Optical structure, terminal housing, terminal and method for manufacturing optical structure

Abstract

The application provides an optical structure, a terminal housing, a terminal and a manufacturing method of the optical structure. The optical structure comprises a substrate layer and a texture layer, the texture layer is arranged on the substrate layer, the texture layer comprises a pattern area and a mirror area, the shape of the pattern area is the same as a preset pattern, a first surface roughness of the pattern area and a second surface roughness of the mirror area satisfy a preset condition, so that the texture layer presents the preset pattern under strong light irradiation, and the texture layer presents a mirror effect without a pattern under natural light irradiation, wherein the preset condition comprises that the first surface roughness of the pattern area is greater than the second surface roughness of the mirror area, the first surface roughness is less than or equal to a first preset roughness, and the second surface roughness is less than or equal to a second preset roughness. The optical structure provided by the application can present various visual effects under different light environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optical imaging, and in particular to optical structures, terminal housings, terminals, and methods for manufacturing optical structures. Background Technology

[0002] As overall consumption levels rise, users are placing increasing demands on the aesthetics of their phone covers. Electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets typically use transparent materials like glass or clear panels as back covers, often with textured layers to enhance their appearance.

[0003] Currently, the textured layer on the back cover presents a rather monotonous visual effect, which cannot meet users' requirements for the aesthetics of the phone. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides an optical structure, a terminal housing, a terminal, and a method for manufacturing the optical structure. This optical structure can present a variety of visual effects under different lighting conditions.

[0005] This application provides an optical structure comprising a substrate layer and a texture layer. The texture layer is disposed on the substrate layer and includes a patterned region and a mirrored region. The shape of the patterned region is the same as a preset pattern. A first surface roughness of the patterned region and a second surface roughness of the mirrored region satisfy preset conditions, such that the texture layer exhibits the preset pattern under strong light irradiation and exhibits a patternless mirror effect under natural light irradiation. The preset conditions include the first surface roughness of the patterned region being greater than the second surface roughness of the mirrored region, the first surface roughness being less than or equal to a first preset roughness, and the second surface roughness being less than or equal to a second preset roughness.

[0006] A second aspect of this application provides a terminal housing, the terminal housing including an optical structure, the optical structure including a substrate layer and a texture layer. The texture layer is disposed on the substrate layer, the texture layer including a patterned area and a mirrored area, the shape of the patterned area being the same as a preset pattern, and a first surface roughness of the patterned area and a second surface roughness of the mirrored area satisfying preset conditions, such that the texture layer presents the preset pattern under strong light irradiation, and presents a patternless mirrored effect under natural light irradiation, wherein the preset conditions include the first surface roughness of the patterned area being greater than the second surface roughness of the mirrored area, the first surface roughness being less than or equal to a first preset roughness, and the second surface roughness being less than or equal to a second preset roughness.

[0007] A third aspect of this application provides a terminal, the terminal including a terminal housing, the terminal housing including an optical structure, the optical structure including a substrate layer and a texture layer. The texture layer is disposed on the substrate layer, the texture layer including a patterned area and a mirrored area, the shape of the patterned area being the same as a preset pattern, the first surface roughness of the patterned area and the second surface roughness of the mirrored area satisfying preset conditions, such that the texture layer presents the preset pattern under strong light irradiation, and presents a patternless mirrored effect under natural light irradiation, wherein the preset conditions include the first surface roughness of the patterned area being greater than the second surface roughness of the mirrored area, the first surface roughness being less than or equal to a first preset roughness, and the second surface roughness being less than or equal to a second preset roughness.

[0008] This application provides a fourth aspect of a method for fabricating an optical structure, the method comprising: providing a substrate layer; forming a texture layer on the substrate layer, the texture layer comprising a patterned region and a mirrored region, the patterned region having the same shape as a preset pattern, the first surface roughness of the patterned region and the second surface roughness of the mirrored region satisfying preset conditions, such that the texture layer presents the preset pattern under strong light irradiation, and such that the texture layer presents a patternless mirror effect under natural light irradiation, wherein the preset conditions include the first surface roughness of the patterned region being greater than the second surface roughness of the mirrored region, the first surface roughness being less than or equal to a first preset roughness, and the second surface roughness being less than or equal to a second preset roughness.

