Patent ID: 8511706

Claim:
A panel for an automotive vehicle that contains a defined air bag deployment door, comprising: a relatively rigid base substrate structure having an outer surface and an inner surface; layers of sheet material being attached to and overlying said outer surface; said base structure being formed to define said inner and outer surfaces and a deployment door section; said deployment door section being defined in said base structure by a pre-weakened path; and an air bag chute containing an inner portion for containing an air bag and a flange portion surrounding said inner portion, wherein said flange includes at least one attachment rib projecting toward said base structure and bonded to said base structure to surround said deployment door section; wherein a non-bonded area exists between said inner portion and said bonded portion to form an air gap volume between said flange and said base structure that is bounded by said attachment rib, wherein the air gap is sufficiently large to permit entry of the air bag during deployment; and said flange includes a non-bonded deflector rib element integrally formed on the flange between said attachment rib and said inner portion that enters the air gap to block said air bag from contacting said attachment rib during deployment of said air bag.