Manufacturing method of plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions

Abstract

The invention provides a manufacturing method of a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions, which comprises the following steps of: performing hard layer surface coating hardening treatment and multi-layer film surface treatment of an anti-reflection layer on a flat surface of a high polymer material substrate, and then performing surface roughening treatment of an anti-glare layer on the multi-layer film surface. The hard layer is made of an organic-inorganic mixed ultraviolet oligomer / monomer, an inorganic particle material or a high-extension characteristic (the elongation rate gt; 200%) of the ultraviolet light cured long-chain oligomer / monomer. The multi-layer film material composition of the anti-reflection layer is selected from ultraviolet light curing oligomer / monomer or inorganic material with high refractive index, and is matched with ultraviolet light curing oligomer / monomer or inorganic material with low refractive index. The plastic panel finished product manufactured by the manufacturing method and the material has good appearance quality and product characteristic yield, and simultaneously has anti-glare and anti-reflection functions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, a front panel is attached to an in-vehicle display (such as, but not limited to, the touch panel of an automotive touch-screen electronic device or the LCD instrument panel of a vehicle). This serves two purposes: firstly, it protects the display panel from scratches, and secondly, it allows for the printing of specific patterns or text on the front panel to indicate specific touch areas on the display panel, thereby improving the ease of operation for the user.

[0003] Because automotive displays need to possess anti-glare and anti-reflective optical functions to prevent ambient light from affecting the visibility of the displays, in recent years, some manufacturers have used aluminosilicate glass for surface etching or sol-gel processes to roughen the glass surface, reducing gloss or increasing haze, thereby producing an anti-glare (AG) effect before applying anti-reflective surface treatment. In other words, known technologies first create surface microstructures with anti-glare functionality before performing anti-reflective surface treatment. Anti-reflective surface treatment generally involves vacuum physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating or multiple layers of wet precision coating. This causes destructive interference in thin-film interference due to the difference in refractive index across multiple layers on the glass surface, reducing light reflectivity and increasing light transmittance.

[0004] Recently, some manufacturers have also used polymer materials (such as plastic) to first apply wet powder coating or light curing embossing to the front panel to create an AG anti-glare structure. Then, they apply PVD coating in vacuum or perform multiple layers of wet precision coating to form an anti-reflective layer, so that the surface of the polymer material front panel has both anti-glare and anti-reflective functions.

[0005] Previous technologies, whether using aluminosilicate glass or polymer materials as the front panel substrate, involved first performing an anti-glare surface roughening treatment followed by an anti-reflective multilayer film surface treatment. This is because the anti-reflective surface treatment film is extremely thin, typically between 100 and 200 nm, while the anti-glare roughening layer is thicker, typically between 1 and 20 μm. With existing technology, if the anti-reflective surface treatment is performed first, followed by the anti-glare surface treatment, the anti-reflective film is easily damaged by physical factors (such as imprinting) or chemical reactions (such as etching), thus losing its anti-reflective function. However, the current conventional process of performing anti-glare surface roughening treatment followed by the anti-reflective multilayer film surface treatment requires the application of an extremely thin anti-reflective coating nano-coating on a highly rough surface, with a coating thickness uniformity of + / -10 nm to meet the requirement of <1% reflectivity for automotive front panels. However, achieving this specification is already quite difficult when coating on a flat surface, and it is even more challenging on substrates with surface roughness. It is also prone to problems such as poor appearance quality and difficulty in controlling the yield of product characteristics, so there is room for further improvement.

[0006] Therefore, this invention provides a unique material and process method that allows for the first anti-reflective surface treatment on a smooth surface of a polymer material, followed by an anti-glare surface treatment. This not only results in a finished product with good appearance quality and high product yield, but also retains anti-glare and anti-reflective functions, thereby overcoming the various shortcomings of the aforementioned prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The main objective of this invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions. The method involves first applying a hard layer surface coating and hardening treatment to the flat surface of a polymer substrate, followed by a multilayer film surface treatment for the anti-reflection layer. Then, a surface roughening treatment is applied to the surface of the multilayer film to create an anti-glare layer. The hard layer material is selected from organic-inorganic hybrid UV-curable oligomers / monomers, inorganic particle materials, or UV-curable long-chain oligomers / monomers with high elongation (elongation > 200%). The multilayer film material of the anti-reflection layer is composed of high-refractive-index UV-curable oligomers / monomers or inorganic materials, combined with low-refractive-index UV-curable oligomers / monomers or inorganic materials. The plastic panel manufactured using this method and materials can achieve both good appearance quality and high product yield, while simultaneously maintaining anti-glare and anti-reflection functions, overcoming the various shortcomings of the aforementioned prior art.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions, comprising the following steps: a substrate forming step, wherein a planar plastic substrate is manufactured by an extrusion process; the plastic substrate has a flat and smooth upper surface and a lower surface; a hard layer forming step, wherein a planar hard coating (HC) is formed on the flat and smooth upper surface of the planar plastic substrate by a coating and curing process; an anti-reflection layer forming step, wherein a planar anti-reflection layer is formed on the planar hard coating of the plastic substrate by a thin film process; a microstructure forming step, wherein a plurality of microstructures are pressed onto the planar anti-reflection layer and the hard coating of the plastic substrate by a hot pressing process, the plurality of microstructures being used to provide anti-glare function; and an output step, wherein the plastic substrate having the anti-reflection layer and the plurality of microstructures is output to obtain the plastic panel with both anti-glare and anti-reflection functions.

[0009] In one embodiment, in the step of forming the hard layer, the material composition of the hard layer includes at least one of the following: an organic-inorganic hybrid UV-curable oligomer / monomer, an inorganic particle material, or a UV-curable long-chain oligomer / monomer with high elongation (elongation > 200%); wherein the organic-inorganic hybrid UV-curable oligomer / monomer includes one of the following: a UV-curable elastic oligomer with a high glass transition temperature (Tg) ≥ 120°C or a UV-curable monomer with a high Tg ≥ 240°C; wherein the inorganic particle material includes a hybrid oligomer / monomer or inorganic particles; in the step of forming the antireflective layer, the material composition of the antireflective layer includes at least one of the following: a high refractive index (High) Refractive Index (abbreviated as high RI) UV-curable oligomers / monomers, high RI inorganic materials, low RI UV-curable oligomers / monomers, or low RI inorganic materials; wherein the high RI inorganic material comprises one of the following: titanium dioxide (TiO2), niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5), tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5), zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), or aluminum oxide (Al2O3); the low RI inorganic material... The material comprises one of the following: silicon dioxide (SiO2), magnesium fluoride (MgF2), or hollow silicon dioxide microparticles; wherein the RI value of the high RI UV-curable oligomer / monomer is between 1.6 and 1.75; the RI value of the low RI UV-curable oligomer / monomer is between 1.4 and 1.48; the RI value of the high RI inorganic material is between 1.6 and 2.5; and the RI value of the low RI inorganic material is between 1.1 and 1.45.

[0010] In one embodiment, in the microstructure formation step, the hot pressing process involves using a precision hot pressing roller device to perform roller hot pressing on the upper surface of the plastic substrate already having the hard layer and the anti-reflective layer, making it a planar plastic substrate with the plurality of microstructures; the precision hot pressing roller device includes a roller, a flexible metal mold, a worktable, and a heater; the flexible metal mold surface is provided with a plurality of pressing structures corresponding to the shapes of the plurality of microstructures; the flexible metal mold can be bent The plastic substrate, which is curved into an arc shape and detachably mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the roller, is placed on the worktable. The plastic substrate is heated by the heater and maintained at a hot pressing temperature. The roller with the flexible metal mold mounted on it is rolled and hot pressed on the upper surface of the plastic substrate. The plurality of molding structures on the surface of the flexible metal mold are transferred to the upper surface of the plastic substrate to form the plurality of microstructures on the anti-reflective layer and the rigid layer.

[0011] In one embodiment, the step between the microstructure formation step and the output step further includes the following steps: a printing step, performed after the microstructure formation step, forming a printed layer on the lower surface of the planar plastic substrate by a printing process; and a cutting step, performed after the printing step, cutting the plastic substrate having the anti-reflective layer and the plurality of microstructures into a planar plastic substrate with a predetermined shape by a cutting machine.

