TRIM PANEL HAVING FOAM BRIDGE SUPPORTED HIDDEN TEAR SEAM
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A trim panel for concealing an air bag, said panel comprising:
- a substrate;
a cover over the substrate, the cover including a foam layer and a cover skin, the foam layer being between the substrate and the cover skin; and
a tear seam, the tear seam having at least a portion comprising a pattern of alternating residual wall thicknesses in the panel, wherein the pattern comprises spaced-apart bridges of foam having a length of 0.1 to 100 mm and a width of 0.05 to 5.0 mm to provide support to the cover skin, and wherein the alternating residual wall thickness comprises alternating first and second sets of voids, with the first set of voids having a first depth D1, and the second set of voids having a second depth D2, less than the first depth, with the voids of the first sets of voids extending into the cover skin such that the cover skin adjacent to the first set of voids has a first residual wall thickness (RWT1) of 2.5% to 30% of the thickness T of the remainder of the skin.
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Abstract
In at least one embodiment, the present invention relates to a trim panel for concealing an air bag. The panel comprises a substrate and a cover over the substrate. The cover includes a cover skin. The panel also comprises a tear seam having at least a portion comprising a pattern of alternating residual wall thicknesses in the panel. At least one embodiment of the present invention also relates to a method for making a trim panel for concealing an air bag.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A trim panel for concealing an air bag, said panel comprising:
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a substrate;
a cover over the substrate, the cover including a foam layer and a cover skin, the foam layer being between the substrate and the cover skin; and
a tear seam, the tear seam having at least a portion comprising a pattern of alternating residual wall thicknesses in the panel, wherein the pattern comprises spaced-apart bridges of foam having a length of 0.1 to 100 mm and a width of 0.05 to 5.0 mm to provide support to the cover skin, and wherein the alternating residual wall thickness comprises alternating first and second sets of voids, with the first set of voids having a first depth D1, and the second set of voids having a second depth D2, less than the first depth, with the voids of the first sets of voids extending into the cover skin such that the cover skin adjacent to the first set of voids has a first residual wall thickness (RWT1) of 2.5% to 30% of the thickness T of the remainder of the skin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 19, 20)
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9. A trim panel for concealing an air bag, said panel comprising:
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a substrate; and
a cover over the substrate, the cover including a foam layer and a cover skin, the foam layer being between the substrate and the cover skin; and
a tear seam, the tear seam having at least a portion comprising a pattern of alternating residual wall thicknesses in the panel, wherein the pattern comprises spaced-apart bridges of foam having a length of 0.1 to 100 mm and a width of 0.05 to 5.0 mm to provide support to the cover skin, and wherein the alternating residual wall thickness comprises alternating first and second sets of holes, with the first set of holes having a first depth D1, and the second set of holes having a second depth D2, less than the first depth, with the holes of the first sets of holes extending into the cover skin such that the tear seam has a structure which prevents the cover from forming a visually detectable physical weakened portion on the passenger side of the panel. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A method of forming a trim panel for concealing an air bag, said method comprising:
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providing a panel comprising a substrate and a cover over the substrate, the cover including a foam layer and a cover skin, the foam layer being between the substrate and the cover skin, and the cover skin having a thickness T; and
forming a tear seam in the panel having at least a portion comprising a pattern of alternating residual wall thicknesses in the panel, wherein the pattern comprises spaced-apart bridges of foam having a length of 0.1 to 100 mm and a width of 0.05 to 5.0 mm to provide support to the cover skin, and wherein the alternating residual wall thickness comprises alternating first and second sets of voids, with the first set of voids having a first depth D1, and the second set of voids having a second depth D2, less than the first depth, with the voids of the first sets of voids extending into the cover skin such that the cover skin adjacent to the first set of voids has a residual wall thickness (RWT) of 2.5% to 30% of the thickness T of the remainder of the skin. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification