Instrument panel having an air bag device

This patent discloses and claims a useful, novel, and unobvious invention for an automobile instrument panel having an air bag device. Typically, the skin covering of an instrument panel for an automotive passenger compartment includes a foam layer to provide a contoured and padded finish to the instrument panel. This foam layer is typically injected as a liquid between the underlying substrate of the instrument panel and the skin covering. In instrument panels having an air bag device, there is a need to form a seal to prevent liquid foam from leaking into the air bag device. An instrument panel for an automobile passenger compartment includes a substrate with an opening, an air bag device coupled with the substrate, a door panel pivotally connected to the substrate, an adhesive tape affixed to the door panel and to portions of the substrate, a skin covering extending over the substrate, and a foam disposed between the skin and the substrate.