[0009] The optical structure, terminal housing, terminal, and manufacturing method of the optical structure provided in this application, by setting the first surface roughness of the pattern area of ​​the texture layer to be greater than the second surface roughness of the mirror area, allows the texture layer to present a preset pattern when irradiated by strong light. Furthermore, by setting the first surface roughness to be less than or equal to the first preset roughness and the second surface roughness to be less than or equal to the second preset roughness, the texture layer can present a patternless mirror effect when irradiated by natural light. Thus, the optical structure can produce a variety of visual effects under different lighting environments. Attached Figure Description

[0010] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0011] Figure 1 A planar schematic diagram of the optical structure provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0012] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cross-section of the optical structure at X1-X2.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an optical structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0014] Figure 4 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an optical structure provided for another embodiment of this application.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a terminal housing provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a terminal housing provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0017] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing an optical structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Explanation of key component symbols:

[0019] Optical structure 100

[0020] Substrate layer 10

[0021] Texture layer 20

[0022] Pattern area 21

[0023] Mirror area 22

[0024] Coating layer 30

[0025] Protective layer 40

[0026] Terminal housing 200

[0027] Transparent back cover 50 Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] In the description of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "upper," "lower," "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.

[0030] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the term "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can also refer to the internal connection of two components; it can be a communication connection; or it can be an electrical connection. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0031] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the embodiments of this application are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this application. The illustrations only show the components related to this application and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of the components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0032] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 This is a planar schematic diagram of the optical structure 100 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the optical structure 100 at X1-X2. (See diagram below.) Figure 1 As shown, the optical structure 100 includes a substrate layer and a texture layer 20. The texture layer 20 is disposed on the substrate layer and includes a patterned region 21 and a mirrored region 22. The shape of the patterned region 21 is the same as a preset pattern. The first surface roughness of the patterned region 21 and the second surface roughness of the mirrored region 22 satisfy preset conditions, such that the texture layer 20 presents the preset pattern under strong light irradiation and presents a patternless mirror effect under natural light irradiation. The preset conditions include that the first surface roughness of the patterned region 21 is greater than the second surface roughness of the mirrored region 22, the first surface roughness is less than or equal to a first preset roughness, and the second surface roughness is less than or equal to a second preset roughness. Figure 2 As shown, the first surface roughness of the patterned region 21 is greater than the second surface roughness of the mirror region 22.

[0033] The optical structure 100 provided in this embodiment of the application sets the first surface roughness of the patterned region 21 of the textured layer 20 to be greater than the second surface roughness of the mirrored region 22. This results in a significant difference in the intensity of reflected light generated by the patterned region 21 and the mirrored region 22 when the textured layer 20 is illuminated by strong light. Visually, the patterned region 21 appears darker, and the mirrored region 22 appears brighter, thus the textured layer 20 presents a preset pattern. Furthermore, by setting the first surface roughness to be less than or equal to a first preset roughness and the second surface roughness to be less than or equal to a second preset roughness, the difference between the first and second surface roughness is small. This results in a small difference in the intensity of reflected light generated by the patterned region 21 and the mirrored region 22 when the textured layer 20 is illuminated by natural light, resulting in no visual difference in brightness and thus presenting a patternless mirror effect. Therefore, the optical structure 100 can produce a variety of visual effects under different lighting conditions. Because the optical structure 100 presents a patternless mirror effect under natural light, but only reveals a preset pattern under strong light, it can be used for hidden logos, trademarks, and anti-counterfeiting purposes.

[0034] In some embodiments, the texture layer 20 can be formed by processing the material layer after it has been formed on the substrate layer. In other embodiments, the texture layer 20 can be formed integrally with the substrate layer by directly processing the substrate layer.

[0035] The preset pattern can be any shape or a combination of shapes, for example, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the preset pattern is an oval shape. For example, the preset pattern can also be a trademark, product model, user-customized pattern, etc.

[0036] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the mirrored area 22 surrounds the patterned area 21. Wherein, as... Figure 1 As shown, the outer boundary of the patterned region 21 may not coincide with the outer boundary of the mirrored region 22. In other embodiments, a portion of the outer boundary of the patterned region 21 may coincide with a portion of the outer boundary of the mirrored region 22.

