METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A COMPOSITE SKIN-FOAM-CARRIER COMPONENT FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE AND COMPOSITE SKIN-FOAM-CARRIER COMPONENT FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method of producing a composite skin-foam-carrier component for a motor vehicle, including the steps of injection-molding a carrier having one or more airbag flaps delimited by a hinge area and by a predefined tear line, wherein a raised contour with a groove-shaped cross-section is created along a segment of the tear line, producing a foam layer between a skin and the injection-molded carrier, producing gaps in the raised contour by guiding a tool over the raised contour after the production of the foam layer, and removing a portion of the raised contour. The present disclosure also relates to a composite skin-foam-carrier component for a motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of producing a composite skin-foam-carrier component for a motor vehicle comprising: injection-molding a carrier having at least one airbag flap delimited by a hinge area and a specified tear line, wherein a raised contour with a groove-shaped cross-section is created along a segment of the specified tear line; producing a foam layer between a skin and the injection-molded carrier; and producing gaps in the raised contour by guiding a tool over the raised contour after producing the foam layer and removing a portion of the raised contour.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when producing the gaps, the tool is repeatedly guided transversely, particularly in wavy lines, over the raised contour.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the groove-shaped cross-section of the raised contour is produced in a shape of a V-section, a U-section, or a trapezoidal section.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the raised contour is produced on a side of the carrier facing away from the skin.

5. The method according claim 1, wherein at least one of an airbag hinge mesh and an airbag hinge sheet metal is attached to the carrier and connects the airbag flap to a remainder of the carrier beyond the hinge area.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the airbag hinge mesh is produced at least partly slit in an area in which the airbag hinge mesh is arranged on the specified tear line.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a material weakening is produced on the carrier adjacent the raised contour, and the material weakening extends along an additional segment of the specified tear line.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the hinge area is produced in a shape of a depression protruding into the foam layer.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the hinge area is produced with a lesser thickness than the airbag flap.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined tear line is predefined in such a manner that an H-shaped or a U-shaped airbag flap is formed.

11. A composite skin-foam-carrier component for a motor vehicle comprising: an injection-molded carrier having at least one airbag flap delimited by a hinge area and by a predefined tear line, wherein a raised contour with a groove-shaped cross-section extends along a segment of the predefined tear line; a foam layer arranged between a skin and the injection-molded carrier; and several gaps formed one behind the other on the raised contour.

12-20. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a partial plan view of a composite skin-foam-carrier component in the form of an instrument panel support, showing an H-shaped airbag flap as part of the composite component and constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a perspective detail view of the composite skin-foam-carrier component, with a visible carrier and skin, each forming respective outer sides of the composite component, wherein a raised contour with a groove-shaped cross-section is formed on the side of the skin facing away from the carrier in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view onto the area of the airbag flap of the composite skin-foam-carrier component, in which a wavy line illustrates the path of a cutting tool guided along the raised contour, thereby forming several gaps arranged one behind the other on the raised contour in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG. 4 shows an additional perspective detail view of the composite skin-foam-carrier component, in which gaps produced in the raised contour can be recognized in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG. 5 shows a schematic plan view of an airbag hinge mesh that is attached to the composite skin-foam-carrier component and is overmolded in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0037] FIG. 6 shows another detail view of the composite skin-foam-carrier component, in which a T-shaped material weakening adjoins the raised contour in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure; and

[0038] FIG. 7 shows another perspective detail view of the composite skin-foam-carrier component in which a hinge area of the airbag flap of the carrier is designed as a type of wave-shaped depression in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0039] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] A composite skin-foam-carrier component 1 is shown by sections in a plan view. The composite skin-foam-carrier component 1 is an instrument panel support. The particular section of the composite skin-foam-carrier component 1 shown here accommodates an H-shaped airbag flap 2. The application of force 3 by an airbag when it is deployed is also shown schematically by the dashed lines. The airbag flap 2 has hinge areas 4 on opposite longitudinal sides, around which the individual elements of the airbag flap 2 are capable of folding over in the event of airbag deployment. Aside from the two hinge areas 4, the airbag flap 2 is delimited by an H-shaped tear line 5. The tear line 5 defines where the airbag flap 2 is torn open when the airbag deploys. However, the H-shaped tear line 5 as such does not have to be visible or have a physical shape. The airbag flap 2 as such is designed so as to be hidden from view from the vehicle interior. Thus, it is not possible by looking at the installed composite skin-foam-carrier component 1 to see where the airbag flap 2 is located.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged partial view of the composite skin-foam-carrier component 1. The composite skin-foam-carrier component 1 includes a carrier 6 and what is referred to as a skin 7, between which a foam layer not shown in greater detail here is arranged. The skin 7 is a decor layer facing the vehicle interior, which makes it visible to vehicle occupants. The carrier 6 is produced by injection molding; it includes the H-shaped airbag flap 2. The airbag flap 2 delimited by the hinge areas 4 and by the predefined tear line 5 also has a raised contour 8 with a groove-shaped cross-section. During injection molding of the carrier 6, this raised contour 8 is produced with the groove-shaped cross-section running along a segment of the tear line 5, namely precisely where the airbag flap 2 tears open in the middle as soon the airbag deploys. The raised contour 8 is produced initially with an unbroken surface, since the aforementioned foam layer is produced between the skin 7 and the carrier 6 after the injection molding of the carrier 6.

