Decorative switch for vehicle and interior panel for vehicle including the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a decorative switch for a vehicle and an interior panel for a vehicle including the same, and more particularly, to a decorative switch for a vehicle having an improved structure such that a pattern printed on a film disposed below a plane is displayed to a user in a shape similar to a gem shape by using a refraction phenomenon of light occurring in a cover portion or a plane connecting a polygonal plane of the cover portion. The present invention provides a decorative switch for a vehicle, the switch being disposed in an interior of a vehicle, characterized by including: a cover portion of a transparent material; a plate portion disposed at a predetermined distance apart from an inner side surface of the cover portion at a lower portion of the cover portion; and a film on which a pattern combined with the plate portion is printed, the pattern printed on the film being enlarged by refraction when passing through the cover portion so as to be visible to a user's eyes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a decorative switch for vehicles, and more specifically, to a decorative switch for vehicles and an interior panel for vehicles including the same, wherein an improved structure is achieved by utilizing the refraction of light occurring in the cover or by making the cover into a polygonal plane connected together, such that a pattern printed on a thin film disposed below the plane is displayed to the user in a shape similar to that of a gemstone. Background Technology

[0002] The vehicle's interior has many switches, each with a different shape and size.

[0003] With the development of vehicle-related technologies, and the increasing demand for superior vehicle performance such as power and acceleration, as well as improved ride comfort achieved through suspension systems, the demand for aesthetic elements is also growing. This demand for aesthetic elements includes the aforementioned switch design.

[0004] To meet this design requirement, the interior of vehicles, especially cars, including switches, is made of various decorative materials. High-gloss materials, metallic materials with a metallic finish, and wood-like materials with a wood finish are widely used decorative materials.

[0005] However, as the lifespan of the aforementioned decorative materials increases, consumers' preference for them gradually declines, leading to a growing demand for decorative materials that offer a fresh aesthetic. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention is proposed to solve the problems of the prior art. The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a decorative switch for vehicles and an interior panel for vehicles including the present invention, which satisfies the needs of users by providing a switch whose surface is decorated with a decorative material that has not been experienced by users before.

[0007] As a solution to the above problems, the present invention provides a decorative switch for a vehicle, wherein the switch is disposed inside the vehicle, characterized in that it includes: a cover made of transparent material; a plate disposed on the inner side of the cover at the lower part of the cover; and a film printed with a pattern combined with the plate, wherein the pattern printed on the film is magnified by refraction when passing through the cover, so that it can be seen by the user's eyes.

[0008] The aforementioned plate is made of a transparent material, and the aforementioned film can be bonded to the side opposite to the cover of the aforementioned plate, or the aforementioned film can be bonded to the side of the cover of the aforementioned plate.

[0009] Preferably, the cover portion and the plate portion are arranged at a predetermined distance so that an air layer can be provided between the cover portion and the plate portion.

[0010] Preferably, in the inner surface of the cover, at least a portion of the polygonal plane is made of a continuous surface.

[0011] Preferably, the cover portion and the plate portion are arranged in contact, and at least a portion of the outer surface of the cover portion is made of a surface with a continuous polygonal planar shape.

[0012] Preferably, a continuous polygonal pattern is printed on the above-mentioned film.

[0013] According to a second embodiment of the present invention, an interior panel for a vehicle including the above-described decorative switch for a vehicle is provided.

[0014] According to the present invention, a decorative switch for a vehicle and an interior panel for a vehicle including the same can be provided such that, by utilizing the phenomenon of light refraction or by making the cover into a polygonal plane connected surface, an aesthetic feeling of gemstone or crystal, different from that of existing vehicle interior decoration, can be provided without significantly increasing manufacturing costs. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is a diagram used to illustrate the configuration of the cover, plate, and film.

[0016] Figure 3 Part (a) is a diagram illustrating how the pattern displayed to the user is magnified due to the refraction of light occurring in the cover.