[0037] In some embodiments, the patterned area 21 is provided with a plurality of microlenses, that is, the plurality of microlenses are disposed on the patterned area 21 to enhance the clarity of the preset pattern presented by the texture layer 20 when irradiated by strong light.

[0038] When incident light strikes the texture layer 20, the high surface roughness of the first surface of the patterned region 21 causes diffuse reflection of the incident light, making the patterned region 21 darker. The multiple microlenses on the patterned region 21 enhance the light-gathering effect, increasing the clarity and transparency of the preset pattern. Furthermore, when the patterned region 21 is illuminated by natural light, the multiple microlenses on the patterned region 21 reflect the incident light, causing it to converge again. By increasing the amount of reflected light entering the field of view from the patterned region 21, the intensity difference between the reflected light from the patterned region 21 and the mirrored region 22 is reduced, resulting in a patternless mirror effect on the texture layer 20 under natural light.

[0039] The microlens may include at least one of spherical lenses, cylindrical lenses, and prism lenses. For example, the microlens may be a microsphere lens, a cylindrical lens, a prism, etc.

[0040] The multiple microlenses can be arranged in an array or in concentric circles, or in other arrangements.

[0041] The multiple microlenses can be arranged at intervals or adjacent to each other.

[0042] In some embodiments, the patterned region 21 may be uneven. The first surface roughness can be characterized by the distance between the top line of the highest peak and the bottom line of the lowest valley of the first surface of the patterned region 21. The first surface is the surface of the patterned region 21 that is away from the substrate layer 10. That is, the first surface roughness can be equal to the distance between the top of the highest protrusion and the bottom of the deepest depression on the first surface of the patterned region 21. The second surface roughness can be characterized by the distance between the top line of the highest peak and the bottom line of the lowest valley of the second surface of the mirrored region 22. The second surface is the surface of the mirrored region 22 that is away from the substrate layer 10. That is, the second surface roughness can be equal to the distance between the top of the highest protrusion and the bottom of the deepest depression on the second surface of the mirrored region 22.

[0043] In some embodiments, the height of the microlens is less than 0.1 μm, and the height of the microlens is the dimension of the microlens in the stacking direction of the texture layer 20 and the substrate layer 10.

[0044] When the height of the microlens is greater than or equal to 0.1 μm, the texture layer 20 will present the preset pattern when it is exposed to natural light due to the relatively high height of the microlens.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first preset roughness is 0.06 μm and the second preset roughness is 0.01 μm, that is, the first surface roughness is less than or equal to 0.06 μm and greater than 0.01 μm, and the second surface roughness is less than or equal to 0.01 μm.

[0046] Specifically, by setting the first surface roughness to be less than or equal to 0.06 μm and greater than 0.01 μm, and the second surface roughness to be less than or equal to 0.01 μm, that is, the roughness of the patterned area 21 and the mirrored area 22 are not much different, so that when the textured layer 20 is irradiated by natural light, the reflected light generated by the patterned area 21 and the reflected light generated by the mirrored area 22 are not much different to the naked eye, thus appearing as a patternless mirror effect.

[0047] In particular, since the first preset roughness is 0.06μm, the maximum difference between the first surface roughness and the second surface roughness will not exceed 0.06μm. The roughness difference of 0.06μm is a small value, so that when the texture layer 20 is irradiated by natural light, the reflected light generated by the patterned area 21 and the reflected light generated by the mirrored area 22 are not much different to the naked eye, thus appearing as a patternless mirror effect.

[0048] The optical structure 100 avoids the generation of moiré patterns, pitting, and messy light and shadow because it does not have the superposition of textures.

[0049] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of the optical structure 100 provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the optical structure 100 includes a substrate layer 10, a texture layer 20, and a coating layer 30 as described above. The coating layer 30 is disposed on the side of the texture layer 20 away from the substrate layer 10. The coating layer 30 at least covers the patterned area 21 and the mirrored area 22 to enhance the intensity of reflected light from the patterned area 21 and the mirrored area 22.

[0050] The coating layer 30 is located on the surface of the texture layer 20, which has the patterned area 21 and the mirrored area 22.

[0051] The coating layer 30 may include at least one of an oxide layer and a metal layer. The metal layer may be, for example, an indium layer, a silver layer, an aluminum layer, a magnesium layer, etc. The oxide layer may include at least one of a silicon dioxide layer and a titanium dioxide layer.

