Light-emitting display sheet, light-emitting display member, light-emitting display device, and method for manufacturing light-emitting display member

Abstract

Provided is a light emitting indicator sheet comprising a first fiber substrate layer and a layer of a superficial layer material laminated on the first fiber substrate layer. The first fiber substrate layer has a first surface facing towards the layer of the superficial layer material and a second surface which is a surface opposite to the first surface. The light emitting indicator sheet further comprises a printed part interposed between the first surface of the first fiber substrate layer and the layer of the superficial layer material and provided with a contour.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a light-emitting display sheet that transmits light from a light-emitting device to display characters, symbols such as icons, patterns, images, etc., with or without light emission. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, light-emitting display devices have been proposed in which a light-emitting device is covered with a light-transmitting sheet that transmits light from the light-emitting device to display characters, symbols such as icons, designs, images, and the like on the surface.

[0003] For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses synthetic leather in which a surface layer made of polyurethane resin is laminated on raw cloth, and the visible light transmittance in a portion of the surface in the wavelength range of 380 to 780 nm is 0.10 to 11.90%. Patent Document 1 also discloses that in order to form a partial light-shielding region, cardboard cut into a desired shape is attached, sewn, hooked, welded, or the like to the back side of the raw cloth.

[0004] Furthermore, the following Patent Document 2 discloses a light-transmitting artificial leather sheet using a transparent or semi-transparent elastomer sheet. Specifically, the light-transmitting artificial leather sheet is characterized in that the back or front of the elastomer sheet is provided with a smoke printed layer, the back of the elastomer sheet, which is the outermost layer, is provided with a mask printed layer for making letters, figures, patterns, or designs of combinations thereof stand out, and the surface of the elastomer sheet is provided with unevenness of a leather pattern.

[0005] Furthermore, the following Patent Document 3 discloses a leather-like light-emitting sheet that includes a light-emitting device and a light-transmitting leather-like sheet containing a fiber base material, the light-transmitting leather-like sheet being arranged to cover the light-emitting device and transmitting light emitted from the light-emitting device through a light-transmitting part formed in at least one area of ​​the surface. The sheet also includes a nonwoven fabric of ultrafine fibers having a fineness of 0.8 dtex or less and a polymer elastomer, and has an apparent density of 0.5 g / cm. 3The present invention discloses that the above-mentioned fiber substrate is preferable because it is dense and therefore has excellent dimensional stability, and also because it has excellent precision processability when forming a thin-walled portion in a region corresponding to a light-transmitting portion, which is cut thinner than a region corresponding to a non-light-transmitting portion. The present invention also discloses that a light-shielding layer is formed by coating the fiber substrate with a coating liquid containing a colorant and drying the coating liquid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-177714 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2014-173203 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2016-081817 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In order to form a partial light-shielding region in the fiber substrate, a method can be proposed in which a printed portion that serves as a light-shielding portion is formed by printing one surface of the fiber substrate with ink. According to this method, it is possible to easily manufacture a light-emitting display sheet that is used as a component of a light-emitting display device that displays characters, icons, and other symbols, patterns, and images.

[0008] However, when such a luminescent display sheet is placed in a mold and subjected to in-mold injection molding to integrate it with a translucent injection molded body, the printed part printed on the fiber base material comes into contact with the molten resin of the injection molding, causing the printed part to melt and the outline of the printed part to collapse, which can make the outlines of the letters, symbols, patterns, images, etc. displayed by luminescence unclear.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a luminescent display sheet in which the contour of a printed portion is unlikely to be distorted when the luminescent display sheet including the printed portion is placed in a mold and subjected to in-mold injection molding. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] One aspect of the present invention is a light-emitting display sheet comprising a first fiber base material layer and a surface material layer laminated on the first fiber base material layer, the first fiber base material layer having a first surface facing the surface material layer and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and further comprising a printed portion having an outline sandwiched between the first surface of the first fiber base material layer and the surface material layer. When such a light-emitting display sheet is used as a light-emitting display device in combination with a light-emitting device (light-emitting member), the printed portion having an outline selectively blocks light emitted by the light-emitting device, and the non-printed portion adjacent to the printed portion selectively transmits light, thereby emitting or non-emitting the shape of a symbol, design, or pattern. In addition, when the light-emitting device is turned off, the surface material layer makes it difficult to visually recognize the first fiber base material layer from the outside. Then, when the light-emitting display sheet is accommodated in a mold and in-mold injection molding is performed to integrate it with a translucent injection molded body, the printed part is sandwiched between the first surface and the surface material layer, so that the printed part is unlikely to come into direct contact with the molten resin, and the printed part is prevented from melting and losing its outline due to the heat and pressure of the injection molding. As a result, the outline of the printed part displaying the pattern or the like is maintained without being broken, so that the outline of the light-emitting display becomes clear and the contrast between the light-emitting part and the non-light-emitting part is increased. In addition, as a secondary effect, when creating a light-emitting display member, the first fiber base material layer eases the pressure of the injection molding resin during in-mold molding, making it easier to maintain the tactile feel of the surface material layer. In addition, the molten resin of the injection molding penetrates into the inside of the first fiber base material layer, so that the adhesive strength is improved due to the anchor effect. Furthermore, the first fiber base material layer reduces color variation of the light emission by diffusing transmitted light.

[0011] It is preferable that the first fiber base material layer and the surface material layer are bonded via an adhesive layer, since the printed portion is protected by the adhesive layer.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferable that the printed portion is formed on the first surface of the first fiber base material layer, since a wide variety of printed portions can be formed simply by printing on the first fiber base material layer, which results in excellent productivity.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferable that the arithmetic mean height Sa of the first surface of the first fiber base material layer be 3 to 20 μm based on ISO 25178, since this allows the formation of a dense surface, thereby obtaining a smooth surface suitable for printing, making it easier to form printed areas with clear contours and less ink diffusion and less coating unevenness.

