Patent ID: 8870219

Claim:
An interior panel having an integrated airbag door for a motor vehicle, the interior panel comprising: a substrate having an outer surface, an inner surface, and an opening extending therethrough; a skin covering extending over the substrate; a foam disposed between the skin covering and the substrate; and an airbag chute-door assembly mounted to the substrate and having a front side that faces towards the skin covering and the foam, wherein the airbag chute-door assembly comprises: a chute wall extending from a side opposite the front side away from the skin covering and the foam and at least partially surrounding an interior space, and wherein the chute wall is configured to direct passage of an airbag through the interior space towards the opening during deployment; a door flap portion pivotally connected to the chute wall via a hinge section and at least partially covering the opening; and a perimeter flange extending from the chute wall away from the interior space, wherein the perimeter flange has a flange section overlying the outer surface of the substrate, wherein the airbag chute-door assembly has a groove formed in the front side between the door flap portion and the perimeter flange defining a frangible tear seam that ruptures during airbag deployment to allow the door flap portion to pivot about the hinge section, and wherein a portion of the foam is disposed in the groove.