The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 09, 2021
Filed:
Feb. 05, 2019
Ford Global Technologies, Llc, Dearborn, MI (US);
Yi Yang Tay, Warren, MI (US);
Li Lu, Bloomfield Hills, MI (US);
Kenneth J. Kwasnik, Shelby Township, MI (US);
Lisandro Trevino, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
An instrument panel for a passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle comprises a molded plastic substrate and a skin covering the substrate. The substrate has inner and outer surfaces, and is adapted to be mounted in the passenger compartment adjacent a windshield. The inner surface is adapted to receive an air bag chute assembly for deploying an air bag. The inner surface is inscribed by a door groove defining a deployment door at least partially tearing open to expel the air bag. The outer surface is inscribed by a hinge groove following a chord path bisecting the outer surface of the deployment door and configured to bend in response to an edge of the deployment door impacting the windshield. The impact force against the windshield is reduced while stiffness of the door against the air bag remains high to facilitate tearing open of the door by the air bag.