[0012] In one embodiment, the step between forming the antireflective layer and forming the microstructure further includes the following steps: a printing step, performed after the antireflective layer formation step, forming a printed layer on the lower surface of the planar plastic substrate by a printing process; and a cutting step, performed after the printing step, cutting the plastic substrate having the antireflective layer into a planar plastic substrate with a predetermined shape by a cutting machine; the microstructure formation step is performed after the cutting step; and in the microstructure formation step, the hot pressing process is to use a curved hot pressing device to perform curved hot pressing processing on the planar plastic substrate having the hard layer, the antireflective layer and the printed layer and having the predetermined shape, so that it becomes a curved plastic substrate having the plurality of microstructures.

[0013] In one embodiment, the curved surface hot pressing apparatus includes: an upper mold with variable curvature, a lower mold with variable curvature, a plurality of upper heaters, a plurality of upper temperature sensors, a plurality of lower heaters, and a plurality of lower temperature sensors; a plurality of molding structures corresponding to the plurality of microstructure shapes are provided on the surface of the upper mold; the plurality of upper heaters and the plurality of upper temperature sensors are distributed in various regions of the upper mold, and the plurality of lower heaters and the plurality of lower temperature sensors are distributed in various regions of the lower mold; the upper mold and the lower mold are correspondingly fitted and each can at least partially adjust its curvature; the curved surface hot pressing apparatus performs curved surface hot pressing processing on the flat plastic substrate using the following steps:

[0014] The curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold is adjusted to be flat, and the flat plastic substrate with the hard layer and the anti-reflective layer is sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold. The temperature of the flat plastic substrate is heated to a predetermined temperature by a plurality of upper heaters and a plurality of lower heaters, and the temperature of each area of ​​the flat plastic substrate is maintained at the predetermined temperature by a plurality of upper temperature sensors and a plurality of lower temperature sensors.

[0015] The curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold is adjusted to a first curvature, so that the plastic substrate sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold is processed by the upper mold and the lower mold into a curved plastic substrate with the first curvature. Furthermore, the plurality of molding structures on the surface of the upper mold are transferred to the upper surface of the plastic substrate to form the plurality of microstructures on the anti-reflective layer and the rigid layer. Simultaneously, the plurality of upper temperature sensors and the plurality of lower temperature sensors continuously sense and confirm that the temperature of each region of the curved plastic substrate with the first curvature is maintained at a predetermined temperature.

[0016] The curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold is adjusted to a second curvature, so that the curved plastic substrate sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold is processed by the upper mold and the lower mold into a curved plastic substrate with the second curvature; at the same time, the plurality of upper temperature sensors and the plurality of lower temperature sensors continue to sense and confirm that the temperature of each region of the curved plastic substrate with the second curvature is maintained at the predetermined temperature; wherein, the curvature of the second curvature is greater than the first curvature.

[0017] In one embodiment, the curved hot pressing device further includes a plurality of cameras for capturing curvature images of the upper mold and the lower mold, thereby determining whether the curvature of the curved plastic substrate has reached a predetermined curvature; the upper mold includes at least a first upper template, a second upper template, and a third upper template; the first upper template and the second upper template are connected by a first upper joint, allowing the first upper template to perform curvature adjustment movement relative to the second upper template via the first upper joint; the second upper template and the third upper template are connected by a second upper joint, allowing the third upper template to perform curvature adjustment movement relative to the second upper template via the second upper joint; the lower... The mold includes at least a first lower template, a second lower template, and a third lower template; the first lower template and the second lower template are connected by a first lower joint, allowing the first lower template to perform curvature adjustment movement relative to the second lower template via the first lower joint; the second lower template and the third lower template are connected by a second lower joint, allowing the third lower template to perform curvature adjustment movement relative to the second lower template via the second lower joint; wherein, the shape and position of the first upper template correspond to the first lower template, the shape and position of the second upper template correspond to the second lower template, and the shape and position of the third upper template correspond to the third lower template.

[0018] In one embodiment, an upper heater and an upper temperature sensor are respectively provided in the first upper template, the second upper template, and the third upper template; a lower heater and a lower temperature sensor are respectively provided in the first lower template, the second lower template, and the third lower template; each of the first upper joint, the second upper joint, the first lower joint, and the second lower joint includes a linear slide rail, and the curvature between adjacent templates is adjusted by means of the driving torque of the linear slide rail.

[0019] In one embodiment, the material composition of the plastic substrate of the plane is one of the following: polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) sheet, polycarbonate (PC) sheet, PMMA / PC double-layer composite sheet, or PMMA / PC / PMMA triple-layer composite sheet. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the first embodiment of the manufacturing method of the plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions of the present invention.

[0021] Figures 2A to 2G They are as follows Figure 1 The flowchart shown is a schematic diagram of the semi-finished plastic panel in each step of the first embodiment of the plastic panel of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the hot-pressing roller device described in the method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions according to the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the manufacturing method of the plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 5C and Figure 5D These are schematic diagrams illustrating several processes in the second embodiment of the method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions according to the present invention, namely, hot-pressing a planar plastic substrate into a plastic substrate with a curved surface and a plurality of microstructures to form an anti-glare layer.

[0025] Figure 5E This is a top view of the upper mold (or lower mold) of the curved surface hot pressing device described in this invention.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of real-time monitoring of local temperature and local curvature forming status of the curved surface hot pressing device described in this invention.

[0027] Figure 7A and Figure 7B These are schematic diagrams of an embodiment of the processing equipment for curved plastic panels of the present invention, showing the door panel in the open and closed states.

[0028] Figure 8A and Figure 8B These are schematic diagrams of the upper and lower molds of the curved surface hot pressing device of the present invention in a planar state and a bent state, respectively.

[0029] Reference numerals: 10 - Plastic panel; 11, 41 - Plastic substrate; 111 - Main layer; 112, 113 - Surface layer; 12 - Rigid layer; 13 - Anti-reflective layer; 14 - Printed layer; 15, 411 - Microstructure; 100 - Vehicle display; 21-29, 3611-3614, 3621-3624, 3631-3634 - Steps; 361-364 - Stages; 42, 43 - Mold; 420a, 420b, 430a, 430b - Joints; 4201, 4301 - Linear guide rails; 421, 431 - Heater; 422, 432 - Temperature sensor ; 423-Pressure mold structure; 49-Bending point; 50-Curved surface hot pressing device; 51-Machine body; 52-Door panel; 53, 54-Hydraulic device; 531, 541-Mold locking mechanism; 55-Camera; 60-Control unit; 61-Heating module; 62-Temperature sensing module; 63-Drive device; 64-Image acquisition module; 65-Database; 66-Analysis module; 67-Control module; 68-Power supply module; 69-Human-machine interface; 70-Hot pressing roller device; 71-Roller; 72-Flexible metal steel mold; 721-Pressure mold structure; 73-Workbench; 74-Heater. Detailed Implementation

[0030] This invention provides a method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflective functions. The method involves first applying a hard layer surface coating and hardening treatment to a flat surface of a polymer substrate, followed by a multilayer film surface treatment for the anti-reflective layer. Then, a surface roughening treatment is applied to the surface of the multilayer film to create an anti-glare layer. The hard layer material is selected from organic-organic hybrid UV-curable oligomers / monomers, inorganic particle materials, or UV-curable long-chain oligomers / monomers with high elongation (elongation > 200%). The multilayer film material of the anti-reflective layer is composed of UV-curable oligomers / monomers with high refractive index (RI > 1.6) or inorganic materials, combined with UV-curable oligomers / monomers or inorganic materials with low refractive index (RI < 1.6). The plastic panel manufactured using this method and materials possesses both good appearance quality and high product yield, while simultaneously maintaining anti-glare and anti-reflective functions.

[0031] To more clearly describe the manufacturing method of the plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions of the present invention, it will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Please see Figure 1 and Figures 2A to 2G ;in, Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the first embodiment of the manufacturing method of the plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions of the present invention; Figures 2A to 2G They are as follows Figure 1 The flowchart shown is a schematic diagram of the semi-finished plastic panel in each step of the first embodiment of the plastic panel of the present invention.

[0033] like Figure 1 and Figures 2A to 2G As shown, the first embodiment of the method for manufacturing the plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions of the present invention includes the following steps in sequence.

