1. A method of making a vehicle seamless panel for concealing an airbag, the method comprising:
providing a first mold member and a second mold member having a first portion and a second portion, the first mold member and the first portion cooperating to define a first closed mold cavity configured to form a retainer portion of the panel to be disposed adjacent the airbag, the retainer portion having an opening to define a void over the airbag, the first mold member and the second portion cooperating to define a second closed mold cavity configured to hold the molded retainer portion and to form a door portion of the panel to be disposed within the void, the door portion being integrally circumscribed by the retainer portion;
positioning the first portion into contact with the first mold member to cooperate with the first mold member to form the first closed mold cavity;
introducing a first material into the first closed mold cavity to form the retainer portion of the panel, the retainer portion integrally circumscribing the door portion and having an appearance finish substantially similar to the appearance finish of the door portion such that no seam is visible between the door portion and the retainer portion;
positioning the second portion into contact with the first mold member to cooperate with the first mold member to form the second closed mold cavity; and
introducing a second material into the second closed mold cavity to form the door portion of the panel, the door portion adapted to lay sufficiently adjacent to the airbag to form a door covering an opening through which the airbag may deploy, the door portion having an appearance finish, the retainer portion having a perimeter about which the door portion is circumscribed, the perimeter defining an interface between the door portion and the retainer portion, the interface having a low resistance threshold to pressure such that the door portion and the retainer portion separate when the airbag is deployed, and with the door portion extending over the retainer portion.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising positioning the first portion from the first mold member, after introducing the first material.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising positioning the second portion from the first mold member, after introducing the second material.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining the first material of the retainer portion for about 10-30 seconds within the first mold member.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining the second material of the door portion for about 0.5-2.0 minutes within the first mold member.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the door portion has a substantial portion that extends over the retainer portion.
7. The method of claim 2 wherein the door portion has a plurality of portions that extend over face portions of the retainer portion.
8. The method of claim 2 wherein the mold members are configured such that portions of the second closed mold cavity extend over the portions of the retainer portion.
9. The method of claim 6 wherein the interface includes a notch formed thereon facing the airbag to further lower the resistance threshold to pressure.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the retainer portion has an upper face completely covered by the door portion.
11. A method of making a vehicle seamless panel for concealing an airbag, the method comprising:
providing a first mold member and a second mold member, the second mold member having a movable part operative to selectively vary the configuration a mold cavity formed by the first and second mold members when the part is moved between first and second positions, the first mold member cooperating with the second mold member with the movable part in the first position to define a first closed mold cavity configured to form a retainer portion of the panel to be disposed adjacent the airbag, the retainer portion having an opening to define a void over the airbag, the first mold member cooperating with the second mold member when the part is placed in the second position to define a second closed mold cavity configured to hold the molded retainer portion and to form a door portion of the panel to be disposed within the opening integrally circumscribed by the retainer portion;
positioning the part of the second mold member in the first position to cooperate with the first mold member to provide the first closed mold cavity;
introducing a first material into the first closed mold cavity to form the retainer portion of the panel, the retainer portion integrally circumscribing the door portion and having an appearance finish substantially similar to the appearance finish of the door portion such that no seam is visible between the door portion and the retainer portion;
positioning the part of the second mold member to the second position to cooperate with the first mold member to provide the second mold cavity; and
introducing a second material into the second closed mold cavity to form the door portion of the panel, the door portion adapted to lay sufficiently adjacent to the airbag to form a door covering an opening through which the airbag may deploy, the door portion having an appearance finish, the retainer portion having a perimeter about which the door portion is circumscribed, the perimeter defining an interface between the door portion and the retainer portion, the interface having a low resistance threshold to pressure such that the door portion and the retainer portion separate when the airbag is deployed, and with the door portion extending over the retainer portion.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first mold member is a non-movable member.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein the first mold member is a movable member.
14. The method of claim 11 further comprising maintaining the first material of the retainer portion for about 10-30 seconds within the first mold member.
15. The method of claim 11 further comprising maintaining the second material of the door portion for about 0.5-2.0 minutes within the first mold member.