[0017] Figure 3 Part (b) is a diagram illustrating how the magnification of the image displayed to the user changes depending on the position of the eyes.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a photograph used to illustrate an example of a polygonal pattern printed on a thin film.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a diagram used to illustrate a surface with a continuous planar shape formed on the inner surface of the cover.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a diagram used to illustrate a surface with a continuous planar shape formed on the inner surface of the cover.

[0021] Figure 7 This diagram illustrates the configuration of the cover, plate, and film according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates how the pattern displayed to the user changes depending on the position of the eyes when a cover with a portion having a continuous polygonal planar shape is used.

[0023] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0024] 10: cover part 20: plate part

[0025] 30: Thin film; 40: Air layer Detailed Implementation

[0026] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide specific implementation details of the invention.

[0027] Figure 1 and Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the configuration of the cover, plate, and film. Figure 3 Part (a) is a diagram illustrating how the pattern displayed to the user is magnified due to the refraction of light occurring in the cover. Figure 3 Part (b) is a diagram illustrating how the magnification of the image displayed to the user changes depending on the position of the eyes. Figure 4 A photograph used to illustrate an example of a polygonal pattern printed on a film. Figure 5 This diagram is used to illustrate a surface with a continuous planar shape formed on the inner surface of the cover. Figure 6 This is a diagram used to illustrate a surface with a continuous planar shape formed on the inner surface of the cover.

[0028] The following will describe the decorative switch for vehicles according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] This embodiment of the vehicle decorative switch relates to a switch that can be installed inside a vehicle and provides excellent aesthetics, including a cover 10, a plate 20, and a membrane 30. An air-filled layer 40 is provided between the cover 10 and the plate 20 or the membrane 30. Sensors, substrates, actuators, etc., which are structures related to various actions provided when the user presses the switch, can be provided on the lower part of the plate 20. However, since they are not directly related to the present invention, their detailed description will be omitted.

[0030] The aforementioned cover 10 is made of a transparent material, such as polycarbonate (PC).

[0031] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the plate portion 20 has a flat plate structure, which is arranged at a predetermined distance from the inner side of the cover portion 10 at the lower part of the cover portion 10. Figure 1 Part (a) and Figure 2 Part (a) shows the state where the cover 10, plate 20, and film 30 are separated. Figure 1 Part (b) and Figure 2 Part (b) shows the state in which the cover 10, plate 20, and film 30 are joined together.

[0032] The aforementioned plate portion 20 serves to fix the film 30.

[0033] The purpose of separating the cover portion 10 and the plate portion 20 is to create a sense of space by forming the air layer 40 and to properly refract the light reflected from the film 30.

[0034] The aforementioned film 30 has a structure that is bonded to the aforementioned plate portion 20 and printed with a predetermined pattern. It can be made glossy or matte, and users can create a variety of patterns according to their preferences.

[0035] The vertical relationship between the aforementioned film 30 and the plate portion 20 is as follows: (e.g.) Figure 1 As shown, the thin film 30 can be bonded to the lower part of the plate portion 20; as Figure 2 As shown, the film 30 can also be bonded to the upper part of the plate portion 20. In order to bond the film 30 to the lower part of the plate portion 20, the plate portion 20 should be made of a transparent material, and can be made of a material such as polycarbonate (PC) in the same way as the cover portion 10.

[0036] Figure 1 (b) part or Figure 2 (b) shows the combined state of the cover 10, plate 20, and film 30, with the pattern printed on the film 30 being magnified by refraction.

[0037] Figure 3 Part (a) explains the principle by which the pattern formed on the thin film 30 is magnified and displayed through refraction. Figure 3 In the diagram, A represents a portion of the actual printed pattern. Light reflected at A is refracted twice as it passes through the cover 10: once when it enters the cover 10 from the air layer 40, and once when it enters the exterior of the cover 10. This refraction occurs because the media of the cover 10 and the air layer 40 are different. The cover 10 is a relatively dense medium, while the air in the air layer 40 is a relatively coarse medium. Light refracts when it enters a dense medium from a coarse medium or vice versa, thus the light passing through the cover 10 is refracted twice.