[0034] Substrate formation step 21: A planar plastic substrate 11 is manufactured using a plastic compounding extruder through an extrusion process, such as... Figure 2A As shown. The plastic substrate 11 has a flat and smooth upper surface and a lower surface. The material composition of the planar plastic substrate 11 is one of the following: a single layer of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) sheet, a single layer of polycarbonate (PC) sheet, a co-extruded PMMA / PC two-layer composite sheet, or a co-extruded PMMA / PC / PMMA three-layer composite sheet. In this embodiment, the plastic substrate 11 is made of polycarbonate (PC) sheet as the main layer 111, and a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) surface layer 112 and 113 are respectively provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the PC sheet to enhance its physical properties, so it is a PMMA / PC / PMMA three-layer composite sheet. In this embodiment, the total thickness of the plastic substrate 10 is between 0.5 and 3 mm. The thickness of the PC layer, which serves as the main layer 111, accounts for approximately 60% to 99.99% of the total thickness, while the combined thickness of the PMMA surface layers 112 and 113 located on the upper and lower sides of the main layer accounts for approximately 0.01% to 40% of the total thickness of the plastic substrate.

[0035] Step 22: Forming a hard layer; using a coating machine and a coating curing process, a layer of liquid hard layer material is coated onto the flat and smooth upper surface of the planar plastic substrate 11; then, the liquid hard layer material is irradiated with ultraviolet light to harden it and form a planar hard layer 12 (Hard Coating, abbreviated as HC) on the flat and smooth upper surface of the plastic substrate 11, such as... Figure 2BAs shown. The hard layer 12 is applied to the upper surface of the plastic substrate 11 using surface-hardening coating technology. Commonly used HC materials include ultraviolet (UV) cured multifunctional high surface tension oligomers or high surface tension monomer formulations, which are thin films that enhance the hardness of the material to form a scratch-resistant effect. HC technology is mainly used for the surface of soft substrates, such as PC or PMMA plastic substrates. These plastic substrates are relatively soft, and after the surface is hardened by HC, the hardness can be like glass, making them easy to wipe and not easy to scratch. In this embodiment, the material composition of the rigid layer 12 includes at least one of the following: an organic-inorganic hybrid UV-curable oligomer / monomer, an inorganic particle material, or a UV-curable long-chain oligomer / monomer with high elongation (elongation > 200%); wherein the organic-inorganic hybrid UV-curable oligomer / monomer includes one of the following: a UV-curable elastic oligomer with a high glass transition temperature (Tg) and Tg ≥ 120°C or a UV-curable monomer with a high Tg (Tg ≥ 240°C); wherein the inorganic particle material includes a hybrid oligomer / monomer or inorganic particles.

[0036] The reason why the material of the rigid layer 12 of this invention needs to be a high Tg value material with a Tg value greater than or equal to 120°C is mainly because if the ambient operating temperature of the plastic panel 10 is close to the Tg point (glass transition temperature) of the polymer material, the porosity of the polymer material will increase, allowing moisture to enter. Generally, automotive applications require a maximum ambient temperature of 90°C. If the Tg of the material is lower than or close to 90°C, when the operating temperature reaches 90°C, the polymer chain segments soften and the porosity increases, making it easier for moisture to permeate and failing to block moisture. However, because this invention uses a material with a Tg of 120°C or higher to make the rigid layer 12, this problem can be avoided.

[0037] In this invention, the rigid layer (HC) material formulation comprises an organic-inorganic hybrid UV-curable oligomer, exhibiting a relatively low crosslinking density compared to traditional high-crosslinking-density HC formulations. This results in a wear-resistant hard coating with low shrinkage and excellent flexibility. The inorganic materials contribute to the surface physical properties, giving the coating high hardness and high wear resistance. Furthermore, the rigid layer (HC) formulation of this invention comprises high-Tg UV-curable elastomer oligomers and high-Tg monomers, exhibiting better high-temperature stability compared to traditional high-crosslinking-density HC formulations. Therefore, it possesses better thermoformability during high-temperature processes, allowing the UV-cured moldable polymer front panel material to be bent into a free curvature. The rigid layer (HC) formulation of this invention comprises UV-curable long-chain oligomers or monomers with high elongation (>200%), exhibiting better elongation compared to traditional high-crosslinking-density HC formulations. Therefore, it possesses better thermoformability during hot pressing processes, allowing the UV-cured moldable polymer front panel material to be bent into a free curvature.

[0038] Step 23: Forming an anti-reflective layer; a planar anti-reflective layer 13 is formed on the planar surface of the rigid layer of the plastic substrate using a thin film fabrication process, such as... Figure 2CAs shown. In this step, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) multilayer coating can be performed using a coating machine, or a wet precision coating method can be used to perform multiple layers. Multiple layers of high-refractive-index materials and low-refractive-index materials are alternately stacked on the hard layer 12 on the plane of the plastic substrate 11. This causes destructive interference in thin-film interference due to the differences in high and low refractive indices contained in the anti-reflection layer 13, resulting in decreased light reflectivity and increased light transmittance. In this embodiment, the thickness of the anti-reflection layer 13, composed of multiple layers of alternating high-refractive-index and low-refractive-index materials, is between 100 and 200 nm. The high-refractive-index (high RI) material refers to a material with RI > 1.6, while the low-refractive-index (low RI) material refers to a material with RI < 1.6. In this embodiment, the antireflective layer 13 comprises at least one of the following materials: a high refractive index UV-curable oligomer / monomer, a high RI inorganic material, a low RI UV-curable oligomer / monomer, or a low RI inorganic material. In this embodiment, the selected high RI UV-curable oligomer / monomer material has an RI value between 1.6 and 1.75, and the selected low RI UV-curable oligomer / monomer material has an RI value between 1.4 and 1.48. The high RI inorganic material comprises one of the following: titanium dioxide (TiO2), niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5), tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5), zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), or aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and the RI value of these high RI inorganic materials is between 1.6 and 2.5. The low-RI inorganic material contains one of the following: silicon dioxide (SiO2), magnesium fluoride (MgF2), or hollow silicon dioxide microparticles, and the RI value of these low-RI inorganic materials is between 1.1 and 1.45.

[0039] While the plastic panel 10 of this invention is structurally similar to existing technologies, it uniquely employs a material formulation with high Tg values ​​(Tg≥120℃) and high elongation characteristics (elongation >200%) in the selection of materials for the rigid layer 12 and the anti-reflective layer 13. By using a high Tg value (Tg≥120℃) UV-curable elastic oligomer or a high Tg monomer (Tg≥240℃) material formulation in the rigid layer, the formable plastic panel can be provided with high impact resistance, high flexibility, and stability at high temperatures, improving reliability during high-temperature or high-temperature and high-humidity environmental testing. By using a high elongation characteristic (elongation >200%) UV-curable long-chain oligomer or monomer material formulation in the rigid layer, the formable plastic panel can be provided with high elongation characteristics and high-temperature moldability, avoiding cracking or uneven thickness or damage to the anti-reflective layer during subsequent hot pressing to create the microstructure.

[0040] Step 24: After completing step 23 of forming the anti-reflective layer, a plurality of microstructures 15 with micron or nanometer-level surface roughness are pressed onto the anti-reflective layer 13 and the rigid layer 12 on the plane of the plastic substrate 11 using a hot pressing roller device or a hot pressing mold device, through a hot pressing process. Figure 2D As shown. The plurality of microstructures 15 are used to disperse light incident on the upper surface of the plastic panel 10 from the outside into different directions to provide anti-glare functionality. In this invention, the plurality of microstructures 15 can be hemispherical protrusions or depressions, pyramidal protrusions or depressions, star-shaped protrusions or depressions, irregular uneven structures, or frosted rough structures. The height (distance between the top and bottom ends) of the plurality of microstructures 15 is between 1 and 20 μm.

[0041] Printing step 25; After the microstructure formation step, a printed layer 14 is formed on the lower surface of the planar plastic substrate 11 using a printing machine through a printing process, such as... Figure 2E As shown. The printing layer 14 is usually printed with colored ink to create specific patterns or text on the inner surface of the plastic substrate 11 to represent the functional specifications of the vehicle display or to enhance its aesthetics.

[0042] Cutting step 26; performed after the printing step, the plastic substrate 11 having the hard layer 12, the anti-reflective layer 13, the printed layer 14, and the plurality of microstructures 15 is cut by a CNC cutting machine into a planar plastic substrate 11 with a predetermined shape, such as... Figure 2F As shown.

