the duct, the reinforcement, the reinforcement rib, and the substrate rib cooperatively form a hollow tube. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The vehicular component of claim 15, wherein the passenger-side portion of the substrate further comprises a fiber mat reinforcement.