Patent ID: 7182908
Filing Date: 2007-02-27
Classification: B60R,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An injection molding method for making a lightweight, thermoplastic, vehicle headliner having at least one integrally-formed, energy-absorbing, head-impact mechanism, the method comprising: providing an injection mold having first and second mold halves; closing the mold so that the first and second mold halves define a mold cavity; injecting molten, thermoplastic resin into the mold cavity to form a headliner including a stiff, self-supporting, thermoplastic sheet and a plurality of spaced energy-absorbing, head-impact mechanisms formed on the sheet and wherein each of the head-impact mechanisms includes a plurality of spaced-apart, energy-absorbing thermoplastic structures which are integrally molded and extend upwardly from an upper surface of the sheet and wherein the number, spacing and size of the structures are predetermined based on head-impact requirements; cooling the headliner beneath the softening point of the molten resin; and opening the mold and removing the headliner.