Abstract: An automotive trim panel is made by using an apparatus and method that bond together two trim coverstock segments having different colors, gauges or textures and two rigid substrate components into a single trim panel with the two coverstock segments meeting along a finished joint line. The method includes joining the coverstock segments together to form a rough seam, supporting the substrate components on two spaced-apart movable mold components with each substrate component having a mating flange that extends into the space between the mold components, applying an adhesive layer to the substrate upper surfaces, heating the joined coverstock segments and vacuum or positive air pressure-forming them across the substrate upper surfaces with the rough seam lying midway between the spaced-apart mold components.

Abstract: A soft panel has a layer formed from thermoplastic fiber clusters comprised of a very high percentage of crooked matrix fibers and a very low percentage of crooked binder fibers with a lower melt temperature and wherein the fibers have a plurality of bends that entangle the fibers together in the clusters. The fiber clusters are blown onto a first foraminous screen that defines a retainer side of the fiber layer and through which air is being drawn. A second foraminous screen is then added to compact the fiber clusters and define a skin side of the fiber layer. Hot air is then circulated through the compacted fiber clusters to melt the binder fibers to fuse the matrix fibers together where they touch to form an integral soft springy fiber cluster layer to the shape of the screens.

Abstract: A process for the production of a rigid multi-layer composite articles (20) prepared from reacting inter alia a sheet of an open cell foam material (22) impregnated with a binder resin, such as isocyanate resin, to fill the cells of the foam material (22) and a polymerization catalyst to cause the reaction of isocyanate and form isocyanurate linkages, urethane linkages, urea linkages, trimer linkages, biuret linkages, and/or allophante linkages to render the composite article (20) rigid, and having a layer of reinforcing fibers, such as glass fibers, completely (24) or partially (25) impregnated by the binder resin affixed to a surface of the foam material (22) by the binder resin. Fasteners (27) formed of a thermoplastic material are provided having an appropriate adhesion surface. The adhesion surface of each of the fasteners (27) is melted by any of the well known techniques such as spin welding, etc.

Abstract: A vehicle interior trim component, such as a glove compartment or console door, and its method of fabrication includes an outer flexible shell having a peripheral contoured return flap captured within a peripheral gap provided between insert and backing panels of the component. Foam is injected into a space between the outer shell and insert panel and any gases and excess foam are allowed to escape from the foam space into an adjacent overflow chamber in a controlled manner through the gap while the return flap seals the assembly against external leakage of such excess foam.

Abstract: An automotive trim panel is made by using an apparatus and method that bond together two trim coverstock segments having different colors, gauges or textures and two rigid substrate components into a single trim panel with the two coverstock segments meeting along a finished joint line. The method includes joining the coverstock segments together to form a rough seam, supporting the substrate components on two spaced-apart movable mold components with each substrate component having a mating flange that extends into the space between the mold components, applying an adhesive layer to the substrate upper surfaces, heating the joined coverstock segments and vacuum or positive air pressure-forming them across the substrate upper surfaces with the rough seam lying midway between the spaced-apart mold components.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for use in manufacturing a fibrous preform with a narrow channel flange includes a foraminous preform screen (12), a fiber nozzle (28) that blows a stream of chopped fibers onto the screen (12) and binder nozzles (32) that spray binder into the fiber stream. Air blown from air nozzles (30) helps guide the fibers and a ducted fan (26) helps draw and hold them onto the screen (12). The screen (12) is formed with a narrow channel flange (16) having a shape identical to the narrow channel flange of the fibrous preform to be manufactured. The screen's flange (16) has a channel floor (36) extending laterally outward from the screen's main body (14) and a channel outer wall (38) projecting perpendicularly away from the channel floor (36) toward the fiber nozzle (28). A hinge (40) connects the channel floor (36) to the channel outer wall (38). To allow the nozzles to deposit a more uniform layer (42) of fibers, the outer wall (38) is rotated outward to lie parallel with the channel floor (36).

Abstract: A molded motor vehicle instrument panel made of a thermoplastic material has an integral air bag deployment door for a passenger side air bag that is defined by a tear seam and is normally retained by an integral flexible mounting/hinge flange to a part of the vehicle structure when the seam is torn by the inflating air bag and wherein this flange then bends to allow the door to swing open to allow deployment of the air bag through an opening in the instrument panel while retaining same to the vehicle structure as the door is then free of the instrument panel. At very low temperatures, a portion of the air bag door can break away from the mounting/hinge flange because of plastic embrittlement at these low temperatures and the high bending stresses encountered at this juncture.

Abstract: A composite plastic article having a foam core between reinforced plastic skin layers is made by placing foam spacers, a lower reinforcement preform, a foam core and an upper reinforcement preform on a lower mold part. An upper mold part is then mated with the lower mold part in a partially closed position to form a sealed mold cavity containing the foam spacers, reinforcement preforms and the foam core with fill spaces provided adjacent exterior surfaces of the reinforcement preforms. A low viscosity resin is then injected into the fill spaces while the mold parts are held in the partially closed position. The mold parts are then moved to a fully closed position. This distributes the resin across the exterior surfaces and forces the resin into the preforms so that the resin thoroughly penetrates throughout the interstices of the preforms and bonds to the foam core.

