Davidson Textron Inc.

Textron Automotive Company Inc.

Michael Gorman

John D Gray

Josh Kelman

Jim Rogers

Kevin Logeman

Fred Rheinlander

Michael J Larson

Salvatore J Moceri

A motor vehicle body has an instrument panel construction that includes a structural instrument panel carrier of plastic material for mounting instrument panel components. The carrier is attached to side pillars located at a juncture of passenger and engine compartments so as to form a cross beam. The instrument panel construction has its external appearance determined by adding facial instrument panel coverings to the instrument panel carrier after the instrument panel components are mounted on the instrument panel carrier. The structural instrument panel carrier may also be integrated with a front of dash (FOD) panel that may be composed of the same material and that provides a second cross beam.

Structural instrument panel carrier assembly

An interior trim panel for a motor vehicle has an opening for deployment of an air bag and a discrete air bag door that is attached to the interior trim panel for closing the opening and for being opened by an air bag when it is deployed. The door includes a retainer that hinges the door to the trim panel and a covering that includes a frangible flap at an end of the retainer that holds down an end of the door and breaks away when the air bag is deployed. An alternate interior trim panel has another discrete air bag door that includes a bracket attached to the retainer for establishing the location of the hinge line. Another alternate interior trim panel arrangement has an integrated or invisible air bag door that includes a bracket attached to the retainer for establishing the location of the hinge line in an invisible door arrangement.

Trim panel having air bag door

A cover assembly for concealing an air bag restraint system in a vehicle passenger compartment has an underlying support and air bag door substrate. The door substrate is held in the closed position by flexible tabs that are disposed in a slot at the confronting edge of the support. When the air bag inflates, it engages the door substrate and pushes the tabs out of the slot to release the door substrate. The door substrate then swings open rupturing the covering to provide an opening through the cover assembly for deployment of the air bag.

Cover assembly

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Bloomfield Twp., MI, United States of America

Michael Gorman