Thick-walled outer lens for automotive lights, processing methods and systems

Abstract

This invention provides a thick-walled outer lens for automotive headlights, its processing method, and a system. It includes an integrally molded outer cover and an optical element. Both the outer cover and the optical element have a hardened coating on their outer surfaces. The thickness of the optical element is greater than the thickness of the outer cover. The optical element is light-transmitting, while the outer cover is opaque. The optical element and the outer cover are integrally molded using two-color injection molding of the same material. A hardened coating is formed on the outer surfaces of both the optical element and the outer cover by spraying a paint. By controlling the pre-flash drying and flash drying temperatures of the paint, an intermediate layer of suitable thickness is ensured on the outer surfaces of both the optical element and the outer cover, which helps improve the overall quality of the product. The thick-walled outer lens for automotive headlights has a simple structure, is easy to install, and can adapt to higher installation space requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lighting technology, specifically to a thick-walled outer lens for automotive lamps, its processing method, and a system. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicle lights are tools used to illuminate roads at night and to signal various driving conditions. Vehicle lights are generally divided into headlights, taillights, turn signals, etc.

[0003] In existing optical solutions for vehicle lights, the outer cover of the vehicle lamp and the optical elements that guide light and change the path of light propagation, such as thick-walled units, light guides, and reflectors, are two separate injection-molded parts, with the optical elements housed within the space enclosed by the outer cover and the lamp housing.

[0004] However, with the development of automotive lights, the functions of automotive lights have become more and more complex, and the space left for automotive lights in the whole vehicle and the design space for automotive lights to be freely arranged is getting smaller and smaller. In order to adapt to the increasingly smaller space and avoid interference between parts, higher requirements are placed on the internal parts of automotive lights.

[0005] The existing technology of separately injection molding optical components and outer covers and then assembling them results in a complex optical system structure with many parts, making it difficult to meet the space requirements for lamp installation. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a thick-walled outer lens for automotive headlights, its processing method, and a system.

[0007] According to the present invention, a thick-walled outer lens for vehicle headlights includes an integrally formed outer cover and an optical element. The outer surfaces of both the outer cover and the optical element are provided with a hardened coating. The thickness of the optical element is greater than the thickness of the outer cover. The optical element is light-transmitting, while the outer cover is opaque.

[0008] Preferably, the integral molding method of the outer cover and the optical element includes two-color injection molding of the same material, wherein the two-color injection molding material includes PC, PMMA or ABS.

[0009] Preferably, the outer cover of the two-color injection molded material is opaque, while the optical element of the two-color injection molded material is transparent.

[0010] Preferably, the hardened coating comprises a top coating layer and an intermediate layer, wherein the thickness of the intermediate layer is greater than 1 μm and the thickness of the intermediate layer is less than 45% of the thickness of the hardened coating layer; the intermediate layer is disposed between the top coating layer and the optical element; or, the intermediate layer is disposed between the top coating layer and the outer cover.

[0011] According to the present invention, a method for processing a thick-walled outer lens for automotive headlights includes the following steps:

[0012] S1. Inject the outer cover and optical components together as a single injection mold;

[0013] S2. Anneal the injection-molded product to eliminate internal stress;

[0014] S3. Spray paint onto the outer surface of the product;

[0015] S4. Heat the product coated with paint to make the paint flash dry;

[0016] S5, UV curing.

[0017] Preferably, in step S1, the outer cover and the optical element are made of the same material, and the outer cover and the optical element are integrally molded using a two-color injection molding process.

[0018] Preferably, step S4 includes:

[0019] S4.1, Coating leveling: Place the product with the coating on its outer surface in the same temperature and relative humidity as the spraying environment to allow the coating to spread evenly.

[0020] S4.2. Pre-drying of the coating: Use far-infrared heating equipment to preheat the optical components to 45℃-50℃.

[0021] S4.3, coating flash drying: Heat the entire product to 65℃-70℃ to naturally create an intermediate layer.

