Abstract: An arrangement for forming an opening in an auto interior trim panel or piece normally having no visible indication of the opening just prior to inflation of an inflatable air bag, allowing deployment of the air bag into the passenger compartment of vehicle, the arrangement including a linear element positioned below the skin of the trim panel or wheel cover in a pattern corresponding to the opening. In a first embodiment a heat generating element is employed as the linear element which when activated degrades the covering skin layer of the trim piece in pattern shape. In a second embodiment detonating cord enclosed in a metal tube is employed with a series of holes directing the energy of detonation to sever the panel skin material. In a third embodiment a split sleeve having explosive coating on the inside is used to create a flame front severing the panel skin in the appropriate pattern.

Abstract: An arrangement for forming an opening in an auto interior trim panel or piece normally having no visible indication of the opening just prior to inflation of an inflatable air bag, allowing deployment of the air bag into the passenger compartment of vehicle, the arrangement including a linear element positioned below the skin of the trim panel or wheel cover in a pattern corresponding to the opening. In a first embodiment a heat generating element is employed as the linear element which when activated degrades the covering skin layer of the trim piece in pattern shape. In a second embodiment detonating cord enclosed in a metal tube is employed with a series of holes directing the energy of detonation to sever the panel skin material. In a third embodiment a split sleeve having explosive coating on the inside is used to create a flame front severing the panel kin in the appropriate pattern.

Abstract: A process for preweakening the inside of an automotive trim piece cover layer of various constructions by use of a laser beam so as to enable formation of an air bag deployment opening in the trim piece formed at the time the air bag deploys. The laser beam impinges the inside surface of the cover to form a groove scoring or spaced perforations to form a preweakening pattern. A robot arm may be used to move a laser generator so as to form the preweakening pattern. The laser beam can be controlled in accordance with sensed conditions to achieve accurate preweakening, and may also be used to trim substrate panels and to perform other cutting operations.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for cutting a workpiece. A laser beam is directed at successive points along a workpiece surface to be cut and a sensor emits a sensing beam directed at the same successive points as the cutting beam. A beam combining device receives both the sensor beam and the cutting beam and causes downstream beam segments to be collinear with each other as they impinge the workpiece surface. The cutting is thereby able to be carried out in a single pass, and is precise, repeatable and independent of cutting depth, angle of cutting, scoring patterns, material inconsistency, material color, and surface grain variability.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a trim piece to provide a concealed deployment door and opening for an air bag in which a substrate panel is formed with one or more integral door panels having an interposed gap preformed between one or more door panels and the substrate panel, and one side of each door panel is integral with the substrate panel structure to form a hinge. The substrate panel is overlain with one or more covering layers extending over the door panel or panels and opening. The covering layers can be preweakened along the gap in a correlated pattern, as by laser scoring.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for forming lines of weakness in an automotive trim piece so as to enable formation of an airbag deployment opening in the trim piece. A cutting beam, such as a laser is directed at the trim piece surface to be scored and a sensor emits a sensing beam, and a beam combining device receives both the sensor beam and the laser beam and causes downstream beam segments to be collinear with each other as they impinge the trim piece surface. The scoring is thereby able to be carried out in a single pass, and is precise, repeatable and independent of cutting depth, angle of cutting, scoring patterns, material inconsistency, material color, and surface grain variability.

Abstract: A process for preweakening the inside of an automotive trim piece cover layer of various constructions by use of a laser beam so as to enable formation of an air bag deployment opening in the trim piece formed at the time the air bag deploys. The laser beam impinges the inside surface of the cover to form a groove scoring or spaced perforations to form a preweakening pattern. A robot arm may be used to move a laser generator so as to form the preweakening pattern. The laser beam can be controlled in accordance with sensed conditions to achieve accurate preweakening, and may also be used to trim substrate panels and to perform other cutting operations.

Abstract: A process for preweakening the inside of an automotive trim piece cover layer of various constructions by use of a laser beam so as to enable formation of an air bag deployment opening in the trim piece formed at the time the air bag deploys. The laser beam impinges the inside surface of the cover to form a groove scoring or spaced perforations to form a preweakening pattern. A robot arm may be used to move a laser generator so as to form the preweakening pattern. The laser beam can be controlled in accordance with sensed conditions to achieve accurate preweakening, and may also be used to trim substrate panels and to perform other cutting operations.

Abstract: A trim piece construction for an air bag installation in which a scrim sheet is bonded onto the inside of the trim piece at the air bag location, and having one or more unbonded sections folded onto one or more air bag canister sides and attached thereto. The scrim sheet overlaps a deployment door panel and is bonded to surrounding regions to restrain relative movement by attachment to the canister. Fragmentation of the door panel is reduced by bonding of the sheet to the door panel. The door panel hinge is held in position to avoid windshield impact as the door panel hinges open when the air bag deploys.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for precision scoring a workpiece of variable thickness and/or shape in which the thickness of the workpiece at points along a trace pattern is first determined, and a variable depth groove is thereafter formed by laser scoring which is controlled in correspondence with the previously determined thickness values. These values can be determined by scanning opposite surfaces on the surface of a locating fixture and a surface of the workpiece. Robot manipulators are used for scanning and scoring, and the power of the laser and/or the trace velocity are controlled to vary the degree of scoring. The scoring is used to special advantage for precision preweakening of auto trim pieces for creating an air bag deployment opening.

