Airbag cover and manufacturing method for airbag cover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9669791-B2
Application number	US-201514968482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Dec 16, 2014
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an airbag cover, which comprises at least one door portion adapted to be opened to allow at least a portion of an airbag to be deployed, at least one hinge portion located adjacent to a side of the door portion and being adapted to provide a hinge for the door portion when opening, and at least one reinforcement portion at least partly surrounding the at least one door portion and the at least one hinge portion. The airbag cover comprises a mesh member, a first portion of the mesh member being located in the at least one reinforcement portion and a second portion of the mesh member being located in the at least one hinge portion. The at least one reinforcement portion comprises at least one rib protruding in a first direction (D 1 ). The first portion of the mesh member has a non-planar cross-section by the mesh member being molded into a portion of the at least one rib, such that the mesh member traverses the at least one rib.
The disclosure further relates to a mesh member for use in an airbag cover, a vehicle interior panel, e.g. a vehicle interior panel for a dashboard, and a method for making an airbag cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airbag cover, said airbag cover comprising
at least one door portion, adapted to be opened to allow at least a portion of an airbag to be deployed,
at least one hinge portion, located adjacent to a side of said door portion and being adapted to provide a hinge for said door portion when opening,
at least one reinforcement portion, at least partly surrounding said at least one door portion and said at least one hinge portion,

said airbag cover comprising a mesh member,
a first portion of said mesh member being located in said at least one reinforcement portion and a second portion of said mesh member being located in said at least one hinge portion,
said at least one reinforcement portion comprising at least one rib protruding in a first direction,
characterized in that
said first portion of said mesh member has a non-planar cross-section by said mesh member being moulded into a portion of said at least one rib, such that said mesh member traverses said at least one rib and wherein said mesh member enters said at least one rib along a jagged line.

2. The airbag cover according to claim 1 , said mesh member having a first surface side facing said door portion and a second opposite surface side, at least 10% of a cross-sectional area of said at least one rib being located at said second surface side of said mesh member.

3. The airbag cover according to claim 1 , wherein said first portion of said mesh member comprises at least one bulge, said bulge being located inside said at least one rib.

4. The airbag cover according to claim 3 , wherein said bulge has a height (h) from a main level of said mesh member of at least 1 mm.

5. The airbag cover according to claim 3 , wherein said bulge has a width (w) of at least 2 mm.

6. The airbag cover according to claim 3 , wherein said bulge—has a height (h) from a main level of said mesh member of at least 2 mm.

7. The airbag cover according to claim 3 , wherein said bulge—has a height (h) from a main level of said mesh member of at least 3 mm.

8. The airbag cover according to claim 3 , wherein said bulge—has a height (h) from a main level of said mesh member of at least 4 mm.

9. The airbag cover according to claim 1 , said mesh member having a first surface side facing said door portion and a second opposite surface side, at least 20% of a cross-sectional area of said at least one rib being located at said second surface side of said mesh member.

10. The airbag cover according to claim 1 , said mesh member having a first surface side facing said door portion and a second opposite surface side, at least 30% of a cross-sectional area of said at least one rib being located at said second surface side of said mesh member.

11. The airbag cover according to claim 1 , said mesh member having a first surface side facing said door portion and a second opposite surface side, at least 40% of a cross-sectional area of said at least one rib being located at said second surface side of said mesh member.

12. The airbag cover according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one rib being traversed by said mesh member comprises a widened end portion connecting it to the rest of reinforcement portion.

13. The airbag cover according to claim 12 , wherein said first portion of said mesh member comprises at least one bulge, said bulge being located inside said at least one rib wherein said widened end portion of said at least one rib forms an abutment for said bulge.

14. The airbag cover according to claim 1 , wherein said mesh member is located at a surface of said door portion and/or said hinge portion.

15. A method for making an airbag cover, said airbag cover comprising
at least one door portion, adapted to be opened to allow at least a portion of an airbag to be deployed,
at least one hinge portion located adjacent to a side of said door portion and being adapted to provide a hinge for said door portion when opening,
at least one reinforcement portion, at least partly surrounding said at least one door portion and said at least one hinge portion wherein said at least one reinforcement portion comprises at least one rib protruding in a first direction,

wherein said airbag cover comprises a mesh member,
a first portion of said mesh member being located in said at least one reinforcement portion and a second portion of said mesh member being located in said at least one hinge portion,
said mesh member having a first surface side facing said door portion and a second opposite surface side,
said method comprising
a) providing a first mould,
b) providing a second mould, one of said first or second moulds comprising an ingate,
c) placing a mesh member at one of said first or second moulds, such that said first surface side of said mesh member faces the ingate,
d) closing said first and second moulds relative to each other to create a cavity shaped to manufacture said airbag cover,
e) injecting fluid material through said ingate,
f) spreading said fluid material along said first surface side of said mesh member facing said ingate, thereby moulding said at least one door portion and said at least one hinge portion,
g) providing said mesh member with a non-planar cross-section by said spreading of said fluid material locally displacing said first portion of said mesh member out of plane wherein at least a portion of said first portion of said mesh member being pushed into said at least one rib by said spreading of said fluid material,
h) moulding said reinforcement portion at said second surface side of said mesh member, said second surface side being adapted to face the other of said first or second moulds.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein said mesh member is in a flat state in step c), or during step d).

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein in step c) said mesh member is placed at one of said first or second moulds and said ingate is located in the other of said first or second moulds.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein a single ingate is used at least in steps e) g).

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said mesh member being placed such that a centre of said mesh member is placed at said single ingate.

20. The method according to claim 15 , wherein at least one additional ingate is used in step h), said at least one additional ingate providing fluid material at said second surface side of said mesh member.

21. The method according to claim 15 , wherein at least one first attachment means is provided in said mesh member, and in step c) said mesh member is placed at said mould together with said at least one first attachment means.

22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein said mesh member is provided with at least one first opening adapted to receive said at least one first attachment means allowing movement of said mesh member in relation to said at least one first attachment means during at least one of steps e)-g).

23. The method according to claim 22 , wherein said at least one first opening has an oblong shape.

24. A vehicle interior panel comprising
a carrier structure, a portion of said carrier structure forming an airbag cover, said airbag cover comprising
at least one door portion, adapted to be opened to allow at least a portion of an airbag to be deployed,
at least one hinge portion, located adjacent to a side of said door po

Assignees

• Volvo Car Corp
• Int Automotive Components Group Gmbh

Inventors

• Svensson David
• SäTTERMAN BENGT

Classifications

• B29C45/14631

  Coating reinforcements (fibre reinforcements B29C45/0005) · CPC title

• B29C45/14786

  Fibrous material or fibre containing material, e.g. fibre mats or fibre reinforced material · CPC title

• B29C45/1418

  the inserts being deformed or preformed, e.g. by the injection pressure · CPC title

• B29C2043/022

  having locally depressed lines, e.g. hinges · CPC title

• B60R21/205

  in dashboards · CPC title