[0052] In some embodiments, the coating layer 30 includes an oxide layer and a metal layer.

[0053] In some embodiments, the coating layer 30 includes a titanium dioxide layer, a silicon dioxide layer, an indium layer, and a silicon dioxide layer stacked together. The thickness of the indium layer can be 30-50 μm, and the thickness of the coating layer 30 can be 50-250 μm. The thickness of the indium layer is the dimension along the stacking direction of the substrate layer 10 and the texture layer 20, and the thickness of the coating layer 30 is the dimension along the stacking direction of the substrate layer 10 and the texture layer 20.

[0054] Specifically, by providing the coating layer 30 on the side of the texture layer 20 away from the substrate layer 10, incident light enters from the side of the substrate layer 10 away from the texture layer 20 and passes through the texture layer 20 to reach the coating layer 30. The coating layer 30 can increase the reflectivity of the incident light in the pattern area 21 and the mirror area 22, thereby enhancing the intensity of the reflected light in the pattern area 21 and the mirror texture area 22. As a result, when the texture layer 20 is irradiated by strong light, the preset pattern presented by the texture layer 20 can appear more obvious.

[0055] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional view of an optical structure 100 provided in another embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the coating layer 30 is disposed on the side of the substrate layer 10 away from the texture layer 20.

[0056] By placing the coating layer 30 on the side of the substrate layer 10 away from the texture layer 20, incident light enters from the side of the texture layer 20 away from the substrate layer 10 and passes through the substrate layer 10 to reach the coating layer 30. The coating layer 30 can increase the reflectivity of the incident light in the pattern area 21 and the mirror area 22, thereby enhancing the intensity of the reflected light in the pattern area 21 and the mirror area 22. As a result, when the texture layer 20 is irradiated by strong light, the preset pattern presented by the texture layer 20 can appear more obvious.

[0057] The oxide layer can be used to improve the adhesion of the metal layer to the texture layer 20, making the metal layer less likely to fall off. It can also be used to change the refractive index by changing the thickness of the oxide layer, thereby changing the color of the metal layer, for example, making the color darker or lighter.

[0058] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the optical structure 100 further includes a protective layer 40 disposed on the side of the coating layer 30 away from the texture layer 20, and the protective layer 40 at least covers the pattern area 21 and the mirror area 22.

[0059] The protective layer 40 may be an ink layer or other coating layer. The thickness of the protective layer 40 may be a value between 20-40 μm, and the thickness of the protective layer 40 is the dimension along the stacking direction of the substrate layer 10 and the texture layer 20.

[0060] The protective layer 40 may be made of an insulating material.

[0061] The protective layer 40 is provided on the side of the coating layer 30 away from the texture layer 20. On the one hand, since the coating layer 30 may have some gaps, the protective layer 40 can cover the gaps of the coating layer 30 to prevent light leakage and reduce reflectivity, thereby enhancing the presentation effect of the preset pattern. On the other hand, the protective layer 40 can protect and isolate the coating layer 30, prevent it from falling off and reducing reflectivity, and prevent the coating layer 30 from directly contacting the internal devices of the terminal and causing short circuits.

[0062] In some embodiments, the substrate layer 10 includes at least one of a transparent polymer layer and a glass layer.

[0063] The transparent polymer layer may be selected from at least one of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PC (polycarbonate), and TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer).

[0064] In some embodiments, the substrate layer 10 and the texture layer 20 are an integral structure. Specifically, the texture layer 20 is obtained by surface treatment of a material layer, and the remaining portion of the material layer constitutes the substrate layer 10. For example, the texture layer 20 is obtained by etching a glass layer, and the remaining portion of the glass layer constitutes the substrate layer 10. As another example, the texture layer 20 is obtained by hot-pressing a transparent polymer layer, and the remaining portion of the transparent polymer layer constitutes the substrate layer 10.

