Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Scott William Hazell

Ashir Prafull Thakore

Marshall Lawrence Quade

Lisandro Trevino

Edgar Valdez

Kenneth Andrew Winowiecki

An automotive instrument panel having a concealed airbag. A molded substrate having first and second surfaces and an aperture therethrough receives an airbag. A curved metal door is secured to the second surface of the substrate by a plurality of fasteners extending through the substrate. The metal door has a generally U-shaped slot with first and second ends being spaced apart a distance greater than the length of the aperture. The slot is positioned radially outwardly of the aperture. The door also has a plurality of indentations to maintain a curved shape conforming with the surface of the substrate. A molded covering overlies the second surface and the door and is secured thereto with an intermediate layer of foam. A foam gasket overlies the slot between the door and the substrate. A foam impermeable layer is placed between the gasket and door to prevent injected foam from impregnating the foam gasket and interfering with the opening of the door. An airbag chute is secured to the first surface of the substrate by the attaching fasteners. The airbag causes the metal door to fold along the line between the first and second ends of the slots.

Automotive instrument panel having an integral airbag

An automotive instrument panel having a concealed airbag. A molded substrate having first and second surfaces and an aperture therethrough receives an airbag. A curved metal door is secured to the first surface of the substrate by a plurality of fasteners extending through the substrate. The metal door has a generally U-shaped slot with first and second ends being spaced apart a distance greater than the length of the aperture. The slot is positioned radially outwardly of the aperture. The door also has a plurality of indentations to maintain a curved shape conforming with the surface of the substrate. A molded covering overlies the first surface of the door and is secured thereto with an intermediate layer of foam. A foam gasket overlies the slot between the door and the substrate. A foam impermeable layer is placed between the gasket and door to prevent injected foam from impregnating the foam gasket and interfering with the opening of the door. An airbag chute is secured to the second surface of the substrate by the attaching fasteners. The airbag causes the metal door to fold along the line between the first and second ends of the slots.

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Pinckney, MI, United States of America

Scott William Hazell