Vehicular interior parts

• US 8,424,903 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2009
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kasai Kogyo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kasai Kogyo Company Limited
• Inventors: Kaneda, Toshihisa, Aoyama, Saori, Watanabe, Jirou, Tabata, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): SPISICH, GEORGE D
• Application Number:
  US12/735,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20110025026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.3, 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/732
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/02 Internal Trim mouldings ; Internal Ledges; Wall liners for passenger compartments; Roof liners B60R13/01 takes precedence ; padded linings for the vehicle interior B60R21/04; arrangements or adaptations of floor mats or carpets in vehicles B60N3/04; internal lining for trains B61D17/18
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0206 Arrangements of fasteners and clips specially adapted for attaching inner vehicle liners or mouldings devices for fastening or securing F16B
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0237 Side or rear panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/025 Pillars; Roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0275 comprising removable or hinged parts for accessing storage compartments B60R7/04; for airbag deployment B60R21/215
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0287 integrating other functions or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/21 in vehicle side panels, e.g. doors pillar mounted arrangements B60R21/213
• 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

To provide an automotive interior part surely deploying an airbag as a result of a smooth opening and fracture of an interior-part main body onto which an outer cover is attached at the time of the deployment of the airbag.

The present invention includes: a door-upper main body 5 covering a vehicle compartment side of a door panel 14; a deployment section 2a deployed in tune with the deployment of an airbag 11 toward inside the vehicle compartment; and an outer cover having an outer-cover main body 6 continuously covering the door-upper main body 5 and the deployment section 2a and an overhang section 130 hung over by folding a terminal end thereof. The overhang section 13 includes: an area 13b having a long overhang length that extends from the end on the door-upper main body 5 side of the overhang section to the opposite end of the door upper main body 5 of the overhang section and an area 13a having a short overhang length of the same; and a borderline section 22 that is arranged along a borderline between the area 13b having the long overhang length and the area 13a having the short overhang length and that initiates the fracture of the terminal end of the outer cover when the airbag 11 is deployed.

Claims

1. An automotive interior part, comprising:

an interior-part main body covering a vehicle compartment side of a vehicle body panel;

a deployment section deployed in tune with an airbag, arranged between the vehicle body panel and the interior-part main body, deploying toward the inside of the vehicle compartment; and

an outer cover including;

an outer-cover main body continuously covering the interior-part main body and the deployment section; and

an overhang section extending from the outer-cover main body so as to form an end of the outer cover, the end being folded toward the upper backside of the interior-part main body,

wherein the overhang section includes;

an area having a long overhang length that extends from the outer-cover main body futher than an area having a short overhang length, the overhang section configured such, that in a state in which the airbag is not deployed, the area having the long overhang length and the area having the short overhang length comprise an edge of the outer cover; and

a borderline section that is arranged along a borderline between the area having the long overhang length and the area having the short overhang length and that initiates a fracture of the outer cover when the airbag is deployed.

2. The automotive interior part as set forth in claim 1, wherein the area having the short overhang length is arranged in a portion corresponding to the deployment section and the area having the long overhang length is arranged in a portion not corresponding to the deployment section.

3. The automotive interior part as set forth in claim 2, wherein the borderline section is arranged at a position at which the outer cover fractured at the time of the deployment of the air bag covers an edge of the deployment section.

4. The automotive interior part as set forth in claim 1, wherein the borderline section is arranged at a position at which the outer cover fractured at the time of the deployment of the air bag covers an edge of the deployment section.

5. The automotive interior part as set forth in claim 1, wherein the outer cover includes a hinge disposed between the interior-part main body and the overhang section.

6. The automotive interior part as set forth in claim 1, wherein the borderline section forms a portion of the edge of the outer cover and initiates a fracture of the portion of the edge of the outer cover when the airbag is deployed.

7. The automotive interior part as set forth in claim 1, wherein the borderline section includes a cutaway portion.

8. The automotive interior part as set forth in claim 1, wherein the borderline section is disposed away from the deployment section.

9. The automotive interior part as set forth in claim 1, wherein the overhang section includes a distal end of the outer cover.