MOTOR VEHICLE INSTRUMENT PANEL WITH FLEXIBLE TETHERING HINGED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT DOOR

摘要

A molded motor vehicle instrument panel (10) made of a thermoplastic material has an integral air bag deployment door (14) for a passenger side air bag (22) that is defined by a tear seam (16) and is normally retained by an integral flexible mounting/hinge flange (36) to a part of the vehicle structure (11) when the seam is torn by the inflating air bag and wherein this flange then bends to allow the door to swing open to allow deployment of the air bag retaining same to the vehicle structure as the door is then free of the instrument panel. At very low temperatures, a portion of the air bag door can break away from the mounting/hinge flange because of plastic embrittlement at these low temperatures and the high bending stresses encountered at this juncture. This separation of the broken door portion from the vehicle structure is prevented by a tethering hinge (50) that is formed of a strong flexible sheet material that spans this critical juncture between the mounting/hinge flange and door and remains flexible at these very cold temperature to retain the broken door portion to the vehicle structure.