Patent ID: 6881296
Filing Date: 2005-04-19
Classification: B29C,B29L,B60R

Abstract:
1. A system of manufacturing an air bag cover assembly including a plastic front panel, a plastic back plate, a switch and infrared-absorbing material, the system comprising: at least one housing having a respective infrared lamp for emitting infrared radiation and an infrared shield for shielding the plastic front panel from the infrared radiation; a base including a fixture mounted thereon for receiving and retaining the front panel and the back plate so that inner surfaces of the front panel and the back plate define a switch pocket therebetween; an apparatus for staking the infrared-absorbing material; and a controller coupled to the at least one infrared lamp for controlling power supplied to the at least one infrared lamp so that the at least one infrared lamp emits infrared radiation at the infrared-absorbing material when the infrared-absorbing material is disposed between the at least one infrared lamp and infrared shield for a time sufficient to heat the infrared-absorbing material to a desired temperature, wherein the heated infrared-absorbing material bonds the plastic front panel and back plate together when cooled without introducing deformities into outer class A surfaces of the plastic front panel.