Vehicle interior panel and method of manufacturing same
A vehicle interior panel such as an instrument panel includes a substrate having a thickness between 0.5 mm and 2.25 mm, inclusive, a decorative layer, and an intermediate layer located between the substrate and the decorative layer. A post-form warpage of the substrate is less than 15 mm at an edge region of the substrate. A serpentine rib located near the edge region helps impart structural rigidity to the panel during a foaming process to achieve an adequate degree of post-form warpage.
1. A vehicle interior panel, comprising:
a substrate having a thickness between 0.5 mm and 2.25 mm, inclusive;
a decorative layer; and
an intermediate layer located between the substrate and the decorative layer, wherein a post-form warpage of the substrate is less than 15 mm at an edge region of the substrate.
2. The vehicle interior panel of claim 1 , wherein the edge region is a windshield edge and the post-form warpage is in a Z direction.
3. The vehicle interior panel of claim 2 , further comprising a serpentine rib located near the windshield edge.
4. The vehicle interior panel of claim 3 , wherein an extension flange is located at least partially between the windshield edge and the serpentine rib.
5. The vehicle interior panel of claim 4 , wherein the extension flange extends out from the windshield edge in an X direction and the serpentine rib projects from the extension flange in the Z direction.
6. The vehicle interior panel of claim 4 , wherein the serpentine rib is located along a majority of a distal edge of the extension flange.
7. The vehicle interior panel of claim 4 , wherein the windshield edge has a primary arc, the extension flange has a primary arc, and the serpentine rib has a primary arc, and each primary arc is configured to match a contour of a windshield.
8. The vehicle interior panel of claim 3 , wherein the serpentine rib includes a plurality of undulations.
9. The vehicle interior panel of claim 8 , wherein each undulation has a peak and the peak is an angle between 30° and 60°, inclusive.
10. The vehicle interior panel of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of undulations includes more than 20 undulations.
11. The vehicle interior panel of claim 8 , wherein each undulation has an amplitude and a wavelength, and a ratio of the amplitude to the wavelength is between 1:6 and 1:2, inclusive.
12. A method of manufacturing the vehicle interior panel of claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
molding the substrate; and
foaming a foam layer between the decorative layer and the substrate to form the intermediate layer.
13. The method of manufacturing of claim 12 , wherein the substrate is molded with a serpentine rib.
14. The method of manufacturing of claim 13 , wherein the serpentine rib is located on an extension flange.
15. The method of manufacturing of claim 14 , further comprising the step of removing the serpentine rib and the extension flange after the foaming step.