Flexible functional element and method for manufacturing a flexible functional element

Abstract

Flexible functional element comprising a flexible substrate (1) with a functional coating (2) made of a functional material covering at least a partial area of ​​the flexible substrate (1), wherein the functional coating (2) has a lateral structuring consisting of structural elements (3) filling a given area and lateral intermediate areas (4) extending between the structural elements (3), wherein the structural element (3) is a coated functional area (F) made of the functional material covering the flexible substrate (1) and the intermediate area (4) surrounding the structural element (3) is designed as an uncovered substrate area (S).

Description

The invention relates to a flexible functional element according to claim 1 and to a method for producing a flexible functional element according to claim 15.Such functional elements consist of a flexible, in particular foldable, substrate with a functional coating applied thereon. The flexible substrate is in particular a textile or a film, the applied functional coating can be formed, for example, in an electrically conductive, magnetic, luminous or other manner.EP 2 449 901 B1 discloses a sports apparel with a fit, which is provided in sections with so-called compression zones. The compression zones have a regular net-like structure. The net-like structure is either a perforated textile film or a polyurethane coating which forms a web-like covering on a given substrate. This influences the stretching properties of the substrate and a compression effect is achieved at certain points of sports apparel.DE 10 2011 003 620 A1 discloses a multilayer film for preventing fouling by fouling organisms, a method for the production thereof and for the use thereof. The publication teaches a layer sequence of several layers which are distinguished by different conductivities and surface properties. One of the layers can have a net-like structure of webs, wherein this net covers the layer as a substrate and can be electrically contacted as a whole.DE 199 26 379 A1 discloses a composite material. The publication teaches an arrangement of two outer layers and a middle layer which is doctored and is formed in the form of webs with empty uncovered regions. In addition, conductive structures in the form of steel yarns can be provided there.DE 103 31 177 A1 discloses a composite construction. This consists of a construction paper or a construction film with a textile planar structure. The textile fabric can be designed as a knitted fabric and contain conductive yarns. The textile fabric can be attached and fastened by means of special adhesive compositions or adhesives.EP 2 671 715 A1 discloses a microwave packaging for food. The publication teaches a multilayer construction of a liquid-absorbing insert applied to a lattice structure. The grid structure consists of a series of cells surrounded by conductive webs.The flexible functional elements currently known from the prior art have the problem that the functional coating generally has the properties of the flexible substrate not, or only insufficiently. The functional coating is, for example, less flexible than the substrate or it is hardly breathable or not breathable at all, in particular in comparison with a textile substrate. Due to this lack of interaction of the properties of substrate and functional coating, the functional element as a whole consisting of these components very often has properties in which above all the disadvantageous properties of substrate and functional coating are combined. The functional element is in particular only insufficiently flexible as a whole and an excessively large change in shape of the substrate leads to the functional coating breaking and thus being damaged or even destroyed. If the flexible substrate is a textile, it has a certain breathability as a component, but the functional coating affects this breathability to an often considerable extent.The negative property combinations mentioned limit the usability and the range of application of the flexible functional elements to a considerable extent. For example, certain curvatures or shapes must be avoided so that the functional coating does not break, or the functional element cannot be used over a large area for garments because the garment made therefrom is impractical and inconvenient to wear due to the poor breathability.It is therefore the object to specify a flexible functional element whose structure avoids the aforementioned combination of negative properties and instead effectively and circumferentially combines the advantageous properties of the substrate with the desired properties of the functional coating. Furthermore, the object associated therewith is to specify a production method for a flexible functional element, with which a flexible functional element of this type can be produced.The stated objectives are achieved by a flexible functional element having the features of claim 1 and by a method for producing a flexible functional element having the features of claim 15.According to the invention, the flexible functional element contains a flexible substrate with a functional coating of a functional material covering the flexible substrate at least in a partial area. The functional coating has a lateral structuring. The lateral structuring consists of structural elements filling a given area and lateral intermediate regions running between the structural elements. The structural element is in each case a coated functional region which covers the flexible substrate and consists of the functional material, and the intermediate region surrounding the structural element is formed as an uncovered substrate region.In the flexible functional element according to the invention, the functional coating is thus designed such that it is not applied as a closed layer to the substrate. Rather, it laterally consists of a plurality of individual elements, the so-called structural elements. The structural elements are geometrically shaped in such a way that they fill a given area, i.e. they cover and quasi-park without gaps. Intermediate regions are provided between the individual structural elements, which separate the individual structural elements from one another and simultaneously delimit them. The functional coating is thus structured laterally. This entails flexibility of the functional coating, as a result of which the latter is better adapted to the flexible substrate.According to the invention, the structural element is in each case a coated functional region which covers the flexible substrate and consists of the functional material. The intermediate region surrounding the structural element is formed in this configuration as an uncovered substrate region.In this embodiment, in particular the flexible substrate has unaffected flexibility, in particular unaffected flexibility, in the region of the uncovered substrate region. This means in particular that here the substrate is unaffected by the mechanical nature of the functional material and can be bent, folded or even kinked without the functional material as such being influenced by these deformations.In a development of this embodiment, the uncovered substrate region forms a fold and crease line running at least in sections along a plurality of functional regions across the surface of the flexible substrate, wherein the flexible substrate is deformable without being affected by mechanical properties of the functional coating. This means that the flexible functional element formed in this way can be continuously folded and kinked virtually arbitrarily and can therefore also be laminated on around sharp corners in any desired size without the functional coating being influenced as a result or even breaking.In an embodiment not according to the invention, the structural element is in each case a region which does not cover the flexible substrate. However, the intermediate region surrounding the structural element is covered with the functional material and forms a functional web delimiting the respective individual structural element. This embodiment is particularly suitable for functional elements in which a high bending ability is not important for the first time, but in which a portion of the flexible substrate that is as large as possible is to remain free. Such an embodiment is particularly expedient in the case of a textile substrate if its breathability is to be used.The basic construction described above can additionally be advantageously supplemented in both variants.In an advantageous embodiment, at least a subset of the functional regions and / or of the functional webs present on the substrate is combined, in particular connected, to form at least one functional material structure running over the surface of the substrate. This makes it possible to use the lateral structuring by the structural elements for the introduction of lateral structures in the functional coating itself.It is also possible for at least a subset of the functional regions present on the substrate to be removed and replaced by at least one functional structure running over the surface of the substrate.The mentioned functional material structure is in particular at least in sections a meander structure.Likewise, the mentioned functional structure can also be a meandering structure at least in sections.Depending on the specific configuration, the functional material, the functional material structure and / or the functional structure can be in particular electrically conductive and / or persistent and / or magnetic. This allows a high degree of variability of the functional element to be achieved.The individual structural element can have, in particular, a square, in particular a rectangular and / or a square, shape.For the individual structural element, it is of course also possible for it to have a trigonal (triangular) and / or a hexagonal shape.The lateral extent of the individual structural element is not defined in itself from the outset. In an advantageous configuration, the individual structural element has a lateral extent in the range from 1 μm to 500 μm. The structuring is sufficiently fine in this size range so that the functional element can be folded, bent and / or breathable practically at any point, so that the advantageous properties of the flexible substrate can thereby be combined with that of the functional material over the entire surface of the functional element.Advantageously, the functional coating with the lateral structuring, consisting of the structural elements filling a given area and the lateral intermediate regions running between the structural elements, is printed onto the substrate.The functional coating can be digitally printed, i.e. without a physical printing form, such as for example by means of an inkjet printing method, an electrophotography method or a laser printing method. However, it can of course also be printed non-digitally, i.e. using a physical printing form, such as a stamp, a screen, a stencil and similar devices.The flexible substrate may be made of various materials.In a first embodiment, the flexible substrate is a textile substrate.In a second embodiment, the flexible substrate is a film.A method for producing a flexible functional element, containing a coating of a flexible substrate with a functional coating, is distinguished according to the invention in that the coating of the flexible substrate is carried out by printing a functional coating from a functional material in a printing method. The printing process can be carried out both with and without the use of a physical printing form. In this case, the functional coating is applied to the flexible substrate in a printed image with a lateral structuring. The printed image for the structuring consists of structural elements that geometrically fill a given surface and lateral intermediate regions running between the structural elements.According to the invention, the printed image consists of a plurality of coated functional regions which cover the flexible substrate and consist of the functional material, the functional regions being separated from one another by a surrounding intermediate region. In this case, the flexible substrate remains unprinted in the intermediate region.In an embodiment of the method not according to the invention, the printed image consists of a plurality of regions not covering the flexible substrate, wherein the uncovered regions are each surrounded by an intermediate region and are covered with the functional material. The intermediate region is then printed on as a network of functional webs delimiting the uncovered regions.In an advantageous configuration of the method, the printing method is a digital printing method, in particular an inkjet printing method or an electrophotography method or a laser printing method.The flexible functional element and the production method provided for this purpose will be explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments. The attached FIGS. 1 to 15 serve for explanation purposes; the same reference numerals are used for identical or identically acting parts.It shows: FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of structural elements in the form of coated functional regions in a hexagonal shape, FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of structural elements in the form of coated functional regions in a trigonal form, FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of structural elements in the form of coated functional regions in a quadrangular shape, in particular as a combination of rectangles and squares, FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of structural elements in the form of coated functional regions in the form of parallelograms, FIG. 5 shows an exemplary illustration of folding and folding lines, FIG. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment not according to the invention with structural elements in the form of uncovered regions and delimiting functional webs, FIG. 7 shows a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 6 not according to the invention, wherein some of the uncovered regions are modified, FIG. 8 shows an exemplary embodiment of a meandering functional material structure, FIG. 9 shows an exemplary detailed illustration of unconnected functional regions, FIG. 10 shows an exemplary detailed illustration of connected functional regions in a first variant in a plan view and in section, FIG. 11 shows an exemplary detailed illustration of connected functional regions in a second variant in a plan view and in section, FIG. 12 shows an exemplary embodiment of a meandering functional structure, FIG. 13 shows an exemplary embodiment of functional webs combined to form a meander structure, not according to the invention, FIG. 14 shows an exemplary detailed illustration, not according to the invention, of functional webs with uncovered structural elements in a plan view and in section, FIG. 15 shows an exemplary detailed illustration, not according to the invention, of functional webs in sections with uncovered structural elements in a plan view and in section.The invention explained below with reference to the exemplary embodiments relates to the construction of small-structured functional coatings on flexible substrates, for example on substrates which are designed as films and / or textiles. The lateral extent of the structures explained below is, for example, a maximum of 3 mm here. The functional coatings mentioned below can be conductive, magnetic or persistent, among others. It is common to all the following exemplary embodiments that the coating is not applied over the entire surface to a substrate, but is partially fixed on the flexible substrate. Between the coated areas on the flexible substrate are interruptions, i.e. in particular uncoated areas, which function as gas- and moisture-permeable interstices and cause breathability of the composite of the substrate and the coating. In addition, interrupted uncoated sections introduced specifically into the coating increase flexibility of the composite composed of the substrate and the coating by bending edges produced in this way, which facilitate angling of the coated flexible substrate. The coated regions can be arranged both systematically and randomly on the flexible substrate. In the exemplary embodiments shown below, regular and periodic structures are explained by way of example.The structures explained below can be generated both digitally and non-digitally.Digital here means that these structures are applied to the flexible substrate in particular in digitally controllable methods, for example in an inkjet printing method or in a laser printing method. In the digital methods, in particular, no physical printing form is used. Instead, the printed image is produced by the targeted deposition of material dots at provided locations on the substrate.Non-digital means here that a physical printing form is used in the printing method in order to transfer the printed image and thus the structures to the substrate. Examples of these are stamps, screen printing moulds or stencils. The physical printing forme, i.e. in particular the stamp, the screen or the stencil, can naturally be generated computer-assisted as such. The actual printing operation as such, however, then does not take place digitally using these printing forms.These digitally or non-digitally generated structures can be configured in particular hexagonal and / or rectangular, in particular square, and / or trigonal (triangular). These form in particular individual cells, the elements of which can be functionalized in a persistence and / or magnetic and / or electroluminescent manner.FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of structural elements in the form of coated functional regions in a hexagonal shape.The functional element shown here consists of a flexible substrate 1 and a functional coating 2 made of a functional material. The functional coating is structured laterally, namely it consists of structural elements 3 which are embodied here as hexagonal.The shape of the structural elements 3 is of course not fixed to the hexagonal shape. In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 2, the structural elements 3 are formed trigonally in the form of equilateral or isosceles triangles; in the embodiments according to FIGS. 3 and 4, the structural elements 3 are formed rectangular and square and in the form of parallelograms or diamonds. The geometric shape of the structural elements 3 is designed such that they cover, i.e. park, a given area without gaps. In principle, this lateral structure does not have to be periodic; for example, so-called penrose tessellations can also be used as mathematical structures as the basis. However, periodic structuring is naturally more advantageous and less expensive to produce.In the exemplary embodiments from FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 as well, the intermediate regions 4 are not covered with the functional material, and the flexible substrate 1 is thus exposed in these sections. Because the structural elements 3 in these examples are covered with the functional material, they form a total of functional regions F, while the intermediate regions 4 are formed as uncovered substrate regions S.The surface of the functional elements from FIGS. 1 to 4 thus has uncovered and covered substrate regions. The uncovered substrate regions S show the properties of the uncovered substrate; they are in particular flexible there and breathable depending on the type of substrate. The covered functional regions F, on the other hand, are functionally effective.According to the exemplary illustration from FIG. 5, the surface of the flexible functional element can have a series of folding and folding lines 5 due to the arrangement of the structural elements 3. The folding and folding lines 5 run in the direction of the uncovered intermediate regions 4, i.e. along the uncovered substrate regions S. The folding and folding lines 5 run continuously over the entire surface of the flexible substrate and are thus fundamentally unlimited in length. Flexible functional elements can thus be cut out of a larger substrate web in respectively required sizes, in which the folding and folding lines 5 are likewise present.In the embodiment of Fig. 5, the location of the crease and crease lines is different depending on the location on the surface according to the different shape of the hexagonal and rectangular structural elements, respectively. The substrate coated in this way can thus be bent and folded differently at different points. By means of different lateral structuring of the functional coating, it is thus also possible to realize locally different folding and bending properties.FIGS. 6 and 7 show exemplary embodiments not according to the invention with structural elements in the form of uncovered regions and delimiting functional webs, and a modification of the exemplary embodiment in which some of the uncovered regions are modified. The embodiments not according to the invention from FIGS. 6 and 7 represent, to a certain extent, an inverted counterpart to the embodiment from FIG. 1.The substrate 1 is also designed here as a flexible substrate 1. The functional coating 2 is structured hexagonally here by the structural elements 3.Instead of the hexagonal shape, other geometric shapes can of course also be used here. In the embodiment in FIG. 6, the structural elements 3 are not coated with the functional material, and the flexible substrate 1 is thus exposed. The intermediate region 4 surrounding the structural elements 3, in each case, on the other hand, is coated with the functional material. The coated intermediate region thus forms a network of functional webs FS. The functional ridges FS may coat the entire surface of the flexible substrate 1.The laterally structured functional coating formed in this way allows a maximum level of breathability for the flexible substrate 1 and is thus advantageous in textile substrates if the retention of breathable properties of the substrate is important and is to be combined with the functional coating. Of course, a functional coating structured in this way can also be combined with film substrates.The structural elements 3 which remain free in FIG. 6 can of course also be at least partially filled with the functional material or comprise another additional material. This possibility is illustrated in FIG. 7. As an example, some of the open structural elements 3 here have a filling with an additional material 6. The additive material 6 may include additional functionalities. If the functional material of the functional webs FS is, for example, a conductive material, the structural elements 3 filled with the additional material 6 can be electrically contacted via the functional webs. The additional material 6 can thereby be supplied with electrical voltage and, for example, brought to light.FIG. 8 shows an exemplary embodiment of a meandering functional material structure 7. the exemplary embodiment shown in the figure shows a multiplicity of here hexagonal structural elements 3, which are each formed as functional regions F. The intermediate regions 4 form uncovered substrate regions S, as in the example from FIG. 1. Some of the functional regions F are combined to form functional material structures 7. This is effected, for example, via a conductor track 8 or another type of connection. This functional material structure 7 can extend in particular in meandering fashion over the laterally structured surface of the functional element. The structural elements 3 and thus the individual functional regions F thus form a uniquely predetermined functional grid, via which meander structures, but also other structures, can be addressed and defined. Additional structures can thus be subsequently introduced later in a simple manner on an initially undefined functional element by virtue of selected functional regions in the grid being interconnected or connected to one another in a desired manner and a lateral structure and circuit of virtually any desired size being formed, which can be activated as a whole.The meandering functional structure can consist of connected regions or be composed of unconnected but meandering functional elements. In this way, it is possible in particular to realize structures which are conductively and / or persistently and / or magnetically coated.In particular, the magnetic and / or permanently magnetic coatings of this type can of course be produced in a digitally controlled method, i.e. in particular a digital printing method. This makes it possible to produce fixing devices on magnetic components and thus to provide non-magnetic flexible substrates 1 with magnetic coatings, the flexibility of the substrate 1 itself being virtually unaffected. Instead of the digital printing method, it is of course also possible to use printing methods for producing such structures, in which physical printing forms, in particular stamps, stencils, screens and similar printing forms, are used.FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 show examples of possible types of interconnection of individual functional regions F defined by structural elements 3, in a plan view and in a sectional illustration, respectively. In the illustration in FIG. 9, the structural elements 3 are separated by the intermediate regions 4 and are located individually on the flexible substrate 1, and are therefore not connected or interconnected to one another.In the example of FIG. 10, the conductor track 8 is first applied to the flexible substrate 1. Instead of the conductor track 8, a different structure can of course also be applied to the substrate 1. It is also possible in particular for the substrate 1 to have an additional structuring in these regions, for example a conductive yarn or a embroidered other structure.In the example from FIG. 11, the structuring according to FIG. 9 is provided first, wherein the conductor track 8 has been applied subsequently to this structuring and thus partially covers it. This corresponds to subsequent addressing of the individual functional regions F along the existing structural elements 3. The conductor track 8 can of course also be replaced by a non-conductive connection which, for example, generates a mechanical stabilization, a functional connection, a pattern or another effect.FIG. 12 shows another possibility of introducing additional structures into the structured surface of the functional element. The structured surface of the functional element here consists of a multiplicity of functional regions F which are arranged in the grid of the structural elements 3 and are separated from one another by the intermediate regions 4.Some of the structural elements 3 are removed in the example from FIG. 12 and replaced by a functional structure 9 which is located on the flexible substrate. This is designed here as a meandering structure. In addition, some of the structural elements 3 can be combined to form the above-mentioned functional material structure 7, such that the surface of the functional element has three different lateral regions: the region of unconnected functional regions F, the region of the functional structure 9 in which the functional elements are replaced by another structure, for example a conductor track 8, and a functional material structure 7 in which functional regions F are present and are interconnected and functionally combined with one another. At an intersection point 10, the functional structure 9 and the functional material structure 7 can be contacted with one another or connected in some other way.It is also possible to modify the embodiment according to FIG. 6, which is not according to the invention, in a comparable manner. FIG. 13 shows a corresponding example, likewise not according to the invention. As already explained in connection with FIG. 6, the structural elements 3 here are uncovered substrate regions which are divided from one another by functional webs FS as the intermediate regions 4 covered here. In the example not according to the invention in FIG. 13, a part of the functional webs FS is designed as modified functional webs 11. In the example present here, these extend in meandering fashion over the surface of the functional element.The modified functional webs 11 can be, for example, conductive contacts which connect various functional webs FS and apply an electrical voltage. However, it is also possible to configure the modified functional webs 11 as insulating components which laterally separate different sections of the functional element from one another.The noninventive examples from FIGS. 14 and 15 show the functional webs FS in unmodified and modified form in a plan view and in section, respectively. In the example not according to the invention from FIG. 14, the uncovered structural elements 3 and the functional webs FS are shown. In section, these are shown as narrow webs which cover the flexible substrate 1 in a narrow lateral extent.In the example of FIG. 15 which is not according to the invention, a part of the functional webs FS is replaced by modified functional webs 11. These form at least partially the boundaries of the uncoated structural elements 3.The structures explained in the exemplary embodiments can of course also be realized analogously with structural elements 3 which are not of hexagonal configuration. The mechanical properties of the flexible functional element and further properties, such as in particular its breathability, can be adjusted by means of the ratio of the lateral dimensions of the structural elements 3 to the lateral dimensions of the intermediate regions 4. With covered structural elements 3, which are thus designed as functional regions F, and a textile, air-permeable substrate 1, breathable and highly flexible functional elements can then be produced if the uncovered intermediate regions 4 are formed to be correspondingly wide in relation to the lateral width of the functional elements. In the case of uncovered structural elements 3 with the intermediate regions 4 designed as functional webs FS, the functional element which arises tends to be very easily breathable. In such a case, the flexibility of the functional element can be increased by making the functional webs FS as narrow as possible.As already stated, the flexible functional element can easily be deformed, folded and bent, particularly at the uncovered intermediate regions. Although this deformability is initially limited to the uncovered intermediate regions and their courses, it can be designed to be continuous in practice by the structure elements and the lateral grid of the structuring of the functional coating formed by the structure elements being executed with a sufficient fineness. With a lateral extent of the structural elements of less than 500 μm, the grid of the functional coating virtually no longer influences the continuous deformability of the flexible substrate, and the flexible functional element can be bent and folded virtually in any direction and at any location, especially since with these small lateral extents the technical radii of curvature of the bends are generally greater than 500 μm and the thickness of the flexible substrate is also significantly greater. Overall, this allows the flexible functional element to be adapted to any desired three-dimensional geometric structures.Furthermore, the uncoated lateral sections in the functional coating can achieve a saving in material. Due to the structure, a certain increase in the strength of the flexible substrate also occurs.The flexible functional element according to the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments. Further embodiments are possible within the scope of specialist activity. Further embodiments are also evident from the dependent claims.List of reference characters1 Flexible substrate 2 Functional coating 3 Structural element 4 Intermediate region 5 Folding and folding line 6 Additional material 7 Functional material structure 8 Conductor track 9 Functional structure 10 Intersection point 11 Modified functional web F Functional region FS Functional web S Uncovered substrate region

Claims

Flexible functional element, containing a flexible substrate (1) with a functional coating (2) of a functional material covering the flexible substrate (1) at least in a partial region, wherein the functional coating (2) has a lateral structuring, consisting of structural elements (3) filling a given surface and lateral intermediate regions (4) running between the structural elements (3), wherein the structural element (3) is in each case a coated functional region (F) covering the flexible substrate (1) and consisting of the functional material, and the intermediate region (4) surrounding the structural element (3) is formed as an uncovered substrate region (S).Flexible functional element according to Claim 1, characterized in that the flexible substrate (1) has unaffected flexibility, in particular unaffected flexibility, in the region of the uncovered substrate region (S).Flexible functional element according to Claim 2, characterized in that the uncovered substrate region (S) forms a folding and bending line (5) which runs at least in sections along a plurality of functional regions (F) beyond the surface of the flexible substrate and in which the flexible substrate (1) is deformable without being affected by mechanical properties of the functional coating (2).Flexible functional element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least a portion of the functional regions (F) present on the substrate is combined, in particular connected, to form at least one functional material structure (7) running over the surface of the substrate.Flexible functional element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least a subset of the functional regions (F) present on the substrate is removed and replaced by at least one functional structure (9) running over the surface of the substrate.Flexible functional element according to Claim 4, characterized in that the functional material structure (7) is a meandering structure at least in sections.Flexible functional element according to Claim 5, characterized in that the functional structure (9) is a meandering structure at least in sections.Flexible functional element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the functional material, the functional material structure (7) and / or the functional structure (9) is electrically conductive and / or persistent and / or magnetic.Flexible functional element according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the individual structural element (3) has a square, in particular a rectangular and / or a square, shape.Flexible functional element according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the individual structural element (3) has a trigonal and / or a hexagonal shape.Flexible functional element according to either of Claims 9 and 10, characterized in that the individual structural element (3) has a lateral extent in the range from 1 μm to 500 μm.Flexible functional element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the functional coating (2) with the lateral structuring, consisting of the structural elements (3) filling the given area and the lateral intermediate regions (4) running between the structural elements (3), is printed onto the flexible substrate (1).Flexible functional element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flexible substrate (1) is a textile substrate.Flexible functional element according to one of Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the flexible substrate (1) is a film.Method for producing a flexible functional element, comprising coating a flexible substrate (1) with a functional coating (2), characterized in that, in a printing method, the coating of the flexible substrate (1) is effected by printing a functional coating (2) made of a functional material, wherein the functional coating (2) is applied to the flexible substrate (1) in a printed image having a lateral structuring, consisting of structural elements (3) geometrically filling a given area and lateral intermediate regions (4) running between the structural elements (3), wherein the printed image consists of a plurality of coated functional regions (F) covering the flexible substrate (1) and consisting of the functional material, wherein the functional regions (F) are separated from one another by a surrounding intermediate region (4), wherein the flexible substrate (1) remains non-printed in the intermediate region (4).

16. Method according to claim 15, the printing method being a digital printing method, in particular an inkjet printing method or an electrophotography method or a laser printing method.

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