[0014] The first fiber base layer includes a nonwoven fabric of ultrafine fibers having an average fineness of 1.0 dtex or less and a polymeric elastomer impregnated into the nonwoven fabric, and has an apparent density of 0.5 g / cm. 3 In the case where the fiber base material is one of the above, it is preferable that a smooth surface suitable for printing can be formed, so that a printed part having a clear outline can be formed. In addition, it is preferable that the printed part can easily maintain its shape due to excellent shape stability.

[0015] In addition, it is preferable that the surface material layer has a second fiber substrate layer and the printed portion is sandwiched between the first fiber substrate layer and the second fiber substrate layer, since the printed portion is protected by being sandwiched between the two fiber substrate layers having cushioning properties, thereby making it easier for the printed portion to maintain its shape.

[0016] In addition, it is preferable that the surface material layer further comprises a decorative layer laminated on the outer surface side of the second fiber base material layer, from the viewpoint of imparting design to the external appearance.

[0017] Furthermore, when the decorative layer is a resin layer having a grain-like finish, it is preferable since a light-emitting display sheet having a grain-like finish can be obtained.

[0018] Specific examples of the surface layer include layers formed from surface materials including textile materials such as nonwoven fabrics, woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, etc., wood sheets such as veneer made of thinly sliced ​​natural wood, light-transmitting stone sheets such as thinly sliced ​​stone or jade, metal sheets such as metal foil, resin sheets such as polyvinyl chloride sheets, polyurethane sheets, PET sheets, etc. Also, the second fiber base layer may have fibers on the outer surface side thereof brushed to form a napped leather-like sheet.

[0019] Another aspect of the present invention is a light-emitting display member including the light-emitting display sheet as described above and a light-transmitting resin layer integrated with the second surface side. The light-transmitting resin layer is preferably an injection molded body.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention is a light-emitting display device including the above-mentioned light-emitting display member and a light-emitting device disposed on the side of the light-transmitting resin layer.

[0021] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a luminescent display member, comprising the steps of: placing the above-mentioned luminescent display sheet in a cavity of an in-mold molding die and clamping the die; and integrating a translucent resin layer by injection molding on the second surface side of the first fiber base material layer that forms the luminescent display sheet placed in the in-mold molding die. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a luminescent display sheet in which the contour of the printed portion is unlikely to be distorted when the luminescent display sheet including the printed portion is placed in a mold and subjected to in-mold injection molding. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a light-emitting display sheet 10 according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a light-emitting display sheet 20 according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a light emitting display member 30 according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing the light emitting display member 30 by in-mold molding. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a light emitting display device 50 according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows photographs showing the evaluation results of the examples. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows photographs showing the evaluation results of the comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] The embodiments of the light-emitting display sheet, the light-emitting display member, the light-emitting display device, and the manufacturing method of the light-emitting display member according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each drawing is a schematic diagram for explaining the features of the invention, and for convenience of explanation, the dimensions and scale are not taken into consideration.

[0025] [Luminous display sheet] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the luminescent display sheet will be described. The luminescent display sheet of this embodiment includes a first fiber base layer and a surface material layer laminated on the first fiber base layer, and further includes a printed portion having an outline sandwiched between the first fiber base layer and the surface material layer. The printed portion is a light-shielding portion, and the non-printed portion adjacent to the printed portion is a light-transmitting portion.

[0026] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a luminescent display sheet 10 which is one embodiment of the luminescent display sheet of the present embodiment. Fig. 1(a) is a schematic plan view of the luminescent display sheet 10, and Fig. 1(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the I-I' cross section of Fig. 1(a). The luminescent display sheet 10 includes a first fiber substrate layer 2, a surface material layer 3 including a second fiber substrate layer 3a and a decorative layer 3b, an adhesive layer 5 which bonds the first fiber substrate layer 2 and the second fiber substrate layer 3a, and a printed portion 4A.

[0027] The surface material layer 3 in this embodiment is an artificial leather in which a resin layer is laminated as a decorative layer 3b on a second fiber base layer 3a. The first fiber base layer 2 and the second fiber base layer 3a are bonded to each other via an adhesive layer 5.

[0028] The first fiber base material layer 2 has a first surface L facing the surface material layer 3 and a second surface S on the opposite side. A printed portion 4A having a contour is formed so as to be sandwiched between the first fiber base material layer 2 and the second fiber base material layer 3a. The printed portion 4A is adjacent to a non-printed portion D that is not printed and transmits light. The printed portion 4A and the non-printed portion D form a printed layer 4. In this embodiment, the contour means a boundary line between the printed portion and the non-printed portion.

[0029] Each fiber substrate layer includes a fiber structure such as a nonwoven fabric, a woven fabric, or a knitted fabric, and includes a fiber substrate impregnated with a polymeric elastomer in the voids of the fiber structure as necessary. The average fineness of the fibers forming the fiber structure is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1.5 dtex or less, further 1.0 dtex or less, and particularly 0.9 dtex or less, in that a fiber substrate layer having a high density and a smooth surface is easily obtained. The average fineness can be calculated, for example, by taking a scanning electron microscope (SEM) photograph of the cross section of each fiber substrate layer at 500 times magnification, randomly selecting 10 fiber cross sections, measuring the cross-sectional area, calculating the average value of the cross-sectional areas, and converting it from the density of each resin.

[0030] When the voids of the fiber structure are impregnated with a polymeric elastomer, the type of polymeric elastomer to be impregnated is not particularly limited. Specific examples include various polyurethanes such as polycarbonate-based polyurethane, polyester-based polyurethane, and polyether-based polyurethane, acrylic elastomers, polyurethane-acrylic composite elastomers, polyvinyl chloride, and synthetic rubber. Among these, polyurethane is preferred because of its excellent adhesiveness and mechanical properties.

