Abstract: A resin composition for a seamless air bag cover or a resin composition for a seamless instrument panel having an air bag cover which comprises (A) 50 to 90% by mass of polypropylene, (B) 0 to 20% by mass of a thermoplastic elastomer and (C) 10 to 30% by mass of talc having an average particle diameter of 15 to 25 ?m and a distribution of a particle diameter such that the content of particles having a diameter of 5 ?m or smaller is 10% by mass or smaller and the content of particles having a diameter exceeding 40 ?m is 10% by mass or smaller. The resin composition exhibits sufficient properties when an instrument panel is molded. A seamless instrument panel having an air bag cover can be obtained as an integrally molded product, which can be treated as a single article in recycling.

Abstract: A door lock mechanism includes a lock claw, a spring attached to the lock claw for urging the same in a direction toward a lock state, a lock release operation piece linked to the lock claw for moving the lock claw in a direction toward a lock release state against a force of the spring when a lock release operation is performed, and a damping device for applying a damping force to the lock claw when the lock release operation is canceled. The lock release operation piece returns the lock claw to the lock state with the force when the lock release operation is canceled. The lock release operation piece is arranged to be separated from the lock claw when the lock claw returns from the lock release state to the lock state with an external force applied to the lock claw.

Abstract: An inventive vehicle air bag door includes a back-up member 13 provided on the bottom side of a panel main body 1. The back-up member 13 includes a back-up section 27, a plate section 20 and a hinge section 24 which are integrally formed. The hinge section includes: a first curved portion 34a whose midsection is curved so as to protrude toward a door section 17; and a second curved portion 34b whose midsection is curved so as to protrude away from the door section 17. When the door section 17 is opened, the first and second curved portions 34a and 34b are each extended and then the plate section 20 is pivoted around its junction with the second curved portion 34b.

Abstract: In order to ensure the strength of an air bag door section 17 defined in an instrument panel main body 1 and reliably open the door section 17 upon activation of an air bag device 42, an inventive vehicle interior trim article includes: a back-up plate 20 integrally connected to the bottom face of the door section 17; and a frame body 22 for accommodating the air bag device 42, wherein the back-up plate 20 is integrally formed with the frame body 22 via a hinge section 24, and an extreme end 20b of the back-up plate 20 detachably abuts against a top-side end face 34 of the frame body 22. The back-up plate 20 and frame body 22 are molded so that the extreme end 20b of the back-up plate 20 is spaced apart from the top-side end face 34 of the frame body 22 by a predetermined distance.

Abstract: A door lock mechanism includes a lock claw, a spring attached to the lock claw for urging the same in a direction toward a lock state, a lock release operation piece linked to the lock claw for moving the lock claw in a direction toward a lock release state against a force of the spring when a lock release operation is performed, and a damping device for applying a damping force to the lock claw when the lock release operation is canceled. The lock release operation piece returns the lock claw to the lock state with the force when the lock release operation is canceled. The lock release operation piece is arranged to be separated from the lock claw when the lock claw returns from the lock release state to the lock state with an external force applied to the lock claw.

Abstract: An inventive vehicle air bag door includes a back-up member 13 provided on the bottom side of a panel main body 1. The back-up member 13 includes a back-up section 27, a plate section 20 and a hinge section 24 which are integrally formed. The hinge section includes: a first curved portion 34a whose midsection is curved so as to protrude toward a door section 17; and a second curved portion 34b whose midsection is curved so as to protrude away from the door section 17. When the door section 17 is opened, the first and second curved portions 34a and 34b are each extended and then the plate section 20 is pivoted around its junction with the second curved portion 34b.

Abstract: A center console of a vehicle installed on its floor as if extending along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle has a bottle holder for holding drinking vessels, an accessory storage for holding small articles, a first lid for covering and uncovering the top of the bottle holder, and a second lid for covering and uncovering the top of the accessory storage. The first lid can be slid from a position where the top of the bottle holder is covered by the first lid to a position where the top of the bottle holder is uncovered and, with the first and second lids joined into a single structure, the first and second lids can be swung up together about fixed parts of hinges from a position where the top of the accessory storage is covered to a position where the top of the accessory storage is uncovered.

Abstract: In order to ensure the strength of an air bag door section 17 defined in an instrument panel main body 1 and reliably open the door section 17 upon activation of an air bag device 42, an inventive vehicle interior trim article includes: a back-up plate 20 integrally connected to the bottom face of the door section 17; and a frame body 22 for accommodating the air bag device 42, wherein the back-up plate 20 is integrally formed with the frame body 22 via a hinge section 24, and an extreme end 20b of the back-up plate 20 detachably abuts against a top-side end face 34 of the frame body 22. The back-up plate 20 and frame body 22 are molded so that the extreme end 20b of the back-up plate 20 is spaced apart from the top-side end face 34 of the frame body 22 by a predetermined distance.

Abstract: An integral skin foam molded article having a core formed with an accommodating recess. An erected wall of the core around the accommodating recess is formed at its intermediate position with a core side step extending perpendicularly to the inner surface of the erected wall so that a bottom side portion of the accommodating recess is narrower than an opening side portion thereof. The skin includes a peripheral erected part with the peripheral erected part of the skin being formed at its intermediate position with a skin side step that is located closer to the opening of the accommodating recess than the core side step of the erected wall, that is extended perpendicularly to the peripheral erected part of the skin, and that is bent toward inside of the accommodating recess. The peripheral erected part of the skin is pressed against the inner surface of the erected wall of the core.

