Vehicle exterior member

Abstract

A vehicle exterior member (1) is provided with a base material (2) comprising a resin and a coating film (3) covering the surface of the base material (2), the vehicle exterior member (1) having a decorative recess (4) that is formed so as to be recessed toward the base material (2) from an opposite surface (3a) of the coating film (3) on the opposite side from the base material (2), and the bottom (4a) of the decorative recess (4) being formed as an uneven surface.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an exterior member for a vehicle.

[0002] The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-181100 filed in Japan on October 20, 2023, and claims priority from the Japanese Patent Application, and the content of the Japanese Patent Application is incorporated into the present specification. BACKGROUND

[0003] For a vehicle, various exterior members (exterior members for a vehicle) are installed. These exterior members for a vehicle are members that can be visually recognized from the outside of the vehicle and have a large influence on the formation of an impression of the appearance of the vehicle. For example, a front grille provided on a vehicle is disclosed in Patent Literature 1. The front grille disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is provided at the front of the vehicle.

[0004] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0005] PATENT LITERATURE

[0006] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-81034 SUMMARY

[0007] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0008] The exterior member for a vehicle is not limited to the front grille disclosed in Patent Literature 1, and it is installed at a position that can be visually recognized from the outside, and if it is daytime, direct sunlight is incident. On the other hand, in the case of nighttime and the like, the exterior member for a vehicle is not incident with direct sunlight. In such an exterior member for a vehicle, it is sometimes desirable to be able to make a large change in the appearance impression during the period of incidence of direct sunlight and the appearance impression during the period of non-incidence of direct sunlight.

[0009] The present application was made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an exterior member for a vehicle that can make a large change in the appearance impression during the period of incidence of direct sunlight and the appearance impression during the period of non-incidence of direct sunlight.

[0010] MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0011] The present application adopts the following configuration as a means for solving the above-described problems.

[0012] A first aspect of the present application provides an exterior member for a vehicle, including: a base material composed of a resin and a coating film that covers the surface of the base material, wherein the exterior member for a vehicle has a decorative recess, the decorative recess is formed to be recessed toward the base material from the surface of the coating film on the side opposite to the base material, and the bottom of the decorative recess is a concave-convex surface.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present application, in the above first aspect, the decorative concave portion has a depth smaller than the thickness of the coating film, and the bottom of the decorative concave portion is formed by a portion of the coating film.

[0014] According to a third aspect of the present application, in the above first aspect, the decorative concave portion has a depth exposing the surface of the substrate, and the bottom of the decorative concave portion is formed by a portion of the substrate.

[0015] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, in the above third aspect, the substrate is transparent.

[0016] According to a fifth aspect of the present application, in the above fourth aspect, the substrate is formed in a plate shape, the coating film is formed to cover one surface of the substrate, and a reflective film is formed to cover the other surface of the substrate.

[0017] According to a sixth aspect of the present application, in any one of the above first to fifth aspects, the concave-convex surface is formed by a plurality of groove portions provided at the bottom of the decorative concave portion, a parallel groove formation region is provided at the bottom of the decorative concave portion, and a plurality of linear groove portions are arranged in parallel with each other in the parallel groove formation region.

[0018] According to a seventh aspect of the present application, in the above sixth aspect, a plurality of parallel groove formation regions in which the extension directions of the groove portions are different are provided at the bottom of the decorative concave portion.

[0019] According to an eighth aspect of the present application, in the above seventh aspect, the plurality of parallel groove formation regions in which the extension directions of the groove portions are different are arranged adjacent to each other in a linear manner with a boundary line.

[0020] According to a ninth aspect of the present application, in any one of the above sixth to eighth aspects, a plurality of parallel groove formation regions in which the extension directions of the groove portions are the same and the arrangement intervals of the groove portions are different are provided at the bottom of the decorative concave portion.

[0021] According to a tenth aspect of the present application, in the above ninth aspect, the parallel groove formation regions in which the extension directions of the groove portions are the same and the arrangement intervals of the groove portions are different are arranged adjacent to each other in a manner in which the end portions in the extension directions of the groove portions are connected to each other.

[0022] According to an eleventh aspect of the present application, in any one of the above first to tenth aspects, the exterior member for a vehicle has a metal film covering the coating film from the side opposite to the substrate, and the metal film is formed to cover the entire inner surface of the decorative concave portion.

[0023] According to a twelfth aspect of the present application, in the above eleventh aspect, the exterior member for a vehicle has a transparent protective film covering the metal film from the side opposite to the base material.

