A method and apparatus includes a substrate, a foam that is applied to the substrate to form a least a portion of an interior trim part, at least one holder fixed to the substrate, and at least one reinforcement member supported by the at least one holder such that, when the foam is applied, the at least one reinforcement member is suspended within the foam.

A subassembly for a transport and a transport comprising a subassembly is disclosed. The subassembly has a support element, a component arranged on the support element, and a cover element arranged on the support element, adjoining the component. The support element has a lever mechanism which is configured to raise the cover element above a surface of the component in response to a force acting parallel to a surface of the cover element.

A method for sealing seams of a surface layer containing the seams, the sealing being performed on the side of the surface layer to which a foam layer or adhesive layer is connected in a planar manner. The method further relates to a composite part and the use of same. The method preferably includes a non-contact, planar application of a sealing material onto the seam region along the course of the seam. With the help of the method it is possible to prevent the penetration of the foam or adhesive material in a subsequent processing step and at the same time to eliminate the disadvantages of the existing methods.

A vehicle trim element having a body defining the outer surface of the trim element. At least part of the body is deformable so as to cause a modification of the shape of the outer surface. The body includes a deformable guide surface extending in a first direction (Y). The trim element further includes at least one actuating element cooperating with the guide surface in an actuating zone, the guide surface adopting the shape of the actuating element in the actuating zone. The actuating element is movable relative to the body in the first direction (Y) such that the body deforms when the actuating element is moved. The actuating element is formed by a part of an information display device.

A vehicle interior component is disclosed. The component may facilitate deployment of an airbag and may comprise a panel comprising fibers. The panel may comprise a notch formed as a depression in a first side of the panel and at least one feature adjacent the notch. A second side of the panel may comprise a substantially planar surface opposite the notch. The panel may comprise at least one of a resin, a thermoplastic resin, polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate. The notch may direct deployment of the airbag through the panel. The feature may comprise a protrusion to provide a relief for the notch. The component may comprise a rib formed on the panel adjacent the notch comprising resin. The rib may comprise a resin portion comprising resin and a fiber portion comprising fibers of the panel. The component may comprise a trim panel, an instrument panel, a door panel.

A functional vehicle component and related methods include a functional leather assembly fixed over a vehicle component. The functional leather assembly includes a leather sheet, a flexible electronic circuit arranged on a first surface of the leather sheet that faces away from the vehicle component to thereby define an outermost surface of the leather sheet, and including a piezoelectric switch that can be actuated to make or break a conductive path in the circuit; and a pigmented coating arranged over the circuit. Upon actuation of the piezoelectric switch to make or break the conductive path in the circuit, the piezoelectric switch provides a haptic signal that indicates the actuation of the piezoelectric switch.

A vehicle interior panel includes a color-changing element with an active layer configured to change from a first color to a different second color when a voltage is applied across top and bottom electrode layers. The top electrode includes fullerenes in a configuration that is visibly transparent and permits the color-changing element to bend along sharp radii and/or stretch without losing electrical continuity. Fullerenes including ellipsoidal elements can provide these characteristics.

A method of visually checking for alignment between an instrument panel ornament and a door ornament is provided. The method includes locating an enlarged head portion of an alignment tool on a top edge of the instrument panel ornament. The enlarged head portion includes a side measurement feature with a height for checking for a misalignment condition between the instrument panel ornament and the door ornament. It is determined whether a top edge of the door trim ornament is located within the height of the side measurement feature with the enlarged head portion resting on the top edge of the instrument panel ornament.

Disclosed is an interior structure (1, 100, 200) for a vehicle, which comprises a vehicle interior structural component (12, 114, 216) arranged within a field-of-view of a driver, wherein at least one outline (12a, 114a, 216a) of the vehicle interior structural component is approximately coincident with an axis line (Ab, Af, Ad) oriented toward a vehicle interior of the vehicle, among a plurality of axis lines radially extending from a vanishing point (P) defined when the driver visually views forwardly while being seated in a driver seat.

Provided is a sheet-type molded body that is formed by sewing a sheet, wherein thread is used for at least part of said sewing, the thread being composed of a resin composition for thread containing resin for thread, the thread having a melting point of no more than 200 C., and a laminate comprising: the sheet-type molded body; and a polyurethane foam formed body, the sheet-type molded body, and the laminate comprising: the sheet-type molded body; and a polyurethane foam layer being able to be produced by a simple method at low cost without damaging design qualities over time, and making it possible to prevent leakage of raw material etc. from sewed portions when backed with the polyurethane foam layer.