Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Dashboards
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-12
2001-04-17
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Dashboards
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217098
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the use of a foam backing for an instrument panel top cover which integrally provides a number of components which had been previously provided by separate parts.
Vehicle interiors are becoming more and more complex. There is a good deal of emphasis on eliminating any perceived “seams” within the interior of a vehicle, and further in providing simple interior trim structure which supports the ever-increasing number of components and systems mounted within the vehicle.
One particularly challenging area is the top of the instrument panel. Typically, an instrument panel includes a facing trim member facing the passenger cabin of the vehicle. A top cover is snapped into a space between the windshield and the instrument panel. This top cover must enclose a number of electrical and ventilation systems. Typically, the top cover has been provided with a soundinsulating material underlying the outer plastic skin. This sound-insulating material has typically been provided by cloth, foam, or other materials attached to the rear face of the plastic skin. In addition, many other components are attached to the top cover prior to attachment of the top cover. In particular, a windshield seal is placed on one edge of the top cover skin to seal between the top cover and the windshield. In addition, a number of spacers are usually attached to the bottom surface of the top cover to provide spacing between the top cover and underlying support surfaces. Supply ducts for supplying air to vents within the top cover are also attached. Typically, gaskets or seals are placed between each duct and the top cover.
Speakers are often attached beneath the top cover. A foam gasket is typically placed between the top cover and each speaker grill. In addition, squeak edge tape is placed between the edge of the top cover that will contact the instrument panel and the instrument panel. Each of these components have typically been supplied as separate parts which must be attached to the top cover.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a disclosed embodiment of this invention, the sound insulation for an instrument panel top cover is provided by an underlying foam backing material. The foam backing material is provided to be thick enough such that it will provide desirable sound-deadening characteristics. Also, the foam covers the majority of the surface area of the top cover. In addition, the windshield seal is integrally molded around the top cover skin by this same foam.
In preferred embodiments, the spacers are also integrally molded out of the foam. In addition, the duct for supplying air to the vent within the top cover is also formed integrally by the foam at the time of foaming. The gaskets provided between the duct and the air supply are also foamed at that time.
In addition, most preferably, the gasket for connecting the top cover to the speaker is also integrally foamed at that time. The squeak edge tape is also integrally foamed.
The present invention eliminates the need for a number of separate components in instrument panel top covers, and thus reduces the complexity of forming instrument panel top covers.
These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5333901 (1994-08-01), Barnes
patent: 5622402 (1997-04-01), Pritchard et al.
Davis, Jr. Joseph J.
Hier Michael
O'Brien Timothy F.
Blankenship Greg
Dayoan D. Glenn
Lear Automotive Dearborn Inc.
MacMillan Sobanski & Todd LLC
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