Trim part for the interior of a vehicle and an associated method for producing the trim part

Abstract

The invention relates to a trim part (1) for the interior of a vehicle, having a visible side (S), which faces a viewer when used as intended, and a rear side (R) facing away from the visible side, the visible side of the trim part (1) having a transparent and / or translucent carrier film (20) and a transparent and / or translucent heating panel (30) which is applied to the rear side of the carrier film (20), the rear side of the carrier film (20) being back-moulded with an at least partially transparent and / or translucent plastic which forms a carrier (10) which stabilizes the carrier film (20) and keeps it in a predetermined shape.

Description

[0001] Decorative part for the interior of a vehicle and a related method for its manufacture

[0002] Description:

[0003] The invention relates to a decorative part for an interior of a vehicle and a method for producing such a decorative part.

[0004] A wide variety of trim parts for vehicles are known from the state of the art. Depending on the functions to be integrated into the trim part, such as display elements, heating elements, control elements, or sensors, these are implemented with different structures and using different manufacturing processes.

[0005] However, according to the current state of the art, multiple components are often required for the various functions, which must be installed separately or integrated with one another during assembly. Particularly when a large number of functions are to be integrated into a trim part, this results in a comparatively thick and correspondingly space-intensive design of the trim part, which is of great importance in the context of cost and weight minimization, which are of great importance in the field of automotive engineering.

[0006] In addition, heating elements are often arranged in a net-like or meandering manner on a support, which means that a decorative part constructed in this way cannot be used as a cover for a display element, such as a screen, because the cables prevent a clear view of the display element.

[0007] The invention is therefore based on the object of overcoming the aforementioned disadvantages and providing a thin and at least partially transparent decorative part.

[0008] This problem is solved by the combination of features according to patent claim 1.

[0009] According to the invention, a decorative part for the interior of a vehicle is therefore proposed, wherein the decorative part has a visible side which, during normal operation, faces an observer, and a rear side facing away from the visible side. It is provided that the decorative part has a transparent and / or translucent carrier film on the visible side, to which a transparent heating field is applied and, in particular, printed. Furthermore, a decorative layer can be provided and, in particular, printed on the visible side of the carrier film and / or on the rear of the carrier film and covering the heating field or other functional components, wherein a rear decorative layer has the advantage that height differences resulting on the rear side of the carrier film from the heating field and the other functional components can be compensated for.The carrier film is further back-injected with a plastic that is at least partially transparent and / or translucent, which forms a carrier that stabilizes the carrier film and holds it in a predetermined shape.

[0010] Preferably, the carrier is transparent and / or translucent in the area of ​​the heating field, so that the decorative part can be arranged, for example, in front of a display element and at the same time provides surface heating formed by the heating field close to the surface and thus efficiently.

[0011] Because the heating function can be made extremely thin using the printed heating field, the entire decorative part has a thin and space-saving structure.

[0012] An advantageous variant also provides that the heating field is formed by a fully printed, transparent or translucent and at the same time electrically conductive ink.

[0013] Furthermore, the decorative part can have two terminal blocks, in particular also printed and / or arranged on the back of the carrier film, for electrically contacting and supplying power to the heating field. These terminal blocks are functional components that can also be referred to as busbars. The terminal blocks each have a connection area for electrically contacting a power source and a contact area for electrically contacting the heating field. The contact areas of the terminal blocks each cover an edge area of ​​the heating field, with the two edge areas being located on two sides of the heating field that are opposite one another in terms of surface area.

[0014] The terminal blocks preferably cover the entire edge area of ​​the heating field on the respective sides, so that the heating field is completely covered on the opposite sides and a free area is formed between them. Additionally or alternatively, the coverage on the respective sides can increase along the edge area, ensuring a uniform current flow between the terminal blocks across the heating field or across the free area.

[0015] In order to ensure effective heating via the heating field provided for this purpose, but not via the terminal strips, it is preferably provided that an electrical resistance of the heating field, in particular with respect to a reference surface, is greater than an electrical resistance of the terminal strips with respect to the reference surface.

