An impact energy absorbing arrangement is provided for a vehicle interior having a protuberance designed and configured as part of an interior surface covering a vehicle pillar and butting into a headliner surface. The protuberance is arranged so that if an occupant's head forcibly strikes the roof headliner directly above the pillar, the protuberance on the pillar surface would absorb at least a portion of the impact force as well as minimize potential rotation of the head about the occupant's neck by being positioned so as to contact a portion of the occupant's head at approximately the same time as contact would occur with the headliner.
In a protector mounted on a panel body, a protector body has a surface facing the panel body. A plurality of fixing members are provided on the protector body and are operable to fix the protector on the panel body. A protrusion is protruded from the surface of the protector body at a position between each adjacent fixing members. The protrusion is arranged so as to generate a pressing force against the panel body which is originated from stresses occurred when the protector is mounted on the panel body with the fixing members.
A body upper structure includes a roof side-rail (1) and a center pillar (9) having a pillar outer member (10). The roof side-rail (1) has a vertical rib (7) bridging between an upper wall and a lower wall. The pillar outer member (10) has a plurality of vertical ribs (13). In operation, at a vehicle collision, the vertical rib (7) of the roof side-rail (1) acts to receive a downward bending load, in the form of a buckling load in the up-and-down direction while exhibiting a high resistance against the bending load. Subsequently, the downward load is accepted by a shoulder part (12) and the vertical ribs (13) of the pillar outer member (10), in the axial direction of the center pillar (9) and transmitted in dispersion to the whole center pillar (9) effectively.
An energy absorbent and stiffening assembly for an automotive headliner. The assembly includes at least one energy absorbent cone and at least one stiffening rib joined with and extending outwardly from the energy absorbent cone which stiffens the headliner.
The present invention provides for an improved bolster with a soft feel for use in a trim assembly, and to a continuous two-shot molding operation that may be continuously performed utilizing a single mold assembly. In an exemplary embodiment, the bolster includes a substrate formed by co-injecting a first and second material into a first shot mold cavity in a first shot of a molding operation. In a second shot mold cavity, a cover is formed on at least a portion of the substrate by co-injecting into a mold chamber a third and fourth material in a second shot of the molding operation. The fourth material defines an outer skin surrounding the third material which may include a foamed material to provide a soft, light cellular inner core such that when a force is applied to the cover, the outer skin will deform and compress the inner core, providing a soft feel to the bolster.
An automotive assembly having an integrated spring mechanism. The assembly includes a first member and a second member pivotally coupled to the first member and moveable between a first and second position with respect to the first member. The assembly further includes a resilient element integrally molded with one of the first and second members. The resilient element includes an extension portion having a free end that is coupled to the other one of the first and second members. The extension portion imposes a force on the second member to bias the second member in at least one direction. A method of making the assembly includes a two shot molding process where the one of the first and second members is formed in a first shot of the molding operation and the resilient element is integrally molded thereto in the second shot of the molding operation.
