Instrument panel for air bag device, and process for manufacturing the same

Abstract

An instrument panel for an air bag device, comprising: a surface member; and a foamed member formed on the back side of the surface member, so that the instrument panel may be partially cleaved by the expanding pressure of an air bag of the air bag device, as confined therein. The cleaved portion is set in an adjoining portion of a plurality of surface components of the surface member. At the adjoining side end portions of the surface components, there is formed an engaging portion for partial engagement to joint the surface components. The engaging portion includes a fitting groove having a generally U-shaped section formed by extending the end portion of one of the surface components to the side of the foamed member, and a fitting protrusion formed by extending the end portion of the other surface component to the side of the foamed member and adapted to be inserted into the fitting groove. The foamed member is foamed and shaped with the fitting protrusion being inserted into the fitting groove. Also provided are processes for manufacturing the instrument panel.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An instrument panel for an air bag device, comprising: a surface member; and a foamed member formed on the back side of said surface member, so that said instrument panel may be partially cleaved by the expanding pressure of an air bag of the air bag device, as confined therein, 
 wherein said cleaved portion is set in an adjoining portion of a plurality of surface components of said surface member, wherein there is formed at the adjoining side end portions of said surface components an engaging portion for partial engagement to joint said surface components, wherein said engaging portion includes a fitting groove having a generally U-shaped section formed by extending the end portion of one of said surface components to the side of said foamed member, and a fitting protrusion formed by extending the end portion of the other surface component to the side of said foamed member and adapted to be inserted into said fitting groove, and wherein said foamed member is foamed and shaped with said fitting protrusion being inserted into said fitting groove.    
     
     
         2 . A process for manufacturing the instrument panel according to  claim 1 , comprising: forming a setting plate to be inserted into the fitting groove of said surface component, such that it can go into and out of the inside of a bottom mold part; fitting said fitting groove on said setting plate while fitting the fitting protrusion of the adjoining surface component in said fitting groove; injecting a foaming material to the back sides of said surface components to foam the foaming material; and retracting said setting plate into the bottom mold part in the foaming course so that said fitting groove and said fitting protrusion may be brought into close contact with each other by said foaming pressure.  
     
     
         3 . A process for manufacturing the instrument panel according to  claim 1 , comprising: inserting the fitting protrusion of said surface component into the fitting groove of the adjoining surface component; temporarily jointing said surface components by spot-fusing the same partially; arranging the temporarily jointed surface components on the surface of a bottom mold part; and injecting a foaming material to the back sides of said surface components to foam the foaming material so that said fitting groove and said fitting protrusion may be brought into close contact with each other by said foaming pressure.