[0043] Output step 27; Use a transmission device to output the plastic substrate 11 having the anti-reflective layer 13 and the plurality of microstructures 15, to obtain the planar plastic panel 10 with both anti-glare and anti-reflective functions, such as Figure 2G As shown. The finished product of the flat plastic panel 10 manufactured by the method of the present invention has the following structure: Figure 2G As shown, it includes: a plastic substrate 11 of PMMA / PC / PMMA three-layer composite material, a rigid layer 12 (HC) formed on the upper surface of the plastic substrate, an anti-reflective layer 13 formed on the rigid layer, an anti-glare layer composed of a plurality of microstructures 15 formed on the anti-reflective layer 13 and the rigid layer 12, and a printed layer 14 formed on the lower surface of the plastic substrate 11. The plastic panel 10 of the present invention can be used as a front panel and bonded to an in-vehicle display 100 by optically clear adhesive (OCA) or other means, such as a touch panel, vehicle instrument panel or other display panel, etc. In addition to providing anti-glare and anti-reflective functions, it also has good appearance quality and product yield.

[0044] Please see Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the hot-pressing roller device 70 described in the manufacturing method of the plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions of the present invention. In the first embodiment of the present invention, in the microstructure formation step, the hot pressing process uses a precision hot-pressing roller device 70 to perform roller hot pressing on the upper surface of the plastic substrate 11, which already has the hard layer 12 and the anti-reflection layer 13, so that it becomes a planar plastic substrate 11 with the plurality of microstructures 15. The precision hot-pressing roller device 70 includes a roller 71, a flexible metal mold 72, a worktable 73, and a heater 74. The flexible metal mold 72 has a plurality of pressing structures 721 corresponding to the shapes of the plurality of microstructures 15 on its surface. Before being installed on the roller 71, the flexible metal mold 72 will naturally flatten into a flat plate shape due to its own elasticity when not subjected to external force. In use, the flat, flexible metal mold 72 can be bent into an arc shape and detachably mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the roller 71. The plastic substrate 11, which already has the rigid layer 12 and the anti-reflective layer 13, is placed on the worktable 73. The heater 74 heats the plastic substrate 11 and maintains it at a hot-pressing working temperature. The roller 71, with the flexible metal mold 72 mounted on it, rolls and hot-presses the upper surface of the plastic substrate 11, transferring the plurality of molding structures 721 on the surface of the flexible metal mold 72 onto the upper surface of the plastic substrate 11, thereby forming the plurality of microstructures 15 on the anti-reflective layer 13 and the rigid layer 12. In this embodiment, the shapes of the plurality of molding structures 721 correspond to the shapes of the plurality of microstructures 15 that can be imprinted on the anti-reflective layer 13 and the rigid layer 12, such as hemispherical protrusions or depressions, pyramidal protrusions or depressions, starburst protrusions or depressions, irregular uneven structures, or frosted rough structures, thereby achieving a product appearance with overall or partial anti-glare. In this embodiment, the flexible metal mold 72 is detachably assembled on the roller 71. When it is necessary to imprint microstructures of different shapes, the original flexible metal mold 72 can be removed from the roller 71, and then another flexible metal mold 72 with different molding structures 721 can be installed on the roller 71 to imprint another plurality of microstructures 15 of different shapes on the anti-reflective layer 13 and the rigid layer 12 of the plastic substrate 11.

[0045] The rigid layer and anti-reflective layer of this invention employ a high-temperature and impact-resistant material formulation, which eliminates the need for prior anti-glare surface treatment followed by anti-reflective surface treatment, significantly reducing the defect rate of nano-coating on rough surfaces. The high-temperature and impact-resistant rigid layer material, serving as an interlayer between the polymer plastic substrate and the anti-reflective layer, absorbs the high temperature and impact forces during the precision hot-rolling AG anti-glare surface treatment, maintaining the function of the anti-reflective layer while simultaneously imparting an anti-glare effect to the finished product. The surface hardness of the novel anti-glare and anti-reflective plastic panel manufactured using this precision hot-rolling process can be increased to above 4H (4H~9H), chemical abrasion resistance tests pass automotive-grade standards, and the UV yellowing resistance test (1000 hours) maintains a specification of ΔE<3.

[0046] This invention first coats a high-temperature resistant and impact-resistant hard layer onto the surface of a polymer plastic substrate, with a coating thickness of approximately 1–20 μm. Next, an anti-reflective nano-coating is applied, with a total thickness of approximately 100–200 nm. The anti-reflective coating exhibits excellent thickness uniformity on the planarized surface, thus improving its appearance quality and optical performance. Finally, this semi-finished material undergoes a precision microstructure hot rolling process developed in this technology, transferring anti-glare microstructures with micron or nanometer-level surface roughness onto the surface of the anti-reflective polymer plastic substrate.

[0047] This invention uses PMMA / PC / PMMA or PMMA / PC composite materials as a plastic substrate, combined with a high-temperature and impact-resistant hard coating formulation, to produce a microstructure-formable composite polymer material through a wet coating process. This allows for anti-glare microstructure formation after anti-reflective surface treatment, and all surface treatments at this stage do not produce any appearance or functional abnormalities. The breakthrough of this invention lies in the high-temperature and impact-resistant hard coating formulation, combined with the anti-reflective surface treatment. It can withstand the high temperatures and physical impact forces of precision hot rolling processes. The high-temperature and impact-resistant coating formulation absorbs the impact forces from the precision rolling process, preventing the HC and anti-reflective layer from cracking and collapsing. It can withstand harsh high-temperature conditions without collapsing or softening, allowing the anti-reflective layer to maintain its integrity.

[0048] The manufacturing method of the plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions of this invention has the following advantages: 1. It can produce multifunctional polymer materials for displays with localized microstructures, while simultaneously possessing optical functions (anti-reflection and anti-glare) and the advantage of being safe and unbreakable. 2. Through polymer material formulation, coating formulation design, and precision coating technology, the extensibility of the polymer surface can be improved to the level of being able to form microstructures. The finished product can pass various automotive specifications and weather resistance tests, and the sample can maintain its original optical and physical properties after testing. 3. The polymer sheet is first optically surface-treated, and then hot-rolled to form microstructures. This special process design can improve the poor yield of the original anti-glare process followed by the anti-reflection process in glass or polymer materials. 4. The hot-rolling equipment and mold design of this invention can realize the hot-pressed shape with full or partial anti-glare properties. 5. The molding structure of the present invention is not limited to optical functions (anti-glare, anti-reflection), but can also create textured tactile sensations to enhance the quality of automotive interiors or create raised blind spots to achieve intuitive touch control functions.

[0049] In the other embodiments of the present invention described below, since most of the process steps, components, materials or functions are the same as or similar to the first embodiment described above, the same components or steps will be given the same number and name and their details will not be repeated.

[0050] Please see Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a second embodiment of the manufacturing method of the plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions of the present invention. Besides manufacturing flat plastic panels, the manufacturing method of the plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions of the present invention can also be used to manufacture curved plastic panels for use as the front panel of an automotive display.

[0051] like Figure 4 As shown, a second embodiment of the method for manufacturing the plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions of the present invention includes the following steps:

[0052] Step 21: A planar plastic substrate is manufactured using a plastic compounding extruder through an extrusion process. This plastic substrate has a flat, smooth upper surface and a lower surface. Since the structure and material of the plastic substrate in the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, they will not be described again.

[0053] Step 22: Forming a hard layer; using a coating machine and a coating curing process, a layer of liquid hard layer material is coated onto the flat and smooth upper surface of the planar plastic substrate; then, the liquid hard layer material is irradiated with an ultraviolet light machine to harden it and form a planar hard layer (HC) on the flat and smooth upper surface of the plastic substrate. In the second embodiment, since the planar plastic substrate is easy to perform HC surface treatment, the yield is very high. Since the structure and material of the hard layer described in the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, they will not be described again.

[0054] Step 23: Forming the anti-reflective layer; After completing step 22 of forming the hard layer, a planar anti-reflective layer is formed on the hard layer on the plane of the plastic substrate using a thin film process. In the second embodiment, the yield is very high because the planar plastic substrate is easy to surface-treat for the anti-reflective layer. Since the structure, material, and manufacturing method of the anti-reflective layer described in the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, they will not be repeated here.

[0055] Printing step 25: After completing step 23 of forming the anti-reflective layer, and before forming the anti-glare layer composed of multiple microstructures, a printed layer is formed on the lower surface of the planar plastic substrate using a printing machine through a printing process. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the yield is very high because the planar plastic substrate is easy to print on.

[0056] Cutting step 26: Performed after the printing step, the plastic substrate having the anti-reflective layer and the plurality of microstructures is cut into a planar plastic substrate with a predetermined shape by a cutting machine. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the planar plastic substrate is cut by a planar computer numerical control (CNC) machining center (cutting machine) to cut the planar plastic substrate into a planar plastic substrate with a predetermined outline; because planar plastic substrates are easy to perform planar CNC cutting, the yield is very high.

