Substrates for vehicle instrument panels and vehicle instrument panels incorporating the same

An interior finish panel for a vehicle comprising a panel substrate, at least two pieces of skin disposed over the panel substrate, and a foam layer wherein:

• the panel substrate comprises an upper sealing surface and a lower sealing surface that are non-coplanar and an inclined portion disposed between a base portion and the lower sealing surface;
• the at least two pieces of skin comprise an upper skin and a lower skin joined together at a seam to form a skin layer, wherein the upper skin and the lower skin are sealed to the upper sealing surface, one of the upper skin or the lower skin is sealed to the lower sealing surface, and the seam is at least partially disposed over the inclined portion and the seam is sealed to a vertex of the inclined portion between the inclined portion and the lower sealing surface;
• and
• the foam layer is disposed between the skin layer and the panel substrate, the foam layer tapering from the base portion towards the vertex of the inclined portion and terminating along the inclined portion before the vertex of the inclined portion.

A method for forming a finish panel for a vehicle comprising a panel substrate, at least two pieces of skin disposed over the panel substrate, and a foam layer positioned between the panel substrate and the at least two pieces of skin, the method comprising:

• providing a panel substrate comprising an upper sealing surface and a lower sealing surface that are non-coplanar and an inclined portion positioned between a base portion and the lower sealing surface;
• positioning the panel substrate in a first mold half;
• providing an upper skin and a lower skin with a seam disposed between the upper skin and the lower skin;
• positioning the upper skin and the lower skin in a second mold half;
• engaging the first mold half with the second mold half such that the upper skin and the lower skin are disposed over the panel substrate and at least a portion of the seam is positioned over the inclined portion of the panel substrate such that the upper skin and the lower skin are sealed to the upper sealing surface, one of the upper skin or the lower skin is sealed to the lower sealing surface, and the seam formed by the upper skin and the lower skin is sealed to a vertex of the inclined portion and the lower sealing surface;
• and
• injecting a foaming material between the panel substrate and the upper skin and the lower skin to form the foam layer.