VEHICLE INTERIOR PANEL, AND AIRBAG DEVICE

• US 20130001932A1
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kanno, Yuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,657,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/06 using friction, e.g. spin welding non-plastics elements to plastic elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/131 Single flanged joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being rigid and flanged in the joint area
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/234 said joint lines being in the form of tessellations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/301 Three-dimensional joints, i.e. the joined area being substantially non-flat B29C66/5223, B29C66/5224, B29C66/5225 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/30223 said melt initiators being rib-like
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/342 Preventing air-inclusions
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/542 joining hollow covers or hollow bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/543 joining more than two hollow-preforms to form said hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/545 one hollow-preform being placed inside the other
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9512 by controlling their vibration frequency
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9516 by controlling their vibration amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3038 Air bag covers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21537 characterised by hinges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening

Abstract

Provided are a vehicle interior panel and an airbag device wherein it is possible to prevent the weld strength and the rigidity of a panel from deteriorating. In a vehicle interior panel, a joint surface of a flap portion has first welding ribs, second welding ribs, and a third welding rib formed thereon. The first welding ribs include the first communication grooves each allowing adjacent grids and to communicate with each other. The second welding ribs include second communication grooves each allowing adjacent grids to communicate with each other. The third welding rib includes third communication grooves formed on sides substantially perpendicular to a hinge portion. The second communication grooves are formed so as not to be successively aligned in a direction perpendicular to the second welding ribs. The first to third communication grooves form an exhaust channel allowing the air in the grids to be discharged outside during vibration welding.

Claims

1. A vehicle interior panel comprising:

an inner case including at least one flap portion defining an opening portion for deployment of an airbag and formed together with a hinge portion in the opening portion; and

an outer panel covering a front surface of the inner case and including at least one door portion to be joined to the flap portion, the outer panel being joined to the inner case using vibration welding;

wherein one of joint surfaces between the flap portion and the door portion has a plurality of first welding ribs disposed substantially parallel to the hinge portion, a plurality of second welding ribs disposed so as to form a plurality of grids together with the first welding ribs, and a third welding rib formed in a frame shape thereon along an outer periphery of the flap portion;

wherein the first welding ribs include first communication grooves each allowing adjacent grids to communicate with each other, the second welding ribs include second communication grooves each allowing adjacent grids to communicate with each other, and the third welding rib includes third communication grooves formed in sides thereof substantially perpendicular to the hinge portion;

wherein the second communication grooves are formed so as not to be successively aligned in a direction perpendicular to the second welding ribs; and

wherein the first to third communication grooves form an exhaust channel allowing air in the grids to be discharged outside during vibration welding.

2. The vehicle interior panel according to claim 1,

wherein the second communication grooves are formed at least one grid spacing away from the hinge portion.

3. The vehicle interior panel according to claim 1,

wherein the third communication grooves are formed at least one grid spacing away from corners of the third welding rib.

4. The vehicle interior panel according to claim 1,

wherein the second welding ribs forming a boundary of the exhaust channel do not include the second communication grooves.

5. The vehicle interior panel according to claim 1,

wherein the inner case includes a flange portion formed in an outer periphery of the opening portion;

wherein a joint surface of the flange portion includes fourth welding ribs disposed substantially parallel to the first welding ribs, fifth welding ribs disposed substantially parallel to the second welding ribs, a sixth welding rib formed in a frame shape along an outer periphery of the flange portion, and a seventh welding rib formed in a frame shape along an inner periphery of the flange portion; and

wherein the fourth to sixth welding ribs respectively have fourth to sixth communication grooves allowing air in grids formed with the fourth to seventh welding ribs to be discharged outside.

6. The vehicle interior panel according to claim 5,

wherein on the joint surface of the flange portion located outside of the hinge portion, the fourth welding ribs include fourth communication grooves each allowing adjacent grids to communicate with each other, and the fifth welding ribs include fifth communication grooves each allowing adjacent grids to communicate with each other;

and

wherein the fifth communication grooves are formed so as not to be successively aligned in a direction perpendicular to the fifth welding ribs.

7. An airbag device comprising:

an airbag to be inflated and deployed in case of emergency;

an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag;

a retainer for supporting the inflator and the airbag; and

a vehicle interior panel configured to allow the retainer to be latched thereto and allow the airbag to be released in a passenger compartment of a vehicle;

wherein the vehicle interior panel is the vehicle interior panel according to claim 1.