[0022] A processing system for a thick-walled outer lens for automotive headlights, according to the present invention, includes:

[0023] Injection molding module: used to integrally injection mold the outer cover and optical components;

[0024] Annealing module: Used to anneal injection-molded products to eliminate internal stress;

[0025] Spray coating module: Used to spray paint onto the outer surface of products;

[0026] Flash-dry module: Used to heat products coated with paint to flash-dry the paint;

[0027] Curing module: Used for UV curing.

[0028] Preferably, the flash-drying module includes:

[0029] Paint leveling sub-module: Used to place products with paint sprayed on their outer surface in the same temperature and relative humidity as the spraying environment, so that the paint can be spread evenly.

[0030] Pre-flash drying sub-module: Used for pre-flash drying of coatings, it uses far-infrared heating equipment to preheat the optical components to 45℃-50℃;

[0031] Flash-drying sub-module: Used for flash-drying of coatings, heating the entire product to 65℃-70℃.

[0032] Preferably, the injection molding module, annealing module, spraying module, flash drying module, and curing module form a production line, and the product is transferred between the modules by a robotic arm.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0034] 1. This invention uses two-color injection molding of the same material to integrally form the optical element and the outer cover. A hardened coating is formed on the outer surface of both the optical element and the outer cover by spraying paint. By controlling the pre-flash drying and flash drying temperatures of the paint, it is ensured that the outer surfaces of the optical element and the outer cover have an intermediate layer of the same suitable thickness, which helps to improve the overall quality of the product. The thick-walled outer lens of the car lamp has a simple structure, is easy to install, and can adapt to the requirements of higher installation space.

[0035] 2. This invention uses a two-color injection molding method with the same material to simultaneously form a light-transmitting optical element and an opaque outer cover. The injection mold has a simple structure, which helps to realize productization.

[0036] 3. This invention first heats the optical element to a certain temperature, and then heats the optical element and the outer cover simultaneously until both reach the temperature required to generate an intermediate layer of suitable thickness. This results in the intermediate layer thickness being the same on the outer surfaces of the optical element and the outer cover, which helps to improve the overall quality of the product. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall structure of the thick-walled outer lens of the vehicle headlight, which is the main feature of this invention.

[0039] Figure 2 This invention mainly embodies the flowchart of the processing method for thick-walled outer lenses for automotive headlights.

[0040] The diagram shows: 1. Optical element; 2. Outer cover. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, a thick-walled outer lens for a vehicle headlight according to the present invention includes an integrally formed outer cover 2 and an optical element 1. Both the outer cover 2 and the optical element 1 have a hardened coating on their outer surfaces. The thickness of the optical element 1 is greater than the thickness of the outer cover 2. The optical element 1 is light-transmitting, while the outer cover 2 is opaque. The optical element 1 includes a thick-walled optical component.

[0043] Specifically, the integral molding method of the outer cover 2 and the optical element 1 includes two-color injection molding of the same material, such as PC, PMMA, or ABS. In this application, the outer cover 2 and the optical element 1 are integrally molded using two-color injection molding of the same material. By utilizing different colors of the same material, the outer cover 2 is opaque while the optical element 1 is translucent. Compared to traditional split molding and the method of integral molding using two different materials, which involves complex molds and high manufacturing difficulty due to the different thicknesses of the optical element 1 and the outer cover 2, the two-color injection molding method of the same material in this application greatly reduces the manufacturing difficulty of the injection mold and facilitates productization.

[0044] It is important to note that the outer cover 2, formed by two-color injection molding, is opaque, while the optical element 1, formed by two-color injection molding, is translucent. After injection molding, a hardened coating needs to be applied to the outer surfaces of both the outer cover 2 and the optical element 1 for protection. The hardened coating consists of a top layer and an intermediate layer. To ensure sufficient adhesion and good optical performance of the intermediate layer, its thickness is set to be greater than 1 μm and less than 45% of the thickness of the hardened coating. The intermediate layer is positioned between the top layer and the optical element 1, or between the top layer and the outer cover 2.

