Method for introducing a line of weakening with low tearing resistance into an airbag cover and airbag cover produced by this method

• US 20030230875A1
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jenoptik Automatisierungstechnik Gmbh (Jenoptik AG)
• Original Assignee: Jenoptik Automatisierungstechnik Gmbh (Jenoptik AG)
• Inventors: Steinhaeuser, Frank, Preuss, Norbert, Griebel, Martin, Lutze, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 7,000,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/006 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/18 Sheet panels
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/16 Composite materials , e.g. fibre reinforced
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/42 Plastics B23K2103/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/382 by boring
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/389 of fluid openings, e.g. nozzles, jets laser machining of inkjet nozzles B41J2/1634
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/40 taking account of the properties of the material involved
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0838 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/007 Forming single grooves or ribs, e.g. tear lines, weak spots by moulding B29C37/0057; folding lines B29C53/06; in metal articles B21D17/00; by cutting B26D3/08
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3008 Instrument panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening

Abstract

A method for introducing a line of weakening with a low opening resistance in an airbag cover, comprising a substrate layer, a foamed material layer and a decorative layer in which a row of pocket holes s generated by laser radiation, wherein, alternately, first groups of pocket holes with a length a and with a quantity x of shallow pocket holes are generated only in the substrate material and second groups of pocket holes with a length b and with a quantity y of deep pocket holes are generated through the substrate material and through the foamed material layer into the decorative layer, and the foamed material layer is retained in the area of the first groups of pocket holes as a supporting layer.

Claims

1. A method for introducing a line of weakening with a low opening resistance in an airbag cover, having a substrate layer, a foamed material layer and a decorative layer;

said method comprising;

forming a row of pocket holes therein by laser radiation, and further including the steps of;

alternately, generating first groups of pocket holes with a length (a) and with a quantity (x) of shallow pocket holes only in the substrate material and generating second groups of pocket holes with a length (b) and with a quantity (y) of deep pocket holes through the substrate material and through the foamed material layer into the decorative layer; and

retaining the foamed material layer in the area of the first groups of pocket holes as a supporting layer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second groups of pocket holes are generated with a greater length (b) than the first groups of pocket holes with a length (a).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deep pocket holes are generated in a greater quantity than the shallow pocket holes with quantity.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pocket holes are generated in an overlapping manner.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deep pocket holes are generated up to a residual wall thickness (e) in the decorative layer of less than one tenth of a millimeter.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the laser radiation is pulsed and controlled in such a way that the center spacing (d) of all pocket holes relative to one another is constant.

7. An airbag cover with a line of weakening having a low opening resistance, comprising:

a substrate layer;

a foamed material layer and a decorative layer; and

a line-shaped arrangement of pocket holes which extends in the decorative layer and forms the line of weakening;

said arrangement of the pocket holes comprises alternately arranged first groups of pocket holes with a length (a) and a quantity (x) of shallow pocket holes and second groups of pocket holes of a length (b) and quantity (y) of deep pocket holes, and the shallow pocket holes only project into the substrate material and the deep pocket holes project through the substrate material and foamed material layer into the decorative layer, so that the foamed material layer remains in the area of the first groups of pocket holes as a supporting layer.