Vehicle interior panel with airbag tear seam formed by mechanical piercing
US9421938B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 21, 2012 |
| Grant date | Aug 23, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 21, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T83/0333
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A vehicle interior panel (10) includes a decorative covering (16) with a non-visible tear seam that forms a deployment opening through the covering during airbag deployment. The tear seam is formed by mechanical piercing of a skin layer (20) of the covering using a piercing tool (30) having a compound chamfer (40). Such piercing tools allow the mechanical piercing process to produce non-visible and functional tear seams in polymeric materials and non-polymeric materials such as leather, including materials with relatively low elastic recovery characteristics. Tear seams formed in this manner can offer larger processing windows, lower manufacturing and equipment cost, and/or shorter cycle times when compared to other methods such as laser scoring.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.