[0065] In some embodiments, the patterned region 21 includes a plurality of first protrusions, and the mirrored region includes a plurality of second protrusions. The plurality of first protrusions are arranged in a ring and share a common center, and the plurality of second protrusions are also arranged in a ring and share a common center. The plurality of first protrusions are arranged to form the preset pattern. The width of the first protrusion is smaller than the width of the second protrusion, causing the first surface roughness of the patterned region 21 to be greater than the second surface roughness of the mirrored region 22, thus causing the textured layer 20 to exhibit the preset pattern under strong light. The height difference between the first protrusion and the adjacent second protrusion is less than or equal to a preset height difference, causing the textured layer 20 to exhibit a patternless mirror effect under natural light. The widths of the first and second protrusions are respectively dimensions along the radial directions of the first and second protrusions, and the heights of the first and second protrusions are respectively dimensions along the stacking direction of the substrate layer 10 and the textured layer 20. The preset height difference can be 0.1 μm.

[0066] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the terminal housing 200 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, the terminal housing 200 includes the optical structure 100 provided in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0067] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the terminal housing 200 also includes a transparent back cover 50 for sealing the back of the terminal. The optical structure 100 is disposed on the side of the transparent back cover 50 near the interior of the terminal, i.e., on the inner surface of the transparent back cover 50. The substrate layer 10 of the optical structure 100 is bonded to the inner surface of the transparent back cover 50. An optical adhesive can be provided between the substrate layer 10 and the transparent back cover 50 to adhere the optical structure 100 to the inner surface of the transparent back cover 50. In some embodiments, the substrate layer 10 includes an optical adhesive layer for bonding to the inner surface of the transparent back cover 50.

[0068] Incident light enters from the transparent back cover 50, passes through the substrate layer 10, and reaches the texture layer 20. Because the first surface roughness of the patterned region 21 is greater than the second surface roughness of the mirrored region 22, the incident light undergoes diffuse reflection at the patterned region 21 and specular reflection at the mirrored region 22. When the incident light is natural light, the intensity difference between the reflected light from the patterned region 21 and the mirrored region 22 is small, resulting in a patternless mirror effect on the terminal housing 200. When the incident light is strong light with an intensity greater than natural light, the intensity difference between the reflected light from the patterned region 21 and the mirrored region 22 is large, causing the terminal housing 200 to display a preset pattern and produce a caustic effect.

[0069] In this application, the strong light can be the strong light emitted by a high-powered flashlight, for example, the strong light emitted by the high-powered flashlight can illuminate the texture layer 20 of the optical structure, so that the texture layer 20 presents a more obvious preset pattern.

[0070] The transparent back cover 50 may be made of a transparent polymer or glass.

[0071] The coating layer 30 and the protective layer 40 are located on the inner surface of the transparent back cover 50.

[0072] Please see Figure 6 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a terminal housing 200 provided in another embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the optical structure 100 includes a textured layer 20, a substrate layer 10, a coating layer 30, and a protective layer 40 stacked together. The substrate layer 10 constitutes the transparent back cover 50 of the terminal housing 200. The textured layer 20 is located on the outer surface of the transparent back cover 50, and the coating layer 30 and the protective layer 40 are located on the inner surface of the transparent back cover 50. In some embodiments, a hydrophobic and oleophobic layer, such as an AF (Anti-fingerprint) layer, may be provided on the side of the textured layer 20 away from the substrate layer 10 to protect the textured layer 20 from physical damage or chemical corrosion.

[0073] The substrate layer 10 may be a glass layer.

[0074] The coating layer 30 and the protective layer 40 are located on the inner surface of the transparent back cover 50.

[0075] This application embodiment also provides a terminal, the terminal including the aforementioned terminal housing 200, the terminal housing 200 being used to cover the back of the terminal, the back of the terminal being opposite to the surface where the screen of the terminal is located. The terminal may be an electronic device such as a mobile phone, computer, tablet, wearable device, display screen, or other types of electronic devices.

[0076] Please see Figure 7 , Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a method for fabricating an optical structure provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 As shown, the method for fabricating the optical structure includes the following steps:

[0077] S101: Provides a substrate layer 10.

[0078] S102: A texture layer 20 is formed on the substrate layer 10. The texture layer 20 includes a patterned area 21 and a mirrored area 22. The shape of the patterned area 21 is the same as a preset pattern. The first surface roughness of the patterned area 21 and the second surface roughness of the mirrored area 22 satisfy preset conditions, so that the texture layer 20 presents the preset pattern under strong light and presents a patternless mirror effect under natural light. The preset conditions include that the first surface roughness of the patterned area 21 is greater than the second surface roughness of the mirrored area 22, the first surface roughness is less than or equal to a first preset roughness, and the second surface roughness is less than or equal to a second preset roughness.