[0057] Step 28, Curved Hot Pressing and Microstructure Formation: Performed after the cutting step, a curved hot pressing device is used to process the plastic substrate, which already has the hard layer, the anti-reflective layer, and the printed layer and has the predetermined shape, into a curved plastic substrate with the plurality of microstructures. The structure, operation, and function of the curved hot pressing device of the present invention will be described in detail later.

[0058] The rigid layer formulation of this invention comprises an organic-inorganic hybrid UV-curable oligomer, exhibiting a relatively low crosslinking density compared to conventional high-crosslinking-density HC formulations, resulting in a wear-resistant rigid coating with low shrinkage and excellent flexibility. The inorganic materials contribute to surface physical properties, giving the rigid layer high hardness and high wear resistance. The rigid layer formulation of this invention comprises high-Tg UV-curable elastomer oligomers and high-Tg monomers, exhibiting better high-temperature stability compared to conventional high-crosslinking-density HC formulations, thus providing better thermoformability during high-temperature processes, allowing the UV-cured moldable polymer front panel material to be bent into a free curvature. The rigid layer formulation of this invention comprises UV-curable long-chain oligomers or monomers with high elongation (>200%), exhibiting better elongation compared to conventional high-crosslinking-density HC formulations, thus providing better thermoformability during hot pressing, allowing the UV-cured moldable polymer front panel material to be bent into a free curvature.

[0059] Output step 27: Use a transmission device to output the curved plastic substrate having the anti-reflective layer and the plurality of microstructures to obtain the curved plastic panel with both anti-glare and anti-reflective functions. In the second embodiment of the present invention, since steps 22 to 26 are all applied to a planar plastic substrate, the processing yield is very high, so the final finished plastic panel has a high yield and precision and can pass subsequent product testing.

[0060] The present invention first processes a rigid layer and an anti-reflective layer on the plastic substrate, followed by planar ink printing and planar CNC machining. Then, it incorporates the curved hot pressing process of the present invention, directly producing a finished curved plastic panel with an anti-glare layer composed of multiple microstructures after hot pressing. This differs from conventional curved plastic panel production processes, which typically involve curved hot pressing followed by sequential processing of the rigid layer surface, optical functional layer surface, curved printing, and curved CNC machining. Conventional technologies suffer from poor yield and low first-pass yield due to the difficulty of curved processing at each step, leading to excessively high production costs. In the present invention, all processing steps are completed on a planar surface, with the curved hot pressing process simultaneously imprinting the anti-glare layer composed of multiple microstructures. Therefore, the yield and first-pass yield of each processing step in the present invention are high, resulting in lower processing costs.

[0061] like Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 5C and Figure 5DThe diagram shows several steps in the manufacturing process of the plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions of the present invention, illustrating the hot pressing of a planar plastic substrate into a plastic substrate with a curved surface and a plurality of microstructures, as described in the second embodiment of the method for manufacturing the plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions of the present invention. The curved hot pressing process described in step 28 of the present invention, which involves using a curved hot pressing device 50 to perform curved hot pressing processing on the planar plastic substrate 41, which has already formed the rigid layer, the anti-reflection layer, and the printed layer and has the predetermined shape, to make it a curved plastic substrate 41 with a curved surface and a plurality of microstructures, having the rigid layer, the anti-reflection layer, and the printed layer, and having the predetermined shape. The curved hot pressing device includes: an upper mold 42 with variable curvature, a lower mold 43 with variable curvature, a plurality of upper heaters 421, a plurality of upper temperature sensors 422, a plurality of lower heaters 431, and a plurality of lower temperature sensors 432. See [link to documentation]. Figure 5E This is a top view of the upper mold (or lower mold) of the curved surface hot pressing device of the present invention. In this embodiment, a plurality of pressing structures 423 corresponding to the plurality of microstructure shapes are provided on the surface of the upper mold 42. A plurality of upper heaters 421 and a plurality of upper temperature sensors 422 are uniformly and alternately distributed in an array in various regions of the upper mold 42, and a plurality of lower heaters 431 and a plurality of lower temperature sensors 432 are uniformly and alternately distributed in an array in various regions of the lower mold 43. The external structures of the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 are correspondingly matched and their curvatures can be adjusted at least locally. In this embodiment, the curved surface hot pressing device performs curved surface hot pressing processing on the flat plastic substrate 41 using the following steps:

[0062] like Figure 5A As shown, firstly, the curvature of the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 is adjusted to be flat (curvature = 0), and the plastic substrate 41 of the flat surface is sandwiched between the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43. The temperature of the plastic substrate 41 of the flat surface is heated to a predetermined temperature by a plurality of upper heaters 421 and a plurality of lower heaters 431. A plurality of upper temperature sensors 422 and a plurality of lower temperature sensors 432 are used to sense, confirm or feedback control that the temperature of each area of ​​the plastic substrate 41 of the flat surface is maintained at the predetermined temperature.

[0063] like Figure 5BAs shown, the curvature of the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 is then adjusted to a first curvature (a relatively small curvature), so that the plastic substrate 41 sandwiched between the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 becomes a curved plastic substrate 41 with the first curvature due to the hot pressing process by the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43. Furthermore, the plurality of molding structures on the surface of the upper mold are gradually transferred to the upper surface of the plastic substrate to form the plurality of microstructures on the anti-reflective layer and the rigid layer. Simultaneously, the plurality of upper temperature sensors 422 and the plurality of lower temperature sensors 432 continue to sense, confirm, and feedback control to maintain the temperature of each region of the curved plastic substrate 41 with the first curvature at the predetermined temperature.

[0064] like Figure 5C As shown, the curvature of the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 is then adjusted to a second curvature (a relatively larger curvature), so that the curved plastic substrate 41 sandwiched between the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 is hot-pressed by the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 to form the curved plastic substrate 41 with the second curvature, and the plurality of molding structures on the surface of the upper mold are completely transferred to the upper surface of the plastic substrate to form the plurality of microstructures on the anti-reflective layer and the rigid layer. At the same time, the plurality of upper temperature sensors 422 and the plurality of lower temperature sensors 433 continue to sense and confirm that the temperature of each region of the curved plastic substrate 41 with the second curvature is maintained at the predetermined temperature; wherein the curvature of the second curvature is greater than the first curvature.

[0065] like Figure 5DAs shown, when the curvature of the curved plastic substrate 41 (i.e., the curvature of the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43) reaches the predetermined curvature, the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 can be opened and the curved plastic substrate 41 with the predetermined curvature can be removed. At this time, an anti-glare layer composed of a plurality of microstructures 411 has been formed on the hard layer and anti-reflective layer of the curved plastic substrate 41. Since the curved hot pressing device of the present invention is equipped with multiple heaters 421, 431 and temperature sensors 422, 432 respectively on the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 for heating and temperature control, each heater 421, 431 and temperature sensor 422, 432 can operate independently for temperature control, so the temperature of each area of ​​the plastic substrate 41 is very stable and uniform during the hot pressing process. Furthermore, the curved hot pressing device can perform hot pressing molding simultaneously during the heating process, and has the function of real-time monitoring of local temperature and real-time monitoring of local curvature molding status, and then feeding back to the heating local mechanism for adjustment. Temperature and curvature monitoring can be divided into multiple stages, with each stage monitored and adjusted by heating or curvature forming. This avoids stress concentration or hard layer cracking at the bending point 49 of the curved plastic substrate 41, and improves production yield. Furthermore, this invention, through polymer material formulation, coating formulation design, and precision coating technology, can enhance the extensibility of the polymer surface (especially the hard layer) to a level suitable for hot bending. Even after hot-pressing the curved plastic panel and passing various weather resistance tests, it still maintains its original optical and physical properties.