[0038] Due to the aforementioned refraction, A appears as B in the user's eye e. B is displayed below A to distinguish them; in reality, they appear to be on the same plane to the human eye. The length of A is o, while the length of B is b, where b is longer than o. In this way, the human eye e sees a magnified image of the pattern compared to the pattern printed on the film 30 through refraction.

[0039] On the other hand, the pattern of the film 30 appears to be magnified at different scales depending on the viewing angle, because the length of light passing through the cover 10 changes depending on the position of the eye. Figure 3The light reaching the left eye e1 and the light reaching the right eye e2, as shown in part (b), have different paths. Due to these different paths, the lengths of light passing through the cover 10 are d1 and d2, respectively. These changes in length cause the refraction path to change.

[0040] The thin film 30 constituting the vehicle decorative switch of the first embodiment described above can be printed with, as shown in the image. Figure 4 The continuous polygonal pattern of the photograph, when applied to a film 30 printed with such a continuous polygonal pattern, provides the user's eye with an image similar to a well-cut gemstone, thus promising a superior aesthetic effect compared to existing technologies.

[0041] The following will describe the decorative switch for vehicles according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Similar to the embodiments described above, this embodiment of the vehicle decorative switch also relates to a switch that is installed inside a vehicle and provides excellent aesthetics, including a cover 10, a plate 20, and a membrane 30. An air-filled layer 40 is provided between the cover 10 and the plate 20 or the membrane 30.

[0043] The aforementioned cover 10 is made of a transparent material, and the inner or outer surface is made of a continuous polygonal plane 11.

[0044] Figure 5 The cover 10 is shown with continuous polygonal planes 11 etched on its inner surface. Figure 6 The cover 10 is shown with a portion of its outer surface etched with a continuous polygonal plane 11.

[0045] The plate portion 20 and the thin film 30 described above have a structure that is actually the same as the corresponding structure in the above embodiment, so their detailed description will be omitted.

[0046] When the inner or outer surface of the cover 10 is etched in a continuous polygonal planar shape, the expected effect is as follows.

[0047] The user can see the switch because light emitted from a light source such as the sun or external or internal lighting of the vehicle is reflected by the switch and reaches the user's eyes. In this case, the light travels through several paths: some light is reflected by the surface of the cover 10 and reaches the eyes; some light is reflected by the thin film 30 after passing through the cover 10 and reaches the eyes; and the light reflected by the thin film 30 reaches the eyes in a refracted state as it passes through the cover 10.

[0048] The outer surface or exterior of the aforementioned cover 10 is etched with polygonal planes 11 in a continuous pattern. Each etched plane 11 has a different light incident angle and light intensity, and the degree of refraction by each etched plane 11 is also different, so that the user's eyes can see a very three-dimensional shape.

[0049] Even if the film 30 has a monochrome pattern, each plane 11 appears to the human eye as a different color, for example, one plane 11 displays a dark color and another plane 11 displays a light color, thus making it look as if a three-dimensional pattern has been printed.

[0050] The third embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0051] Figure 7 This diagram illustrates the arrangement of the cover, plate, and film according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 This diagram illustrates how the pattern displayed to the user changes depending on the position of the eyes when a cover with a portion having a continuous polygonal planar shape is used.

[0052] The decorative switch in this embodiment includes a cover 10, a plate 20, and a membrane 30. Unlike the embodiments described above, the cover 10 is arranged in contact with the plate 20 or the membrane 30. Figure 7 As shown in part (a), when the film 30 is located on the opposite side of the cover portion 10, the cover portion 10 is in direct contact with the plate portion 20, and when the film 30 is located on the side of the cover portion 10, the cover portion 10 is in contact with the film 30.

