Illuminable trim element for vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a trim element (1) for vehicles, having a visible side (S) and, facing away from said visible side, a back side (R), wherein the trim element (1) comprises a decor layer (10) that determines the visible side (S), a light-guiding element (50) arranged on the back side of the decor layer (10) and at least one luminous means (60) which is arranged on the light-guiding element (50) on the back side of the decor layer (10) and which is designed to emit light along an input coupling axis (E) in the direction of the visible side (S) and input couple said light into the light-guiding element (50), wherein the decor layer (10) has a display region (11) which is on the visible side and which can be illuminated along an output coupling axis (A) that has a parallel displacement from the input coupling axis (E), wherein the light-guiding element (50) comprises at least two reflection surfaces (51, 52) that are tilted relative to the input coupling axis (E) and said light-guiding element is designed to deflect, at the at least two reflection surfaces (51, 52), the light input-coupled along the input coupling axis (E) from the input coupling axis (E) to the output coupling axis (A) along a predetermined light path (P).

Description

[0001] Illuminatable trim element for vehicles

[0002] Description:

[0003] The invention relates to a cladding element for vehicles with a light source for homogeneous illumination of a visible display area.

[0004] A variety of illuminable cladding elements are known from the state of the art, which are installed, for example, in vehicles.

[0005] However, some of the prior art cladding elements are problematic in that the illuminable display areas cannot be evenly illuminated by the associated light source(s). This can result in, for example, dark edges or the contour of the light source or the light source itself being visible in the display area. While diffusers and other measures are known in the prior art to achieve the most homogeneous illumination possible, these often result in a comparatively space-intensive design of the cladding element.

[0006] The invention is therefore based on the object of overcoming the aforementioned disadvantages and providing a thin and correspondingly space-saving cladding element with a homogeneously illuminated display area.

[0007] This problem is solved by the combination of features according to patent claim 1.

[0008] According to the invention, a trim element for vehicles with a visible side and a rear side facing away from it is therefore proposed, wherein such a trim element can also be referred to, for example, as a decorative part or "trim part". The trim element has a decorative layer defining the visible side, a light-guiding element arranged behind the decorative layer, and at least one illuminant arranged behind the decorative layer on the light-guiding element. The illuminant is to be understood as a light-emitting element and can be, for example, a single-color or multi-color LED. The illuminant is also designed to emit light along a coupling axis that intersects the decorative layer in particular in the direction of the visible side and to couple it into the light-guiding element.Furthermore, it is provided that the decorative layer has a display area on the visible side, which can be illuminated along an output axis parallel to the input axis and, in particular, intersecting the decorative layer. If the light source were arranged directly behind the display area, a correspondingly powerful and space-intensive diffuser would have to be used to homogenize the light, i.e., to illuminate the display area evenly.The light-guiding element therefore has at least two and preferably exactly two reflection surfaces tilted relative to the coupling axis and, due to the parallelism of the coupling axis and the coupling axis, also relative to the coupling axis, and is designed to redirect the light coupled along the coupling axis along a predetermined light path at the at least two reflection surfaces from the coupling axis to the coupling axis, whereby the light can be homogenized along the light path before it is coupled out of the cladding element at the display area and becomes visible to a viewer on the visible side.

[0009] With regard to the light source and the display area, it should be noted that these should preferably not overlap from a visible top view, so that the light source or a light emitted by the light source is not directly visible at the display area.

[0010] To form the reflective surfaces, the light-guiding element can be ground and / or, for example, have a reflective coating. Furthermore, predetermined microstructures on the reflective surfaces can homogenize or diffusely redirect the light reflected (i.e., deflected) by the reflective surfaces in a predetermined manner.

[0011] Furthermore, the light-guiding element can be designed to homogenize and / or diffuse the light along the light path, and in particular along the section of the light path extending between the reflective surfaces. For this purpose, the light-guiding element can also have microstructures introduced by lasers, for example, or be constructed in multiple parts, so that, for example, microstructures and / or additional diffusers can be provided at the transitions. An advantageous variant of the cladding element also provides that the two reflective surfaces are designed to jointly redirect the light emitted by the illuminant by 180°.

[0012] The two reflective surfaces can each be tilted by 45° relative to the coupling axis, i.e., inclined relative to the coupling axis, and preferably run parallel, so that the light path from the illuminant to a first reflective surface, from the first reflective surface to the second reflective surface, and from the second reflective surface to the display area has a Z-shaped path. This results in a redirection of the light by 90° at both the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface, resulting in a total of 180°.