[0079] The texture layer 20 can be formed on the substrate layer 10 by forming a material layer on the substrate layer 10 and then processing the material layer to form the texture layer 20, or by directly processing the substrate layer 10 to obtain the texture layer 20.

[0080] The method for fabricating the optical structure can be used to fabricate the aforementioned optical structure 100.

[0081] In some embodiments, forming the texture layer 20 on the substrate layer 10 may specifically include: preparing a transfer mold having a pattern that is mirrored to the pattern area 21 and the mirror area 22 of the texture layer 20; and using the transfer mold to form the texture layer 20 on the substrate layer 10.

[0082] The texture data can be determined based on the structure of the texture layer 20, such as the first surface roughness, the second surface roughness, and the height and width of the plurality of microlenses. The texture data is then transmitted to a computer, and the initial mold is subjected to exposure, development, drying, plasma cleaning, and other operations through laser engraving to obtain the texture mold. The texture mold has a pattern that is mirrored with the pattern area 21 and mirror area 22 of the texture layer 20. Then, the texture mold is subjected to transfer and curing operations to obtain the transfer mold, which has a pattern that is mirrored with the pattern area 21 and mirror area 22 of the texture layer 20.

[0083] The texture layer 20 can be formed on the substrate layer 10 using methods such as UV transfer, nanoimprinting, and hot pressing via the transfer mold. For example, the texture layer 20 can be formed on the substrate layer 10 using UV transfer via the transfer mold. Specifically, UV adhesive is coated onto the transfer mold, then the substrate layer 10 is covered onto the UV adhesive, and then the substrate layer 10 is rolled using rollers. Then, UV light is applied to the side of the transfer mold away from the UV adhesive to cure the UV adhesive. Finally, the UV adhesive is separated from the transfer mold, forming the pattern area 21 and the mirror area 22, thus obtaining the texture layer 20. Alternatively, the texture layer 20 can be formed by hot pressing, transferring the pattern of the transfer mold onto the substrate layer 10. Specifically, the substrate layer 10 is heated, and the transfer mold is pressed onto the substrate layer 10. The substrate layer 10 is cooled, and then the transfer mold is separated from the substrate layer 10, thus obtaining the texture layer 20.

[0084] In some other embodiments, forming the texture layer 20 on the substrate layer 10 may specifically include: forming a photoresist layer on the substrate layer 10; removing the portion of the photoresist layer corresponding to the pattern region 21 and the mirror region 22 to expose the portion of the substrate layer 10 corresponding to the pattern region 21 and the mirror region 22; etching the portion of the substrate layer 10 corresponding to the pattern region 21 and the mirror region 22 to form the pattern region 21 and the mirror region 22, thereby forming the texture layer 20.

[0085] Specifically, the portion of the photoresist layer corresponding to the pattern area 21 and the mirror area 22 can be exposed by means of laser direct writing, film exposure, etc., and then the exposed portion of the photoresist layer can be removed by using a developing solution to expose the portion of the substrate layer 10 corresponding to the pattern area 21 and the mirror area 22.

[0086] The portion of the substrate layer 10 corresponding to the pattern region 21 and the mirror region 22 can be etched using either dry etching or wet etching processes to form the pattern region 21 and the mirror region 22.

[0087] The substrate layer 10 may be a glass layer, and the texture layer 20 is the portion of the glass layer that extends outward.

[0088] In some embodiments, after forming the texture layer 20, the method for fabricating the optical structure further includes: forming the coating layer 30 on the side of the texture layer 20 away from the substrate layer 10; and forming the protective layer 40 on the side of the coating layer 30 away from the texture layer 20. The patterned region 21 and the mirrored region 22 of the texture layer 20 are located at a greater distance from the substrate layer 10 than from the coating layer 30.

[0089] The coating layer 30 can be formed by depositing on the side of the texture layer 20 away from the substrate layer 10 using chemical vapor deposition or physical vapor deposition. For example, the coating layer 30 can be formed by sequentially depositing a titanium dioxide layer, a silicon dioxide layer, an indium layer, another silicon dioxide layer, and another titanium dioxide layer on the side of the texture layer 20 away from the substrate layer 10 using physical vapor deposition. The thickness of the indium layer is 30-50 μm, and the sum of the thicknesses of the titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, indium, silicon dioxide, and titanium dioxide layers is 50-250 μm. When using an evaporation coating machine to deposit the coating layer 20, ion-assisted deposition can be enabled, or a sputtering machine can be used to form the coating layer 20 to improve the density of the coating layer 20, thereby increasing the reflectivity of incident light and improving brightness.

[0090] In this process, ink can be printed on the side of the coating layer 20 away from the texture layer 20, and the ink can be baked at a temperature of 75-85°C to form the protective layer 40.

[0091] In some other embodiments, after forming the texture layer 20, the method of fabricating the optical structure further includes: forming the coating layer 30 on the side of the substrate layer 10 away from the texture layer 20; and forming the protective layer 40 on the side of the coating layer 30 away from the texture layer 20.

[0092] The coating layer 30 can be formed on the side of the substrate layer 10 away from the texture layer 20 by chemical vapor deposition or physical vapor deposition. The formation process can refer to the above-described deposition of the coating layer 30 on the side of the texture layer 20 away from the substrate layer 10.

[0093] In some embodiments, the substrate layer 10 is a glass layer. A silica layer or a chromium layer, a titanium dioxide layer, a silica layer, an indium layer, a silica layer, and a titanium dioxide layer may be sequentially formed on a side of the glass layer away from the texture layer 20. Among them, the silica layer or the chromium layer can increase the interlayer adhesion between the titanium dioxide layer and the substrate layer 10, so that the substrate layer 10 and the coating layer 30 are more firmly combined.

[0094] To further understand the optical structure 100 of the present application, the above optical structure 100 will be further described in detail below in conjunction with Embodiments 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3. The protection scope of the present application is not limited by the following embodiments.

[0095] Embodiment 1

[0096] The first surface roughness of the pattern area 21 of the optical structure 100 is 0.06 μm, the second surface roughness of the mirror area 22 is 0.01 μm, and the preset pattern is an oval.

[0097] Under natural light, the optical structure 100 presents a patternless mirror effect; when the optical structure 100 is irradiated with a strong flashlight, an oval shape appears.

[0098] Embodiment 2

[0099] The first surface roughness of the pattern area 21 of the optical structure 100 is 0.01 μm, the second surface roughness of the mirror area 22 is 0.002 μm, and the preset pattern is the letter "D".

[0100] Under natural light, the optical structure 100 presents a patternless mirror effect; when the optical structure 100 is irradiated with a strong flashlight, the letter "D" appears.

[0101] Embodiment 3

[0102] The first surface roughness of the pattern area 21 of the optical structure 100 is 0.04 μm, the second surface roughness of the mirror area 22 is 0.006 μm, and the preset pattern is the Chinese character "亚".

[0103] Under natural light, the optical structure 100 presents a patternless mirror effect; when the optical structure 100 is irradiated with a strong flashlight, the Chinese character "亚" appears.

[0104] Embodiment 4

[0105] The first surface roughness of the pattern area 21 of the optical structure 100 is 0.02 μm, the second surface roughness of the mirror area 22 is 0.

[0106] Under natural light, the optical structure 100 presents a patternless mirror effect; when irradiated with a strong flashlight, the Chinese character "bi" appears.

[0107] Comparative Example 1

[0108] The first surface roughness of the pattern area 21 of the optical structure 100 is 0.08 μm, the second surface roughness of the mirror area 22 is 0.02 μm, and the preset pattern is an oval.

[0109] Under natural light, the surface of the optical structure 100 is rough and dull, presenting an oval shape.

[0110] Comparative Example 2

[0111] The first surface roughness of the pattern area 21 of the optical structure 100 is 0.005 μm, the second surface roughness of the mirror area 22 is 0.002 μm, and the preset pattern is an oval.

[0112] Under natural light or strong light irradiation, the optical structure 100 presents a patternless mirror effect.

[0113] Comparative Example 3

[0114] The first surface roughness of the pattern area 21 of the optical structure 100 is 0.008 μm, the second surface roughness of the mirror area 22 is 0.08 μm, and the preset pattern is an oval.