[0066] Please see Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of real-time monitoring of local temperature and local curvature forming status in the curved surface hot pressing device described in this invention. Figure 6 As shown, and paired with Figures 5A to 5D The content, in the hot pressing curved surface forming process, firstly, in the first stage (1 st In Step 361, as in Figure 5AAs shown, the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 are still at low temperature and flat (curvature 0). At this time, multiple heaters 421 and 431 are used to locally heat various parts of the plastic substrate (step 3611), and multiple temperature sensors 422 and 432 are used to locally sense the temperature of various parts of the plastic substrate. If any temperature sensor 422 or 432 senses that the temperature of any part (area) has not reached the predetermined temperature, it will send feedback to control the corresponding heater 421 or 43. 1. Heating is performed (step 3612) until every part (area) of the plastic substrate reaches the predetermined temperature; simultaneously, the curved hot pressing device also monitors the curvature of various local positions of the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 in real time using a curvature sensor (step 3613). If the curvature of any part (area) is not detected to reach the first curvature, feedback control is given to the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 to perform local bending of that part (step 3614) until every part (area) of the plastic substrate reaches the first curvature. Then, the second stage (2) is entered. nd Step 362, at this point... Figure 5B As shown, the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 are maintained at a predetermined temperature and have a relatively small first curvature. At this time, multiple heaters 421 and 431 continue to locally heat various parts of the plastic substrate (step 3621), and multiple temperature sensors 422 and 432 continue to locally sense the temperature of various parts of the plastic substrate. If any temperature sensor 422 or 432 senses that the temperature of any part (area) has not reached the predetermined temperature, it feeds back to control the corresponding heater 421 or 431 to heat it (step 3622). The process continues until every part (region) of the plastic substrate reaches and maintains a predetermined temperature. Simultaneously, the curved hot pressing device continues to monitor the curvature of various local positions of the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 in real time using curvature sensors (step 3623). If the curvature of any part (region) is detected as not reaching the second curvature, feedback control is sent to the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 to perform local bending of that part (step 3624), until every part (region) of the plastic substrate reaches the second curvature; wherein the second curvature is greater than the first curvature. Only then will the third stage (3) begin. rd Step 363, at this point... Figure 5CAs shown, the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 are maintained at a predetermined temperature and have a relatively large second curvature. At this time, multiple heaters 421 and 431 continue to locally heat various parts of the plastic substrate (step 3631), and multiple temperature sensors 422 and 432 continue to locally sense the temperature of various parts of the plastic substrate. If any temperature sensor 422 or 432 senses that the temperature of any part (area) has not reached the predetermined temperature, it will send feedback control to the corresponding heater 421 or 431 to heat it (step 3632). The process continues until every part (area) of the plastic substrate reaches and is maintained at a predetermined temperature. Simultaneously, the curved hot pressing device continues to monitor the curvature of various local locations on the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 in real time using curvature sensors (step 3633). If the curvature of any part (area) is detected as not reaching the predetermined curvature, feedback control is sent to the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 to perform local bending of that part (step 3634), until every part (area) of the plastic substrate reaches the predetermined curvature; wherein the predetermined curvature is greater than or equal to a second curvature. Finally, a finished curved plastic panel with the predetermined curvature is obtained (fourth stage 364).

[0067] Please see Figure 7A and Figure 7B These are schematic diagrams of an embodiment of the processing equipment for curved plastic panels of the present invention, showing the door panel in both open and closed states. In this embodiment, the processing equipment for curved plastic panels with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions of the present invention includes the curved hot pressing device. In addition to the aforementioned variable curvature upper mold 42, variable curvature lower mold 43, a plurality of upper heaters 421, a plurality of upper temperature sensors 422, a plurality of lower heaters 431, and a plurality of lower temperature sensors 432, the curved hot pressing device 50 further includes the following components: a machine body 51, an openable and closable door panel 52, a plurality of hydraulic devices 53 and 54, a plurality of cameras 55, and a control unit 60. The control unit 60 further includes: a heating module 61, a detection module (including a temperature sensing module 62 and an image capturing module 64), a driving device 63, a database 65, an analysis module 66, a control module 67, a power supply module 68, and a human-machine interface 69.

[0068] In this embodiment, the door panel 52 is mounted on the machine body 51. A plurality of molding structures 423 corresponding to the plurality of microstructure shapes are provided on the surface of the upper mold 42. When the door panel 52 is opened (e.g....), Figure 7A As shown), a flat plastic panel 41 to be hot-pressed can be placed between the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 inside the machine body 51, or the processed curved plastic substrate 41 can be removed from the machine body 51 between the upper and lower molds 42 and 43; and when the door panel 52 is closed (as shown), the flat plastic panel 41 to be hot-pressed can be placed between the upper and lower molds 42 and 43. Figure 7BAs shown, the plastic substrate 41 can be hot-pressed and bent to form an anti-glare layer composed of multiple microstructures. The upper and lower molds 42 and 43 are respectively connected to multiple hydraulic devices 53 and 54 by mold locking mechanisms 531 and 541. The driving device 63 drives the hydraulic devices 53 and 54 to provide pushing and pulling forces to the upper and lower molds 42 and 43, so as to drive the upper mold and the lower mold to apply pressure or partially bend (change curvature) movement, thereby performing hot-pressing bending and imprinting multiple microstructures on the plastic panel 41 sandwiched between the upper and lower molds 42 and 43.

[0069] A plurality of cameras 55 constitute a curvature sensor, which can capture (photograph) the curvature (appearance) images of the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 in real time during the hot pressing bending process. By analyzing the curvature (appearance) images of the upper and lower molds 42 and 43, the bending state, i.e., the curvature state, of the plastic panel 41 sandwiched between the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 can be obtained at that time, thereby determining in real time whether the curvature of the curved plastic substrate 41 has reached the predetermined curvature. The heating module 61 is electrically connected to the plurality of upper heaters 421 and the plurality of lower heaters 431, and is used to control the heating operation of the plurality of upper heaters 421 and the plurality of lower heaters 431. The detection module further includes a temperature sensing module 62 and an image capturing module 64. The temperature sensing module 62 is electrically connected to a plurality of upper temperature sensors 422 and a plurality of lower temperature sensors 432, and is used to obtain temperature information sensed by the plurality of upper temperature sensors 422 and the plurality of lower temperature sensors 432. The image capturing module 64 is electrically connected to a plurality of cameras 55, and is used to capture the curvature (appearance) images of the upper mold 42 and the lower mold 43 captured by the plurality of cameras 55. The database 65 stores the computer software and related parameters required to control the operation of the curved surface hot pressing device 50, including data on the predetermined temperature and the predetermined curvature.

[0070] The analysis module 66 can receive the temperature information and curvature image from the detection module, and can retrieve the predetermined temperature and predetermined curvature data from the database 65. The analysis module 66 can compare the temperature information with the predetermined temperature. When the temperature information is lower than the predetermined temperature, the analysis module 66 generates a heating signal to the heating module 61, causing the heating module 61 to control a plurality of upper heaters 421 and a plurality of lower heaters 431 to heat the plastic substrate 41. The heating operation described here can be comprehensive or partial heating. In other words, based on the heating signal from the analysis module 66, the heating module 61 can control all heaters to comprehensively heat the plastic substrate 41. On the other hand, the heating module 61 can also control only a few heaters to partially heat the plastic substrate 41 based on the heating signal from the analysis module 66. This function is not possible with the prior art. In addition, the analysis module 66 can compare the curvature image with the predetermined curvature. When the curvature of the curvature image is less than the predetermined curvature, the analysis module 66 generates a curvature increase signal to the drive device 63, causing the drive device 63 to drive the hydraulic devices 53 and 54 to perform a hot pressing operation that increases the bending curvature comprehensively or locally. The human-machine interface 69 provides a user interface and allows the user to input or set information such as the predetermined temperature and the predetermined curvature into the database 65. In this embodiment, the human-machine interface 69 includes a transmission port for connection to an external computer device. The user can use the computer device to transmit and store the predetermined temperature, the predetermined curvature, and other processing parameters in the database 65 through the human-machine interface 69. In another embodiment, the human-machine interface 69 may also include a touch screen and / or keyboard, allowing the user to set the predetermined temperature, predetermined curvature, and other processing parameters in the database 65 by operating the touch screen and / or keyboard. The control module 67 includes a microcontroller (MCU) or a central processing unit (CPU), which is electrically connected to and controls the operation of the drive device 63, the heating module 61, the detection module, the database 65, the analysis module 66, and the human-machine interface 69. A power module 68 is connected to the control module 67 to provide power to the control unit 60.