[0042] An additional step in the production of the composite skin-foam-carrier component 1 is shown in a perspective detail in FIG. 3. A wavy line 10 schematically illustrates the guiding of a cutter head not shown here. The cutter head is guided along the wavy line 10 over the raised contour 8 produced beforehand. By this means several gaps 9, i.e. through holes, are produced one behind the other on the raised contour 8. A portion of the raised contour 8 is thus removed, so that only individual segments of the previously continuous raised contour 8 remain.

[0043] In FIG. 4 the composite skin-foam-carrier component 1 is shown in the same perspective view as in FIG. 2. In the present view the aforementioned gaps 9 have already been produced on the raised contour 8, so that only individual segments of the raised contour 8 are left that are interspersed with the gaps 9. In the present case the raised contour 8 essentially has a type of V-section. Other groove-shaped cross-sections such as a U-shape or a trapezoidal shape are likewise possible.

[0044] The creation of the gaps 9 weakens the carrier 6 precisely along the tear line 5, namely in that area of the tear line 5 where the airbag flap 2 ruptures first when the airbag deploys. It is evident that the raised contour 8 is produced on a side of the carrier 6 facing away from the skin 7.

[0045] In FIG. 5 the carrier 6 is shown in a schematic plan view; an airbag hinge mesh 11 has been arranged on the carrier. The airbag hinge mesh 11 is arranged on the carrier 6 and is overmolded with plastic, for example, so that the airbag hinge mesh 11 is securely connected to the rest of the carrier 6. For example, the airbag hinge mesh 11 may be a particularly rugged and tearproof fabric layer. The airbag hinge mesh 11 connects the airbag flap 2, which is not shown here, beyond the hinge area 4 to the rest of the substrate 6. An H-shaped slit 12 is introduced into the airbag hinge mesh 11 and corresponds at least for the most part to the shape of the tear line 5. The airbag hinge mesh 11 is positioned on the carrier 6 in such a manner that the H-shaped slit 12 fits the H-shaped tear line 5. Thus, in the area of the H-shaped slit 12 the airbag hinge mesh 11 offers no resistance to the unfolding airbag. This allows the unfolding airbag to tear open the carrier 6, beginning at the raised contour 8 interspersed with the gaps 9. If the carrier 6 tears open along the tear line 5 due to deployment of the airbag, then the airbag hinge mesh 11 connects the airbag flap 2 reliably to the carrier 6 beyond the hinge areas 4. This provides that the airbag flap 2 reliably flips open around the hinge areas 4 and is not torn off from the remaining carrier 6 in doing so. Instead of the airbag hinge mesh 11, a hinge made of sheet metal may also be used. This provides that the airbag flap 2 reliably flips open around the hinge areas 4 and is not torn off from the remaining carrier 6 in doing so.

[0046] FIG. 6 shows another detail of the composite skin-foam-carrier component 1. The area of the carrier 6 in which the tear line 5 opens can be recognized in this drawing. A T-shaped material weakening 13 is produced in the carrier 6 adjacent the raised contour 8, which is configured to allow the airbag flap 2 to tear open in a controlled manner along the further course of the tear line 5. Exactly the same, mirror-inverted T-shaped material weakening 13 is produced at the other longitudinal end of the raised contour 8. Thus, when the airbag flap 2 first tears in the area of the raised contour 8 due to the gaps 9 and the point of impact of the airbag at that spot, then the tearing continues on until it reaches the T-shaped material weakenings 13, from where the tearing proceedsaccording to the present drawingupwards and downwards, following the continuing tear line 5.

[0047] Finally, FIG. 7 shows another detail of the composite skin-foam-carrier component 1, in which one of the two hinge areas 4 is recognizable. The hinge areas 4 are produced in the shape of a depression extending into the foam layer not seen here. In other words, the hinge areas 4 protrude on the side of the carrier 6 that faces the skin 7. In addition, the hinge areas 4 are thinner than the rest of the carrier 6. This wave-shaped contour of the hinge areas 4 with their smaller cross-section makes it easier for the airbag flap 2 to fold over around the hinge areas 4.

[0048] The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the substance of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.