Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A panel structure is mountable in a vehicle to form a part of the interior thereof in concealing relation to a secondary restraint system. The novel panel structure of this invention includes a layered composite structure and a reinforcing substrate having a door structure movable through the layered composite structure upon the operation of the secondary restraint system. The layered composite structure includes an outer layer and an inner layer adhered to the outer layer, the inner layer including a seam-defining structure. In one embodiment, the seam-defining structure is a narrow elongated structure configured to define an exteriorly invisible tear seam generally corresponding with portions of an outline of the door structure, and the inner layer has a reduced thickness portion along the exteriorly invisible tear seam by virtue of the presence of the narrow elongated structure. In another embodiment, the seam-defining structure is a sheet structure severed to define an exteriorly invisible tear seam generally conforming to an outline of the movable door structure. The invisible tear seam defined by the narrow elongated structure or the severed sheet structure causes the layered composite structure to fracture generally along the invisible tear seam in response to the movement of the door structure through the layered composite structure during the operation of the secondary restraint system.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim