Arrangement for providing an air bag deployment opening

Claim 2

A closure (16) for covering an air bag deployment opening formed in the interior trim structure of an auto­motive vehicle (10), said closure including: a substrate member (26) having an upper and lower door panel portions (28, 30), said portions having adjacent sides separated by a gap (33), with a frangible bridging portion (32) connecting said upper and lower door panel portions extending across said gap (33); a skin (38) overlying said substrate member (26), extending across said door panel portions (28, 30) and said gap (33) therebetween, said skin (38) partially cut from the inside along said gap (33), whereby said bridging por­tion (32) and said partially cut skin (38) form a frangible seam (24) between said upper and lower door panel portions (28, 30).

Claim 3

The closure according to claim 1 further including foam plastic layer (36) lying beneath said skin (38) and atop said substrate member (26), extending across said seam (24).

Claim 4

The closure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said substrate member (26) is formed with a raised contour (58) extending along each adjacent side of said upper and lower door panels (28, 30) reducing the depth of foam plastic (36) at said seam (24).

Claim 5

The closure according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said substrate member (26) is formed with a grid pattern of ribs (44) projecting from the inside surface thereof.

Claim 6

The closure according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a layer of plastic foam (36) is deposited on both the inside and outside of said substrate member (26), inter­locked through holes (48) in said substrate member (26).

Claim 7

The closure according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein hinging means comprises integral hinge sections (50, 52) formed along said opposite sides of said upper and lower door panel portions (28, 30) of said substrate member (26).

Claim 8

The closure according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said substrate member (26) comprises a molded plastic member having said ribs (44) and hinging sections (50, 52) integral therewith.

Claim 9

The closure according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said skin (38) is cut deeper at the center and of a reduced depth towards either side thereof.

Claim 10

The closure according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein ribs (44) in said grid pattern reduce in height from the seam (24) to the opposite sides of said upper and lower door panel portions (28, 30).

Claim 11

The closure according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said substrate member (80) comprises a layer of formed metal (82) having a stiffener piece (90) attached thereto on the inside surface, said layer of formed metal (82) having a bridging portion (92) extending across said gap, said bridging portion (92) being slotted to form localized connecting sections (96).

Claim 12

The closure according to claim 10 wherein said localized connecting sections (96) are grooved to be weakened.

Claim 13

The closure according to claim 10 or 11, wherein said stiffener piece (90) is formed of rigid plastic and extends across said gap; said stiffener piece (90) having slots (99) with intermediate solid area (97) along the width of said door panel portions (84, 86) said solid areas (97) grooved along the region of said gap to be further weakened.

Claim 16

The method according to claim 13 further in­cluding the step of guiding said cutter by holding guide elements attached to said cutting blade against the upper surface of said layer.

Claim 17

The method according to claim 13 or 14 wherein said plastic sheet layer is of vinyl and said support bed is of more compressible rubber.

Claim 18

An arrangement for providing an air bag deploy­ment opening to be formed in the interior trim structure of an automotive vehicle, said interior trim structure including a substrate section, said closure including: a generally rectangular door panel including a substrate section connected to said interior trim sub­ strate member, said substrate section divided into a plurality of contiguous subsections, said subsections having adjacent sides separated by a line of weakening, with frangible bridging portions connecting said contigu­ous portions of said subsections; a flange portion on one side of each subsection connected to said interior trim substrate member to enable all of said subsections to hinge away from said substrate member and form an opening therein; a skin overlying said trim structure substrate member, extending over said opening and said substrate member, said skin partially cut from the inside in a pattern matching and aligned with said pattern of lines of weakening in said substrate section, whereby said bridging portions and said partially cut skin form a pattern of frangible seams allowing said subsections to be split apart and forced out to form said opening and allow deployment of an air bag therethrough.

Claim 19

An arrangement for providing an air bag deploy­ment opening to be formed in the interior trim structure of an automotive vehicle, said interior trim structure including a substrate section, said closure including: a generally rectangular door panel including a substrate section connected to said interior trim sub­ strate member, said substrate section divided into a plurality of contiguous subsections, said subsections having adjacent sides separated by a line of weakening, with frangible bridging portions connecting said contigu­ous portions of said subsections; a flange portion on one side of each subsection connected to said interior trim substrate member to enable all of said subsections to hinge away from said substrate member and form an opening therein; a skin overlying said trim structure substrate member, extending over said opening and said substrate member, said skin partially cut from the inside in a pattern matching and aligned with said pattern of lines of weakening in said substrate section, whereby said bridging portions and said partially cut skin form a pattern of frangible seams allowing said subsections to be split apart and forced out to form said opening and allow deployment of an air bag therethrough.

Claim 20

The arrangement according to claim 16 further including a continuous foam layer lying beneath said skin and atop both interior trim substrate member and said door panel substrate section, extending across said opening in an uninterrupted expanse smoothly contoured to the outside.

Claim 21

The arrangement according to claim 16 or 17 wherein said door panel substrate section is formed with a raised contour extending along said pattern of lines of weaken­ing reducing the depth of foam plastic above said line of weakening.

Claim 22

The arrangement according to one of claims 16 to 18 wherein said door panel substrate section subsections comprise four interfitting sections formed by a pattern of four lines of weakening each originating at a corner of said door panel, each of said subsections having said flange portion extending from the side thereof at the perimeter of said door panel.