Abstract:
An instrument panel top cover is provided with an integrally molded foam underside. The integrally molded foam underside provides a number of components that have been supplied separately in the prior art. The use of the integrally molded foam underside thus eliminates the need for many separate components and improves upon the instrument panel top covers of the prior art.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the use of a foam backing for an instrument panel top cover which integrally provides a number of components which had been previously provided by separate parts. 
     Vehicle interiors are becoming more and more complex. There is a good deal of emphasis on eliminating any perceived “seams” within the interior of a vehicle, and further in providing simple interior trim structure which supports the ever-increasing number of components and systems mounted within the vehicle. 
     One particularly challenging area is the top of the instrument panel. Typically, an instrument panel includes a facing trim member facing the passenger cabin of the vehicle. A top cover is snapped into a space between the windshield and the instrument panel. This top cover must enclose a number of electrical and ventilation systems. Typically, the top cover has been provided with a soundinsulating material underlying the outer plastic skin. This sound-insulating material has typically been provided by cloth, foam, or other materials attached to the rear face of the plastic skin. In addition, many other components are attached to the top cover prior to attachment of the top cover. In particular, a windshield seal is placed on one edge of the top cover skin to seal between the top cover and the windshield. In addition, a number of spacers are usually attached to the bottom surface of the top cover to provide spacing between the top cover and underlying support surfaces. Supply ducts for supplying air to vents within the top cover are also attached. Typically, gaskets or seals are placed between each duct and the top cover. 
     Speakers are often attached beneath the top cover. A foam gasket is typically placed between the top cover and each speaker grill. In addition, squeak edge tape is placed between the edge of the top cover that will contact the instrument panel and the instrument panel. Each of these components have typically been supplied as separate parts which must be attached to the top cover. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In a disclosed embodiment of this invention, the sound insulation for an instrument panel top cover is provided by an underlying foam backing material. The foam backing material is provided to be thick enough such that it will provide desirable sound-deadening characteristics. Also, the foam covers the majority of the surface area of the top cover. In addition, the windshield seal is integrally molded around the top cover skin by this same foam. 
     In preferred embodiments, the spacers are also integrally molded out of the foam. In addition, the duct for supplying air to the vent within the top cover is also formed integrally by the foam at the time of foaming. The gaskets provided between the duct and the air supply are also foamed at that time. 
     In addition, most preferably, the gasket for connecting the top cover to the speaker is also integrally foamed at that time. The squeak edge tape is also integrally foamed. 
     The present invention eliminates the need for a number of separate components in instrument panel top covers, and thus reduces the complexity of forming instrument panel top covers. 
     These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a prior art instrument panel. 
     FIG. 2 is a view of a prior art instrument panel top cover. 
     FIG. 3 is a view of the inventive instrument panel top cover. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view through the instrument panel of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line  5 — 5  as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 6 is a highly schematic view of a mold used to make the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A known instrument panel is shown schematically at  20  in FIG.  1 . The instrument panel includes a front instrument panel portion  22  and an instrument panel top cover  24 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, top cover  24  typically includes a forward lip  26  which is received within a windshield seal  28 . The windshield seal  28  generally extends along the length of the top cover (only a small portion of seal  28  is shown) and seals between the top cover and the windshield. Further, sound-deadening material  30  is typically attached to the undersurface of the top cover  24 . This sound-deadening material may be formed of cotton fiber, or foam glued to the underside of the top cover. 
     Spacers  32  are typically provided by foam and glued to the bottom of the top cover to provide a spacer between the top cover and an underlying surface. An opening  46  provides an air vent in the top cover  24 . Typically, a foam gasket  36  is placed above a duct  38  and a bottom gasket  40  is placed beneath the duct  38 . This is then connected to an air supply to supply air, such as defroster air, through the top cover  24 . 
     Other spacers  42  may be placed at selected locations on the top cover. Further, anti-squeak tape  44  is also placed adjacent a forward lip of the top cover to eliminate squeaking between the top cover  24  and the instrument panel  22 . 
     As can be appreciated from FIG. 2, the assembly of the top cover includes a number of separate parts, and thus is complicated. 
     FIG. 3 shows an improved top cover  50  having an upper skin  51 . The vent opening  52  is formed through the skin  51 . An underlying foam material  53  provides the sound-deadening function supplied by the separate foam or cotton in the prior art. Foam  53  is integrally molded beneath the skin  51 . 
     As shown, a speaker opening  54  also extends through the skin  51 . A windshield lip seal  56  is integrally molded around a forward ledge  58  of the top skin  51 . Seal  56  extends on both sides of ledge  58 . 
     A spacer  60  is preferably integrally molded with the foam  53 . The gasket portion  62  for sealing between the duct  64  and the top skin  51  is formed integrally along with the lower gasket  66 . That is, portion  62 ,  64  and  66  are an integrally molded single foam part which replaces all three of the parts  36 ,  38 ,  40 , as shown in prior art FIG.  2 . 
     A foamed gasket  68  is connected to the speaker, and replaces the separate gasket  48 , as shown in FIG.  2 . Portion  70  is another spacer member, and portion  71  replaces the anti-squeak tape of the prior art. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, the foam seal  56  abuts the inner surface of windshield  72 . An air supply  74  seals against the gasket  66  to supply air into the duct  64 . A support surface  76  contacts the spacer  60 . The forward instrument panel portion  22  abuts the gasket  71  to provide an anti-squeak connection. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, the speaker  78  is sealed against the gasket  68 . Again, the portion  68  is integrally molded with the foam portion  53 . 
     FIG. 6 schematically shows a mold  80  for receiving the skin  51  and then molding the complex foam material  53  beneath the skin  51 . As shown, a cavity  81  defines the shape of the foam backing. It should be understood that other molding techniques may be utilized, and the particular molding technique is shown by way of example only. As an example, so-called “two-shot” molding techniques may be utilized for first molding the skin  51 , and then molding the underlying foam  53 . 
     In summary, the present invention provides an instrument panel top cover that replaces a number of separate components as have been utilized in the prior art. The present invention simplifies the complexity of assembly and expense of forming instrument panel top covers. In addition, by integrally molding the foam components to the skin, the present invention results in better positioning and closer tolerances when compared to the separate components of the prior art. 
     Preferably, the foam is made of a material which is more resilient than the outer skin. The outer skin may be formed of a relatively rigid plastic, although the outer skin may also be formed of various foams in some applications. 
     Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker in this art would recognize that many modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.