[0115] Under natural light, the pattern area 21 of the optical structure 100 is brighter, and the mirror area 22 is darker. Under natural light, the optical structure 100 presents an oval shape.

[0116] As can be seen from Examples 1 to 4, Comparative Examples 1 and 2, when the first surface roughness of the patterned region 21 is less than or equal to 0.06 μm and the second surface roughness of the mirrored region 22 is less than or equal to 0.01 μm, the optical structure 100 exhibits a patternless mirror effect under natural light and presents the preset pattern under strong light; when the first surface roughness of the patterned region 21 is greater than 0.06 μm, the optical structure 100 presents the preset pattern under natural light, and when the second surface roughness of the mirrored region 22 is greater than 0.01 μm, the optical structure 100 has a rough and dull surface under natural light; when the first surface roughness of the patterned region 21 and the second surface roughness of the mirrored region 22 are both less than 0.01 μm and the first surface roughness is greater than the second surface roughness, due to the small first surface roughness, the optical structure 100 exhibits a patternless mirror effect under both natural light and strong light.

[0117] As can be seen from Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 3, when the first surface roughness of the patterned region 21 is greater than the second surface roughness of the mirrored region 22, the optical structure 100 presents a mirror-like effect without a pattern under natural light. When the first surface roughness of the patterned region 21 is less than the second surface roughness of the mirrored region 22, the optical structure 100 presents the preset pattern under natural light.

[0118] It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the foregoing method embodiments are all described as a series of actions. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the described order of actions, as some steps may be performed in other orders or simultaneously according to this application. Furthermore, those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to this application.

[0119] The above are the implementation methods of the embodiments of this application. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the embodiments of this application, and these improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An optical structure, characterized in that, The optical structure includes: Substrate layer; A texture layer is disposed on the substrate layer. The texture layer includes a patterned area and a mirrored area. The shape of the patterned area is the same as a preset pattern. The first surface roughness of the patterned area and the second surface roughness of the mirrored area satisfy preset conditions, such that the texture layer presents the preset pattern under strong light and presents a patternless mirror effect under natural light. The preset conditions include that the first surface roughness of the patterned area is greater than the second surface roughness of the mirrored area, the first surface roughness is less than or equal to a first preset roughness, and the second surface roughness is less than or equal to a second preset roughness. The difference between the first surface roughness and the second surface roughness is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 0.06 μm.

2. The optical structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The patterned area is provided with multiple microlenses.

3. The optical structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The height of the microlens is less than 0.1 μm.

4. The optical structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first preset roughness is 0.06 μm, and the second preset roughness is 0.01 μm.

5. The optical structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical structure further includes a coating layer disposed on the side of the texture layer away from the substrate layer, or the coating layer is disposed on the side of the substrate layer away from the texture layer.

6. The optical structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The coating layer includes at least one of an oxide layer and a metal layer.

7. The optical structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The coating layer includes an oxide layer and a metal layer.

8. The optical structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The optical structure also includes a protective layer disposed on the side of the coating layer away from the texture layer.

9. The optical structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate layer includes at least one of a transparent polymer layer and a glass layer.

10. The optical structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate layer and the texture layer are an integral structure.

11. The optical structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The microlens includes at least one of spherical lenses, cylindrical lenses, and prism lenses.

12. A terminal housing, characterized in that, The terminal housing includes the optical structure as described in any one of claims 1-11.

13. A terminal, characterized in that, The terminal includes the terminal housing as described in claim 12.

14. A method for fabricating an optical structure, characterized in that, The method for fabricating the optical structure includes: Provide a substrate layer; A texture layer is formed on the substrate layer. The texture layer includes a patterned area and a mirrored area. The shape of the patterned area is the same as a preset pattern. The first surface roughness of the patterned area and the second surface roughness of the mirrored area satisfy preset conditions, such that the texture layer presents the preset pattern under strong light and presents a patternless mirror effect under natural light. The preset conditions include that the first surface roughness of the patterned area is greater than the second surface roughness of the mirrored area, the first surface roughness is less than or equal to a first preset roughness, and the second surface roughness is less than or equal to a second preset roughness. The difference between the first surface roughness and the second surface roughness is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 0.06 μm.

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