JPH10291431A - Air bag integrated instrument panel and manufacture thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the exposure of an air bag lid to a surface so as to improve the appearance by providing a surface layer in a surface of a foaming layer so as to form a facing, and providing an air bag lid, which is bonded in response to a breaking line provided in a back surface of the facing, and resin-molded base material layer. SOLUTION: A facing 3 is formed by integrally laminating a surface layer 14 of a solid resin on a surface of a foaming layer 1 made of a foaming resin, and integrally laminating a barrier layer made of the solid resin on a back surface thereof. The back surface of the facing 3 is provided with a breaking line 4 to be broken at the time of expanding an air bag. An air bag lid 5 is a cover member, and manufactured by forming the thermoplastic resin, and provided with a V-shaped groove in response to the breaking line of the facing 3. The facing 3 is set in a cavity die, and the air bag lid 5 is set in a core die, and the both are adhered to each other. Thereafter, a clearance between them is filled with the melted resin so as to form a base material layer 6 in the back surface of the facing 3. Appearance is thereby improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airbag-integrated instrument panel used in front of a passenger seat of an automobile and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a large impact such as a collision accident acts on a vehicle body, an airbag of an airbag device mounted on the back side of an instrument panel is provided to protect an occupant sitting in a passenger seat. A safety device is provided which is adapted to expand into a room through a panel.

[0003] In an airbag device mounted on the rear side of an instrument panel in the front passenger seat, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 7, an opening 11 for passing an airbag is provided in an instrument panel 10. The opening 11 was formed so as to be closed by the airbag lid 13 of the airbag device 12. Then, when the airbag is inflated at the time of the impact, the airbag lid 13 is swung by the inflation pressure to open the opening 11, and the airbag is inflated into the room through the opening 11.

However, in this case, the air bag grid 1
Since 3 is exposed on the surface of instrument panel 10, the sense of unity of instrument panel 10 is impaired, and there is a problem in appearance. Therefore, an attempt has been made to provide the airbag lid 13 integrally on the back side of the instrument panel 10 so that the airbag lid 13 is not exposed on the surface of the instrument panel 10. FIG. 8 shows an example of this. The skin 3 formed by providing the surface layer 14 and the barrier layer 2 on the surface and the back of the foam layer 1 by slash molding or the like is set in a mold, and the back of the skin 3 is formed. By molding by filling a molten resin on the side, the base material layer 6 for reinforcement is integrally formed on the back surface of the skin 3, and the base material layer 6 is formed on the back surface of the skin 3 at the place where the airbag device 12 is mounted. The instrument panel 10 is manufactured by integrally molding the air bag grid 13 at a part of the instrument panel 10. Here, epidermis 3
A cut line or the like is formed on the back surface of the portion where the airbag grid 13 is formed, and a break line 4 is provided. When pressure acts on the skin 3 via the airbag grid 13 when the airbag is inflated, the skin 3 The breaking line 4 is opened by tearing, and the airbag is inflated into the room through the split opening.

However, as the skin 3 of the instrument panel 10, the surface layer 14 is provided on the front and back of the foam layer 1 as described above.
When a material with a foam layer formed by providing a barrier layer 2 is used, the portion of the back surface of the skin 3 where the break line 4 is provided is filled with molten resin and molding is performed. There is a problem in that it passes through the layer 2 and penetrates into the foam layer 1, which may cause defects such as blisters on the surface of the skin 3.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and does not impair the appearance of the airbag lid by exposing it to the surface, and the molten resin permeates into the foam layer of the skin. An object of the present invention is to provide an airbag-integrated instrument panel and a method for manufacturing the same without defects.

[0007]

An instrument panel integrated with an airbag according to the present invention is provided with a skin 3 formed by providing a surface layer 14 on the front side of a foam layer 1 and a back side of the skin 3. It is characterized by comprising an airbag lid 5 joined to the back surface of the skin 3 covering the breaking line 4 and a base material layer 6 integrally molded on the back surface of the skin 3.

The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the skin 3 is formed in a three-layer structure by providing a surface layer 14 on the front side of the foam layer 1 and a barrier layer 2 on the back side. Is what you do. The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the breaking line 4 is formed by a cut 4a or a thin portion 4b provided on the back side of the skin 3.

The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that a V-groove 15 is provided along the breaking line 4 on the surface side of the skin 3. The method for manufacturing an airbag-integrated instrument panel according to the present invention is a skin in which a surface layer 14 is provided on a front surface side of a foam layer 1, a barrier layer 2 is provided on a back surface side, and a breaking line 4 is provided on a back surface side. 3 is set on one mold 7a, the air bag grid is set on the other mold 7b, and the molds 7a and 7b are closed to bring the air bag grid 5 into close contact with the back side of the skin 3 so as to cover the breaking line 4. Thereafter, the back surface of the skin 3 is filled with a molten resin in the molds 7a and 7b and molded to form the skin 3
Is characterized in that the base material layer 6 is laminated and integrated on the back surface of the substrate.