[0071] Please see Figure 8A and Figure 8BThese are schematic diagrams of the upper and lower molds of the curved hot pressing device of the present invention in a planar state and a bent state, respectively. In the present invention, the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 of the curved hot pressing device 50 are both variable curvature; and the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 need to be specifically designed internally according to the bending pattern of the curved plastic panel to be produced, and the upper and lower molds 42 and 43 are bent by relative movement through a linear slide rail driven by torque. In one embodiment, the upper mold 42 includes at least a first upper template located on the left, a second upper template located in the middle, and a third upper template located on the right. A plurality of pressing structures corresponding to the plurality of microstructure shapes are provided on the surface of at least the second upper template of the upper mold 42. The first upper template and the second upper template are connected by a first upper joint 420a, so that the first upper template can be adjusted relative to the curvature of the second upper template by means of the first upper joint 420a. The second upper template and the third upper template are connected by a second upper joint 420b, allowing the third upper template to adjust its curvature relative to the second upper template via the second upper joint 420b. Similarly, the lower mold 43 includes at least a first lower template located on the left, a second lower template located in the middle, and a third lower template located on the right. The first lower template and the second lower template are connected by a first lower joint 430a, allowing the first lower template to adjust its curvature relative to the second lower template via the first lower joint 430a. The second lower template and the third lower template are connected by a second lower joint 430b, allowing the third lower template to adjust its curvature relative to the second lower template via the second lower joint 430b. The shape and position of the first upper template correspond to the first lower template, the shape and position of the second upper template correspond to the second lower template, and the shape and position of the third upper template correspond to the third lower template. The first upper template, the second upper template, and the third upper template are each provided with an upper heater 421 and an upper temperature sensor 422; the first lower template, the second lower template, and the third lower template are each provided with a lower heater 431 and a lower temperature sensor 432. The first upper joint 420a, the second upper joint 420b, the first lower joint 430a, and the second lower joint 430b each include a linear slide rail 4201 and 4301, respectively, and the bending curvature between adjacent templates is adjusted by means of the torque driven by the linear slide rails 4201 and 4301.

[0072] In this invention, the rigid layer (HC) material formulation comprises an organic-inorganic hybrid UV-curable oligomer, exhibiting a relatively low crosslinking density compared to conventional high-crosslinking-density HC formulations, thus forming a wear-resistant hard coating 12 with low shrinkage and excellent flexibility. The inorganic materials contribute to the surface physical properties, giving the coating high hardness and high wear resistance. Furthermore, the rigid layer (HC) formulation of this invention comprises high-Tg UV-curable elastomer oligomers and high-Tg monomers, exhibiting better high-temperature stability compared to conventional high-crosslinking-density HC formulations. Therefore, it possesses better thermoformability during high-temperature processes, allowing the UV-cured moldable polymer front panel material to be bent into a free curvature. The rigid layer (HC) formulation of this invention comprises UV-curable long-chain oligomers or monomers with high elongation characteristics (>200%), exhibiting better elongation compared to conventional high-crosslinking-density HC formulations. Therefore, it possesses better thermoformability during hot pressing processes, allowing the UV-cured moldable polymer front panel material to be bent into a free curvature. Before hot pressing, the planar plastic panel of this invention, which has a rigid layer and an anti-reflective layer, undergoes planar ink printing and planar CNC machining. Then, combined with the curved hot pressing process of this invention, a curved finished product with optical functions (an anti-reflective layer and an anti-glare layer composed of multiple microstructures) can be directly produced after hot pressing. This differs from conventional curved front panel production processes, which involve curved hot pressing, curved surface treatment and optical treatment, curved printing, and curved CNC machining. In these processes, the yield rate at each station is poor due to the difficulty of curved surface processing, resulting in low first-pass yield and excessively high production costs. Because all processing steps in this invention are completed on a planar surface, the yield rate and first-pass yield at each station are high, resulting in lower processing costs. In this embodiment, the RI value range of the high refractive index (RI) UV-curable oligomer / monomer is RI = 1.6 to 1.75; the RI value range of the low RI UV-curable oligomer / monomer is RI = 1.4 to 1.48; the RI value range of the high RI inorganic material is RI = 1.8 to 2.5; and the RI value range of the low RI inorganic material is RI = 1.2 to 1.45. Anti-reflection is defined as: Reflectance < 2%; anti-glare is defined as: Gloss < 100.

[0073] This invention uses PMMA / PC / PMMA or PMMA / PC composite materials as the substrate and combines a stretchable coating formulation with a wet coating process to create a stretchable composite front panel. This allows for hot-pressing and surface molding after all surface treatments are completed, without any appearance or functional abnormalities occurring during this process. The key breakthrough of this process lies in the formulation combination of the stretchable coating hard layer and the anti-reflective layer. The stretchable coating formulation includes: a stretchable high-hardness coating, a stretchable high-refractive-index coating, and a stretchable low-refractive-index coating. This stretchable coating formulation eliminates the need for the existing process of hot-pressing the surface before optical surface treatment, significantly reducing the defect rate of the surface coating process. The surface hardness of the stretchable composite front panel after hot-pressing can be increased to above 4H (4H~9H), chemical abrasion resistance tests meet automotive-grade standards, and UV yellowing resistance tests (1000 hours) maintain a specification of ΔE<3.

[0074] The manufacturing method of the plastic panel of the present invention can also be applied to light-guiding front panel products. First, a planar plastic substrate is manufactured using a plastic compounding extrusion machine through an extrusion process. Next, a layer of liquid hardening material is coated onto the smooth, flat upper surface of the planar plastic substrate using a coating and curing process. Then, the liquid hardening material is irradiated with ultraviolet light to harden it and form a planar hard layer on the smooth, flat upper surface of the plastic substrate. Next, without performing an anti-reflective layer process, a plurality of star-shaped light-guiding microstructures are directly pressed onto the planar hard layer of the plastic substrate using a hot pressing process using a hot pressing device. After further printing and CNC machining steps, a light-guiding plastic panel is obtained. These star-shaped light-guiding microstructures allow light from within the plastic panel to escape from their positions, achieving a front panel light-guiding effect that can guide light comprehensively or partially.

[0075] This invention tests various plastic substrates with different structures, combined with rigid layers and anti-reflective layers made of different materials. Table 1 below shows the structural information of each sample tested. For example, in Table 1, the substrate of Sample 6 can be either an A3 / A4 structure (PMMA / PC double-layer structure) or a PMMA / PC / PMMA triple-layer structure in column A; in column B, whether or not an "Inorganic-inorganic hybrid composition" is added to the rigid layer should be selected as B2, meaning "Inorganic-inorganic hybrid composition" is added; in column C, whether or not a "High Tg composition" is added to the rigid layer should be selected as C2, meaning "High Tg composition" is added; and in column D, whether or not a "High Elongation Composition" is added to the rigid layer should be selected as D2, meaning "High Elongation Composition" is added. "Composition (high elongation oligomer / monomer)"; in field E, whether or not "Optical Function Composition" is added to the antireflective layer is selected as E2, which means "Optical Function Composition is added"; in field F, whether or not the "novel mold and hot pressing process" unique to this invention is used is selected as F2, which means "Novel mold and hot pressing process is used". The structures of other samples (Samples 0-5, 8 and 9) can be deduced similarly, so they will not be described in detail.

[0076] Table 1: Structural Information of Each Sample of Plastic Panel Tested

[0077]

[0078] As shown in Table 1, Sample 6's curved plastic panel has good hardness, heat resistance, and molding properties, and also has optical functions, making it the relatively best curved plastic panel sample. In contrast, other samples 0-5, 8, and 9 all have some deficiencies to varying degrees.

[0079] In this embodiment, the material composition described in each of the columns A through E can be selected from currently commercially available products. For example, the "Inorganic hybrid composition" described in column B can be Allenx EBECRYL 8311 or other similar products from other models or brands; the "High Tg composition" described in column C can be Allenx EBECRYL 4859 or other similar products from other models or brands; the "High Elongation Composition" described in column D can be Allenx EBECRYL 8804 or other similar products from other models or brands; and the "Optical Function Composition" described in column E can be Nippon Shokubai ZIRCOSTAR series or other similar products from other models or brands.

[0080] Table 2: Test Results of Various Samples of Curved Plastic Panels

[0081]

[0082] ◎: Excellent ○: Good △: Normal X: Fail NG: Not Good

[0083] As shown in Table 2 above, the test results of the curved plastic panels are as follows: Sample 6 uses PC / PMMA or PMMA / PC / PMMA composite sheets as the plastic substrate, and all of them have a rigid layer containing organic-inorganic hybrid oligomers / monomers with high Tg and high elongation characteristics, as well as an anti-reflective layer. Furthermore, the curved surface is hot-pressed using the "novel mold and hot-pressing process" unique to this invention, which is similar to... Figure 5A ~5C and Figure 6 The illustrated embodiment therefore achieved excellent or good performance in all tests. In contrast, other samples (Samples 0-5, 7, and 8) performed poorly in some test items to varying degrees. This demonstrates that the curved plastic panel manufactured by the processing method of the present invention can indeed achieve better test results compared to the prior art.

