Abstract: A method of manufacturing an automotive instrument panel including providing an electrical button, placing the button in a mold, and reaction injection molding a skin layer of the instrument panel to substantially fully encapsulate the button so that the button is substantially fully integrated with the skin layer and further includes a substantially zero gap fit with the instrument panel.

Abstract: An injection molded plastic instrument panel P.S.I.R. hidden door milling method including applying a stiff tape, having a hardness greater than a hardness of the plastic instrument panel, to a plastic instrument panel surface to be milled to prevent flexing of the surface during milling. The method may further include milling the surface along a generally width-wise central location of the tape, and removing the tape upon completion of the milling, with the method thereby minimizing burrs along edges of the milled surface. The invention also provides an injection molded plastic instrument panel P.S.I.R. hidden door, and a plastic automotive panel made by method described herein.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for thermoforming of ink jet printed media for decoration of automotive interior components. The method includes controlling an ink jet printer head for dispersed ink application onto a thermoplastic sheet and selecting a graphic pattern for application onto the thermoplastic sheet. The method further includes applying the graphic pattern onto the thermoplastic sheet by means of the ink jet printer head to thereby form a decorated thermoplastic sheet, the graphic pattern including a dispersed ink pattern which includes a plurality of ink drops having spacing therebetween, with the spacing defining a plurality of inter-ink drop zones. The method yet further includes vacuum forming the decorated thermoplastic sheet into a desired shape, and applying the vacuum formed decorated thermoplastic sheet to an automotive interior component structural foundation.

Abstract: The invention includes a method for testing a spreadsheet cell. Du-associations are collected for the spreadsheet cell. The cell's execution trace is tracked. After the user validates the cell, the du-associations that participated in the execution trace are marked as executed. Du-associations for other cells that are affected by the testing a spreadsheet cell are similarly marking as exercised. If the user changes a cell's contents, the collected du-associations for the cell are discarded and the steps of collecting test elements, tracking execution traces, and marking are repeated. Cells that depend on the changed cell also repeat these steps. After the user marks a cell as validated, a validation symbol is shown on the cell. If the cell's validation status is later brought into question, the validation symbol can change or be removed entirely. The invention also includes a method for providing a user with feedback of the testedness of the spreadsheet cells.

Abstract: A method of producing tight bezel fits between automotive interior panels and their mating subcomponents. The method includes forming at laminate preform, injection molding a substrate layer behind the laminate preform to form a molded automotive interior panel, and forming an opening in the molded automotive interior panel. The method further includes post embossing the molded automotive interior panel adjacent a perimeter of the opening to produce an embossed interface between the molded automotive interior panel and a mating subcomponent installed in the opening, thereby producing a tight bezel fit between the molded automotive interior panel and the mating subcomponent installed in the opening. Alternatively, the method includes utilizing a vacuum wrapped automotive interior panel with the embossing step described above. The invention also provides for an automotive interior panel including a tight bezel fit between the panel and mating subcomponents, formed by the aforementioned methods.

Abstract: This invention relates to the field of airbag covers such as are used in the interior of vehicles, and more specifically to an airbag cover having a novel tear seam. The tear seam is adapted to be located over a pair of deployment doors which are located behind the airbag cover. According to one embodiment, the tear seam includes a transverse segment having a width adapted to extend beyond the perimeter of the underlying deployment door. The tear seem also includes a first end segment and a second end segment. The transverse segment extends between and intersects each of the first end segment and the second end segment at locations distal from the perimeter of the underlying airbag door. The first end segment and second end segment each include at least one convex segment proximal the intersection of the first end segment with the transverse segment. Each convex segment is further adapted to be substantially perpendicular to a deployment induced stress pattern in the airbag cover.

Abstract: The invention includes two methods for testing a spreadsheet region. Du-associations are collected for the spreadsheet region. In the Straightforward approach, du-associations are collected for each cell in the region. Each cell's execution trace is tracked. After the user validates a cell, the du-associations for the cell that participated in the execution trace are marked as executed. In the Region Representative approach, a region representative represents the region. Each cell's execution trace is tracked. After the user validates a cell, the du-associations for the region representative that participated in the execution trace for the validated cell are marked as executed. Du-associations for other cells that are affected by the testing of a spreadsheet region are similarly marked as covered. If the user changes a shared non-constant formula, the collected du-associations for the region are discarded and the steps of collecting test elements and tracking execution traces are repeated.