Abstract: An arrangement for forming an opening in an auto interior trim panel or piece normally having no visible indication of the opening just prior to inflation of an inflatable air bag, allowing deployment of the air bag into the passenger compartment of vehicle, the arrangement including a linear element positioned below the skin of the trim panel or wheel cover in a pattern corresponding to the opening. In a first embodiment a heat generating element is employed as the linear element which when activated degrades the covering skin layer of the trim piece in pattern shape. In a second embodiment detonating cord enclosed in a metal tube is employed with a series of holes directing the energy of detonation to sever the panel skin material. In a third embodiment a split sleeve having explosive coating on the inside is used to create a flame front severing the panel skin in the appropriate pattern.

Abstract: A process for preweakening the inside of an automotive trim piece cover layer of various constructions by use of a laser beam so as to enable formation of an air bag deployment opening in the trim piece formed at the time the air bag deploys. The laser beam impinges the inside surface of the cover to form a groove scoring or spaced perforations to form a preweakening pattern. A robot arm may be used to move a laser generator so as to form the preweakening pattern. The laser beam can be controlled in accordance with sensed conditions to achieve accurate preweakening, and may also be used to trim substrate panels and to perform other cutting operations.

Abstract: An arrangement and method are disclosed for enabling formation of a deployment opening for an air bag in a hard plastic trim piece with or without vinyl cladding in which a hinged reinforcing patch panel is fixedly attached to a section of the hard plastic defined by a preweakening groove pattern.

Abstract: A pretreatment for a decorative leather covering layer overlying an air bag deployment opening in an automotive trim piece, the pretreatment results in an effective preweakening of the leather to be readily severed by the forced opening of an underlying hinged door panel. The pretreatment uses a hardening agent applied to the inside of the leather coveringlayer along a strip area extending in a pattern to match the unhinged sides of the door panel. The hardening agent saturates the leather in the strip area to 50-75% of the skin thickness. The leather covering layer has a notch groove formed therein extending along the middle of the strip area in the door pattern, the hardening rendering the leather notch sensitive so as to be effectively preweakened.

Abstract: An installation and is disclosed for mounting an air bag system in an opening in an instrument panel. A stabilizer frame is fixed around the opening in an instrument panel substrate and anchored to a fixed substructure, restraining bulging movement of the instrument panel to rapidly develop shearing stresses in the covering layer by the pressure exerted by the deployment door substrate panel as it is pushed open by the inflating air bag.

Abstract: An air bag installation is disclosed in which a flattened tube is expanded by a flow of pressurized gas from the air bag inflator or a separate source when the air bag system is deployed. The resulting tube expansion drives a cutting edge to sever an opening in a covering layer disposed over a substrate panel of an interior trim structure. A pyrotechnic charge may be used to augment the flow of pressurized gas. The tube may alternatively form an integral part of the instrument panel or the air bag assembly.

Abstract: An arrangement is disclosed for forming an air bag deployment opening in an instrument panel behind which a passenger side air bag is stored, just prior to the time the air bag is deployed, the arrangement including a pressure driven cutting edge cutting through the covering layer at the start of air bag deployment. A pyrotechnic charge ignited by the air bag ignition circuitry is used to develop the pressure, and various devices used to drive the cutting edge, including a flattened tube enclosing the charge and expanded by ignition of the charge. A separate door substrate panel and frame are fit into a preformed opening in the instrument panel, and the tube may be mounted to the door substrate panel, the frame, or a separate membrane.

Abstract: A construction for an invisible seam air bag deployment door installation in which foam layer wells extend along the hinging side of each door panel to freely allow hinging movement of the door panels by ready compression of the foam in the foam wells, preventing outward extension of the doors during opening underlow temperature conditions. The compression of the foam in the wells also prevents fragmentation of the skin and foam.

Abstract: An arrangement for forming an air bag deployment opening in a vinyl covered trim piece in which one or more hinged deployment door substrates are formed with an upwardly turned rim extending about the unhinged sides which exerts a second stage cutting pressure on the inside of a covering vinyl layer. A first stage piercing cutter panel is also hinged along the same side but inclined downwardly to be initially contacted by the inflating air bag. An array of piercing elements formed on the cutter panel are forced through the vinyl covering layer prior to movement of the door substrate panel to pierce the covering layer at the center and corners of the door pattern prior to progressive cutting by the door panel rim.

Abstract: An arrangement and closure are disclosed for an air bag deployment opening to be formed in the interior trim structure of an automotive vehicle, the closure including a substrate section weakened in a pattern to form contiguous doors or subsections which split apart along an invisible seam or seams when an air bag is inflated to exert pressure on the inside, and hinge away from the adjacent trim structure to form the opening. A continuous foam plastic layer covers the seam or seams. A skin overlies the foam plastic layer, the skin preweakened in a matching pattern above the seam or seams by being partially cut along the inside surface to a controlled depth.