[0016] In order to be able to integrate further functions into the decorative part, one variant provides for the decorative part to have a decorative layer that is at least partially transparent and / or translucent and is applied, in particular printed, to the visible side and / or the back of the carrier film. One advantage of a decorative layer arranged on the back is that it can simultaneously compensate for height differences on the back of the carrier film that arise from the functional components on the back of the carrier film. A decorative layer applied to the back of the carrier film can itself have an essentially crack-free and / or flat surface on the back, whereby the carrier can be injection-molded onto a layer composite comprising the carrier film, functional components and decorative layer(s) on the back of the decorative layer.

[0017] Alternatively, however, a decorative layer arranged on the back of the carrier film can be omitted if height compensation is possible through the carrier.

[0018] Additionally or alternatively, a temperature measurement sensor, preferably arranged on the back of the carrier film and preferably printed on it, can be provided as a further functional component. Furthermore, additionally or alternatively, the trim part can have a sensor area, again printed on the back of the carrier film, for detecting an operator input on the visible side.

[0019] The various functionalities are accordingly preferably provided by layers printed on the carrier film, wherein the sensor and / or the sensor region can also be formed from a transparent and / or translucent and / or opaque ink.

[0020] Connecting lines for supplying the sensor and / or for supplying the sensor area can also be printed from a transparent or opaque and electrically conductive ink onto the carrier film and in particular onto a back side of the carrier film.

[0021] Opaque, electrically conductive ink has the advantage over a transparent variant that the ink is available and processable at a lower cost while offering higher performance.

[0022] At least one lighting element and / or at least one display element, such as a screen, can also be arranged on the back of the carrier and / or embedded in the carrier, which are each designed to illuminate the carrier and the carrier film, in particular in the area of ​​the heating field and / or the sensor area, and thereby provide lighting or a display on the visible side of the decorative part.

[0023] The carrier and the heating field are arranged on the back of the carrier film. The heating field and other functional components, such as the connection strips, the connection lines, the sensor and / or the sensor area, are preferably arranged on the back of the carrier film and can accordingly form a separate functional layer, the height differences of which can be compensated for by a decorative layer provided on the back of the carrier film and correspondingly on the back of the functional layer. A further aspect of the invention relates to a method for producing a decorative part according to the invention. The method provides that a heating field made of transparent and / or translucent ink and then connection strips for electrical contact and power supply of the heating field are printed on the back of a transparent and / or translucent carrier film. On the back of these functional components orA decorative layer can also be provided on the back of the carrier film to compensate for height differences. The carrier film, with a predetermined, particularly three-dimensional, shape, is then placed into an injection mold and back-injected with a transparent and / or translucent plastic to form a carrier. The carrier holds the carrier film or a layered composite comprising the carrier film in the predetermined shape.

[0024] As a result, the visible surface of the decorative part, determined by the carrier film, can have a three-dimensional shape and, for example, be concave or convex.

[0025] The back-injection with plastic is preferably carried out using the in-mold labeling (IML) process.

[0026] The features disclosed above can be combined as desired, as long as this is technically possible and they do not contradict each other.

[0027] Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims or are presented in more detail below, together with the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the figures. They show:

[0028] Fig. 1 is a side view of a decorative part;

[0029] Fig. 2 shows a top view of the trim part. The figures are schematic examples. Like reference numerals in the figures indicate like functional and / or structural features.

[0030] Figures 1 and 2 show two different views of a decorative part 1 as an example. A heating field 30 made of transparent ink is printed on the back of the transparent carrier film 20. This heating field is essentially a flat resistance heater through which a current flows for heating. For this purpose, the heating field 30 is covered at two opposite edge regions 31 by an opaque connection strip 40 or by a contact region 42 of a connection strip 40, thereby making contact. The connection strips 40 are printed on the back of the carrier film 20 using opaque ink and each furthermore have a connection region 41 via which they can be connected to a power source.

[0031] Accordingly, a current can flow from the power source via the terminal blocks 40 and in particular via the heating field 30. In order to provide uniform heating across the heating field 30, the edge region 31 of the heating field 30, which is covered by the terminal blocks 40, is provided to expand over its respective area, which is realized here and purely by way of example by a trapezoidal design of the heating field 30. Alternatively, the terminal blocks 40 could also converge toward one another along their longitudinal extent, thereby increasing the overlap.

[0032] In addition to heating via the heating field 30, further functionalities can be integrated into the trim part 1 through corresponding functional components. In the present case, a sensor 60 for temperature detection is printed on the back of the carrier film 20, with a connecting line 61 for contacting the sensor 60 also provided and also formed from an opaque ink. Furthermore, a printed sensor area 70 for detecting visible operator inputs is provided on the back of the carrier film 20 as a functional component, the connecting line 71 of which can also be formed from opaque ink on the back of the carrier film 20.

[0033] The prints intended to implement the functions can, as shown in Figure 1, be covered by a decorative layer 50, which is also printed on the back and is transparent at least in sections, particularly in the area of ​​the heating field 30. The decorative layer 50 not only forms a protective layer but can also compensate for height differences on the back R of the carrier film 20, which can arise from the functional prints or the functional components, i.e., the heating field 30, the terminal strips 40, the sensor 60, and the sensor area 70.

[0034] Towards the rear side R, an at least partially transparent carrier 10 made of a plastic is further formed on the carrier film 20, by means of which the carrier film 20 or the layer composite consisting of the carrier film 20, the functional components forming a functional layer and the decorative layer 50 is stabilized and held in a predetermined shape.

[0035] * * * * *

Claims

Patent claims 1. A decorative part (1) for an interior of a vehicle, having a visible side (S) which, during normal operation, faces a viewer, and a rear side (R) facing away from the visible side, the decorative part (1) having a transparent and / or translucent carrier film (20) on the visible side and a transparent and / or translucent heating field (30) applied to the rear of the carrier film (20), the carrier film (20) being back-injected on the rear side with a plastic which is at least partially transparent and / or translucent and which forms a carrier (10) which stabilizes the carrier film (20) and holds it in a predetermined shape.

2. Decorative part according to claim 1, wherein the heating field (30) is formed by a fully printed, transparent or opaque and electrically conductive ink.

3. Decorative part according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising two connection strips (40) arranged on the carrier film for electrical contacting and power supply of the heating field (30), which each have a connection area (41) for electrical contacting with a power source and a contact area (42) for electrical contacting of the heating field (30), wherein the contact areas (42) of the connection strips (40) each cover an edge area (31) of the heating field (30) on two mutually opposite sides of the heating field (30).

4. Decorative part according to the preceding claim, wherein the connecting strips (40) cover the entire edge area (31 ) of the heating field (30) on the respective sides and / or wherein the overlap on the respective sides increases over the course of the respective edge region (31 ), so that a uniform current flow between the connection strips (40) via the heating field (30) is ensured.

5. Decorative part according to claim 3 or 4, wherein an electrical resistance of the heating field (30) is greater than an electrical resistance of the terminal strips (40).

6. Decorative part according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a decorative layer (50) which is at least partially transparent and / or translucent and which is applied to the visible side and / or the back of the carrier film (20) and / or a sensor (60) arranged on the carrier film (20) for measuring temperature and / or a sensor area (70) printed on the carrier film (20) for detecting an operating input.

7. Decorative part according to the preceding claim, wherein a connecting line (61, 71) for supplying the sensor (60) and / or for supplying the sensor area (70) is printed from a transparent or opaque and electrically conductive ink.

8. Decorative part according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one lighting element and / or at least one display element is arranged on the back of the carrier (10) and / or embedded in the carrier (10), which are designed to illuminate the carrier (10) and the carrier film (20).

9. Method for producing a decorative part (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a heating field (30) made of transparent and / or translucent ink and subsequently terminal strips (40) for electrical contacting and power supply of the heating field (30) are printed on the back of a transparent and / or translucent carrier film (20), wherein the carrier film (20) is inserted into an injection molding tool with a predetermined shape and is coated on the back with a transparent and / or translucent plastic to form a carrier (10) h is inter-injected, which holds the carrier film (20) in the predetermined shape.

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