[0084] The embodiments described above are not intended to limit the scope of application of this invention. The scope of protection of this invention should be based on the technical spirit defined by the claims and the scope of equivalent variations thereof. That is, all equivalent variations and modifications made in accordance with the claims of this invention will not lose the essence of this invention, nor depart from the spirit and scope of this invention, and should therefore be considered as further implementations of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions, characterized in that, include: In a substrate forming step, a planar plastic substrate is manufactured by an extrusion process; the plastic substrate has a flat and smooth upper surface and a lower surface. One step of forming a hard coating is to form a planar hard coating (HC) on the flat and smooth upper surface of the planar plastic substrate by means of a coating and curing process. One step of forming an anti-reflective layer is to form a planar anti-reflective layer on the plane of the plastic substrate by means of a thin film process; In a microstructure forming step, a plurality of microstructures are pressed onto the plane of the plastic substrate by a hot pressing process, the plurality of microstructures being used to provide anti-glare functionality; and In the first output step, the plastic substrate having the anti-reflective layer and the plurality of microstructures is output to obtain the plastic panel with both anti-glare and anti-reflective functions.

2. The method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions as described in claim 1, characterized in that: In the step of forming the hard layer, the material composition of the hard layer includes at least one of the following: an organic-inorganic hybrid UV-curable oligomer / monomer, an inorganic particle material, or a UV-curable long-chain oligomer / monomer with high elongation (elongation > 200%); wherein the organic-inorganic hybrid UV-curable oligomer / monomer includes one of the following: a UV-curable elastic oligomer with a high glass transition temperature (Tg) ≥ 120°C or a UV-curable monomer with a high Tg ≥ 240°C; wherein the inorganic particle material includes a hybrid oligomer / monomer or inorganic particles. In the step of forming the antireflective layer, the material composition of the antireflective layer includes at least one of the following: high refractive index. Index (abbreviated as high RI) UV-curable oligomers / monomers, high RI inorganic materials, low RI UV-curable oligomers / monomers, or low RI inorganic materials; wherein the high RI inorganic material comprises one of the following: titanium dioxide (TiO2), niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5), tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5), zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), or aluminum oxide (Al2O3); the low RI inorganic material comprises one of the following: silicon dioxide (SiO2), magnesium fluoride (MgF2), or silicon dioxide hollow microparticles; wherein the RI value of the high RI UV-curable oligomer / monomer is between 1.6 and 1.75; the RI value of the low RI UV-curable oligomer / monomer is between 1.4 and 1.48; the RI value of the high RI inorganic material is between 1.6 and 2.5; and the RI value of the low RI inorganic material is between 1.1 and 1.

45.

3. The method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions as described in claim 2, characterized in that: In the microstructure formation step, the hot pressing process uses a precision hot pressing roller device to perform roller hot pressing on the upper surface of the plastic substrate that already has the hard layer and the anti-reflective layer, so that it becomes a planar plastic substrate with the plurality of microstructures. The precision hot pressing roller device includes a roller, a flexible metal mold, a worktable, and a heater. A plurality of molding structures corresponding to the plurality of microstructure shapes are provided on the surface of the flexible metal mold. The flexible metal mold can be bent into an arc shape and detachably mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the roller. A plastic substrate having the hard layer and the anti-reflective layer is placed on the worktable. The heater heats the plastic substrate and maintains it at a hot pressing temperature. The roller with the flexible metal mold mounted performs rolling hot pressing on the upper surface of the plastic substrate, transferring the plurality of molding structures on the surface of the flexible metal mold to the upper surface of the plastic substrate, thereby forming the plurality of microstructures on the anti-reflective layer and the hard layer.

4. The method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Between the microstructure formation step and the output step, the following steps are further included: A printing step, performed after the microstructure formation step, forms a printed layer on the lower surface of the planar plastic substrate by a printing process; and A cutting step is performed after the printing step, in which a cutting machine cuts the plastic substrate having the anti-reflective layer and the plurality of microstructures into a planar plastic substrate with a predetermined shape.

5. The method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Between the step of forming the anti-reflective layer and the step of forming the microstructure, the following steps are further included: A printing step, performed after the anti-reflective layer formation step, involves forming a printed layer on the lower surface of the planar plastic substrate using a printing process; and A cutting step is performed after the printing step, in which a cutting machine cuts the plastic substrate with the anti-reflective layer into a flat plastic substrate with a predetermined shape. The microstructure formation step is performed after the cutting step; and in the microstructure formation step, the hot pressing process is to use a curved hot pressing device to perform curved hot pressing processing on the plastic substrate that already has the hard layer, the anti-reflective layer and the printed layer and has the predetermined shape, so that it becomes a plastic substrate with a curved surface and the plurality of microstructures.

6. The method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The curved surface hot pressing apparatus includes: an upper mold with variable curvature, a lower mold with variable curvature, a plurality of upper heaters, a plurality of upper temperature sensors, a plurality of lower heaters, and a plurality of lower temperature sensors; a plurality of molding structures corresponding to the plurality of microstructure shapes are provided on the surface of the upper mold; the plurality of upper heaters and the plurality of upper temperature sensors are distributed in various areas of the upper mold, and the plurality of lower heaters and the plurality of lower temperature sensors are distributed in various areas of the lower mold; the upper mold and the lower mold are correspondingly fitted and each can at least locally adjust its curvature; the curved surface hot pressing apparatus performs curved surface hot pressing processing on a flat plastic substrate using the following steps: The curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold is adjusted to be flat, and the flat plastic substrate with the hard layer and the anti-reflective layer is sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold. The temperature of the flat plastic substrate is heated to a predetermined temperature by a plurality of upper heaters and a plurality of lower heaters, and the temperature of each area of ​​the flat plastic substrate is maintained at the predetermined temperature by a plurality of upper temperature sensors and a plurality of lower temperature sensors. The curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold is adjusted to a first curvature, so that the plastic substrate sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold is processed by the upper mold and the lower mold into a curved plastic substrate with the first curvature. Furthermore, the plurality of molding structures on the surface of the upper mold are transferred to the upper surface of the plastic substrate to form the plurality of microstructures on the anti-reflective layer and the rigid layer. Simultaneously, the plurality of upper temperature sensors and the plurality of lower temperature sensors continuously sense and confirm that the temperature of each region of the curved plastic substrate with the first curvature is maintained at a predetermined temperature. The curvature of the upper mold and the lower mold is adjusted to a second curvature, so that the curved plastic substrate sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold is processed by the upper mold and the lower mold into a curved plastic substrate with the second curvature; at the same time, the plurality of upper temperature sensors and the plurality of lower temperature sensors continue to sense and confirm that the temperature of each region of the curved plastic substrate with the second curvature is maintained at the predetermined temperature; wherein, the curvature of the second curvature is greater than the first curvature.

7. The method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The curved hot pressing device further includes a plurality of cameras for capturing curvature images of the upper mold and the lower mold, thereby determining whether the curvature of the curved plastic substrate has reached a predetermined curvature. The upper mold includes at least a first upper template, a second upper template, and a third upper template; the first upper template and the second upper template are connected by a first upper joint, so that the first upper template can perform curvature adjustment movement relative to the second upper template by means of the first upper joint; the second upper template and the third upper template are connected by a second upper joint, so that the third upper template can perform curvature adjustment movement relative to the second upper template by means of the second upper joint; The lower mold includes at least a first lower template, a second lower template, and a third lower template; the first lower template and the second lower template are connected by a first lower joint, so that the first lower template can perform curvature adjustment movement relative to the second lower template by means of the first lower joint; the second lower template and the third lower template are connected by a second lower joint, so that the third lower template can perform curvature adjustment movement relative to the second lower template by means of the second lower joint; The shape and position of the first upper template correspond to the first lower template, the shape and position of the second upper template correspond to the second lower template, and the shape and position of the third upper template correspond to the third lower template.

8. The method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The first upper template, the second upper template, and the third upper template are each provided with an upper heater and an upper temperature sensor; the first lower template, the second lower template, and the third lower template are each provided with a lower heater and a lower temperature sensor; the first upper joint, the second upper joint, the first lower joint, and the second lower joint each include a linear slide rail, and the curvature between adjacent templates is adjusted by means of the driving torque of the linear slide rail.

9. The method for manufacturing a plastic panel with anti-glare and anti-reflection functions as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The plastic substrate of this plane is composed of one of the following materials: polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) sheet, polycarbonate (PC) sheet, PMMA / PC double-layer composite sheet, or PMMA / PC / PMMA triple-layer composite sheet.

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