Pocket forming trim panel for a vehicle door and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9517727-B2
Application number	US-201414277879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2014
Priority date	May 15, 2014
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A pocket forming trim panel for a vehicle door is provided. The pocket forming trim panel includes a panel portion and a pocket enclosure portion. The panel portion is configured to form a pocket opening. The pocket enclosure portion has a pocket floor portion and a pocket wall portion. The pocket enclosure portion is foldable with respect to the panel portion to complete the formation of a pocket on the door.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pocket forming trim panel for a vehicle door comprising:
a panel portion configured to form a pocket opening; and
a pocket enclosure portion having a pocket floor portion and a pocket wall portion; and
wherein the pocket enclosure portion is foldable with respect to the panel portion sufficiently to complete the formation of a pocket on the door.

2. The pocket forming trim panel of claim 1 , wherein the panel portion and the pocket enclosure portion are formed as a single unitary component.

3. The pocket forming trim panel of claim 1 , wherein the pocket enclosure portion is foldable with respect to the panel portion via a living hinge.

4. The pocket forming trim panel of claim 1 , wherein the panel portion has a panel portion feature and the pocket enclosure portion has a pocket enclosure portion feature configured to cooperate with the panel portion feature to facilitate fastening of the pocket enclosure portion to the panel portion when the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the panel portion.

5. The pocket forming trim panel of claim 4 , wherein the panel portion feature includes a panel fastener portion and the pocket enclosure portion feature includes a pocket enclosure fastener portion configured to cooperate with the panel fastener portion to facilitate fastening of the pocket enclosure portion to the panel portion when the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the panel portion.

6. The pocket forming trim panel of claim 4 , wherein the panel portion feature is a boss configured to facilitate heat stake fastening of the pocket enclosure portion to the panel portion when the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the panel portion.

7. The pocket forming trim panel of claim 6 , wherein the pocket enclosure portion feature defines an opening formed in the pocket enclosure portion; and wherein the boss is configured to cooperate with the opening to facilitate the heat stake fastening of the pocket enclosure portion to the panel portion when the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the panel portion.

8. The pocket forming trim panel of claim 4 , wherein the configurations of the panel portion feature and the pocket enclosure portion feature cooperate to facilitate snap-fit fastening of the pocket enclosure portion to the panel portion when the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the panel portion.

9. The pocket forming trim panel of claim 4 , wherein the panel portion feature is a snap-fit feature and the pocket enclosure portion feature defines an opening formed in the pocket enclosure portion; and wherein the snap-fit feature is configured to cooperate with the opening to facilitate snap-fit fastening.

10. The pocket forming trim panel of claim 1 , wherein the panel portion includes a support feature configured to support the pocket floor portion when the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the panel portion.

11. The pocket forming trim panel of claim 10 , wherein the support feature includes a duck bill feature having an upper rib and a lower rib; and wherein the ribs are configured to prevent the pocket floor portion from moving up or down when the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the panel portion.

12. The pocket forming trim panel of claim 10 , wherein the support feature is further configured to cooperate with the pocket floor portion to facilitate snap-fit fastening of the pocket floor portion to the panel portion when the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the panel portion.

13. A method to manufacture a pocket forming trim panel for a vehicle door comprising:
forming a vehicle trim panel having a panel portion configured to form a pocket opening, a pocket enclosure portion having a pocket floor portion and a pocket wall portion, and a living hinge portion between the panel portion and the pocket enclosure portion;
folding the pocket enclosure portion with respect to the panel portion via the living hinge sufficiently to complete the formation of a pocket on the door; and
fastening the pocket enclosure portion to the panel portion.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming includes molding the panel portion, the pocket enclosure portion, and the living hinge portion as a single unitary component.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming includes molding a support feature on the panel portion for supporting the pocket floor portion when the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the panel portion; and wherein forming includes molding respective attachment features on the panel portion and the pocket enclosure portion that cooperate with each other to facilitate fastening of the pocket enclosure portion to the panel portion when the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the panel portion.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein fastening includes cooperation of the respective attachment features on the panel portion and the pocket enclosure portion to facilitate heat stake fastening of the pocket enclosure portion to the panel portion when the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the panel portion.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein fastening includes cooperation of the respective attachment features on the panel portion and the pocket enclosure portion to facilitate snap-fit fastening of the pocket enclosure portion to the panel portion when the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the panel portion.

18. A vehicle comprising:
a door having a door panel; and
a trim panel attached to the door panel, the trim panel having a panel portion configured to form a pocket opening, a pocket enclosure portion having a pocket floor portion and a pocket wall portion, and a living hinge portion between the panel portion and the pocket enclosure portion; wherein the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the panel portion via the living hinge portion sufficiently to complete the formation of a pocket on the door.

19. The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the panel portion, the pocket enclosure portion, and the living hinge portion are formed as a single unitary component.

20. The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the panel portion and the pocket enclosure portion have respective attachment features configured to cooperate with each other to facilitate heat stake fastening of the pocket enclosure portion to the trim panel portion when the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the trim panel portion via the living hinge; and wherein the trim panel portion has a duck bill feature having an upper rib and a lower rib; and wherein the ribs are configured to prevent the pocket floor portion from moving up or down when the pocket enclosure portion is folded with respect to the panel portion via the living hinge.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Tiboni Adelchi R
• Siqueira Fernando A

Classifications

• Y10T29/49877

  of flexible wall, expansible chamber devices [e.g., bellows] · CPC title

• B60R13/0243 Primary

  Doors · CPC title

• B60J5/04

  arranged at the vehicle sides {(panel mounted arm-rests B60N2/78; wall liners B60R13/02; door edge guards B60R13/043; padded linings associated with the side doors B60R21/0428)} · CPC title

• B29C65/606

  the rivets being integral with one of the parts to be joined, i.e. staking · CPC title

• B29L2031/3041

  Trim panels · CPC title