Vehicle interior panel, and airbag device

1. A vehicle interior panel comprising:

an inner case including at least one flap portion defining an opening portion for deployment of an airbag and formed together with a hinge portion in the opening portion; and

an outer panel covering a front surface of the inner case and including at least one door portion to be joined to the flap portion, the outer panel being joined to the inner case using vibration welding;

wherein one of joint surfaces between the flap portion and the door portion has a plurality of first welding ribs disposed substantially parallel to the hinge portion, a plurality of second welding ribs disposed so as to form a plurality of grids together with the first welding ribs, and a third welding rib formed in a frame shape thereon along an outer periphery of the flap portion;

wherein the first welding ribs include first communication grooves each allowing adjacent grids to communicate with each other, the second welding ribs include second communication grooves each allowing adjacent grids to communicate with each other, and the third welding rib includes sides perpendicular to the hinge portion and further includes third communication grooves formed in the sides;

wherein the second communication grooves are formed so as not to be successively aligned in a direction perpendicular to the second welding ribs; and

wherein the first to third communication grooves form an exhaust channel allowing air in the grids to be discharged outside during vibration welding.

2. The vehicle interior panel according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second communication grooves are formed at least one grid spacing away from the hinge portion.

3. The vehicle interior panel according to claim 1 ,

wherein the third communication grooves are formed at least one grid spacing away from corners of the third welding rib.

4. The vehicle interior panel according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second welding ribs forming a boundary of the exhaust channel do not include the second communication grooves.

5. The vehicle interior panel according to claim 1 ,

wherein the inner case includes a flange portion formed in an outer periphery of the opening portion;

wherein a joint surface of the flange portion includes fourth welding ribs disposed substantially parallel to the first welding ribs, fifth welding ribs disposed substantially parallel to the second welding ribs, a sixth welding rib formed in a frame shape along an outer periphery of the flange portion, and a seventh welding rib formed in a frame shape along an inner periphery of the flange portion; and

wherein the fourth to sixth welding ribs respectively have fourth to sixth communication grooves allowing air in grids formed with the fourth to seventh welding ribs to be discharged outside.

6. The vehicle interior panel according to claim 5 ,

wherein on the joint surface of the flange portion located outside of the hinge portion, the fourth welding ribs include fourth communication grooves each allowing adjacent grids to communicate with each other, and the fifth welding ribs include fifth communication grooves each allowing adjacent grids to communicate with each other; and

wherein the fifth communication grooves are formed so as not to be successively aligned in a direction perpendicular to the fifth welding ribs.

7. An airbag device comprising:

an airbag to be inflated and deployed in case of emergency;

an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag;

a retainer for supporting the inflator and the airbag; and

a vehicle interior panel configured to allow the retainer to be latched thereto and allow the airbag to be released in a passenger compartment of a vehicle;

wherein the vehicle interior panel is the vehicle interior panel according to claim 1 .