[0053] On the other hand, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in the cover of the decorative switch in this embodiment, a continuous polygonal plane 11 is etched on the outer surface (partially).

[0054] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates how the same pattern appears in different shapes due to varying refraction depending on the eye's position. Figure 8 In the position of the eye shown in part (a), the pattern represented by C is displayed as D, while... Figure 8 In the eye position shown in section (b), the pattern represented by C' is displayed as D'. The patterns represented by C and C' are actually the same pattern, but are displayed as D or D' depending on the user's eye position. D and D' are similarly shaped patterns, but their size or position appears different. This is also due to the phenomenon caused by the refraction of light incident on the eye changing according to the eye position.

[0055] As described above, the present invention has the following effect: by utilizing the principle of refraction, any pattern can be configured to appear different depending on the position of the eye, thereby providing users with an excellent sense of decoration.

[0056] On the other hand, even if a continuous polygonal plane is etched on either the inner or outer surface of the cover 10, the visual effect is similar. However, when etching to the outer surface of the cover 10, the surface itself becomes curved, while etching to the inner surface of the cover 10 results in a smoother outer surface. Therefore, the question of which side to etch the polygonal plane on can be considered a choice, which can be appropriately selected through user preference surveys, etc. The plane 11 can be etched on either the inner or outer surface of the cover 10, in which case a very complex pattern can be seen by the human eye. This method can also be included as an option, and the choice of which side to etch the plane on can be determined through user preference surveys.

[0057] The second embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle interior panel including the above-mentioned vehicle decorative switch. "Vehicle interior panel" is a general term referring to all panels installed inside a vehicle; if a panel is installed inside a vehicle, it can be a vehicle interior panel regardless of its location, such as on a door, dashboard, or roof.

[0058] Since the interior panel of this vehicle is characterized by the aforementioned decorative switch, it is not difficult to apply the decorative switch to the interior panel of the vehicle, so further explanation of the interior panel of the vehicle will be omitted.

[0059] The above description of three embodiments of the present invention provides specific implementation methods of the present invention. However, the technical concept of the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Without departing from the technical concept of the present invention, it can be embodied in various forms of vehicle decorative switches and vehicle interior panels including the same.

Claims

1. A decorative switch for a vehicle, wherein the switch is disposed inside the vehicle, characterized in that, include: A lid made of transparent material; The plate portion is disposed on the inner side of the cover portion at the lower part of the aforementioned cover portion; and The film is printed with a pattern that fits into the aforementioned plate. The aforementioned cover portion and the aforementioned plate portion are arranged at a predetermined distance, so that a single air layer is provided between the aforementioned cover portion and the plate portion, so that light reflected onto the pattern is refracted once when it enters the cover portion from the air layer, and is refracted again when it enters the outside of the cover portion from the cover portion. The pattern printed on the aforementioned film is magnified by refraction as it passes through the aforementioned cover, making it visible to the user's eyes.

2. The decorative switch for vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned plate is made of a transparent material, and the aforementioned film is bonded to the opposite side of the cover portion of the aforementioned plate.

3. The decorative switch for vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned film is bonded to the cover side of the aforementioned plate.

4. The decorative switch for vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, At least a portion of the inner surface of the aforementioned cover is made of a surface with a continuous polygonal planar shape.

5. The decorative switch for vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that, The cover portion and the plate portion are configured to contact each other. At least a portion of the outer surface of the aforementioned cover is made of a surface with a continuous polygonal planar shape.

6. The decorative switch for vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The aforementioned film is printed with a continuous polygonal pattern.

7. The decorative switch for vehicles according to claim 4, characterized in that, The aforementioned film is printed with a continuous polygonal pattern.

8. The decorative switch for vehicles according to claim 5, characterized in that, The aforementioned film is printed with a continuous polygonal pattern.

9. An interior panel for a vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle decorative switch includes any one of claims 1-8.

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