Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Ford Motor Company Limited

Daniel Phillip Dailey

Jay DeAvis Baker

Andrew Zachary Glovatsky

Robert Edward Belke

Michael George Todd

Myron Lemecha

Matthew Thomas Kemp

Lakhi Nandlal Goenka

Delin Li

Achyuta Achari

Brenda Joyce Nation

Charles Frederick Schweitzer

Mohan R Paruchuri

Richard Keith McMillan

Lawrence LeRoy Kneisel

Prathap Amerwai Reddy

Robert Edward Belke, Jr

Rexanne M Coyner

Michael Bednarz

An instrument panel for an automobile passenger compartment includes a substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface and defining an opening extending therethrough. An air bag door assembly is mounted to the outer surface of the substrate, and an air bag device is mounted adjacent the inner surface of the substrate and aligned with the opening formed within the substrate. The air bag door assembly includes a door panel that is mounted adjacent the opening formed within the substrate in a closed position. The door panel is pre-tensioned such that the door panel will substantially return to the closed position after deployment of the air bag through the opening within the substrate.

Self-closing airbag door assembly

A modular airbag door assembly includes an airbag chute having a front side and a rear side and defines an opening extending therethrough. A door panel is pivotally mounted to the front side of the airbag chute and covers the opening therein. The airbag door assembly further includes a plurality of weld studs extending from the rear side of the airbag chute. The weld studs are adapted to allow the airbag door assembly to be mounted to a substrate of an instrument panel with the rear side of the airbag chute being positioned against a front side of the substrate.

Instrument panel having modular airbag door assembly

A method of making an article, such as an electrical connector includes an injection-molded plastic substrate and a pattern of injection-molded metal conductors supported on and mechanically interlocked with the substrate, wherein one of the substrate and the conductors is over-molded onto the other of the substrate and the conductors.

Multi-shot injection molding process for making electrical connectors and three-dimensional circuits

Method of manufacturing a multi-layer printed circuit board adapted for reduce interfacial sheer stresses includes a laminate substrate having a top layer forming a first major surface, a middle layer having a predetermined thickness and a bottom layer forming a second major surface opposed to the first major surface. Etch resists are disposed on the first and second surfaces corresponding to reverse images of desired conductor patterns. The first and second surfaces are thereafter etched and the photoresist removed. The laminate substrate is secured via a low modules adhesive layer to a major surface of a base. The middle layer of the laminate substrate is thereafter selectively etched so as to isolate selected portions of the first and second surfaces and to define inner connect regions therebetween having a height equal to the predetermined thickness.

Multi-layer printed circuit board and method of making same

An instrument panel for an automobile passenger compartment includes a substrate with an opening, an air bag device coupled with the substrate, a door panel pivotally connected to the substrate, an adhesive tape affixed to the door panel and to portions of the substrate, a skin covering extending over the substrate, and a foam disposed between the skin and the substrate.

Instrument panel having an air bag device

An electronic assembly includes a flexible multilayer substrate having integral electrically-conductive traces that also includes, as a lowermost layer, a metal foil. A plurality of uppermost layers, likewise including a metal foil, form a thin barrier member that is sealingly attached to the substrate's other layers. In this manner, a plurality of electronic components, mounted on the substrate's other layers so as to be electrically interconnected with the traces before sealingly attaching the barrier member, are encapsulated within metal foil to provide an environmentally-sealed assembly featuring improved resistance to moisture diffusion and penetration/permeation of other substances characteristic of the assembly's service environment into the assembly. A filler material, also encapsulated within the metal foil, is operative to neutralize a predetermined amount of a penetrant, further improving the operability and service life of the assembly. Preferably, a relatively-rigid polymeric material is formed in touching contact with the substrate, as by overmolding the plastic material on the environmentally-sealed assembly, to thereby provide a plastic part incorporating the assembly.

Environmentally-sealed electronic assembly and method of making same

A method of attaching a flexible plastic film having electronic circuit traces to a rigid plastic substrate. The film and substrate are made from different incompatible plastic materials that do not bond to one another and have different CTE. The use of different or incompatible materials is useful where the properties of the backing structure and film are selected to achieve different results. For example, the flexible film may be selected from a material that provides a high melting point to withstand soldering while the backing material is selected from a low-cost and light weight plastic material that has a lower melting point. The film has conductive traces on at least one surface thereof and a backing surface. A heat activated adhesive is applied to the backing surface. The film is placed within an open injection mold and the mold is closed. A hot plastic resin is injected into the mold adjacent the adhesive. The resin heats the adhesive above its activation temperature and causes the adhesive to bond to both the backing surface and the plastic resin. The resin is allowed to cool and the finished circuit assembly is removed from the mold.

Method of laminating a flexible circuit to a substrate

A method of manufacturing an electronic circuit assembly that includes a number of electrically interconnected flexible films, each flexible film having a flexible electrical wiring circuit. The electrical wiring circuits are interconnected between film layers and the film layers are adhered to a molded backing structure. A first flexible film is formed with a pattern of flexible electrical wiring circuits created on at least one surface thereof. The first flexible film has a passage that provides an electrical connection through the flexible film. A second flexible film is formed with a pattern of flexible electrical wiring circuits created on a least one surface thereof. The second flexible film has an electrical interconnect feature that connects with the electrical passage on the first film and electrically connects the first film with the second film. The first flexible film is overlaid juxtaposed the second flexible film so that the passage is aligned adjacent the electrical interconnect feature. The first and second flexible films are placed within an open mold. The mold is closed and a plastic material is injected within the mold adjacent at least one surface of the first and second flexible films. The molten plastic adheres to the first and second flexible films and forms an integral backing structure. The backing structure and first and second flexible films together form the circuit assembly.

Method of manufacturing a circuit assembly from two or more layers of

An an electronic circuit having improved protection against harsh environments, a preferred embodiment thereof including: a substrate 10 having a top surface 12; an electronic component 14 attached to the top surface of the substrate; a plastic and metal foil laminated barrier 16 having an outer periphery 18 thereabout, the outer periphery being sealably attached to the top surface 12 of the substrate so as to define a closed pocket 20 between the top surface 12 and the barrier 16 within which the electronic component 14 is enclosed; and a desiccant element 50. The desiccant element 50 includes: a case 51 having an internal chamber, an inlet orifice 58, and an outlet orifice 59, wherein the inlet and outlet orifices are each in communication with the internal chamber; a predetermined amount of desiccant material 53 contained within the internal chamber; a normally-open interior valve 54 situated between the inlet orifice 58 and the internal chamber; a normally-closed exterior valve 56 situated between the outlet orifice 59 and the internal chamber; and heating means 52 for selectably heating the desiccant material 53 preferably above a regeneration temperature thereof. The desiccant element 50 is situated such that at least the interior orifice 54 thereof is sealably enclosed within the closed pocket 20.

Growing community of inventors

West Bloomfield, MI, United States of America

Daniel Phillip Dailey