Abstract: An automotive interior trim part (10) is made by molding a substrate retainer layer (16), forming a skin layer (12) and forming an intermediate layer (14). The intermediate layer (14) is formed from a plurality of clusters of entangled high melt and low melt kinked fibers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The PET layer is blown into a partially closed mold that has the skin and retainer positioned in each mold die. The mold undergoes induced vibrations to promote tightening of the packed clusters. The mold is then fully closed to compress the PET fibers into full density. Heated air is then blown into the mold to soften the low melt fibers to adhere them to the retainer layer and skin. Cool air is then blown into the mold to resolidfy the clusters and form the intermediate layer into its molded shape.

Abstract: A rivet system (10) locks separate parts (12, 14) of an assembly (13) together on a support fixture (20) with the clamping devices (28); which prevents release of the parts (12, 14) from the fixture (20) until a required number of rivets (51) have been counted. A rivet setting tool (50) provides insertion of the rivets (51) between the parts (12, 14), and which disposes spent rivet mandrels (62) through a vacuum tube (58) to be sensed and counted. A controller (100) automatically locks the parts in the support fixture and counts the sensed mandrels (62) to allow release of the assembly (13) only upon a predetermined count of mandrels (62).

Abstract: A cover assembly for concealing an air bag restraint system in a vehicle passenger compartment has an underlying support and air bag door substrate. The door substrate is held in the closed position by flexible tabs that are disposed in a slot at the confronting edge of the support. When the air bag inflates, it engages the door substrate and pushes the tabs out of the slot to release the door substrate. The door substrate then swings open rupturing the covering to provide an opening through the cover assembly for deployment of the air bag.

Abstract: A reaction canister of a PSIR airbag system includes a U-shaped body closed at its ends by a pair of end plates. Mounting slots are formed in the end plates and cooperate with a pair of associated latching devices for mounting the canister on a cross-car beam of a vehicle.

Abstract: A recyclable automotive headliner consists 100% of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material and includes reverse ribs of varying density of PET fibers filled with reinforcements of full density PET material. A method of manufacturing such headliners includes forming the reverse ribs in the PET fibers and either preforming the full density reinforcements and bonding them between the ribs or forming the ribs and then injecting molten full density PET material therebetween.

Abstract: Sperhical particles having a diameter between 0.007" and 0.040" are formed from melt extruded thermoplastic material formed of blended and melt extruded thermoplastic and pigment.

Abstract: A cover for covering an air bag in a motor vehicle has a thin elastic plastic skin, a rigid substrate and an intermediate layer of soft plastic foam. The skin has a tear seam and the substrate includes a door that is impacted by the inflating air bag and presses outward against the foam layer and the skin to tear the foam layer and the tear seam and then swing outward with a torn section of the foam layer and skin to form an opening in the cover for deployment of the air bag into the passenger space in the vehicle. The tear seam in the skin is formed with extremely small laser machined holes that are not observable to a person of normal vision when viewed from a normal viewing distance in the passenger compartment by having a maximum hole size dimension at the outer side of the skin that does not exceed about 0.0005 inches.

Abstract: An interior energy absorbing panel for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle has a thermoplastic skin, a thermoplastic retainer, a thermoplastic air duct, and an energy absorbing rigid polyurethane foam core which is reaction injection molded about the air duct and to the skin and retainer without requiring any added adhesive. When the skin is of the soft type, a layer of semirigid polyurethane foam is reaction injection molded between the skin and the energy absorbing foam core to impart a soft feel to the skin and protect the energy absorbing foam core from indentation during normal use.

Abstract: An insert and method of molding the insert for use with an instrument panel or the like of a vehicle and in which the insert serves as a structural part of a cover for an air bag assembly and is provided with a door which opens upon being impacted by the inflating air bag and in which the door is formed of a flexible plastic material that is bonded in certain areas to the insert and has its plastic material interlocked with the plastic material of the insert in areas which serve as a hinge for the door.

Abstract: A heat insulating panel (20) for a mold tool (14) includes a surface for being mounted onto a section of the mold tool. The panel has an exposed upper surface (29) and a thickness great enough to provide heat insulation sufficient to maintain the temperature at its exposed upper surface lower than the melting temperature of a powder plastic resin (13) that is melted and cured onto the mold tool. Any powder plastic resin on the upper surface remains in powder form during molding such that the powder may be returned to a powder box (12) and be reused. The heat insulating panel (20) has a periphery (21) that covers the entire periphery of the mold tool.

Abstract: An underwater thermoplastic pelletizer has an extruding die, and a cutter for cutting a thermoplastic polymer extruded from the die into pellets as the molten polymer is solidified under water that is circulated to cool the extruded polymer and convey the pellets away for collection. The extruding die includes a die plate that is mounted in the face of the die concentric with and opposite the cutter and has a plurality of groups of extruding die holes that are connected in the die to a central main feed passage by separate radially extending distribution feed passages. The die holes in the groups are arranged in circular patterns of uniform radius about a center line intersecting with a circle concentric with the cutter path and the groups are equally angularly spaced about the cutter center line.

Abstract: A trim assembly for a vehicle providing energy absorption between a body member and a trim cover and a plurality of energy absorbing pins therebetween that are either permanently plastically deformed upon the cover initially being impacted or that are elastically deformed to absorb kinetic energy as the cover is impacted.