[0045] Furthermore, to ensure the overall quality of the product, a uniform thickness of intermediate layer is required on the outer surfaces of both the outer cover 2 and the optical element 1. Temperature during the flash-drying process is a key factor in achieving this appropriate thickness. However, since the thickness of the optical element 1 is greater than that of the outer cover 2, it is difficult to simultaneously raise both the optical element 1 and the outer cover 2 to the same appropriate thickness during the flash-drying heating process. Therefore, in this application, the optical element 1 is preheated to a certain initial temperature during the flash-drying heating step, and then both the optical element 1 and the outer cover 2 are heated to simultaneously reach the temperature required to achieve the same appropriate thickness of intermediate layer. In this application, the optical element 1 is preheated to 45°C-50°C, and then both the optical element 1 and the outer cover 2 are simultaneously heated to 65°C-70°C.

[0046] It is important to emphasize that, in actual processing, the preheating temperature and the common heating temperature can be flexibly adjusted according to the different thicknesses of the optical element 1 and the outer cover 2.

[0047] The present invention also provides a method for processing a thick-walled outer lens for automotive lamps, the method comprising the following steps:

[0048] S1. The outer cover 2 and the optical element 1 are integrally injection molded. Specifically, the outer cover 2 and the optical element 1 are made of the same material, and the outer cover 2 and the optical element 1 are integrally molded using a two-color injection molding process.

[0049] S2. Anneal the injection-molded product to eliminate internal stress. Specifically, an annealing temperature of 125°C to 130°C (product temperature) and an annealing time of 15 minutes are generally required.

[0050] S3. Apply coating to the outer surface of the product. Specifically, use a spray gun system to apply coating to the surface of the product that needs to be hardened in a spray booth to produce a uniform hardened coating. The spraying environment should maintain a temperature of 22°C to 28°C and a relative humidity of 40%RH to 60%RH.

[0051] S4. Heat the product coated with paint to allow the paint to flash dry, including the following steps:

[0052] S4.1, Coating Leveling: The product with the coating sprayed on its outer surface is placed in an environment with the same temperature and relative humidity as the spraying environment to allow the coating to spread evenly. Specifically, the coated product is transferred to a dedicated production module by a handling robot and placed in an environment with the same temperature and relative humidity as the spraying environment for about 15 seconds to ensure the uniform spread of the sprayed coating.

[0053] S4.2, Pre-flash drying of the coating: Use far-infrared heating equipment to preheat the optical element 1 part to 45℃-50℃. Specifically, in the dedicated production module, use far-infrared heating equipment to preheat the thicker part of the thick-walled product to 45℃-50℃ in advance.

[0054] S4.3, Flash-dry the coating by heating the entire product to 65℃-70℃. Specifically, heat the entire product to 65℃ to 70℃.

[0055] S5. Ultraviolet Curing. Specifically, the product surface is irradiated with ultraviolet light of sufficient intensity and density, causing the photocuring components in the coating to undergo a photocuring reaction, thus curing the coating.

[0056] It should be further noted that an electrostatic dust removal step can be added between step S2 (annealing) and step S3 (coating spraying) to improve the coating effect. Specifically, a pressurized air dust removal device with electrostatic elimination is used to remove dust from the surface of the product to be hardened and to remove static electricity from the entire product. Generally, compressed air at a pressure of 7 bar is used, and after the electrostatic treatment, the static electricity of the product must be ensured to be below 0.1 keV.

[0057] The present invention also provides a processing system for thick-walled outer lenses for automotive lamps, used to produce the aforementioned thick-walled outer lenses for automotive lamps. The processing system includes:

[0058] Injection molding module: used to integrally injection mold the outer cover 2 and the optical element 1.

[0059] Annealing module: Used to anneal injection-molded products to eliminate internal stress.

[0060] Spraying module: Used to spray paint onto the outer surface of the product.

[0061] Flash-dry module: Used to heat products coated with paint to flash-dry the paint.

