Faurecia Interior Systems, Inc.

Brian Jacobs

Aaron Stanley Wisniewski

Mathew Barr

Matthew Barr

A vehicle interior panel () includes a decorative covering () with a non-visible tear seam that forms a deployment opening through the covering during airbag deployment. The tear seam is formed by mechanical piercing of a skin layer () of the covering using a piercing tool () having a compound chamfer (). Such piercing tools allow the mechanical piercing process to produce non-visible and functional tear seams in polymeric materials and non-polymeric materials such as leather, including materials with relatively low elastic recovery characteristics. Tear seams formed in this manner can offer larger processing windows, lower manufacturing and equipment cost, and/or shorter cycle times when compared to other methods such as laser scoring.

Vehicle interior panel with airbag tear seam formed by mechanical piercing

A vehicle interior panel includes a decorative covering with a non-visible tear seam that forms a deployment opening through the covering during airbag deployment. The tear seam is formed by mechanical piercing of a skin layer of the covering from the decorative side. The skin layer is formed from a self-healing material, allowing a piercing tool to form microholes that are smaller than the effective piercing diameter of the tool without the need for subsequent processes intended to otherwise hide the formed tear seam. Tear seams formed in this manner can offer larger processing windows, lower manufacturing and equipment cost, and/or shorter cycle times when compared to other methods such as laser scoring. Tear seam function may also be improved and/or more predictable.

Non-visible tear seams for airbag coverings

A vehicle interior panel for use over an airbag includes a substrate having an airbag door region and a decorative covering disposed over the airbag door region. A tear seam is formed in the decorative covering along a path having an end portion that is non-orthogonal with respect to a hinge side of the airbag door region. The tear seam path may include a central portion that lies along a side of the airbag door region opposite the hinge side, along with end portions that form obtuse included angles with the central portion. In some cases, the end portions diverge from a perimeter of the airbag door region and may generally extend along high deployment stress regions of the covering. Tear seams formed along such a path may reduce airbag inflation energy losses associated with tearing the covering material(s) during airbag deployment.

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Auburn Hills, MI, United States of America

Brian Jacobs