Textron Automotive Company Inc.

Jonathan P Knox

John D Gray

Robert Booth

A skin for an automotive interior trim panel is provided comprising a first skin portion and a second skin portion. First skin portion comprises a receptacle and a second skin portion comprises a protrusion. When connected, a portion of the protrusion in mechanical engagement with a portion of the receptacle to join the first skin portion and the second skin portion.

Structure for connecting automotive interior trim skin portions

A method for deployably concealing an air bag behind an instrument panel which includes a decorative plastic skin that covers a structural panel and a door that covers an opening in the panel. The panel includes a retainer and an outer foam layer adhered to a retainer outer surface. The door pivots on a hinge at a rear margin of the door. The skin is adhered to outer surfaces of the door and the panel. When closed, the door outer surface lies flush with the panel outer surface forming a seam between the door and the panel. The skin extends across the seam to conceal the door and panel. When opened, a front edge of the door pivots away from the opening to provide an air bag deployment path through the panel. A portion of the skin surrounding the door separates from the outer foam layer of the panel. The skin peels back to form a skin 'tent' when the door opens. A delaminated front edge of the skin forms a tent opening that serves as an exit for the deploying air bag. The skin may also extend around an air conditioning bezel mounted in the panel and axially inward between the bezel and the panel. In this case, the bezel is axially outwardly movable when the skin is peeled back and is pulled outward from between the bezel and the panel.

Peel back method and apparatus for deployably concealing an air bag

An air bag cover assembly comprises a flexible plastic air bag door closing an air bag deployment opening in a hard plastic retainer. A door outer edge abuts and is mechanically locked to an inner edge of the opening. The interlock comprises a protrusion in the door outer edge, which mates with a complementary recess in the inner edge of the opening. The interlock blocks outward and inward air bag door movement. The door and retainer are made of plastics, which generally do not adhere easily to one another. Silicone may be sprayed on the door outer edge to further reduce adhesion or where plastics, which generally adhere to one another, are used. Preferably, the exterior and interior surfaces of the door and retainer lie flush with one another. The door includes a flexible hinge flange that extends from an interior door surface and attaches the door to the vehicle structure. The hinge flange allows the door to swing outward upon air bag deployment while retaining the door to the vehicle structure. A steel door insert may be included to add rigidity, strength or dimensional stability to the door. The assembly is constructed by molding molten retainer material in a mold cavity that contains the door so that the retainer material flows around the door to form the mechanical interlock.

Integral PSIR door for an instrument panel and method for making same

A discrete air bag tear seam is provided in the finishing cover of an interior component of an automotive vehicle. An applique installed on the cover has an elongated external decorator head concealing the tear seam. Elongated and laterally spaced retention flanges of the applique stabilize and releasably retain the cover at the tear seam. The applique is secured to a fixed retainer part of the component and operates by releasing the cover at the tear seam to form an air bag door in response to the forced outward movement of an underlying door substrate on air bag deployment. The underlying door substrate exerts a force on the cover and particularly the outer skin thereof and causes it to pull away from the applique starting at the concealed tear seam to establish an opening for improved air bag deployment.

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Rochester, NH, United States of America

Jonathan P Knox