[0031] The thickness of the first fiber base layer 2 and the second fiber base layer 3a is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1 to 1 mm, and more preferably 0.35 to 0.8 mm. The apparent density of each fiber base layer is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.3 g / cm 3 More than 0.50 to 0.95 g / cm 3 , especially 0.50~0.90g / cm 3This is preferable because it allows the ink to adhere easily when printed and makes it easy to form printed portions with clear contours.

[0032] The light transmittance of each fiber base material layer is preferably such that the arithmetic mean value of the transmittance in the visible light wavelength range of 380 to 780 nm is 0.1% or more, more preferably 1% or more, particularly preferably 5% or more, and even more preferably 10% or more.

[0033] The surface material layer is a light-transmitting layer for forming the outer surface of the light-emitting display sheet. Examples of the surface material layer include leather-like sheets such as artificial leather and synthetic leather in which a resin layer is laminated as a decorative layer on the second fiber base layer as described above; napped leather-like sheets in which the fibers on the outer surface side of the second fiber base layer are raised; textile materials such as nonwoven fabrics, woven fabrics, and knitted fabrics; wood sheets such as veneer made of thinly sliced ​​natural wood; light-transmitting stone sheets such as thinly sliced ​​stone and jade; metal sheets such as metal foil; resin sheets such as polyvinyl chloride sheets, polyurethane sheets, and PET sheets. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0034] In order to make each of the internal layers difficult to see from the outside when the light-emitting device is turned off, the surface material layer preferably includes a decorative layer colored with a pigment or dye. The decorative layer may be a layer colored so as to present a luxurious appearance such as a silvered leather look, a wood look, a stone look, a metal look, or the like. The thickness of the decorative layer is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 20 to 500 μm, for example.

[0035] The thickness of the surface material layer is not particularly limited, but is preferably, for example, 10 to 1000 μm, and more preferably, about 20 to 500 μm.

[0036] The optical transparency of the surface material layer is preferably such that the arithmetic mean value of the transmittance in the visible light wavelength range of 380 to 780 nm is 0.1% or more, more preferably 1.0% or more, particularly 5.0% or more, and even more preferably 10% or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but is preferably 90%, more preferably 80%, and especially preferably 50%.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 1, in the light-emitting display sheet 10, a printed layer 4 including a printed area 4A printed to have an outline and a non-printed area D adjacent to the printed area 4A is sandwiched between a first fiber base material layer 2 and a second fiber base material layer 3a. The printed area 4A serves as a light-shielding area, and the non-printed area D serves as a light-transmitting area. The outline shape of the printed area 4A causes symbols such as letters and icons, patterns, and images to be luminous and displayed.

[0038] Since the printed portion is a light-shielding portion, the light transmittance is lower than that of the non-printed portion, which is a light-transmitting portion. The light transmittance of the light-emitting display sheet in the region corresponding to the printed portion that blocks light is preferably 0.09% or less, more preferably 0.02% or less, in terms of the arithmetic mean value of the transmittance in the visible light wavelength range of 380 to 780 nm. When the light transmittance of the light-emitting display sheet in the region corresponding to the printed portion that blocks light is high, the symbols, patterns, and images such as characters and icons that are displayed by luminescence tend to become unclear. In addition, the light transmittance of the light-emitting display sheet in the region corresponding to the non-printed portion that transmits light is preferably 0.1 to 30%, more preferably 0.1 to 12%, in terms of the arithmetic mean value of the transmittance in the visible light wavelength range of 380 to 780 nm. The light transmittance of the light-emitting display sheet is determined by measuring the transmittance in the visible light wavelength range of 380 to 780 nm using a spectrophotometer U-4100 (Hitachi High-Tech Science Co., Ltd.) and calculating the average value.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 1, a non-printed portion D having an outline is formed adjacent to a printed portion 4A having an outline. The non-printed portion D is formed in the shape of an icon indicating an operation state of an audio device, such as stop, play, skip one song, rewind one song, fast forward, rewind, etc. The shape of the non-printed portion D is not limited to the shape of the icon shown in Fig. 1, and may be other icons, symbols such as letters, designs, patterns, etc., and is not particularly limited.

[0040] The printed portion is formed by printing with a pigment ink containing a pigment with high hiding power, such as carbon black or titanium oxide, and a binder, or a dye ink containing a dark-colored dye with light-blocking power. Specifically, the printed portion is formed by printing with ink on the surface of the first fiber base layer 2 or the second fiber base layer 3a. From the viewpoint of productivity, the printed portion is preferably formed by printing with ink on the first fiber base layer 2.

[0041] The softening temperature of the resin forming the printed portion is preferably 80° C. or higher, and more preferably 100° C. or higher.

[0042] The thickness of the printed portion is preferably about 5 to 80 μm, and more preferably about 20 to 50 μm.

[0043] In the light-emitting display sheet 10, the first fiber base material layer 2 and the surface material layer 3 sandwiching the printed portion 4A are bonded by an adhesive layer 5. This embodiment is preferable because the printed portion 4A is protected by the adhesive layer 5. The thickness of the adhesive layer is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 50 to 200 μm, for example. For forming the adhesive layer, it is preferable to use, for example, a hot melt adhesive. When the first fiber base material layer 2 and the surface material layer 3 are bonded to each other, air bubbles are unlikely to remain in the bonded portion because the first fiber base material layer 2 has gaps between the fibers.

[0044] The first fiber base material layer 2 and the surface material layer 3 may be bonded by thermocompression without an adhesive layer between them. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a light-emitting display sheet 20 in which the first fiber base material layer 2 and the second fiber base material layer 3a forming the surface material layer 3 are thermocompression-bonded. Fig. 2(a) is a schematic plan view of the light-emitting display sheet 20, and Fig. 2(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the II-II' cross section of Fig. 2(a).

