초록 ▼

An article including a panel-like structure mountable in an automobile vehicle to form a part of the interior thereof and conceal a secondary restraint system, and a process for making the same are disclosed. According to this process, an outer layer is established on a first mold surface, with the

An article including a panel-like structure mountable in an automobile vehicle to form a part of the interior thereof and conceal a secondary restraint system, and a process for making the same are disclosed. According to this process, an outer layer is established on a first mold surface, with the exterior surface of the outer layer having an opaque visual appearance and a configuration complementary to the first mold surface. A casting composition is then rotationally casted onto an inner surface of the outer layer to create an inner layer of a predetermined thickness while restricting the gel thickness along an elongated structurally weakened tear seam. The casting composition is then fused. The outer layer and inner layer collectively define a layered composite structure, with the outer layer presenting the same opaque visual appearance to the exterior surface thereof unaffected by change in the inner layer thickness so that the structurally weakened tear seam is hidden from view. The composite structure is united with a reinforcing substrate including at least one door so that the structurally weakened tear seam is in cooperative association with the door so as to fracture when the door is actuated.

대표청구항 ▼

[What is claimed is:] [1.]applying a first composition comprising at least one base polymer and at least one coloring agent onto a first mold surface having a complementary configuration to the outer layer;heating and substantially drying the first composition while on the first mold surface to form

[What is claimed is:] [1.]applying a first composition comprising at least one base polymer and at least one coloring agent onto a first mold surface having a complementary configuration to the outer layer;heating and substantially drying the first composition while on the first mold surface to form the outer layer;disposing a seam-defining structure in spaced relation with the inner surface of the outer layer;rotational casting a casting composition comprising at least one base polymer onto an inner surface of the outer layer while on the first mold surface and gelling and fusing the casting composition to form the inner layer with a structurally weakened portion having a reduced thickness adjacent the outer layer, the structurally weakened portion being formed in a space interposed between the seam-defining structure and the inner surface of the outer layer, the outer and inner layer together defining the layered composite structure with the outer layer masking the structurally weakened portion from view when the panel structure is mounted in the automobile vehicle; anduniting the layered composite structure with the reinforcing substrate so that the reinforcing substrate reinforces the outer layer, the structurally weakened portion of the inner layer being constructed and arranged to permit cooperative association with the movable door such that when the panel structure is mounted in the automobile vehicle, actuation of the secondary restraint system displaces the door into a passengers' compartment of the vehicle and fractures the layered composite structure along at least a portion of the structurally weakened portion to create a passageway which permits an air bag of the secondary restraint system to deploy into the passengers' compartment of the vehicle.