Gebr. Happich Gmbh

Heinz-Jurgen Falkenroth

Gert Mahler

Gunter Dietz

Manfred Boms

Wulf Leitermann

An instrument panel for an automotive vehicle is attached to a rigid beam that extends across the vehicle body beneath the windshield. The instrument panel is a plastic injection molding. Its outer surface may be provided with cushioning material. At the underside of the panel, beneath its top portion, at least two ribs are provided, which extend across the width of the vehicle and of the instrument panel, are spaced apart and have free edges that rest against the beam inside the vehicle, so that the instrument panel, the ribs and the beam together define an air duct extending across the width of the instrument panel. A seal may be provided at the free edge of each rib for sealing it to the beam. The air duct communicates with windshield defroster nozzles, or the like in the instrument panel.

Air duct, or the like, for instrument panel for automotive vehicles

A door, particularly for a car, is a rigidified plastic unit. It comprises an integral plastic door inner part having a box-shaped lower part with an open side facing outwardly and having a window frame at the top thereof. There is a door outer part which is fitted over the open box-shaped inner part for closing off the same. Optionally, an H-shaped reinforcing element is disposed between the inner and outer parts, with two legs of the H extending partially through a U-shaped channel which shapes the upper part of the window frame. The window pane is part of the outer door part and may be integral therewith. An air duct may be defined in the door inner part or in the reinforcing element for blowing air over the window.

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Ennepetal, Germany

Heinz-Jurgen Falkenroth