[0045] The above-described light-emitting display sheet is used to manufacture a light-emitting display member, which will be described next, in which a translucent resin molding is integrated with the second surface S of the first fiber base material layer 2.

[0046] [Luminous display materials] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the light-emitting display member will be described. The light-emitting display member of this embodiment includes the above-mentioned light-emitting display sheet and a light-transmitting resin layer integrated with the second surface side of the first fiber base material layer of the light-emitting display sheet.

[0047] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a light-emitting display member 30 using the light-emitting display sheet 10 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3(a) is a schematic plan view of the light-emitting display member 30, and Fig. 3(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line III-III' in Fig. 3(a).

[0048] 3, the light-emitting display member 30 includes a light-emitting display sheet 10 and a light-transmitting resin layer 11 integrated with the second surface S of the first fiber base material layer 2 of the light-emitting display sheet 10. That is, in the light-emitting display member 30, the light-transmitting resin layer 11 is integrated with the second surface S of the first fiber base material layer 2 that forms the light-emitting display sheet 10. The surface layer of the light-transmitting resin layer 11 penetrates into the surface layer of the second surface S of the first fiber base material layer 2.

[0049] The light-transmitting resin layer 11 is preferably formed by in-mold molding using injection molding. The resin forming the light-transmitting resin layer is not particularly limited as long as it is a resin having light transmittance. Specific examples of the resin forming the light-transmitting resin layer include acrylic resins such as MBS resin (methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin), ABS resin, and PMMA resin; polystyrene resin; polycarbonate resin; polyolefin resin such as polypropylene; polyester resin such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT); various polyamide resins; and cycloolefin polymer (COP) resin. These may also be compound products containing fillers or mixtures of a plurality of resins alloyed or blended. The thickness of the light-transmitting resin layer is not particularly limited, but is preferably, for example, 0.3 to 3.0 mm, and more preferably, 0.5 to 2.0 mm.

[0050] The light transmittance of the light-transmitting resin layer is preferably such that the arithmetic mean value of the transmittance in the visible light wavelength range of 380 to 780 nm is 10% or more, more preferably 50% or more, and particularly preferably 90% or more.

[0051] The method for manufacturing the light-emitting display member by in-mold molding is described in detail below. The manufacturing method for the light-emitting display member includes a process of placing the above-mentioned light-emitting display sheet in a cavity of an in-mold molding die and clamping the die, and a process of integrating a light-transmitting resin layer by injection molding on the second surface side of the first fiber base material layer forming the light-emitting display sheet placed in the in-mold molding die.

[0052] Hereinafter, with reference to Figure 4, a method for manufacturing a luminescent display member 30 by in-mold molding using the above-mentioned luminescent display sheet 10, in which an injection-molded light-transmitting resin layer 11 is integrated onto the second surface S of the first fiber base material layer 2 forming the luminescent display sheet 10, will be described in detail.

[0053] In Fig. 4, 10 is a light-emitting display sheet, 12a is a movable mold, 12b is a fixed mold, 13 is an injection unit main body of an injection molding machine, 13a is a nozzle, 13b is a cylinder, 13c is an in-line screw, 14 is a resin injection port, 11 is a light-transmitting resin layer, 11a is molten resin, and 30 is a light-emitting display member. The movable mold 12a and the fixed mold 12b are paired to constitute an injection molding die 12 that forms a cavity c. In this embodiment, the movable mold 12a is a female mold of the injection molding die, and the fixed mold 12b is a male mold of the injection molding die.

[0054] First, as shown in Fig. 4(a), the luminescent display sheet 10 is accommodated in a recess for forming a cavity of the movable side mold 12a. At this time, the second surface S of the first fiber base material layer 2 is arranged in the direction in which the molten resin 11a is filled. Note that, in this embodiment, an example is described in which a luminescent display sheet 1 that has been preformed by deep drawing in advance so as to conform to the shape of the cavity c of the injection molding die 12 is used, but the luminescent display sheet 10 may be subjected to in-mold molding without preform molding.

[0055] Next, as shown in Fig. 4(b), the movable mold 12a and the fixed mold 12b are clamped together. Then, as shown in Fig. 4(c), the cavity c formed when the movable mold 12a and the fixed mold 12b are clamped together is filled with molten resin 11a. In detail, the injection unit main body 13 of the injection molding machine is advanced, the nozzle 13a is brought into contact with the resin injection port 14 formed in the fixed mold 12b, and the molten resin 11a is injected into the cylinder 13b by the in-line screw 13c, whereby the molten resin 11a is filled into the cavity c at a predetermined pressure.

[0056] The injection of the molten resin 11a described above is performed under high temperature and high pressure. Therefore, when the printed portion formed on the light-emitting display sheet comes into contact with the molten resin in the injection process, the printed portion melts due to the heat and pressure of the molten resin, and the outline of the printed portion is easily distorted and becomes unclear. According to the light-emitting display sheet of this embodiment, a printed layer including a printed portion is formed between the first surface of the first fiber base material layer and the surface layer material layer. Therefore, when injection molding is performed to integrate the printed portion with the injection molded body, the printed portion is protected by the first fiber base material layer having low thermal conductivity, so that the printed portion is less likely to come into contact with the molten resin, and the outline of the printed portion is less likely to be distorted or the printed portion is less likely to be faint.

