Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Utility Patent
1998-07-09
2001-01-02
Hurley, Kevin (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S752000
Utility Patent
active
06168188
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to motor vehicle instrument panels having air bag doors and, in particular, to motor vehicle instrument panels having integrally hinged air bag doors.
BACKGROUND ART
Most passenger-side air bag doors are formed in an air bag cover that is separate from the instrument panel. The plastics materials used to make a self-supporting instrument panel must have a certain degree of stiffness and high heat resistance to meet the requirements of its application but the materials that are currently available for such an instrument panel do not retain ductility and become embrittled at very low or cold temperatures which is unsuitable for air bag deployment.
Not only initial but also replacement costs for the instrument panel can be reduced, quality can be improved and styling can be enhanced by molding the instrument panel and the air bag cover including an integral air bag deployment door in one piece at the same time out of the same commercially available material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,930 discloses a molded instrument panel having an integral air bag deployment door for a passenger side air bag. The door is hingedly connected to a vehicle structure to pivot within an opening in the panel. Also, a flexible tethering hinge retains a broken door portion to the vehicle structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,116 discloses an instrument panel with an integral air bag opening on the driver's side.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,564,515; 5,556,153; and 5,468,039 disclose molded instrument panels for motor vehicles per se.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,358; 5,549,324; 5,458,361; 5,447,328; and 5,445,410 disclose instrument panels having integral air bag openings.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a plastic molded instrument panel including an integral air bag door hinged by at least one integral plastic member to ensure that the door does not separate from the rest of the instrument panel during air bag deployment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a plastic molded instrument panel having an integral air bag door hinged to a front panel of the instrument panel to ensure that the door does not separate from the front panel during air bag deployment. In this way, the air bag cover is integrally formed with the instrument panel, thereby reducing not only initial but also replacement costs, quality is improved, and styling is enhanced.
In carrying out the above objects and other objects of the present invention, a motor vehicle instrument panel is provided. The instrument panel includes a plastic front panel having inner and outer surfaces and a plastic door adapted to enclose an uninflated air bag. The door also has inner and outer surfaces and is interconnected to the front panel at tear seams which allow deployment of the air bag. The instrument panel also includes a hinge including at least one plastic member extending between the front panel and the door for hingedly connecting the door to the front panel to allow the door to swing open and to ensure that the door does not separate from the front panel during air bag deployment.
Preferably, the at least one plastic member is integrally formed at the inner surfaces of the front panel and the door.
Also, preferably, the hinge includes a plurality of spaced plastic members hingedly connecting the front panel to the door.
Still preferably, the instrument panel further comprises a plastic frame integrally formed on the inner surface of the front panel to enclose the uninflated air bag.
Preferably, the hinge is formed by a pressurized fluid so that it is hollow and the outer surface of the front panel is sink free.
The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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Murar Jason T.
Preisler Darius J.
Brooks & Kushman P.C.
Hurley Kevin
Jasmin Lynda
Patent Holding Company
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