[0013] In order to further homogenize the light along the light path towards the display area and to be able to illuminate the display area accordingly homogeneously without the illuminant or, for example, the light-guiding element being visible in the display area, it is preferably further provided that a diffuser layer for diffusing and homogenizing the light in the display area is arranged between the decorative layer and the light-guiding element.

[0014] To achieve the thinnest possible structure, the diffuser layer can also be designed as a carrier layer on which the decorative layer is arranged. However, additional layers, such as an adhesive layer and / or an intermediate layer and / or a haptic layer, can be arranged between the carrier layer and the decorative layer.

[0015] The intermediate layer can, for example, serve to maintain a predetermined distance between the decorative layer and the underlying layer or the carrier layer. The haptic layer, which can be elastic, for example, and in particular made of foam, can also achieve and adjust a predetermined haptic quality.

[0016] To clarify, the carrier layer has a supporting function for the decorative layer, so that the carrier layer is, for example, rigid and provides structural integrity to the cladding element and essentially determines its geometric shape. Alternatively, the carrier layer can also be flexible, in which case it is again designed to support the decorative layer, which therefore cannot itself be load-bearing.

[0017] To prevent part of the light from escaping into sections not belonging to the display area and to give the display area a sharply defined demarcation from surrounding areas, an opaque masking layer can also be arranged between the decorative layer and the light-guiding element. The aforementioned adhesive layer, intermediate layer, and / or haptic layer can be integrally formed or serve as a masking layer. The masking layer is translucent in the axially adjacent area to the display area and opaque elsewhere.

[0018] It is particularly advantageous if the diffuser layer is formed integrally as an opaque masking layer which is translucent axially adjacent to the display area.

[0019] Preferably, the decorative layer is formed from a homogeneous material and / or the light-guiding element in the display area is spanned by the material or the decorative layer, such that the decorative layer acts as a diffuser and the light in the display area penetrates the decorative layer or the material. On the one hand, the decorative layer itself therefore serves as a diffuser, and on the other hand, the display area is not visible without appropriate illumination by the at least one illuminant, which accordingly leads to a particularly visually appealing appearance. In an advantageous development, the at least one illuminant is also arranged on a carrier, which can be a rigid or flexible printed circuit board. The carrier is preferably provided on the back of the light-guiding element, which, with electrical connections provided on the back of the carrier, enables particularly simple contacting of the carrier or the at least one illuminant.

[0020] For both the at least one illuminant and the carrier, both or at least one of them are preferably arranged at least partially within the light-guiding element or are preferably at least partially enclosed by the light-guiding element.

[0021] Viewed from an axial perspective, the display area preferably extends along a linear light path, with the cladding element providing a plurality of illuminants arranged at a distance from one another along a light path parallel to the light path. The spacing between the illuminants along the light path is selected such that the light emitted by the illuminants and redirected by the light-guiding element to the display area illuminates the display area homogeneously.

[0022] The features disclosed above can be combined as desired, as long as this is technically possible and they do not contradict each other.

[0023] 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:

[0024] Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a cladding element;

[0025] Fig. 2 shows an axial plan view of a cladding element. The figures are schematic by way of example. Like reference numerals in the figures indicate like functional and / or structural features, with the schematic sectional view according to Figure 1 preferably corresponding to a sectional view of the visible-side plan view of the cladding element 1 shown in Figure 2.

[0026] Basically, the cladding element 1 according to Figure 1 has a layered structure, so that towards the visible side S, with which the cladding component 1 faces a viewer when installed as intended, it has a decorative layer 10 which accordingly determines the visible appearance of the cladding element 1.

[0027] At least the light-guiding element 50 is provided on the back of the decorative layer 10, which in turn can be embedded in a compensating layer 53 compensating for the thickness of the light-guiding element 50.

[0028] According to the variant shown, an intermediate layer 20, an adhesive layer 30 and a carrier layer 40 acting as a diffuser are provided between the decorative layer 10 and the light-guiding element 50 from the visible side S to the rear side R.

[0029] The layers 10, 20, 30, 40 are each translucent in at least one area, ie translucent, and preferably opaque adjacent thereto, so that a display area 11 is formed towards the visible side S, which display area can be translucent and illuminated by backlighting.

[0030] If illuminants were arranged directly behind the carrier layer 40, individual luminous or light points would be visible in the display area 11 despite the diffuser effect of the carrier layer 40, so that the display area 11 is illuminated in a correspondingly optically disadvantageous, inhomogeneous manner. Therefore, the light-guiding element 50 is arranged on the rear of the carrier layer 40. This light-guiding element is designed to redirect coupled-in light from an input axis E via two reflection surfaces 51, 52 along a light path P to an output axis A parallel to the input axis E, which runs through the display area 11.Accordingly, a light generated by a light source 60 and coupled into the light guide element 50 along the coupling axis E in the direction of the visible side S can not only be deflected along the light path P to the coupling-out axis A, but can also be homogenized and diffusely deflected in a predetermined manner, so that the display area 11 can be deflected homogeneously.