[0057] Then, the molded light-transmitting resin layer 11 and the light-emitting display sheet 10 laminated on the light-transmitting resin layer 11 are integrated in the cavity c formed by clamping the movable side mold 12a and the fixed side mold 12b and cooled for a predetermined time. Then, as shown in Figure 4(d), the movable side mold 12a and the fixed side mold 12b are opened to remove the light-emitting display member 30 in which the molded light-transmitting resin layer 11 and the light-emitting display sheet 1 laminated on the light-transmitting resin layer 11 are integrated.

[0058] The light-emitting display member described above is used as a member for forming a light-emitting display device, which will be described next, in which a light-emitting device is disposed on the side of a light-transmitting resin layer.

[0059] [Light-emitting display device] Next, an embodiment of a light emitting display device will be described The light emitting display device of this embodiment includes the above-mentioned light emitting display member and a light emitting device disposed on the side of the light-transmitting resin layer.

[0060] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a light-emitting display device 50 using the light-emitting display member 30 shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5(a) is a schematic plan view of the light-emitting display device 50, and Fig. 5(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the V-V' cross section of Fig. 5(a).

[0061] 5(b), the light-emitting display device 50 includes a light-emitting display member 30 and a light-emitting device 19 disposed on the side of the light-transmitting resin layer 11 of the light-emitting display member 30. The light-emitting device 19 includes a light source 19a such as an LED device mounted on a circuit board 19b, and the light source 19a emits light when power is supplied from a power source (not shown). The light-emitting device may be a light-emitting device formed of a mounting board on which a light source is mounted, or an image display device such as a light-emitting display device.

[0062] When the light source 19a of the light emitting device 19 is turned on, light is incident from the light-transmitting resin layer 11 of the light emitting display member 30. The light incident on the light-transmitting resin layer 11 is incident on the first fiber base material layer 2 from the second surface S of the first fiber base material layer 2, which is the surface of the light emitting display sheet 10 integrated with the light-transmitting resin layer 11. The light incident on the first fiber base material layer 2 is reflected and diffused on the fiber surface inside the first fiber base material layer 2, and then exits from the non-printed portion D, which is a light-transmitting portion formed in the printed layer 4. On the other hand, the printed portion 4A blocks the transmission of light.

[0063] The light emitted from the non-printed portion D further passes through the surface material layer 3 and is emitted from the outer surface of the surface material layer 3. In this way, the light E emitted from the light emitting device 19 is extracted from the outer surface of the surface material layer 3. The arrow indicates the light E that is emitted from the outer surface of the surface material layer 3. In this case, the light extracted from the outer surface of the surface material layer 3 is emitted in a shape that matches the shape of the non-printed portion D formed in the print layer 4. For example, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the shape of an icon indicating the operating status of the audio device appears on the outer surface side of the surface material layer 3.

[0064] Furthermore, in the case where the surface material layer 3 is appropriately colored, the surface material layer 3 makes the first fiber base material layer 2 difficult to see from the outside when the light source 19a is turned off.

[0065] The brightness of the light emitted by the light-emitting device 19 is appropriately selected depending on the application, but for example, 20 to 200 lumens, or more preferably 30 to 100 lumens, is preferable in terms of ensuring a luminous intensity that allows the light display to be sufficiently visible.

[0066] The above describes the embodiments of the light-emitting display sheet, the light-emitting display member, and the light-emitting display device. Next, as a representative example of the light-emitting display sheet, a light-emitting display sheet having a surface material layer made of artificial leather will be described in more detail along with a manufacturing method.

[0067] The fiber substrate used as the first fiber substrate layer or the second fiber substrate layer forming the light-emitting display sheet is a sheet material containing a fiber structure such as a nonwoven fabric, a woven fabric, or a knitted fabric, and a polymeric elastomer is impregnated into the voids of the fiber structure as necessary. Among the fiber structures, nonwoven fabric, particularly nonwoven fabric made of ultrafine fibers with an average fineness of 1.0 dtex or less, is preferred because it is easy to increase the fiber density and the apparent density, and it is easy to reduce unevenness in fiber density and make the surface smooth. Below, a detailed description will be given of a typical example of a case where a fiber substrate containing a nonwoven fabric made of ultrafine fibers is used.

[0068] A nonwoven fabric of ultrafine fibers can be obtained by, for example, entangling ultrafine fiber-generating fibers such as islands-in-sea (matrix-domain) composite fibers and then subjecting them to ultrafine fiber processing. In this embodiment, the use of islands-in-sea composite fibers will be described in detail. Instead of islands-in-sea composite fibers, ultrafine fiber-generating fibers other than islands-in-sea composite fibers may be used, or ultrafine fibers may be directly spun without using ultrafine fiber-generating fibers. Specific examples of ultrafine fiber-generating fibers other than islands-in-sea composite fibers include peel-split fibers formed by lightly bonding multiple ultrafine fibers immediately after spinning and then mechanically untangling the fibers to form multiple ultrafine fibers, and petal-shaped fibers formed by alternately assembling multiple resins in a petal-like shape in a melt spinning process.

[0069] In the production of a nonwoven fabric of ultrafine fibers, first, a thermoplastic resin constituting the sea component (matrix component) of the islands-in-sea type composite fiber, which can be selectively removed, and a thermoplastic resin constituting the island components (domain components) of the islands-in-sea type composite fiber, which are the resin components forming the ultrafine fibers, are melt spun and drawn to produce islands-in-sea type composite fibers.

[0070] The thermoplastic resin for the sea component is selected from those having different solubility in solvents or decomposability in decomposers from those of the island component.Specific examples of the thermoplastic resin for the sea component include water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol resins, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, ethylene propylene resins, ethylene vinyl acetate resins, styrene ethylene resins, and styrene acrylic resins.

[0071] The thermoplastic resin, which is a resin component forming island components and ultrafine fibers, is not particularly limited as long as it is a resin capable of forming islands-in-the-sea composite fibers and ultrafine fibers. Specific examples include aromatic polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), isophthalic acid-modified PET, sulfoisophthalic acid-modified PET, polybutylene terephthalate, and polyhexamethylene terephthalate; aliphatic polyesters such as polylactic acid, polyethylene succinate, polybutylene succinate, polybutylene succinate adipate, and polyhydroxybutyrate-polyhydroxyvalerate resin; polyamides such as polyamide 6, polyamide 66, polyamide 10, polyamide 11, polyamide 12, and polyamide 6-12; and polyolefins such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polybutene, polymethylpentene, and chlorine-based polyolefins. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0072] Examples of methods for producing nonwoven fabrics of ultrafine fibers include a method in which islands-in-sea composite fibers are melt-spun to produce a web, the web is entangled, and then the sea component is selectively removed from the islands-in-sea composite fibers to form ultrafine fibers. Examples of methods for producing a web include a method in which islands-in-sea composite fibers of long fibers spun by a spunbonding method or the like are collected on a net without being cut to form a long fiber web, and a method in which the long fibers are cut into staples to form a short fiber web. Among these, a long fiber web is particularly preferred because it is easy to increase the fiber density and therefore the apparent density, and it is easy to reduce unevenness in fiber density and thus to make the surface smooth. The formed web may also be subjected to a fusion treatment to impart shape stability.

[0073] Here, the term "long fibers" means continuous fibers that are not short fibers that are intentionally cut after spinning. More specifically, it means fibers that are not short fibers that are intentionally cut to a fiber length of about 3 to 80 mm, for example. The fiber length of the islands-in-sea type composite fiber before being made into ultrafine fibers is preferably 100 mm or more, and may be several meters, several hundred meters, several kilometers, or even longer, as long as it is technically possible to produce it and it is not unavoidably cut during the production process. Note that, in some cases, the long fibers are inevitably cut into short fibers during the production process due to needle punching during entanglement or surface buffing, which will be described later.

[0074] In any step from removing the sea component of the islands-in-sea type composite fiber to forming the ultrafine fibers, the islands-in-sea type composite fiber can be densified by carrying out an entanglement treatment and a fiber shrinkage treatment such as a heat shrinkage treatment with water vapor. As the entanglement treatment, for example, a method of stacking about 5 to 100 sheets of web and subjecting them to needle punching or high-pressure water jet treatment can be mentioned.

[0075] The sea component of the islands-in-sea type composite fiber is dissolved or decomposed and removed at an appropriate stage after the formation of the web. The islands-in-sea type composite fiber is converted into ultrafine fibers by such decomposition removal or dissolution / extraction removal, and a nonwoven fabric of ultrafine fibers in the form of fiber bundles is formed. The apparent density of the nonwoven fabric of ultrafine fibers in the form of fiber bundles may be further increased by heat shrinking treatment, heating roll or hot pressing.

[0076] The polymeric elastomer can be applied to the fiber structure by impregnating the fiber structure with a solution or emulsion of the polymeric elastomer and then solidifying the polymeric elastomer.

[0077] A method of applying a polymeric elastomer to a fiber structure such as a nonwoven fabric includes a method of impregnating a fiber structure with a solution or emulsion of a polymeric elastomer and then solidifying the polymeric elastomer. A preferred method of impregnating a fiber structure with a solution or emulsion of a polymeric elastomer is a dip-nip method in which the fiber structure is immersed in the solution or emulsion so as to reach a predetermined impregnation state, and the solution or emulsion is squeezed with a press roll or the like once or multiple times. Other methods that may be used include a bar coating method, a knife coating method, a roll coating method, a comma coating method, and a spray coating method.

[0078] The content of the polymer elastomer in the fiber base material is preferably 3 to 40 mass%, further preferably 8 to 35 mass%, and particularly preferably 12 to 30% because increasing the fiber density increases the apparent density of the fiber base material, making it easier for the ink for printing the printed parts to penetrate and be applied appropriately due to capillary action.

[0079] In this way, the fiber substrate is obtained. The obtained fiber substrate may be adjusted in thickness by slicing or buffing, if necessary. The fiber substrate may be further pressed to adjust the apparent density. Specifically, the fiber substrate is pressed at room temperature or heated and hot pressed to reduce the voids in the substrate of the fiber substrate layer, thereby increasing the fiber density of the fiber structure. The pressing means is not particularly limited, but for example, a manual press machine or a roll press machine is used.

[0080] When pressing, the pressing pressure is preferably 5 to 20 MPa, more preferably 8 to 15 MPa, in order to maintain the quality of the appearance. When using a hot press, the set temperature of the press plate is preferably 100 to 150°C, more preferably 110 to 120°C, in order to maintain the quality of the appearance. In this way, the apparent density of the fiber base material can be adjusted.

[0081] In addition, in the case of a fiber substrate, the surface on which the light-shielding layer is printed may be smoothed by buffing. The surface roughness of the first surface L is preferably 3 to 20 μm in arithmetic mean height Sa based on ISO25178. The arithmetic mean height (Sa) based on ISO25178 is a parameter that represents the average of the absolute values ​​of the differences in height at each point with respect to the average surface of the surface. If the arithmetic mean height Sa of the first surface L is too high, the surface on which the printed part is printed becomes too fluffy and lacks smoothness, and the ink tends to diffuse and become difficult to accurately apply to the printed surface. If the arithmetic mean height Sa of the first surface L is too low, the anchor effect becomes difficult to work after the ink is applied, and the fixability of the ink tends to decrease. In addition, a coating layer having a thickness of about 5 to 80 μm may be provided on the first surface L in order to smooth the surface.

[0082] In this way, a fiber substrate is obtained. Then, a printed portion is printed on one surface of the obtained fiber substrate with ink. The printed portion is formed by printing, on one surface of the fiber substrate, a symbol, pattern, or image such as a character or an icon to be displayed by light emission with ink, or by forming a non-printed portion without printing. The printing method used for printing is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include screen printing, gravure printing, and inkjet printing. Among these, screen printing is preferable from the viewpoint of mass production because it is a relatively inexpensive process that allows stable application of ink.

[0083] The viscosity of the ink used for printing is designed to be in a preferred range depending on the printing method. In the case of screen printing, a viscosity of about 10 to 100 Pa sec for the coating ink diluted with a solvent is preferred in order to ensure adequate penetration into the fiber substrate.

[0084] In this way, a fiber substrate is formed that includes a printed layer including a printed portion that serves as a light-shielding layer and a non-printed portion that transmits light. Then, a surface material is laminated on the surface of the fiber substrate on which the printed layer is formed.

[0085] A method for laminating a surface material onto the surface of a fiber substrate on which a printed layer is formed includes a method in which an adhesive is interposed between the surface material and the surface of the fiber substrate on which a printed layer is formed, and then heat pressing the stack to bond the fiber substrate and the surface material with the adhesive.

[0086] Examples of artificial leather, which is a representative example of a surface material, include silver-finished artificial leather in which a surface resin layer is laminated onto one side of a fiber base material as described above, and suede- or nubuck-like raised artificial leather in which one side of a fiber base material is brushed to form raised fibers.

[0087] Grain-finished artificial leather is obtained by forming a surface resin layer containing a light-transmitting polymeric elastomer such as polyurethane on one side of a fiber substrate by a dry surface forming method, a direct coating method, etc. Raised artificial leather is formed by a nap raising treatment in which one side of the fiber substrate is buffed with sandpaper, emery paper, etc.

[0088] Resins for forming the surface resin layer of the grain-finished artificial leather include various polyurethanes having optical transparency, such as polycarbonate-based polyurethane, polyester-based polyurethane, and polyether-based polyurethane, as well as synthetic rubbers, such as acrylic elastomers, polyurethane-acrylic composite elastomers, polyvinyl chloride elastomers, and silicone rubber. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, polyurethane is preferred because of its excellent mechanical properties, such as abrasion resistance and bending resistance.

[0089] The dry surface forming method is a method in which a resin film containing a polymeric elastomer is formed on a supporting substrate such as release paper, an adhesive is applied to the surface of the resin film, the printed layer of the fiber substrate is attached to the surface, and if necessary, pressed to adhere, and the release paper is peeled off to form a surface resin layer having optical transparency. The direct coating method is a method in which a liquid resin or a resin liquid containing a polymeric elastomer is directly applied to the surface of the fiber substrate on which the printed layer is formed, and then cured to form a surface resin layer.

[0090] The adhesive for forming the adhesive layer used in the dry surface making method is not particularly limited. For example, in the case of polyurethane, a polyurethane adhesive is preferably used. The thickness of the adhesive layer is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.03 to 0.3 mm, more preferably 0.05 to 0.2 mm.

[0091] In addition, when the surface layer material has thermal softening properties, the surface layer may be bonded by thermocompression without using an adhesive.

[0092] In the light-emitting display sheet thus obtained, the printed layer including the printed portion that is a light-shielding layer and the non-printed portion that transmits light is sandwiched between the first fiber base material layer and the surface layer material layer, so that the printed portion is unlikely to melt and collapse when injection molding is performed to integrate it with the injection molded body. The light-emitting display sheet of this embodiment or the light-emitting device using the light-emitting device can form a surface that emits light in the interior of the interior of home appliances, automobiles, aircraft, ships, buildings, etc. EXAMPLES

[0093] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, although the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way.

[0094] [Example] The fiber substrate used for the first fiber substrate layer had an average fineness of 0.9 dtex, contained ultrafine fibers of modified PET with a Tg of 100°C, and polyurethane, had a thickness of 0.35 mm, and had an apparent density of 0.50 g / cm. 3 A fiber substrate A was prepared. The arithmetic mean height Sa of the first surface of the fiber substrate A was 7.6 μm, and the arithmetic mean height Sa of the second surface was 10.0 μm. A printing layer was then printed on the first surface of the fiber substrate A by screen printing. The printing was performed so as to form a printed portion having a black lattice pattern outline.

[0095] On the other hand, the fiber substrate used for the second fiber substrate layer forming the artificial leather was a 0.35 mm thick fiber having an average fineness of 0.9 dtex, a 0.50 g / cm apparent density, and a polyurethane-containing ultrafine fiber of modified PET having a Tg of 100°C. 3 A fiber base material B was prepared.

[0096] A 30 μm-thick silicone-modified polycarbonate polyurethane resin film was formed on the surface of the textured release paper to form a silver-finished surface resin layer, and a 70 μm-thick adhesive layer made of a polyurethane adhesive was laminated on the surface of the silicone-modified polycarbonate polyurethane resin film.

[0097] A laminate was formed by overlaying the silicone modified polycarbonate polyurethane resin film on the fiber base material B so that the adhesive layer faced one surface of the fiber base material B. The laminate was then heated at 80°C for 2 minutes. The release paper was then peeled off to produce an artificial leather in which the fiber base material B and the silicone modified polycarbonate polyurethane resin film were bonded together with the polyurethane adhesive.

[0098] A 50 μm-thick sheet of polyurethane adhesive, which is a hot melt adhesive, was placed on the first surface of fiber base material A on which the printed layer was formed, and a stack was formed by layering artificial leather fiber base material B on top of that. The stack was then pressed with a heat press machine at a surface temperature of 100° C., thereby producing a light-emitting display sheet in which the fiber base material A, which is the first fiber base material layer, and the artificial leather were bonded with the polyurethane adhesive.