[0024] Effects of the Invention

[0025] According to the above aspect of the present application, a decorative recess is formed in a manner that the recess is recessed from the surface of the coated film on the side opposite to the base material. In addition, the bottom of the decorative recess is a concave-convex surface. When sunlight is irradiated on such an exterior member for a vehicle, the sunlight is scattered or diffracted by the concave-convex surface provided at the bottom of the decorative recess. For example, during the day, the light thus scattered or diffracted is visually recognized by a person outside the vehicle. On the other hand, in the case where sunlight is not irradiated on the exterior member for a vehicle, only light having a lower intensity than sunlight is irradiated on the exterior member for a vehicle. Therefore, the light scattered or diffracted by the concave-convex surface provided at the bottom of the decorative recess has a lower intensity than when sunlight is irradiated, and the light scattered or diffracted is not easily visually recognized by a person outside the vehicle. As a result, according to the above aspect of the present application, in the exterior member for a vehicle, it is possible to make a large change in the appearance impression during the period when direct sunlight is irradiated and the appearance impression during the period when direct sunlight is not irradiated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic front view of the exterior member for a vehicle of the first embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the exterior member for a vehicle of the first embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the exterior member for a vehicle of the second embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the exterior member for a vehicle of the third embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Figure 5 is a schematic front view of the exterior member for a vehicle of the fourth embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the exterior member for a vehicle according to the present application will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0032] (First Embodiment)

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic front view of the exterior member for a vehicle of the first embodiment of the present application. In addition, Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the exterior member for a vehicle of the first embodiment of the present application, which corresponds to a cross section taken along line A-A of Figure 1a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II. The vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment is a member provided to a vehicle and disposed at a position that can be visually recognized from the outside of the vehicle.

[0034] For example, as shown in Figure 2 the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment has a base material 2 and a coating film 3. The base material 2 is formed in a plate shape in the present embodiment. The base material 2 is disposed such that a surface on one side (hereinafter referred to as an outer surface 2a) faces the outside of the vehicle, and a surface on the other side (hereinafter referred to as an inner surface 2b) faces the inside of the vehicle. Note that the shape of the base material 2 is not limited to a plate shape.

[0035] In addition, the base material 2 is formed of a resin. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the base material 2 is transparent. That is, in the present embodiment, the base material 2 is formed of a transparent resin material. For example, the base material 2 can be formed of a polycarbonate resin or an acrylic resin. For example, the base material 2 is colorless and transparent. However, the base material 2 does not necessarily have to be colorless and transparent, and can be colored and transparent. In addition, the base material 2 can be formed of an opaque resin material.

[0036] The coating film 3 is a film formed by drying a coating material, and is formed so as to cover the surface (the outer surface 2a) of the base material 2. For example, the coating film 3 is black. The decorative recess 4 described later is formed, for example, by laser processing. Since the coating film 3 is black, the coating film 3 easily absorbs laser light, and thus the decorative recess 4 is easily formed by laser processing. In addition, in consideration of such laser processing, the coating film 3 is preferably hard and has high adhesion to the base material 2. The thickness of such a coating film 3 is, for example, several tens of micrometers. In addition, the color of the coating film 3 can be a color other than black.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1 the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment has a decorative recess 4. As shown in Figure 2 the decorative recess 4 is a recess formed so as to be recessed toward the base material 2 from a surface (an opposite surface 3a) of the coating film 3 on the side opposite to the base material 2. As shown in Figure 1 the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment has a plurality of decorative recesses 4 in a triangular shape when viewed from the front. However, the number of decorative recesses 4 can be changed. For example, the vehicle exterior member 1 can include a single decorative recess 4. Furthermore, the shape of the decorative recess 4 can be changed. For example, the vehicle exterior member 1 can be in a polygonal shape of four sides or more, a circular shape, or an elliptical shape, or the like.

[0038] In this embodiment, the decorative recess 4 is formed by cutting away a portion of the coating film 3 to expose the outer surface 2a of the substrate 2. That is, in this embodiment, an opening 3b is formed on a portion of the coating film 3 to form the decorative recess 4. Furthermore, the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4 is formed from the outer surface 2a of the substrate 2 exposed through the opening 3b. In other words, in this embodiment, the decorative recess 4 has a depth sufficient to expose the outer surface 2a of the substrate 2. Additionally, the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4 is constituted by a portion of the substrate 2.

