Motor vehicle trim element having weakened areas and methods for the manufacture thereof
First Claim
1. A motor vehicle trim element having weakened areas for an airbag deployment opening, the trim element comprising:
- a carrier layer;
a spacer layer laminated to the carrier layer; and
a decorative layer on the side of the spacer layer facing away from the carrier layer;
wherein each of the carrier layer, the spacer layer, and the decorative layer comprises a weakened area whereby at specific locations of each layer, material has been removed or displaced so as to selectively provide the weakened areas as predetermined breaking points, whereby these points where material has been removed or displaced terminate in front of the outer surface of the decorative layer and are not, therefore, visible from the outside;
wherein between the inner surface of the decorative layer and the adjacent surface of the spacer layer, in each case in contact with the surface of both layers, is disposed a thin additional layer of material which has at least one area where material has been removed or one area where material has been displaced in the same weakened location, the additional layer of material, the additional layer of material being a plastic film that is thinner than the spacer layer and the decorative layer;
wherein the weakened area in the decorative layer and the weakened area in the additional layer of material are disposed offset to one another.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A motor vehicle trim element having weakened areas for an airbag deployment opening is provided. The layered construction of the trim element includes a carrier layer, a spacer layer laminated thereto and a decorative layer. A weakened area of the decorative layer is not visible from the outside. An additional layer of material, made of, for example, a plastic film, is located between the spacer layer and the decorative layer to reduce the likelihood of the weakened area becoming visible from the outside, even under thermal and/or mechanical stress. The additional layer of material may also include a weakened area.
47 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A motor vehicle trim element having weakened areas for an airbag deployment opening, the trim element comprising:
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a carrier layer; a spacer layer laminated to the carrier layer; and a decorative layer on the side of the spacer layer facing away from the carrier layer; wherein each of the carrier layer, the spacer layer, and the decorative layer comprises a weakened area whereby at specific locations of each layer, material has been removed or displaced so as to selectively provide the weakened areas as predetermined breaking points, whereby these points where material has been removed or displaced terminate in front of the outer surface of the decorative layer and are not, therefore, visible from the outside; wherein between the inner surface of the decorative layer and the adjacent surface of the spacer layer, in each case in contact with the surface of both layers, is disposed a thin additional layer of material which has at least one area where material has been removed or one area where material has been displaced in the same weakened location, the additional layer of material, the additional layer of material being a plastic film that is thinner than the spacer layer and the decorative layer; wherein the weakened area in the decorative layer and the weakened area in the additional layer of material are disposed offset to one another. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A motor vehicle trim element, the trim element adapted to cooperate with an airbag, the trim element comprising:
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a carrier layer; a spacer layer attached to the carrier layer; a decorative layer disposed on a side of the spacer layer facing away from the carrier layer; and an additional layer of material disposed between the spacer layer and the decorative layer, the additional layer of material being a plastic film that is thinner than the spacer layer and the decorative layer; wherein each of the carrier layer, the spacer layer, the additional layer of material and the decorative layer comprises a weakened area whereby at specific locations of each layer, material has been removed or displaced so as to selectively provide the weakened areas as predetermined breaking points, whereby these points where material has been removed or displaced terminate in front of the outer surface of the decorative layer and are not, therefore, visible from the outside; wherein the weakened area in the decorative layer and the weakened area in the additional layer of material are disposed offset to one another. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification