Trim articles with light stable covering containing invisible tear seam, and process of making the same

• US 6,753,057 B1
• Filed: 09/13/1999
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Grupo Antolin-Irausa, S.A.
• Original Assignee: Magna Imperio Systems Corp.
• Inventors: Gardner, John A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmad, Nasser
• Application Number:
  US09/394,032
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 428/43, 428/68, 428/131, 428/137, 428/138, 428/221, 280/728.3, 280/732, 280/752, 280/731, 280/730.1
• US Class Current: 428/43
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/186 hot-melt or heat activated adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/0057 Moulding single grooves or ribs, e.g. tear lines folding lines B29C53/06
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3008 Instrument panels
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/0292 Thermoplastic elastomer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/51 Elastic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2355/02 ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2369/00 Polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2375/00 Polyureas; Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/00 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/304 comprising vinyl halide (co)polymers, e.g. PVC, PVDC, PVF, PVDF
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/40 comprising polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/15 Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23 Sheet including cover or casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24273 including aperture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24331 including nonapertured component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249921 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component

Abstract

A panel structure is mountable in a vehicle to form a part of the interior thereof in concealing relation to a secondary restraint system. The novel panel structure of this invention includes a layered composite structure and a reinforcing substrate having a door structure movable through the layered composite structure upon the operation of the secondary restraint system. The layered composite structure includes an outer layer and an inner layer adhered to the outer layer, the inner layer including a seam-defining structure. In one embodiment, the seam-defining structure is a narrow elongated structure configured to define an exteriorly invisible tear seam generally corresponding with portions of an outline of the door structure, and the inner layer has a reduced thickness portion along the exteriorly invisible tear seam by virtue of the presence of the narrow elongated structure. In another embodiment, the seam-defining structure is a sheet structure severed to define an exteriorly invisible tear seam generally conforming to an outline of the movable door structure. The invisible tear seam defined by the narrow elongated structure or the severed sheet structure causes the layered composite structure to fracture generally along the invisible tear seam in response to the movement of the door structure through the layered composite structure during the operation of the secondary restraint system.

Claims

1. A layered composite structure for a panel structure of a motor vehicle comprising:

an outer layer having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface defining an exposed exterior surface of the panel structure, the outer layer comprising a substantially non-cellular thermoplastic polyurethane and a cross-linker;

an inner layer disposed adjacent to the inner surface of the outer layer, the inner layer comprising one or more substantially non-cellular base polymers; and

a seam defining structure disposed in the inner layer or between the inner layer and the outer layer, the seam defining structure defining tear seam for fracturing in response to operation of a secondary restraint system, the seam defining structure not being visible from the exposed exterior surface, wherein the layered composite structure comprises interfacial chemical bonding between the inner surface of the outer layer and an adjacent surface of the inner layer.

2. A layered composite structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer layer has a thickness in a range of from about 0.0025 cm to about 0.0038 cm.

3. A layered composite structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the inner layer has a thickness in a range of from about 0.10 cm to about 0.15 cm.

4. A layered composite structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the layered composite structure has a configuration of an exterior surface of a door panel.

5. A layered composite structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the layered composite structure has a configuration of an exterior surface of an instrument panel.

6. A layered composite structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the inner layer comprises an aromatic polyisocyanate, and wherein the cross-linker comprises a blocked, heat-activated diisocyanate.

7. A layered composite structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer layer further comprises at least one of a heat stabilizer and a light stabilizer.