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, a plurality of tiny grooves 4b are formed at the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4. Each groove 4b extends in a straight line. By forming such a plurality of grooves 4b, the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4 becomes a concave-convex surface. In this embodiment, as described above, the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4 is formed from the outer surface 2a of the substrate 2. Therefore, the grooves 4b are formed by micro-cutting the outer surface 2a of the substrate 2. The depth of such grooves 4b is extremely small compared to the depth of the decorative recess 4, for example, less than one-tenth of the depth of the decorative recess 4.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, three areas are provided at the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4. Multiple grooves 4b formed in each area are arranged in a parallel manner. This area is called the parallel groove forming area R. Furthermore, as... Figure 1 As shown, one of the three parallel groove forming regions R is designated as the first parallel groove forming region R1. Another one of the two parallel groove forming regions R other than the first parallel groove forming region R1 is designated as the second parallel groove forming region R2. Furthermore, the remaining parallel groove forming region R other than the first parallel groove forming region R1 and the second parallel groove forming region R2 is designated as the third parallel groove forming region R3. In other words, the three parallel groove forming regions R include the first parallel groove forming region R1, the second parallel groove forming region R2, and the third parallel groove forming region R3.

[0041] The first parallel groove forming region R1 is a triangular region containing one side 4c of the triangular decorative recess 4. The second parallel groove forming region R2 is a triangular region containing one side 4d of the triangular decorative recess 4. The third parallel groove forming region R3 is a triangular region containing one side 4e of the triangular decorative recess 4. In these first parallel groove forming regions R1, second parallel groove forming regions R2, and third parallel groove forming regions R3, one vertex of each region is formed at the same position as the center of the decorative recess 4. However, the shapes of the first parallel groove forming regions R1, second parallel groove forming regions R2, and third parallel groove forming regions R3 can be changed.

[0042] In the first parallel groove forming region R1, each groove portion 4b is parallel to one side 4c along... Figure 1 The arrows shown extend within the first parallel groove forming region R1. That is, the grooves 4b formed in the first parallel groove forming region R1 are arranged parallel to one side 4c. In the second parallel groove forming region R2, each groove 4b is arranged parallel to one side 4d along... Figure 1 The arrow extends within the second parallel groove forming region R2. That is, the grooves 4b formed in the second parallel groove forming region R2 are arranged parallel to one side 4d. In the third parallel groove forming region R3, each groove 4b is arranged parallel to one side 4e along... Figure 1 The arrow extends within the third parallel groove forming region R3. That is, the grooves 4b formed in the third parallel groove forming region R3 are arranged parallel to one side 4e. Furthermore, in Figure 1 The arrows shown in the first parallel groove forming area R1, the second parallel groove forming area R2, and the third parallel groove forming area R3 are for illustrative purposes only and are not actually used in vehicle exterior parts.

[0043] The groove portion 4b provided in the first parallel groove forming region R1, the groove portion 4b provided in the second parallel groove forming region R2, and the groove portion 4b provided in the third parallel groove forming region R3 each extend linearly in different directions. That is, multiple parallel groove forming regions R with different extending directions of the groove portion 4b are provided at the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4.

[0044] Furthermore, the first parallel groove forming region R1, the second parallel groove forming region R2, and the third parallel groove forming region R3 are arranged adjacent to each other. That is, the first parallel groove forming region R1 is arranged adjacent to the second parallel groove forming region R2 and the third parallel groove forming region R3. Additionally, the second parallel groove forming region R2 is arranged adjacent to the first parallel groove forming region R1 and the third parallel groove forming region R3. The third parallel groove forming region R3 is arranged adjacent to the first parallel groove forming region R1 and the second parallel groove forming region R2.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the boundary line L1 between the first parallel groove forming region R1 and the second parallel groove forming region R2 is a straight line. The boundary line L2 between the second parallel groove forming region R2 and the third parallel groove forming region R3 is a straight line. The boundary line L3 between the second parallel groove forming region R2 and the third parallel groove forming region R3 is a straight line. That is, in this embodiment, multiple parallel groove forming regions R with different extending directions of the groove portion 4b are arranged adjacently with straight boundary lines. These boundary lines L1, L2, and L3 are connected to each other at a point within the decorative recess 4.

[0046] In such a vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment, in the first parallel groove formation region R1 and the second parallel groove formation region R2, since the extending directions of the groove portions 4b are different, the reflection of light is different. Therefore, an external person can visually recognize that the first parallel groove formation region R1 and the second parallel groove formation region R2 have different textures, and thus the boundary line L1 can be visually recognized. Also, the boundary line L2 and the boundary line L3 can be visually recognized from the outside. For example, such a boundary line L1, a boundary line L2, and a boundary line L3 are visually recognized as a ridge line of a triangle formed by the decorative concave portions 4, and enable an external person to visually recognize the decorative concave portions 4 in three dimensions.

[0047] Such a decorative concave portion 4 can be formed by laser processing. For example, first, the coating film 3 is formed on the entire outer surface 2a of the base material 2. Next, the coating film 3 is irradiated with laser light and the coating film 3 is partially removed. At this time, the output of the laser light is adjusted to be an output that removes the coating film 3 in the entire region in the thickness direction and further performs micro cutting of the outer surface 2a of the base material 2. By performing micro cutting of the outer surface 2a of the base material 2 by laser light, the groove portion 4b can be formed.

[0048] In addition, in each of the parallel groove formation regions R, the laser light is scanned in parallel, and formed so that a plurality of groove portions 4b are parallel to each other in one parallel groove formation region R. Specifically, in the first parallel groove formation region R1, the laser light is scanned in the arrow direction shown in the first parallel groove formation region R1 of FIG. 4, and each groove portion 4b is formed. Also, in the second parallel groove formation region R2 and the third parallel groove formation region R3, the laser light is scanned in the arrow direction shown in each of the parallel groove formation regions R of FIG. 4, and the groove portion 4b is formed. Figure 1 In addition, in each of the parallel groove formation regions R, the laser light is scanned in parallel, and formed so that a plurality of groove portions 4b are parallel to each other in one parallel groove formation region R. Specifically, in the first parallel groove formation region R1, the laser light is scanned in the arrow direction shown in the first parallel groove formation region R1 of FIG. 4, and each groove portion 4b is formed. Also, in the second parallel groove formation region R2 and the third parallel groove formation region R3, the laser light is scanned in the arrow direction shown in each of the parallel groove formation regions R of FIG. 4, and the groove portion 4b is formed. Figure 3 In addition, in each of the parallel groove formation regions R, the laser light is scanned in parallel, and formed so that a plurality of groove portions 4b are parallel to each other in one parallel groove formation region R. Specifically, in the first parallel groove formation region R1, the laser light is scanned in the arrow direction shown in the first parallel groove formation region R1 of FIG. 4, and each groove portion 4b is formed. Also, in the second parallel groove formation region R2 and the third parallel groove formation region R3, the laser light is scanned in the arrow direction shown in each of the parallel groove formation regions R of FIG. 4, and the groove portion 4b is formed.

[0049] The vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment described above includes a base material 2 and a coating film 3. The base material 2 is composed of resin. The coating film 3 covers the surface of the base material 2. In addition, the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment has decorative concave portions 4. The decorative concave portions 4 are formed so as to be recessed toward the base material 2 from the surface (opposite surface) 3a of the coating film 3 on the side opposite to the base material 2. Furthermore, the bottom 4a of the decorative concave portions 4 is a concave-convex surface.

[0050] According to the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment, the decorative recess 4 is formed so as to be recessed from the surface (opposite surface) 3a of the coating film 3 on the side opposite to the substrate 2. Further, the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4 is a concave-convex surface. When sunlight is incident on the vehicle exterior member 1 of this kind, the sunlight is scattered or diffracted by the concave-convex surface provided on the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4. For example, during the day, the light thus scattered or diffracted is visually recognized by a person outside the vehicle. On the other hand, in the case where sunlight is not incident on the vehicle exterior member 1, only light having a lower intensity than sunlight is incident on the vehicle exterior member 1. Therefore, the light scattered or diffracted by the concave-convex surface provided on the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4 is weaker in intensity than when sunlight is incident, and the light thus scattered or diffracted is not easily visually recognized by a person outside the vehicle. As a result, according to the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to cause a large change in the appearance impression during the period when direct sunlight is incident and the appearance impression during the period when direct sunlight is not incident.

[0051] Further, in the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment, the decorative recess 4 has a depth that exposes the surface of the substrate 2. In addition, the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4 is composed of a portion of the substrate 2. According to the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment of this kind, it is possible to cause a person outside to visually recognize the substrate 2.

[0052] Further, in the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment, the substrate 2 is transparent. According to the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment of this kind, it is possible for a person outside to visually observe the inside of the substrate 2 or the space in front of the substrate 2. Therefore, it is possible to cause the decorative recess 4 to be visually recognized in three dimensions by a person outside.

[0053] Further, in the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment, the concave-convex surface is formed by a plurality of groove portions 4b provided on the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4. Further, a parallel groove formation region R in which a plurality of groove portions 4b are arranged in parallel is provided on the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4.

[0054] According to the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment of this kind, in the parallel groove formation region R, a plurality of groove portions 4b are arranged in parallel. Therefore, a person outside can visually recognize one parallel groove formation region R as having the same texture.

[0055] In addition, in the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of parallel groove formation regions R in which the extension directions of the groove portions 4b are different are provided on the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4. According to the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment of this kind, a plurality of parallel groove formation regions R in which the extension directions of the groove portions 4b are different are provided on one bottom 4a. Therefore, a person outside can visually recognize one bottom 4a as being divided into a plurality of regions.

