Decorative panel with invisible tear seam

摘要

A passenger vehicle has a dashboard (10) having a decorative panel (16) to cover an air bag assembly (12) installation and enable deployment of the air bag outwardly of the panel upon inflation. The panel (16) comprises a thermoplastic inner support layer having discrete surfaces (46,48) abutting each other along a predetermined H-shaped tear seam line (50) partially framing the opening to define a door in the panel and a flexible vinyl outer skin layer (18) presenting a smooth outer surface and having a weakened section (60) on its inner surface forming the seam line. An intermediate resilient olefin foam layer or a polyurethane foam layer (32) of equivalent strength having discrete surfaces abutting each other along the seam line (50) completely fills the void between the inner and outer layers and is adhesively bonded to the inner and outer layers. The outer skin along the tear seam line (60) is fractured by inflation of the air bag to break the loose to pivot open about a hinge line extending between the ends of the seam line to enable deployment of the air bag outwardly of the panel.