Patent ID: 8474861

Claim:
An interior panel having an integrated airbag deployment door for a motor vehicle, the interior panel comprising: a substrate comprising a first PP/TPO material; and an airbag chute-door assembly comprising: a chute portion having a chute wall that at least partially surrounds an interior space sized to permit passage of an airbag during deployment; a first door flap portion disposed adjacent to the interior space and comprising a first door flap section and at least one first weld feature that comprises a second PP/TPO material and that attaches the first door flap section to the substrate, wherein the first door flap section has a substrate facing surface, a back surface that faces opposite the substrate facing surface, and a plurality of openings formed therethrough extending from the substrate facing surface to the back surface, wherein the first door flap portion comprises an insert that comprises the at least one first weld feature, and wherein the insert is disposed along at least a portion of the back surface and extends through at least one of the openings to position the at least one first weld feature adjacent to the substrate facing surface; and a first hinge pivotally connecting the first door flap section to the chute portion and comprising a TPE material that has a different composition than the first and second PP/TPO materials.