[0056] Further, in the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of parallel groove formation regions R whose extension directions are different from each other are adjacently arranged in a straight line shape with the boundary lines (boundary line L1, boundary line L2, and boundary line L3).

[0057] According to the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment, an external person can visually recognize the straight boundary line inside one of the decorative recesses 4. Therefore, for example, by arranging the boundary line in the form of a straight line of a three-dimensional object, the external person can visually recognize the decorative recess 4 in three dimensions.

[0058] Further, in the present embodiment, a structure in which the decorative recess 4 has a depth that exposes the surface of the base material 2 is described. However, the present application is not limited to this. For example, the decorative recess 4 can have a depth that is smaller than the thickness of the coating film 3. In this case, the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4 is constituted by a portion of the coating film 3.

[0059] (Second Embodiment)

[0060] Next, a second embodiment of the present application will be described. Further, in the description of the present embodiment, the description of the same parts as those of the above-described first embodiment is omitted or simplified.

[0061] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle exterior member 1A of the present embodiment. As shown in the drawing, the vehicle exterior member 1A of the present embodiment includes a reflective film 5 and a protective film 6. Further, as shown in the drawing, the reflective film 5 and the protective film 6 are adjacently arranged with respect to the inner surface 2b of the base material 2.

[0062] The reflective film 5 is provided so as to cover the inner surface 2b of the base material 2. That is, in the present embodiment, the coating film 3 is formed so as to cover the outer surface 2a which is the surface of one side of the base material 2, and the reflective film 5 is formed so as to cover the inner surface 2b which is the surface of the other side of the base material 2. The reflective film 5 is, for example, a metal film formed by evaporation or the like. However, the reflective film 5 can be a mirror surface or a scattering surface.

[0063] Such a reflective film 5 reflects light that has entered the base material 2 from the outside via the decorative recess 4. For example, by the reflective film 5, the back surface of the coating film 3 is reflected on the reflective film 5, and thus is visually recognized as a shadow by an external person. As a result, the external person can visually recognize the decorative recess 4 more in three dimensions.

[0064] The protective film 6 is a coating film formed so as to cover the reflective film 5 from the side opposite to the base material 2. By such a protective film 6, the deterioration of the reflective film 5 can be suppressed. However, in the present embodiment, the reflective film 5 is not exposed to the outside of the vehicle. Therefore, in the case where the deterioration of the reflective film 5 progresses slowly, the protective film 6 can not be provided.

[0065] In the vehicle exterior member 1A of the present embodiment as described above, the base material 2 is formed in a plate shape. Further, the coating film 3 is formed to cover one side surface of the base material 2, and the reflective film 5 is formed to cover the other side surface of the base material 2. According to the vehicle exterior member 1A of the present embodiment, the light emitted from the decorative recess 4 into the base material 2 can be reflected by the reflective film 5. Therefore, the decorative recess 4 can be more stereoscopically visually recognized by an external person.

[0066] (Third Embodiment)

[0067] Next, the third embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to Figure 4 The third embodiment of the present application will be described. Further, in the description of the present embodiment, the same parts as those of the above-described first embodiment will be omitted or simplified.

[0068] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle exterior member 1B of the present embodiment. As shown in the drawing, the vehicle exterior member 1B of the present embodiment includes a metal film 7 and an outer protective film 8 (protective film). Further, as shown in the drawing, the metal film 7 and the outer protective film 8 are stacked with respect to the outer surface 2a of the base material 2.

[0069] The metal film 7 is a metal film that covers the coating film 3 from the side opposite to the base material 2. The metal film 7 is formed, for example, by evaporation. Such a metal film 7 imparts a metallic luster to the vehicle exterior member 1B. That is, the vehicle exterior member 1B of the present embodiment is visually recognized by an external person as being formed of metal.

[0070] As shown in Figure 5 , the metal film 7 is formed to cover the entire inner surface of the decorative recess 4. Since such a metal film 7 is formed along the shape of the decorative recess 4, a recessed metal texture recess 7a is formed similarly to the decorative recess 4. Further, a groove 7c is formed in the bottom 7b of the metal texture recess 7a similarly to the groove 4b of the decorative recess 4. Further, the metal film 7 can be a structure that covers only the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4.

[0071] According to such a metal film 7, the metal texture recess 7a can be stereoscopically visually recognized by an external person. Further, since the parallel groove formation region R is formed on the metal film 7 similarly to the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4, the metal texture recess 7a can be more stereoscopically visually recognized by an external person.

