Lightweight, thermoplastic, vehicle headliners each having at least one
integrally-formed, energy-absorbing, head-impact mechanism and injection
molding methods for making same are provided. Each headliner includes a
stiff, self-supporting, thermoplastic sheet adapted to be mounted
adjacent a roof of the vehicle so as to underlie the roof and shield the
roof from view. The sheet has an upper surface and a lower surface. Each
energy-absorbing, head-impact mechanism absorbs energy of an impact with
its associated headliner by a passenger of the vehicle. In one
embodiment, the at least one head-impact mechanism includes a plurality
of spaced-apart, energy-absorbing, thermoplastic structures, such as
ribs, which are connected to and extend upwardly from the upper surface
of its thermoplastic sheet. In another embodiment, the at least one
head-impact mechanism includes a fabric or other material having a foam
backing bonded to the lower surface of the thermoplastic sheet to create
a cosmetically-acceptable appearance for the headliner and which is
compressed by a passenger of the vehicle to absorb energy of the impact.
In yet another embodiment, the at least one head-impact mechanism
includes a series of tubular voids formed in the thermoplastic sheet and
which are compressible for absorbing energy of the impact. Each headliner
also preferably includes at least one attachment mechanism such as a
hollow, plastic grab handle integrally formed with its thermoplastic
sheet.