Patent ID: 7556284

Claim:
An air bag cover for an air bag safety system for a vehicle comprising: a fabric outer layer having a front side and a backside, a substrate containing an opening, said opening closed by an airbag door, said door having a periphery at least a portion of which comprises a door/substrate tear seam and a hinge region, the substrate formed by low pressure molding at a clamp pressure of less than or equal to about 1000 psi., wherein the fabric outer layer overlies the opening in the substrate, and wherein the fabric outer layer is weakened by partially cutting into the backside of said fabric outer layer at a location a portion of which is located outboard of said door/substrate tear seam, and wherein said fabric outer layer is selectively strengthened by incorporating fibers or yarn of greater strength in a pattern and in a discrete area to form the strengthened area in the region of the air bag door hinge region to provide a tether for said airbag door.