16. A method of making a vehicle seamless panel for concealing an airbag, the method comprising:
providing a first mold member and a second mold member having a first portion and a second portion, the first mold member and the first portion cooperating to define a first closed mold cavity configured to form a retainer portion of the panel to be disposed adjacent the airbag, the retainer portion having an opening to define a void over the airbag, the first mold member and the second portion cooperating to define a second closed mold cavity configured to hold the molded retainer portion and to form a door portion of the panel to be disposed within the void, the door portion being integrally circumscribed by the retainer portion;
positioning the first portion into contact with the first mold member to cooperate with the first mold member to form the first closed mold cavity;
introducing a first material into the first closed mold cavity to form the retainer portion of the panel, the retainer portion integrally circumscribing the door portion and having an appearance finish substantially similar to the appearance finish of the door portion such that no seam is visible between the door portion and the retainer portion;
positioning the second portion into contact with the first mold member to cooperate with the first mold member to form the second closed mold cavity; and
introducing a second material into the second closed mold cavity to form the door portion of the panel, the door portion adapted to lay sufficiently adjacent to the airbag to form a door covering an opening through which the airbag may deploy, the door portion having an appearance finish, the retainer portion having a perimeter about which the door portion is circumscribed, the perimeter defining an interface between the door portion and the retainer portion, the interface having a low resistance threshold to pressure such that the door portion and the retainer portion separate when the airbag is deployed, and with the door portion extending over the retainer portion and extending away from the airbag and transverse the retainer portion to define a skin portion of the panel having an aesthetic appearance.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the skin portion is a continuous skin portion extending transversely over the interface.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A cleaning element (1) for magnetic track andor chip card andor optical readers, comprising
a) a flat carrier (2) having a top side (O) and a bottom side (U),
b) said carrier (2) being coated with a cleaning material (4) in at least one cleaning area (3, 3\u2032, 3\u2033, 3\u2032\u2033, 3\u2033\u2033) which can be predetermined in order to clean reading sensors,
c) said cleaning area (3, 3\u2032, 3\u2033, 3\u2032\u2033, 3\u2033\u2033) being arranged on the top andor bottom side (O, U) of said carrier, and
d) said cleaning material (4) being configured as a layer of flock material which comprises a multitude of individual fibers which extend from the carrier (2),
characterized in that
c) said carrier (2) substantially consists of a flexible, fleece-like material (V) in order to be used for bank note readers.
2. A cleaning element according to claim 1, characterized in that said fleece-like material is configured to be substantially tear-resistant.
3. A cleaning element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said fleece-like material is polyethylene.
4. A cleaning element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said fleece-like material is Tyvek\xae.
5. A cleaning element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in order to effect cleaning at intervals, the coating with cleaning material (4) has regular or irregular discontinuities (5) of the coating in at least one coherent cleaning area (3, 3\u2032, 3\u2033, 3\u2032\u2033, 3\u2033\u2033).
6. A cleaning element according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said discontinuities (5) of the coating are formed by a distance to be predetermined between individual coating sections (6), said coating sections (6) preferably having regular geometric shapes.
7. A cleaning element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said fibers
a) of different cleaning areas (3, 3\u2032, 3\u2033, 3\u2032\u2033, 3\u2033\u2033) or
b) of individual coating sections (6) within a coherent cleaning area (3, 3\u2032, 3\u2033, 3\u2032\u2033, 3\u2033\u2033)
are configured to be different as far as the density of their arrangement andor their length andor their diameter andor their orientation relative to the carrier (2) are concerned.
8. A cleaning element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, for each type of reading sensor within a bank note reader, a cleaning area (3, 3\u2032, 3\u2033, 3\u2032\u2033, 3\u2033\u2033) that is allocated to this sensor is provided on the carrier.
9. A cleaning element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that that at least one gripping section (7) is provided on the carrier so that the cleaning element can be introduced into the bank note reader.
10. A cleaning element according to one of the preceeding claims, characterized in that at least one marking area (8) is provided on the carrier for optical indications.
11. A cleaning element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cleaning material andor said carrier can be soaked with a cleaning liquid.
12. A cleaning element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cleaning material comprises at least one data storage area which is adapted for storing and reading out constant or variable data.
13. A cleaning element according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said at least one data storage area is configured in the form of a magnetic strip.
14. A cleaning element according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said magnetic strip is arranged on the edge, preferably on the edge of the small side of the cleaning element.
15. A cleaning element according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the magnetic strip or strips arranged on the edge are adapted for storing data with which the authorization to introduce a cleaning element into a reader andor the assumption of an insertion position inside the reader which can be predetermined can be encoded and checked.