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 Title: |
US5902428:
Motor vehicle instrument panel with flexible tethering hinged air bag deployment door
[ Derwent Title ]
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| Country: |
US United States of America
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| Inventor: |
Gallagher, Michael J.; Hampton, NH
Iannazzi, Peter J.; Hampstead, NH
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| Assignee: |
Davidson Textron Inc., Troy, MI
other patents from DAVIDSON TEXTRON INC. (137010) (approx. 264)
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| Published / Filed: |
1999-05-11
/ 1998-07-22
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| Application Number: |
US1998000120510
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| IPC Code: |
Advanced:
B29C 65/02;
B60K 37/00;
B60R 11/02;
B60R 13/02;
B60R 21/20;
B60R 21/215;
B29C 37/00;
B29C 65/04;
B29C 65/06;
B29C 65/08;
B29C 65/14;
B60R 11/00;
B60R 13/08;
Core:
more...
IPC-7:
B29C 65//02;
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| ECLA Code: |
B60R21/215B; B29C65/02T20; B60K37/00; B60R11/02; B60R13/02G; B60R13/02H; L29C37/00F2; L29C65/02T4; L29C65/04; L29C65/06; L29C65/08; L29C65/14; L60R11/00P1A; L60R11/00P1B; L60R11/00R2; L60R11/00R2A; L60R11/00R6A; L60R11/00R6M; L60R11/00T; L60R11/00W; L60R11/02A; L60R11/02C; L60R11/02E; L60R11/02J; L60R11/02R; L60R13/02P; L60R13/02R; L60R13/08B; L60R13/08D; L60R21/215H; L60R21/215P;
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| U.S. Class: |
Current:
156/073.1;
156/073.5;
156/272.2;
156/290;
156/308.4;
264/068;
264/445;
Original:
156/073.1;
156/073.5;
156/272.2;
156/290;
156/308.4;
264/068;
264/445;
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| Field of Search: |
156/73.1,73.5,272.2,290,308.2,308.4
264/442,443,445,68
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| Priority Number: |
| 1998-07-22 |
US1998000120510 |
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| Abstract: |
A molded motor vehicle instrument panel made of a thermoplastic material has an integral air bag deployment door for a passenger side air bag that is defined by a tear seam and is normally retained by an integral flexible mounting/hinge flange to a part of the vehicle structure when the seam is torn by the inflating air bag and wherein this flange then bends to allow the door to swing open to allow deployment of the air bag through an opening in the instrument panel while retaining same to the vehicle structure as the door is then free of the instrument panel. At very low temperatures, a portion of the air bag door can break away from the mounting/hinge flange because of plastic embrittlement at these low temperatures and the high bending stresses encountered at this juncture. This separation of the broken door portion from the vehicle structure is prevented by a tethering hinge that is formed of a strong flexible sheet material that spans this critical juncture between the mounting/hinge flange and door and remains flexible at these very cold temperatures to retain the broken door portion to the vehicle structure.
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| Attorney, Agent or Firm: |
Reising, Ethington, Barnes, Kisselle, Learman & McCulloch, P.C. ;
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| Primary / Asst. Examiners: |
Sells, James;
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| INPADOC Legal Status: |
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Family Legal Status Report
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| Parent Case: |
This a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/890,857 filed Jul. 10, 1997 which is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 08/540,471 filed Oct. 10, 1995 U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,930 which is a CIP of U.S. Ser. No. 08/414,387 filed Mar. 31, 1995 U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,731; all of which are incorporated by reference.
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| Designated Country: |
AE AL AM AP AZ BA BB BG BY CN CU CZ EA EE GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS AT BE CH CY DK FI FR GB GR IE
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| Family: |
Show 32 known family members
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First Claim:
Show all 11 claims |
What is claimed is:
1. A method of forming a cover assembly for concealing an inflatable air bag system of a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming an interior trim panel from a first plastics material, the interior trim panel having a seam at least partially defining an air bag deployment door in the panel, the first plastics material being flexible in a limited temperature range and forming an integral primary hinge about which the door of the panel may swing outwardly from the panel upon separation of a tear seam portion of the seam and outward deployment of an air bag of the supplemental passenger restraining system, the primary hinge further acting as a primary tether to retain the door of the panel within the limited temperature range but having a potentially frangible portion subject to breakage at temperatures below the limited temperature range;
- forming a supplemental tethering hinge separately from the panel from a second plastics material that is relatively more flexible than the first plastics material at temperatures below the limited temperature range;
- placing the supplemental tethering hinge in a position spanning the potentially frangible portion of the primary hinge with opposite margins of the supplemental tethering hinge disposed against the panel on opposite sides of the potentially frangible portion;
- heating the panel and supplemental tethering hinge at their interfaces sufficiently to locally remelt the first and second plastics materials and thereby weld the supplemental tethering hinge to the panel across the potentially frangible portion of the primary hinge; and
- installing the panel and supplemental tethering hinge assembly on the vehicle structure with the door of the panel arranged in overlying covering relation to the air bag restraining system.
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| Background / Summary: |
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| Drawing Descriptions: |
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| Description: |
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| Forward References: |
Show 11 U.S. patent(s) that reference this one
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