[0031] In the illustrated embodiment, both the first reflection surface 51 and the second reflection surface 52 are tilted by 45° relative to the input coupling axis E and the output coupling axis A, respectively, so that the light is deflected by 90° each and redirected by a total of 180°. The light path P thus has a substantially Z-shaped profile.

[0032] For contacting the at least one illuminant 60, the latter is formed on a carrier 61, which is designed, for example, as a printed circuit board and is provided on the illuminant 60 towards the rear side R.

[0033] Another advantage is that both the illuminant 60 and the carrier 61 can be arranged in sections within the light-guiding element 50 or embedded therein. Electrical connections 62 for powering and / or controlling the illuminant 60 are also provided on the rear side of the carrier 61, allowing for easy assembly.

[0034] Figure 2 shows a cladding element 1, as shown in section in Figure 1, for example, in a visible-side plan view, wherein it is essential that the display area 11 extends along a linear light path 12. In order to achieve homogeneous illumination over the entire light path 12, it is provided that the lighting means 60 are arranged along a lighting means path 62 displaced parallel to the light path 12, wherein the light-guiding element 50 extends between the light path 12 and the lighting means path 62 and directs the light from the lighting means 60 into the display area 11.

[0035] With regard to the illustration in Figure 2, the elements arranged on the back of the decorative layer 10 are shown for the sake of clarity, although they are covered by the decorative layer 10 so that they are not visible from the visible side S.

Claims

Patent claims 1. A trim element (1) for vehicles with a visible side (S) and a rear side (R) facing away therefrom, wherein the trim element (1) has a decorative layer (10) defining the visible side (S), a light-guiding element (50) arranged on the rear side of the decorative layer (10), and at least one illuminating means (60) arranged on the rear side of the decorative layer (10) on the light-guiding element (50), which is designed to emit light along a coupling axis (E) in the direction of the visible side (S) and to couple it into the light-guiding element (50), wherein the decorative layer (10) has a display area (11) on the visible side, which can be illuminated along an output axis (A) displaced parallel to the coupling axis (E), wherein the light-guiding element (50) has at least two reflection surfaces (51, 52) tilted relative to the coupling axis (E) and is designed,to redirect the light coupled along the coupling axis (E) along a predetermined light path (P) on the at least two reflection surfaces (51, 52) from the coupling axis (E) to the coupling axis (A).

2. Cladding element according to claim 1, wherein the two reflection surfaces (51, 52) are designed to jointly redirect the light emitted by the illuminant (60) by 180°.

3. Cladding element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the two reflection surfaces (51, 52) are each tilted by 45° relative to the coupling axis (E), so that the light path (P) from the illuminant (60) to a first reflection surface (51), from the first reflection surface (51) to a second reflection surface (52) and has a substantially z-shaped course leading from the second reflection surface (52) to the display area (11).

4. Cladding element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a diffuser layer (40) for diffusing and homogenizing the light in the display area (11) is arranged between the decorative layer (10) and the light-guiding element (50).

5. Cladding element according to the preceding claim, wherein the diffuser layer (40) is designed as a carrier layer on which the decorative layer (10) is arranged.

6. Cladding element according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein the diffuser layer (40) is designed as an opaque masking layer which is translucent axially adjacent to the display area (11).

7. Cladding element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an opaque masking layer is arranged between the decorative layer (10) and the light-guiding element (50), which masking layer is translucent axially adjacent to the display area (11).

8. Cladding element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the decorative layer (10) is formed from a homogeneous material and / or spans the light-guiding element (50) at the display area (11), so that the decorative layer (10) acts as a diffuser and the light in the display area (11) penetrates the decorative layer (10).

9. Cladding element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one illuminating means (60) is arranged on a carrier (61) which is provided on the rear side of the light-guiding element (50).

10. Cladding element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the display area (11) extends along a linear light path (12) when viewed from an axial view, and wherein the cladding element (1) provides a plurality of lighting means (60) which are arranged at a distance from one another along a lighting means path (62) displaced parallel to the light path (12), and wherein the distances between the lighting means (60) along the lighting means path (62) are selected such that the light emitted by the lighting means (60) and deflected by the light-guiding element (50) to the display area (11) illuminates the display area (11) homogeneously.

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