[0072] The outer protective film 8 is a transparent coating film formed to cover the metal film 7 from the side opposite to the base material 2. The deterioration of the metal film 7 can be suppressed by such an outer protective film 8. However, in the present embodiment, in the case where the weather resistance of the metal film 7 is high and the deterioration progresses slowly, the outer protective film 8 can not be provided.

[0073] The vehicle exterior member 1B of the present embodiment as described above has the metal film 7. The metal film 7 covers the coating film 3 from the side opposite to the base material 2. In addition, the metal film 7 is formed so as to cover the entire inner surface of the decorative recess 4. According to the vehicle exterior member 1B of the present embodiment as such, it is possible to make a part of the vehicle exterior member 1B having a metallic luster visually recognized as a three-dimensional structure.

[0074] In addition, the vehicle exterior member 1B of the present embodiment has the transparent outer protective film 8 covering the metal film 7 from the side opposite to the base material 2. According to the vehicle exterior member 1B of the present embodiment as such, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the metal film 7 by the outer protective film 8.

[0075] In addition, in the present embodiment, the base material 2 cannot be visually recognized through the metal film 7. Therefore, the base material 2 does not have to be transparent. That is, the base material 2 can also be formed of a colored resin.

[0076] (Fourth Embodiment)

[0077] Next, the fourth embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to Figure 5 The fourth embodiment of the present application will be described. In addition, in the description of the present embodiment, the description of the same parts as those of the above-described first embodiment will be omitted or simplified.

[0078] Figure 5 is a schematic front view of the vehicle exterior member 1C of the present embodiment. The vehicle exterior member 1C of the present embodiment includes the decorative recess 9. The decorative recess 9 is a recess formed so as to be recessed toward the base material 2 from the surface (opposite surface 3a) of the coating film 3 on the side opposite to the base material 2. As shown in Figure 5 The decorative recess 9 is formed in a rectangular shape as viewed in the thickness direction of the base material 2. However, the number of the decorative recess 9 can be changed. For example, the vehicle exterior member 1C can include a plurality of decorative recesses 9. In addition, the shape of the decorative recess 9 can be changed. For example, the vehicle exterior member 1C can be in a triangular shape or a polygonal shape of five sides or more, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or the like.

[0079] In addition, in the present embodiment, the decorative recess 9 is formed by recessing a part of the coating film 3 to the extent that the outer surface 2a of the base material 2 is not exposed. That is, in the present embodiment, a bottomed recess is formed on a part of the coating film 3 in order to form the decorative recess 9. The bottom 9a of such a decorative recess 9 is formed by a part of the coating film 3. That is, in the present embodiment, the decorative recess 9 has a depth smaller than the thickness of the coating film 3.

[0080] As shown in Figure 5As shown, a plurality of minute groove portions 9b are formed in the bottom 9a of the decorative recess 9. Each groove portion 9b is formed so as to extend linearly. By forming such a plurality of groove portions 9b, the bottom 9a of the decorative recess 9 becomes a concave-convex surface. In the present embodiment, as described above, the bottom 9a of the decorative recess 9 is formed by the coating film 3. Therefore, the groove portions 9b are formed by performing micro-cutting on the bottom 9a of the coating film 3. The depth of such a groove portion 9b is extremely small compared to the depth of the decorative recess 9, and is, for example, one-tenth or less of the depth of the decorative recess 9.

[0081] As shown, two parallel groove formation regions R are provided in the bottom 9a of the decorative recess 9. In addition, as shown, one of the two parallel groove formation regions R is referred to as a fourth parallel groove formation region R4. In addition, the remaining one of the parallel groove formation regions R other than the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 is referred to as a fifth parallel groove formation region R5. Figure 5 Figure 5 As shown, two parallel groove formation regions R are provided in the bottom 9a of the decorative recess 9. In addition, as shown, one of the two parallel groove formation regions R is referred to as a fourth parallel groove formation region R4. In addition, the remaining one of the parallel groove formation regions R other than the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 is referred to as a fifth parallel groove formation region R5.

[0082] The fourth parallel groove formation region R4 is a rectangular region that occupies one-half of the decorative recess 9 of a rectangular shape, the left half in the Figure 5 The fifth parallel groove formation region R5 is a rectangular region that occupies the remaining one-half of the decorative recess 9, the right half in the Figure 5 However, the shapes of the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 and the fifth parallel groove formation region R5 can be changed.