The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that an adhesive is applied to the airbag grid 5 and the airbag grid 5 is bonded to the back side of the skin 3 with the adhesive.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. As shown in FIG. 3, the skin 3 has a surface layer 14 made of a solid resin on the surface side of the foamed layer 1 made of a foamed resin.
The barrier layer 2 made of a solid resin is integrally laminated on the back side to form a three-layer structure, and can be obtained by, for example, integrally molding by powder slush molding using a powdered resin. PVC, styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer, olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TP
O) and a thermoplastic resin such as a urethane-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPU) to form the skin 3. The thickness of the foam layer 1 is about 1.5 to 5.0 mm. The thickness is about 0.2 to 1.0 mm, and the thickness of the barrier layer 2 is 0.4 to 1.2 mm, which is thicker than the surface layer 14.
It is about.

A soft texture is imparted to the skin 3 by the foam layer 1 having a cushioning property, and a leather grain or a stitch is formed on the surface of the surface layer 14.
The decoration of the surface of the skin 3 is performed by the surface layer 14. Further, the barrier layer 2 is for protecting the foamed layer 1 from heat and pressure at the time of forming the base material layer 6 described later, and for ensuring adhesion to the base material layer 6. Of course, in the present invention, as the skin 3, the foam layer 1 and the surface layer 14 as described above are used.
It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the three-layer structure composed of the foam layer 1 and the surface layer 14.

On the back side of the skin 3, a breaking line 4 is provided at a place where the airbag device is mounted. The break line 4 corresponds to the barrier layer 2 as shown in FIG.
And the foam layer 1 can be formed by making a cut 4a, or as shown in FIG. 4B, by forming the barrier layer 2 into a thin wall 4b. The means is not limited to these as long as the means can be partially lowered. Further, a V-groove 15 may be provided in the surface layer 14 along the breaking line 4 as shown in FIGS. The breaking line 4 can be formed in a U-shape as shown in FIG. 5 (a) or an H-shape as shown in FIG. 6 (a). When the airbag is inflated, the epidermis 3 is torn open as shown in FIG.
When the airbag is formed in an H shape, the outer skin 3 is torn open as shown in FIG. 6B when the airbag is inflated.

The airbag lid 5 is a member serving as a lid of the airbag device, and is made by injection molding a thermoplastic resin such as an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer. The back skin of the air bag grid 5
A V-groove 16 is provided corresponding to the above-mentioned breaking line 4 formed in the above. Reference numeral 17 denotes a connecting piece integrally formed on the back surface of the airbag lid 5 for connecting the airbag lid 5 to the airbag device 12.

Thus, the instrument panel A can be formed by using the forming die 7 including the cavity die 7a and the core die 7b. That is, first, as shown in FIG. 2A, the skin 3 is set on the cavity mold 7a, and the air bag grid 5 is set on the core mold 7b. At this time, it is preferable to apply an adhesive to the surface (front surface) of the air bag grid 5. 18 is the air bag grid 5
Is a recess for accommodating the coupling piece 17 of the
The airbag lid 5 can be positioned and set to the core mold 7b by inserting the coupling piece 17 into the core mold 7b. Next, the cavity mold 7a and the core mold 7b are clamped as shown in FIG. The breaking line 4 is provided on the back side of the skin 3 as described above. The breaking line 4 is covered with the air bag grid 5 by bringing the air bag grid 5 into close contact with the back surface of the skin 3.

Thereafter, the molten resin is injected into the molding die 7,
By filling the molten resin between the back surface of the skin 3 and the core mold 7b, the base material layer 6 can be laminated and integrated on the back surface side of the skin 3 as shown in FIG. As the resin for forming the base material layer 6, it is possible to use a polypropylene resin (PPC) containing a filler reinforced with a talc, mica, glass or the like of a polypropylene resin, or a thermoplastic resin such as a modified PPO resin, an ABS resin, a noryl resin, or the like. it can. The molding is performed by injecting the molten resin into the molding die 7 after clamping the cavity die 7a and the core die 7b as described above, and also molding the core die 7b with the cavity die 7a and the core die 7b opened. The molten resin is supplied, and when the cavity mold 7a and the core mold 7b are clamped, the molten resin is pressurized to spread and fill the gap between the back surface of the skin 3 and the core mold 7b. It can also be.

Here, when the molding for filling the molten resin between the back surface of the skin 3 and the core mold 7b is performed as described above, the breaking line 4 on the back surface of the skin 3 is covered with the airbag grid 5. The molten resin can be prevented from reaching the breaking line 4 by blocking it with the air bag grid 5,
This prevents the molten resin from passing through the barrier layer 2 from the breaking line 4 and penetrating into the foam layer 1, thereby preventing defects such as blisters on the skin 3.

