Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-02
2001-06-26
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S728200, C280S728300, C280S730100, C280S752000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250669
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Incorporation by Reference
The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 10-290436 filed on Oct. 13, 1998 including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an instrument panel having an integral airbag door portion. In particular, the invention relates to an instrument panel having an integral airbag door portion for an airbag unit that is installed in a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
An instrument panel construction, in which an airbag door portion of an automotive passenger seat side airbag unit is integrated, is known. Such an arrangement is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-211831.
A known instrument panel
100
having an integral airbag door portion is shown in FIG.
8
. An instrument panel insert
102
has a protruded portion
104
that is formed along the peripheral edge of an opening of the instrument panel insert
102
. An upper surface of the protruded portion
104
serves as a first seal surface
104
A for preventing leakage of a foaming agent during a forming process. A door insert
106
has a protruded portion
108
that extends around and outwardly of the first seal surface
104
A of the instrument panel insert
102
. A lower surface of the protruded portion
108
serves as a second seal surface
108
A. A plurality of engaging ribs
110
are formed on a lower surface of a rear end portion of the door insert
106
, that is, an end portion of the door insert
106
located rearward with respect to a vehicle body. Each rib
110
has a generally dogleg shape in a side view. A distal end adjacent portion
110
A of each rib
110
has an inclined surface on which the distal end adjacent portion
110
A is engaged with the peripheral edge portion of the opening portion
102
A of the instrument panel insert
102
.
In an instrument panel with the integral airbag door portion, a plurality of engaging ribs
120
may be formed on lower surfaces of right and left side end portions of the door insert
106
, that is, opposite end portions thereof, in the directions of the width of a vehicle body, as shown in FIG.
9
. Each rib
120
has a generally “L ” shape in a side view. A distal end portion
120
A of each rib
120
is engaged with an edge portion of the opening
102
A of the instrument panel insert
102
. Therefore, when the inflator of the airbag unit is operated, the distal end portions
120
A of the ribs
120
formed on the door insert
106
push up the peripheral edge portion of the opening
102
A of the instrument panel insert
102
with high load in a deploying direction, as indicated by arrow S in FIG.
9
. Hence, a peripheral portion
102
B of the opening
102
A of the instrument panel insert
102
must be constructed to withstand the great load applied thereto during airbag deployment. This is accomplished by reinforcing the peripheral edge portion
102
B of the opening
102
A of the instrument panel insert
102
with a reinforcement plate
112
, such as an iron or steel plate, or the like. This plate is shown by a two-dot broken line in FIG.
9
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an instrument panel having an integral airbag door portion that does not require reinforcement of an opening peripheral edge portion of an instrument panel insert.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an instrument panel having an integral airbag door portion, includes a skin. The skin forms a compartment side design surface of the instrument panel. The instrument panel further includes a door insert deployable toward a compartment about a forward side portion of the door insert located forward with respect to a vehicle, an instrument panel insert having an opening that is engaged with the door insert, and a foamed layer expanded between the skin and the door insert and between the skin and the instrument panel insert. The door insert includes a seal portion formed between the door insert and the instrument panel insert. The seal portion prevents leakage of a foaming agent during an expanding formation of the foamed layer. The door insert also includes a mounting flange portion protruded from a lower surface of the door insert. The mounting flange portion is used for mounting the door insert to an airbag case. The door insert includes at least one protrusion formed on the mounting flange portion, the protrusion engaging with an edge portion of the opening of the instrument panel insert, and a fragile portion formed at a position in the mounting flange portion, excluding a portion of the mounting flange portion located near a deploying center of the door insert. The position is located between the protrusion and a general plate portion of the door insert. The fragile portion is breakable during airbag deployment.
In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the door insert may be pushed toward the passenger compartment by the inflating pressure of an airbag during deployment of the airbag. As a result, the mounting flange portion, excluding a portion thereof located near the deploying center of the door insert, breaks at the fragile portion of the mounting flange portion. The fragile portion is formed between the general plate portion of the door insert and the at least one protrusion formed on the mounting flange portion for engagement with the edge portion of the opening of the instrument panel insert. When the fragile portion is broken, substantially only the general plate portion of the door insert is deployed toward the passenger compartment. As a result, the mounting flange portion of the door insert is left at the airbag case side. This is because the mounting flange portion of the door insert is mounted to the airbag case by a claw engagement, or the like. Therefore, the at least one protrusion does not push up the edge portion of the opening of the instrument panel insert with a high load during airbag deployment. Hence, there is no need to provide a reinforcement for the edge portion of the opening of the instrument panel insert because the opening edge portion of the instrument panel insert does not receive a high load during airbag deployment.
In the instrument panel described above, the mounting flange portion of the door insert may have such a frame shape so as to surround a generally rectangular opening of the airbag case. The at least one protrusion may be formed on all sides of the mounting flange portion.
Therefore, the door insert can be secured to the instrument panel insert by using the protrusions formed on all the sides of the mounting flange portion ofthe door insert. The door insert may have a frame shape so as to surround the generally rectangular opening of the airbag case, to which the door insert is mounted. Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to perform an operation of fastening the door insert to the instrument panel insert. Thus, the assembling efficiency improves.
The door insert may have an integral hinge that is formed in the general plate portion of the door insert. The integral hinge may be rearward of a forward side mounting flange portion located forward with respect to the vehicle. The integral hinge serves as a pivoting center during airbag deployment.
Therefore, the general plate portion of the door insert is turned open about the integral hinge during airbag deployment. Thus, the door insert does not push down, with a high load. A forward edge portion of the opening of the instrument panel insert is secured by the protrusions of a forward side mounting flange portion. Thus, this construction prevents breakage of the forward edge portion of the opening of the instrument panel insert without requiring an iron or steel plate reinforcement or the like.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4893833 (1990-01-01), DiSalvo et al.
patent: 5031930 (1991-07-01), Sato
patent: 5217253 (1993-06-01), Pray
patent: 5277443 (1994-01-01), Grant et al.
patent: 5342085 (1994-08-01), Hirashima et al.
patent: 5435596 (1995-07-0
Mai Lanna
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
To Toan
Toyota Jidosha & Kabushiki Kaisha
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