[0083] In the present embodiment, the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 and the fifth parallel groove formation region R5 are arranged side by side in the paper left-right direction of the Figure 5 In the fourth parallel groove formation region R4, each groove portion 9b extends in the direction parallel to the arrangement direction of the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 and the fifth parallel groove formation region R5, along the arrow shown in the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 of the Figure 5 That is, the groove portions 9b formed in the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 are arranged in a mutually parallel manner. In the fifth parallel groove formation region R5, each groove portion 9b extends in the direction parallel to the arrangement direction of the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 and the fifth parallel groove formation region R5, along the arrow shown in the fifth parallel groove formation region R5 of the Figure 5 That is, the groove portions 9b formed in the fifth parallel groove formation region R5 are arranged in a mutually parallel manner.

[0084] The groove portions 9b provided in the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 and the groove portions 9b provided in the fifth parallel groove formation region R5 extend linearly in the same direction (the arrangement direction of the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 and the fifth parallel groove formation region R5). That is, a plurality of parallel groove formation regions R in which the groove portions 9b are provided in the bottom 9a of the decorative recess 9 are arranged in the same direction.​

[0085] However, in the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 and the fifth parallel groove formation region R5, the arrangement intervals of the plurality of groove portions 9b are different. Specifically, the arrangement intervals of the plurality of groove portions 9b in the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 are shorter than the arrangement intervals of the plurality of groove portions 9b in the fifth parallel groove formation region R5. That is, the groove portions 9b are densely arranged in the fourth parallel groove formation region R4, and are sparsely arranged in the fifth parallel groove formation region R5.

[0086] Further, the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 and the fifth parallel groove formation region R5 are arranged adjacent to each other. In the present embodiment, the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 and the fifth parallel groove formation region R5 are arranged adjacent to each other in a manner that the end portions in the extension direction of the groove portions 9b (the arrangement direction of the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 and the fifth parallel groove formation region R5) are connected to each other. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the boundary line L4 of the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 and the fifth parallel groove formation region R5 is in a straight line shape. Figure 5

[0087] In such a vehicle exterior member 1C of the present embodiment, in the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 and the fifth parallel groove formation region R5, the arrangement intervals of the groove portions 9b are different, and thus the reflection of light is different. Therefore, an external person can visually recognize the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 and the fifth parallel groove formation region R5 as having different textures, and thus can visually recognize the boundary line L4. Such a boundary line L4 enables an external person to visually recognize the decorative recess 9 in three dimensions, for example.

[0088] Such a decorative recess 9 can be formed by laser processing. For example, first, the coating film 3 is formed on the entire outer surface 2a of the base material 2. Next, the coating film 3 is irradiated with laser light, and the coating film 3 is partially recessed. At this time, the output of the laser light is adjusted so that the coating film 3 is not removed in the entire region in the thickness direction, and the bottom portion 9a is constituted by a portion of the coating film 3. By performing slight cutting of the bottom portion 9a with laser light, the groove portion 9b can be formed.

[0089] Further, in each of the parallel groove formation regions R, the laser light is scanned in parallel, and the plurality of groove portions 9b are formed in parallel with each other in one parallel groove formation region R. Specifically, in the fourth parallel groove formation region R4, the laser light is scanned in the arrow direction shown in the fourth parallel groove formation region R4 of FIG. 1, and each of the groove portions 9b is formed. ​ Similarly, in the fifth parallel groove formation region R5, the laser light is also scanned in the arrow direction shown in the fifth parallel groove formation region R5 of FIG. 1, and the groove portions 9b are formed. ​ Similarly, in the fifth parallel groove formation region R5, the laser light is also scanned in the arrow direction shown in the fifth parallel groove formation region R5 of FIG. 1, and the groove portions 9b are formed.

[0090] ​In the vehicle exterior member 1C of the present embodiment described above, the depth of the decorative recess 9 is smaller than the thickness of the coating film 3. In addition, the bottom 9a of the decorative recess 9 is constituted by a portion of the coating film 3. According to the vehicle exterior member 1C of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the substrate 2 from being visually recognized by an outsider. Therefore, the degree of freedom in selection of the material of the substrate 2 is improved. That is, in the present embodiment, the substrate 2 does not need to be transparent.

[0091] In addition, in the vehicle exterior member 1C of the present embodiment, a plurality of parallel groove formation regions R in which the extending directions of the groove portions 9b are the same and the arrangement intervals of the groove portions 9b are different are provided at the bottom 9a of the decorative recess 9. According to the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to make the reflection directions of light close to each other in the plurality of parallel groove formation regions R, and to make the textures of the plurality of parallel groove formation regions R close to each other.

[0092] In addition, in the vehicle exterior member 1 of the present embodiment, the parallel groove formation regions R in which the extending directions of the groove portions 9b are the same and the arrangement intervals of the groove portions 9b are different from each other are adjacently arranged in a manner that the end portions in the extending directions of the groove portions 9b are connected to each other. Therefore, it is possible to give an outsider an impression that the shapes visually recognized in the different parallel groove formation regions R are connected to each other.