After the molding as described above, the molding die 7
By opening the cavity mold 7a and the core mold 7b and removing the mold, the base layer 6 for maintaining strength is laminated and integrated on the back of the skin 3, as shown in FIG. An airbag integrated instrument panel A can be obtained in which the airbag grid 5 is adhered and insert-molded in a part of the base material layer 6. The airbag device 12 can be mounted on the back of the instrument panel A by attaching the airbag grid 5 to the opening of the airbag device 12 having the airbag therein by means of the connecting piece 17. When the airbag in the device 12 is inflated, the inflation pressure causes the airbag lid 5 to be opened by the cleavage of the V-groove 16 and the break line 4 of the skin 3 to be opened and opened, and the airbag projects through the opening into the room. It has become.

[0019]

As described above, the airbag-integrated instrument panel according to the present invention covers the skin formed by providing the surface layer on the front side of the foam layer and the breaking line provided on the back side of the skin. The airbag grid joined to the back surface of the skin and the base layer integrally molded with resin on the back surface of the skin are formed so as to be formed. That open up,
The air bag grid can be provided by joining to the back side of the skin, so that the air bag grid is not exposed to the surface of the skin and does not impair the appearance.

Further, the invention according to claim 2 has a cushioning property because the foamed layer has a three-layer structure in which a surface layer is provided on the front side of the foam layer and a barrier layer is provided on the back side. The foam layer can impart a soft texture to the skin, the surface layer can decorate the surface of the skin, and the barrier layer forms the foam layer from heat and pressure when the base material layer is resin-molded. Something that can be protected.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the break line is formed by a cut or a thin portion provided on the back side of the epidermis, the cut or the thin portion is formed when the airbag is inflated to partially improve the strength. The weakened breaking line allows easy tearing and opening of the epidermis, which ensures the operation of the airbag. According to the invention of claim 4, since the V-groove is provided on the surface side of the skin along the breaking line, the V-groove facilitates the tearing at the breaking line, and the operation of the airbag is more reliable. It becomes something.

The method for manufacturing an airbag-integrated instrument panel according to the present invention is directed to a method for manufacturing a skin having a surface layer on the front side of a foam layer, a barrier layer on the back side, and a breaking line on the back side. Set on one mold, set the airbag lid on the other mold, close the mold and close the airbag lid on the back side of the epidermis so as to cover the break line, and then in the mold on the back side of the epidermis By filling and molding the molten resin, the base material layer is laminated and integrated on the back of the skin, so when the airbag inflates, the molten resin Can be prevented by an air bag grid, and a defect that the molten resin penetrates into the foam layer through the barrier layer from the breaking line can be prevented from occurring. Than it is.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, an adhesive is applied to the airbag grid and the airbag grid is bonded to the backside of the skin with an adhesive. Can be closed,
It is possible to reliably prevent the molten resin from reaching during molding by using an air bag grid.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an embodiment of the present invention.
(A), (b) is sectional drawing which shows each process of shaping | molding.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of an example of a skin according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an epidermis according to an embodiment of the present invention;
(A) through (d) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views.

FIG. 5 shows an example of an embodiment of the present invention,
(A) is a perspective view of a skin, and (b) is an enlarged sectional view thereof.

FIG. 6 shows another example of the embodiment of the present invention,
(A) is a perspective view of a skin, and (b) is an enlarged sectional view thereof.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a conventional example.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of another conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Foam layer 2 Barrier layer 3 Skin 4 Break line 5 Airbag lid 6 Base material layer 7a, 7b type 14 Surface layer

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An epidermis formed by providing a surface layer on the front side of a foam layer, an airbag lid joined to the rear side of the epidermis covering a break line provided on the back side of the epidermis, and an integral part of the rear side of the epidermis. An airbag-integrated instrument panel, comprising: a base material layer formed by resin molding. 2. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the skin is formed in a three-layer structure by providing a surface layer on the front side of the foam layer and a barrier layer on the back side. Body instrument panel. 3. The airbag-integrated instrument panel according to claim 1, wherein the break line is formed by a cut or a thin portion provided on the back side of the skin. 4. The airbag-integrated instrument panel according to claim 1, wherein a V-groove is provided along the breaking line on the surface side of the skin. 5. A skin formed by providing a surface layer on the front side of the foam layer and a barrier layer on the back side and having a break line on the back side is set in one mold, and an air bag grid is set in the other mold. Set the mold, close the mold and close the airbag lid to the back side of the epidermis so as to cover the break line, and then fill the back side of the epidermis with molten resin in the mold and mold it to form the back of the epidermis A method of manufacturing an airbag-integrated instrument panel, comprising: laminating and integrating a base material layer on a substrate. 6. An airbag integrated instrument panel according to claim 5, wherein an adhesive is applied to the airbag grid, and the airbag grid is bonded to the back side of the skin with the adhesive. Method.