[0062] The flash-drying module includes:

[0063] Paint leveling sub-module: Used to place products with paint sprayed on their outer surface in the same temperature and relative humidity as the spraying environment, so that the paint can be spread evenly.

[0064] Pre-flash drying sub-module: Used for pre-flash drying of coatings, it uses far-infrared heating equipment to preheat optical element 1 to 45℃-50℃.

[0065] Flash-drying sub-module: Used for flash-drying of coatings, heating the entire product to 65℃-70℃.

[0066] Specifically, the flash-drying module also includes a dedicated production module. During flash-drying, the coated product is placed in the dedicated production module, and the far-infrared heating device corresponding to the optical element 1 is activated to heat the optical element 1. Activating all far-infrared heating devices can simultaneously heat the optical element 1 and the outer cover 2.

[0067] Curing module: Used for UV curing.

[0068] It should be noted that the injection molding module, annealing module, spraying module, flash drying module, and curing module form a production line, and the products are transferred between the modules by a robotic arm.

[0069] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0070] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Claims

1. A method of processing a thick-walled outer lens of a vehicle lamp, characterized by, The processing method includes the following steps: S1. The outer cover (2) and the optical element (1) are integrally injection molded; S2. Anneal the injection-molded product to eliminate internal stress; S3. Spray paint onto the outer surface of the product; S4. Heat the product coated with paint to make the paint flash dry; S5, UV cured; For step S1, the outer cover (2) and the optical element (1) are made of the same material, and the outer cover (2) and the optical element (1) are integrally formed by two-color injection molding process; Step S4 includes: S4.1, Coating leveling: Place the product with the coating on its outer surface in the same temperature and relative humidity as the spraying environment to allow the coating to spread evenly. S4.2, Pre-drying of coating: Use far-infrared heating equipment to preheat the optical element (1) part to 45℃-50℃; S4.3, coating flash drying: heat the entire product to 65℃-70℃ to naturally create an intermediate layer; It includes an integrally molded outer cover (2) and an optical element (1). The outer surfaces of the outer cover (2) and the optical element (1) are provided with a hardened coating. The thickness of the optical element (1) is greater than the thickness of the outer cover (2). The optical element (1) is transparent and the outer cover (2) is opaque. The hardened coating comprises a top layer and an intermediate layer, wherein the thickness of the intermediate layer is greater than 1 μm and less than 45% of the thickness of the hardened coating. The intermediate layer is disposed between the top coating layer and the optical element (1); Alternatively, the intermediate layer may be disposed between the top coating layer and the outer cover (2).

2. The thick-walled outer lens for vehicle lights according to claim 1, characterized by The integral molding method of the outer cover (2) and the optical element (1) includes two-color injection molding of the same material, and the two-color injection molding material includes PC, PMMA or ABS.

3. The thick-walled outer lens for vehicle lights according to claim 2, wherein The outer cover (2) of the two-color injection molding is opaque, while the optical element (1) of the two-color injection molding is transparent.

4. A processing system for a thick-walled outer lens for automotive headlights, characterized in that, The processing system for the thick-walled outer lens of a vehicle headlight as described in claim 1 includes: Injection molding module: used to integrally injection mold the outer cover (2) and the optical element (1); Annealing module: Used to anneal injection-molded products to eliminate internal stress; Spray coating module: Used to spray paint onto the outer surface of products; Flash-dry module: Used to heat products coated with paint to flash-dry the paint; Curing module: used for UV curing; The flash-drying module includes: Paint leveling sub-module: Used to place products with paint sprayed on their outer surface in the same temperature and relative humidity as the spraying environment, so that the paint can be spread evenly. Pre-flash drying sub-module: used for pre-flash drying of coatings, using far-infrared heating equipment to preheat the optical element (1) part to 45℃-50℃; Flash-drying sub-module: Used for flash-drying of coatings, heating the entire product to 65℃-70℃.

5. The processing system for thick-walled outer lenses for automotive headlights as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The injection molding module, annealing module, spraying module, flash drying module, and curing module form a production line, and the products are transferred between the modules by a robotic arm.

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