Airbag rupturing groove forming apparatus, and vehicular interior member manufacturing method

Abstract

An airbag rupturing groove forming apparatus forms an airbag rupturing groove excellent in invisibility even in a vehicular interior member having a hard substrate, while performing proper control of the thickness of the remainder of the airbag rupturing groove. A method also is provided for manufacturing the vehicular interior member. The airbag rupturing groove forming apparatus has a rupturing groove former for forming the airbag rupturing groove by protruding a metal blade at the back side of the vehicular interior member. First and second blade detectors confirm the presence or absence of the blade protruded into the vehicular interior member individually at detecting positions that are different in the thickness direction of the surface layer. An edge position deciding unit decides whether the blade is detected by the second blade detector, although the blade is not detected by the first blade detector.

1 . An airbag rupturing groove forming apparatus which forms an airbag rupturing groove, breaking at the time of the deployment of the airbag, in a vehicular interior member having a hard substrate layer and a skin layer to cover the exterior surface of said hard substrate layer, wherein the airbag rupturing groove forming apparatus comprises
 a support base on which said vehicular interior member is placed,   a rupturing groove forming means by which said airbag rupturing groove is formed by protruding a metal blade having an edge flattened at least partially against the forming face of said rupturing groove, from the back side of said vehicular interior member,   a first metal blade detecting means and a second metal blade detecting means by which the presence or absence of said metal blade is confirmed, respectively, at the detecting positions which are different in the thickness direction of said skin layer, while keeping said metal blade protruded into said vehicular interior member, and   a blade edge position deciding unit which decides whether or not said metal blade is detected by said second metal blade detecting means while said metal blade is not detected by said first metal blade detecting means.   
     
     
         2 . The airbag rupturing groove forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said first metal blade detecting means detects said metal blade at the detecting position corresponding to the minimum permissible value that is permitted as a remaining thin thickness of said airbag rupturing groove. 
     
     
         3 . The airbag rupturing groove forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said second metal blade detecting means detects said metal blade at the detecting position corresponding to the maximum permissible value that is permitted as a remaining thick thickness of said airbag rupturing groove. 
     
     
         4 . The airbag rupturing groove forming apparatus according to anyone of  claim 1 , wherein said airbag rupturing groove is a broken line and said rupturing groove forming means includes both a thickness orientation movement means by which said metal blade is protruded in a thickness direction of said interior member in order to form said airbag rupturing groove, and a planar orientation movement means by which said metal blade is moved along a plane direction of a forming face of said airbag rupturing groove, while keeping said metal blade apart from said vehicular interior member. 
     
     
         5 . The airbag rupturing groove forming apparatus according to anyone of  claim 1 , wherein a edge of said metal blade has a plane shape similar to the plane pattern of said airbag rupturing groove to be formed, and said rupturing groove forming means includes the thickness orientation movement means by which said metal blade is protruded in a thickness direction of said interior member in order to form said airbag rupturing groove. 
     
     
         6 . The airbag rupturing groove forming apparatus according to anyone of  claim 1 , wherein a blade edge position adjustment unit, which adjusts the amount of a protrusion of said metal blade depending on a decision by said blade edge position deciding unit, is provided. 
     
     
         7 . The airbag rupturing groove forming apparatus according to anyone of  claim 1 , wherein said first metal blade detecting means and said second metal blade detecting means are arranged in the positions which overlap in said thickness direction with a form-scheduled line of said airbag rupturing groove formed in said vehicular interior member or its extended line. 
     
     
         8 . A manufacturing method of the vehicular interior member having a hard substrate layer and a skin layer to cover the exterior surface of said hard substrate layer,
 in which said airbag rupturing groove, breaking at the time of the deployment of the airbag, is formed,   wherein said airbag rupturing groove is formed, by protruding the metal blade having an edge flattened at least partially against the forming face of said rupturing groove, from the back side of said vehicular interior member,   and by confirming whether or not said metal blade is detected at said second detecting position while said metal blade is not detected at said first detecting position,   among first detecting positions and second detecting positions, which are different in the thickness direction of said skin layer.   
     
     
         9 . The manufacturing method of a vehicular interior member according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the height of a blade edge of said metal blade is adjusted so that said metal blade is detected at said second detection position while said metal blade is not detected at said first detection position, when either said metal blade is not detected at said second detection position or said metal blade is detected at said first detection position.