[0093] In the foregoing, although the preferred embodiments of the present application have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The various shapes or combinations of the respective constituent components shown in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements or the like without departing from the spirit of the present application.

[0094] For example, in the above-described embodiments, a structure in which the vehicle exterior member is a rectangular plate has been described. However, the present application is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle exterior member can not be plate-shaped. In addition, for example, a structure in which a mounting portion or the like is provided at a base portion with respect to a vehicle body can be employed.

[0095] For example, in the above-described embodiments, a structure in which the groove portions are formed at the same time as the coating film 3 is formed by laser processing has been described. However, the present application is not limited to this. For example, a process of forming the groove portions can be performed after the coating film 3 is processed.

[0096] For example, a decorative recess 4 can be formed by applying a paint on the outer surface 2a of the substrate 2 using screen printing or the like, and not applying the paint on a portion of the region. The groove portions 4b can be formed on the outer surface 2a of the substrate 2 constituting the bottom 4a of the decorative recess 4 by laser processing before or after the paint is thus applied.

[0097] The decorative recess 4 and the groove portion 4b can be formed not only by laser processing but also by mechanical processing such as cutting processing. When the groove portion 4b is formed on the outer surface 2a of the base material 2, a shape corresponding to the groove portion 4b can be provided on a mold used for injection molding of the base material 2, and the groove portion 4b can be formed at the same time as the injection molding of the base material 2.

[0098] Reference Signs List

[0099] 1 …… Vehicle exterior member 1A …… Vehicle exterior member 1B …… Vehicle exterior member 1C …… Vehicle exterior member 2 …… Base material 2a …… Outer surface (one side surface) 2b …… Inner surface (other side surface) 3 …… Coating film 3a …… Opposite surface 3b …… Opening 4 …… Decorative recess 4a …… Bottom portion 4b …… Groove portion 5 …… Reflective film 6 …… Protective film 7 …… Metallic film 7a …… Metallic texture recess 7b …… Bottom portion 7c …… Groove portion 8 …… Outer protective film (protective film) 9 …… Decorative recess 9a …… Bottom portion 9b …… Groove portion L1 …… Boundary line L2 …… Boundary line L3 …… Boundary line L4 …… Boundary line R …… Parallel groove formation region

Claims

1. An external component for a vehicle, comprising: A substrate made of resin and a coating covering the surface of the substrate, wherein, The vehicle exterior component has a decorative recess formed in such a way that it is recessed from the surface of the coating opposite to the substrate toward the substrate, and the bottom of the decorative recess is a concave-convex surface.

2. The vehicle exterior component according to claim 1, wherein, The depth of the decorative recess is less than the thickness of the coating. The bottom of the decorative recess is formed by a portion of the coating.

3. The vehicle exterior component according to claim 1, wherein, The decorative recess has a depth that exposes the surface of the substrate. The bottom of the decorative recess is formed by a portion of the substrate.

4. The vehicle exterior component according to claim 3, wherein, The substrate is transparent.

5. The vehicle exterior component according to claim 4, wherein, The substrate is formed in the form of a plate. The coating is formed to cover one side of the surface of the substrate. A reflective film is formed in such a way that it covers the surface of the other side of the substrate.

6. The vehicle exterior component according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The uneven surface is formed by a plurality of grooves provided at the bottom of the decorative recess. A parallel groove forming area is provided at the bottom of the decorative recess, and multiple straight grooves are arranged in parallel to each other in the parallel groove forming area.

7. The vehicle exterior component according to claim 6, wherein, At the bottom of the decorative recess, there are multiple parallel groove forming areas with different extending directions of the groove.

8. The vehicle exterior component according to claim 7, wherein, The parallel groove forming regions, which have different extension directions, are arranged adjacently with their boundary lines in a straight line manner.

9. The vehicle exterior component according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein, At the bottom of the decorative recess, there are multiple parallel groove forming areas where the grooves extend in the same direction and are spaced at different intervals.

10. The vehicle exterior component according to claim 9, wherein, Parallel groove forming regions, in which the grooves extend in the same direction and the grooves are spaced at different intervals, are arranged adjacently such that the ends of the grooves in the extending direction are connected to each other.

11. The vehicle exterior component according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, The vehicle exterior component has a metal film covering the coating from the side opposite to the substrate. The metal film is formed to cover the entire inner surface of the decorative recess.

12. The vehicle exterior component according to claim 11, wherein, The vehicle exterior component has a transparent protective film that covers the metal film from the side opposite to the substrate.

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