Vehicle interior panel with one or more damping pads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12434638-B2
Application number	US-202217825171-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2022
Priority date	May 26, 2022
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

In at least some implementations, a panel for a vehicle includes a base having an interior surface and an exterior surface, and at least one damping pad having a first surface secured to the exterior surface of the base and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The at least one damping pad has a thickness measured between the first surface and the second surface, and the thickness of the at least one damping pad in an uncompressed state prior to installation into the vehicle is at least 5% greater than a thickness of the at least one damping pad in a compressed state when installed into the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A panel for a vehicle, comprising:
a base having an interior surface and an exterior surface; and
at least one damping pad having a first surface secured to the exterior surface of the base and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the second surface being uncovered and adapted to directly engage a roof of a vehicle when the panel is installed in the vehicle, the at least one damping pad having a thickness measured between the first surface and the second surface, and the thickness of the at least one damping pad in an uncompressed state prior to installation into the vehicle is at least 5% greater than a thickness of the at least one damping pad in a compressed state when installed into the vehicle, and wherein the at least one damping pad covers at least 25% of the surface area of the exterior surface, and wherein the at least one damping pad, including the first surface and the second surface, is formed from a material defined by interconnected polymeric fibers.

2. The panel of claim 1 wherein the base has opposed, fore-aft extending side edges, a cross-car extending front edge and a cross-car extending rear edge, and wherein the at least one damping pad is arranged spaced from the side edges and the front edge and the rear edge.

3. The panel of claim 2 wherein the at least one damping pad extends greater than 50% of the distance between the side edges.

4. The panel of claim 1 wherein the at least one damping pad includes multiple damping pads that are spaced apart from each other.

5. The panel of claim 1 wherein the at least one damping pad includes multiple damping pads and the combined surface area of the first surface of the multiple damping pads is equal to at least 25% of the surface area of the exterior surface.

6. The panel of claim 1 wherein the at least one damping pad is formed from polyethylene terephthalate.

7. The panel of claim 1 wherein the at least one damping pad has a thickness in the uncompressed state of between 30 mm and 60 mm, and a thickness in the compressed state of between 28.5 mm and 57 mm.

8. The panel of claim 4 wherein the multiple damping pads includes at least three damping pads that are spaced apart from each other in a fore-aft direction.

9. A vehicle, comprising:
a frame including roof rails and a roof panel over the roof rails and defining an exterior surface of the vehicle, wherein the frame includes two roof rails that extend in a fore-aft direction between front and rear ends of the frame, and the frame includes supports extending in a cross-car direction between the two roof rails;
an interior panel received adjacent to an opposite side of the roof rails from the roof panel, the interior panel has a base with an interior surface that defines part of a passenger compartment of the vehicle and an exterior surface facing the roof panel, and the interior panel includes multiple damping pads having a first surface secured to the exterior surface of the base and a second surface opposite to the first surface and engaged with the roof panel, the damping pads having a thickness measured between the first surface and the second surface, and the thickness of the damping pads in an uncompressed state, prior to installation of the interior panel into the vehicle, is at least 5% greater than a distance between the exterior surface and the roof panel such that the damping pads engage the roof panel and are compressed between the base and the roof panel, and wherein the damping pads are formed from a porous polymeric material including interconnected fibers, and said material defines the first surface and the second surface and is directly engaged with the roof panel, and wherein the damping pads are spaced apart from each other and at least two damping pads are located on opposed sides of one of said supports, and wherein the roof rails and the supports do not engage the second surface of the damping pads.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the base has opposed, fore-aft extending side edges, a cross-car extending front edge and a cross-car extending rear edge, and wherein the damping pads are arranged spaced from the side edges and the front edge and the rear edge.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein at least one of the damping pads extends greater than 50% of the distance between the side edges.

12. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the damping pads cover at least 25% of the surface area of the exterior surface.

13. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the damping pads have a thickness in the uncompressed state of between 30 mm and 60 mm, and a thickness in the compressed state of between 28 mm and 57 mm.

14. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein at least three of the damping pads are spaced apart from each other in a fore-aft direction.

Assignees

• Nakkash Gary H
• Sanders Mark
• Oliver Sarah
• Maranzano Matthew
• Dietrich Wesley
• Rampa Sneha
• Fca Us Llc

Inventors

• Nakkash Gary H
• Sanders Mark
• Oliver Sarah
• Maranzano Matthew
• Dietrich Wesley
• Rampa Sneha

Classifications

• B60R13/0225 Primary

  self supporting head liners · CPC title

• B60R13/0815 Primary

  Acoustic or thermal insulation of passenger compartments (wall or roof liners integrating the insulating function B60R13/02; insulating floor mats or carpets B60N3/04) · CPC title