[0099] Then, the light-emitting display sheet was subjected to hot press molding at a mold temperature of 100° C. and a press pressure of 4 MPa using a press mold for forming the sheet into a shape corresponding to the injection molding mold described below, thereby forming a preform.

[0100] Then, in-mold molding was performed using the preform molded body of the light-emitting display sheet trimmed to a predetermined shape. Specifically, in a state where the movable side mold and the fixed side mold of the injection molding die mounted on an electric injection molding machine (SE-100 manufactured by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.) were opened, the preform molded body was aligned and placed on the cavity forming surface of the movable side mold. The preform molded body was placed so that the artificial leather faced the cavity forming surface. Then, the movable side mold and the fixed side mold were clamped. The cavity shape of the injection molding die was a shape with a thickness of 3 mm, a diameter of 80 mm, a height of 10 mm, a circular outer periphery, and a trapezoidal cross section.

[0101] Then, MBS resin was injected to fill the cavity under conditions of a resin temperature of 240°C and a mold temperature of 40°C. After the cavity was completely filled, it was cooled and then the mold was opened. In this way, a light-emitting display member was obtained in which the surface layer of fiber base material A, which was the first fiber base material layer of the light-emitting display sheet, was integrated with the surface of the MBS resin molded body.

[0102] When the printed layer of the obtained light-emitting display member was visually observed from the side of the MBS resin molded body, no deformation was observed in the outline of the printed part that forms the boundary between the printed and non-printed parts. In addition, a circular LED device with a brightness of 40 lumens and a diameter of 3.5 mm was placed facing the side of the obtained light-emitting display member with the MBS resin molded body, and a light-emitting device was placed at a distance of 20 mm from the sample. The light from the light-emitting device was transmitted through the light-emitting display member, and the lattice pattern caused by the light emission that appeared on the surface resin layer of the surface material layer was visually observed. The photograph at this time is shown in Figure 6.

[0103] [Comparative Example] In the examples, instead of forming a stack in which the fiber base material B of the artificial leather is stacked so as to face the first surface of the fiber base material A on which the printed layer is formed, a stack in which the fiber base material B of the artificial leather is stacked so as to face the second surface of the fiber base material A on which the printed layer is not formed was formed, but a luminescent display sheet and a luminescent display member were manufactured in the same manner.

[0104] When the printed layer of the obtained light-emitting display member was visually observed from the side of the MBS resin molded body, many places were found to have significant deformation in the outline of the grid pattern of the printed part. In addition, in the same manner as in the examples, light from the light-emitting device was transmitted through the light-emitting display member, and the light emission of the grid pattern due to the light emission appearing on the surface of the surface layer was visually observed. The photograph at this time is shown in Figure 7.

[0105] In the light-emitting device using the light-emitting display member obtained in the example according to the present invention, the outline of the lattice of the printed portion was not distorted and was clear, as shown in Fig. 6. As a result, the contrast of the light-emitting display was high. On the other hand, in the light-emitting device using the light-emitting display member obtained in the comparative example, the outline of the lattice of the printed portion was distorted and many parts were unclear, as shown in Fig. 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 2 First fiber base layer 3 Surface material layer 3a Second fiber base layer 4 printing layer 4A Printing Department 5 Adhesive layer 10,20 Luminous display sheet 11 Translucent resin layer 11a Molten resin 12 Injection mold 12a Movable side type 12b Fixed side type 13 Injection unit body 19 Light-emitting device (light-emitting component) 19a light source 19b Circuit board 30 Illuminating display material 40 Light emitting display device c Cavity D Non-printing area (light transmitting area) E light L First Face S Second Side

Claims

1. A first fiber base material layer and a surface layer layer laminated on the first fiber base material layer, the first fiber substrate layer includes a nonwoven fabric of ultrafine fibers having an average fineness of 1.0 dtex or less, and a polymeric elastomer impregnated into the nonwoven fabric, and includes a fiber substrate having an apparent density of 0.3 g / cm 3 or more; The first fiber base material layer has a first surface facing the surface material layer and a second surface opposite to the first surface, A light-emitting display sheet further comprising a printed portion having an outline sandwiched between the first surface of the first fiber base material layer and the surface material layer.

2. 2. The luminescent display sheet according to claim 1, wherein the first fiber base material layer and the surface material layer are bonded to each other via an adhesive layer.

3. 3. The light-emitting display sheet according to claim 1, wherein the printed portion is formed on the first surface.

4. 4. The light-emitting display sheet according to claim 3, wherein the first surface has an arithmetic mean height Sa based on ISO25178 of 3 to 20 μm.

5. The surface material layer includes a second fiber base material layer, 5. The light-emitting display sheet according to claim 1, wherein the printed portion is sandwiched between the first fiber substrate layer and the second fiber substrate layer.

6. The luminescent display sheet according to claim 5 , wherein the surface material layer further comprises a decorative layer laminated on an outer surface side of the second fiber base material layer.

7. 7. The light-emitting display sheet according to claim 6, wherein the decorative layer is a resin layer having a grain-like leather finish.

8. 5. The luminescent display sheet according to claim 1, wherein the surface material layer includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of a textile material, a wood sheet, a stone sheet, a metal sheet, and a resin sheet.

9. 9. A light-emitting display member comprising: the light-emitting display sheet according to claim 1; and a light-transmitting resin layer integrated with the second surface side.

10. 10. The light-emitting display member according to claim 9, wherein the light-transmitting resin layer is an injection molded body.

11. 11. A light-emitting display device comprising: the light-emitting display member according to claim 9; and a light-emitting device disposed on a side of the light-transmitting resin layer.

12. A step of placing the light-emitting display sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 8 in a cavity of an in-mold molding die and clamping the die; and a step of integrating a translucent resin layer by injection molding on the second surface side of the first fiber base material layer that forms the luminescent display sheet contained in the in-mold molding die.

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