Abstract: In a retractable assist grip in which a grip body rotatably supported on a mount is urged into swing motion from the use position to the retracted position, one side surface of a supporting part of the mount is formed integrally with s fulcrum pin extending therefrom. A pin support of a leg of the grip body is journaled on the fulcrum pin. On the other side surface of the supporting part, a recess and a loose-fit pin extending inside the recess from the bottom of the recess are formed coaxially with the fulcrum pin. The leg of the grip body is assembled against relative rotation with a spacer rotatably inserted into the recess and including a pin loose-fitting part for loosely receiving the loose-fit pin therein. A viscidity is provided between the outer periphery of the spacer and the inner periphery of the recess of the mount, thereby forming a damper. Further, a locking pin is retained prior to the mounting of the grip body to the mount.

Abstract: In a retractable assist grip in which a grip body rotatably supported on a mount is urged into swing motion from the use position to the retracted position, a locking pin is retained prior to the mounting of the grip body to the mount. With the mount body engaged to the periphery of a mounting hole of an inner panel from the front side thereof, the locking pin is moved opposite to a direction of insertion thereof by the swing motion of the grip body to the use position so that an extension at the distal end of the locking pin is retained at a locking position, thereby holding flexible engaging pieces extending from the back of the mount body in engagement on the periphery of the mounting hole.

Abstract: A pair of mounts 3A and 3B for an assist grip G each include a pair of engaging pieces 19 which are pushed apart from each other by press-insertion of a locking member 23 between them and thereby engaged on the edge of a panel opening p1 of an inner panel P. On at least one of both sides of the mount 3A (3B) where the pair of engaging pieces 19 are located, a provisional retention piece 20 is provided which is independent of and separated from the engaging piece 19. In mounting the assist grip G to the inner panel P through the panel opening p1, the provisional retention piece is inserted together with the engaging pieces 19 into the panel opening p1 and thereby engaged on the edge of the panel opening p1 to provisionally retain the mount 3A (3B) onto the inner panel P. This provides ease and reliable provisional retention and full retention of the mount with a small force.

Abstract: In a retractable assist grip in which a grip body rotatably supported on a mount is urged into swing motion from the use position to the retracted position, one side surface of a supporting part of the mount is formed integrally with s fulcrum pin extending therefrom. A pin support of a leg of the grip body is journaled on the fulcrum pin. On the other side surface of the supporting part, a recess and a loose-fit pin extending inside the recess from the bottom of the recess are formed coaxially with the fulcrum pin. The leg of the grip body is assembled against relative rotation with a spacer rotatably inserted into the recess and including a pin loose-fitting part for loosely receiving the loose-fit pin therein. A viscidity is provided between the outer periphery of the spacer and the inner periphery of the recess of the mount, thereby forming a damper. Further, a locking pin is retained prior to the mounting of the grip body to the mount.

Abstract: In an assembly line system, a self-propelled carrier 51 carrying thereon assembly workpieces is brought to a halt at an assembly station 11. When the assembly of the assembly workpieces is completed at the assembly station 11, the carrier 51 is driven out therefrom. More specifically, three pairs of assembly stations 11 are disposed in serial alignment and each assembly worker A-c is placed between his/her assembly station pair. Arranged on one side of the row of these three assembly station pairs is a guide line 2d. Station guide lines 12 respectively branch off from the guide line 2d so as to establish connections between the guide line 2d and the individual assembly stations 11. A carrier orientation reversing station 15 is connected to the guide line 2d located upstream of the upstreammost assembly station 11 so that carriers 51 enter ones of the assembly station pairs, in the reverse-orientation state.

Abstract: A parison is hung down between a pair of molding metallic molds in the opened state, expanding members are contacted with the specified portions of the parison, and after setting the temperature difference between the specified portions and other portions in accordance with a pre-set thickness ratio between both portions after forming thereof, the expanding members are moved while cooling the specified portions of expanding members so as to extend and thin the portions other than the specified portions of the parison, and the metallic molds are closed together so as to blow compressed air into the parison to effect blow-molding.

Abstract: An instrument panel mounting structure for an automobile, characterized in that lower end portions of a pair of front pillar trims are forcibly flexed inwardly of a cabin of the automobile to come into contact with laterally opposite end portions of an instrument panel, respectively, thereby securely eliminating a gap between the lower end portion of each front pillar trim and the corresponding laterally opposite end portion of the instrument panel to improve an appearance. A pair of leaf springs are mounted to the laterally opposite end portions of the instrument panel, respectively. The lower end portions of the front pillar trims are biased inwardly of the cabin by the leaf springs so as to be urged against the laterally opposite end portions of the instrument panel, respectively.

Abstract: A work holding apparatus for holding a work to be coated such as a bumper for an automobile while rotating the same is disclosed. The work holding apparatus includes a frame mounted for rotation on a support member, a work holding member mounted on the frame by means of a support bar extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of a work, and a drive mechanism for rotating the frame. An axis of rotation of the frame is disposed substantially at a central position of a work held on the work holding member along a width of the work in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the work.

Abstract: A coated work rotating apparatus is disclosed which dries paint on a coated work while rotating the coated work after completion of coating. The coated work rotating apparatus comprises a carrier frame transported in one direction by a transport mechanism, a rotary frame mounted for rotation around a first axis on the carrier frame, and a coated work holding member mounted for rotation around a second axis perpendicular to the first axis on the rotary frame. A rotational driving mechanism rotates the rotary frame with respect to the carrier frame and also rotates the coated work holding member with respect to the rotary frame. By mounting a coated work on the rotating apparatus, smooth coated faces having a good appearance can be obtained for all faces of the coated work.