Vehicle exterior parts and vehicle exterior structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle exterior trim capable of improving appearance of a cover panel, and to provide an exterior structure of vehicle.SOLUTION: A light emitting grill includes: a light source constituted so as to radiate visible light; and a cover panel for covering the light source. The cover panel 17 includes: a base material layer 23 for transmitting visible light; a light shielding layer 30 and a non-light shielding layer 31 arranged on the surface side or the rear surface side of the base material layer 23, and arranged side by side in the surface direction; and a colored layer 27 arranged on the surface side of the light shielding layer 30 and the non-light shielding layer 31. A region which overlaps the non-light shielding layer 31 and is further on the surface side than the non-light shielding layer 31 in the cover panel 17 is made to be a transmitting part 34 which transmits visible light. A region which overlaps the light shielding layer 30 and is further on the surface side than the light shielding layer 30 in the cover panel 17 is made to be a non-transmitting part 35 which does not transmit visible light. In the case where the light source is non-lighting, the color difference ΔE of the appearance between the transmitting part 34 and the non-transmitting part 35 is equal to or less than 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to exterior parts for vehicles and an exterior structure of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a light-emitting grill is known as a front grill constituting an exterior structure of a vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a light-emitting grill has a translucent outer cover and a light-emitting element disposed inside the outer cover. The light-emitting grill emits light when the light of the light-emitting element passes through the outer cover at night.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, the light-emitting grill usually does not emit light during the day. When the light-emitting grill is not emitting light and is irradiated with external light such as sunlight, part of the light passes through the outer cover and the rest is reflected by the outer cover. On the other hand, a hood adjacent to the light-emitting grill in a vehicle reflects most of the light when irradiated with external light such as sunlight. Therefore, there is a problem that the appearance of the vehicle deteriorates because the appearance of the light-emitting grill and the appearance of the hood are significantly different.

[0005] Such problems are generally common not only in the exterior structure of a vehicle but also in exterior parts for vehicles having a non-translucent portion that does not transmit light and a translucent portion that is disposed around the non-translucent portion and transmits light.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The following describes various embodiments of vehicle exterior parts and vehicle exterior structures that address the above-mentioned problems. [Aspect 1] An exterior part for a vehicle comprising a light source configured to emit visible light and a cover panel covering the light source, wherein the cover panel has a base material layer that transmits visible light, a light-shielding layer and a non-light-shielding layer arranged on the surface or back side of the base material layer and arranged side by side in the planar direction, and a colored layer arranged on the surface side of the light-shielding layer and the non-light-shielding layer, wherein the area of ​​the cover panel that overlaps with the non-light-shielding layer and is on the surface side of the non-light-shielding layer is a light-transmitting portion that transmits visible light, and the area of ​​the cover panel that overlaps with the light-shielding layer and is on the surface side of the light-shielding layer is a non-light-transmitting portion that does not transmit visible light, and when the light source is not lit, the color difference ΔE of the appearance between the light-transmitting portion and the non-light-transmitting portion is 5 or less.

[0007] According to the above configuration, when the light source is turned on, the visible light from the light source passes through the translucent portion of the cover panel but not through the opaque portion. Therefore, only the translucent portion of the cover panel can be illuminated by the visible light from the light source. On the other hand, when the light source is not turned on, the color difference ΔE between the opaque and translucent portions of the cover panel is 5 or less, so the boundary between the opaque and translucent portions becomes less noticeable. This improves the appearance of the cover panel.

[0008] [Aspect 2] The vehicle exterior part according to [Aspect 1], characterized in that a light source that emits white visible light is used, and the transmittance of visible light in the area of ​​the cover panel that includes the non-light-shielding layer and overlaps with the non-light-shielding layer is in the range of 5% to 70%.

[0009] With the above configuration, the light-transmitting portion can be made to emit white visible light. [Aspect 3] The vehicle exterior part according to [Aspect 1] or [Aspect 2], characterized in that the colored layer has the same configuration in the translucent portion and the non-translucent portion.

[0010] With the above configuration, the cover panel can be manufactured more easily compared to the case where the colored layer configuration differs between the light-transmitting and non-light-transmitting sections. [Aspect 4] A vehicle exterior part according to any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 3], characterized in that a part of the translucent portion is provided with an uncolored portion where the colored layer is absent.

[0011] According to the above configuration, by positioning the uncolored section opposite the vehicle's turn signals (direction indicators) and DRLs (Daytime Running Lamps), the luminous intensity of visible light from the turn signals and DRLs passing through the translucent section can be increased.

[0012] [Aspect 5] The vehicle exterior part according to [Aspect 4], characterized in that the non-light-shielding layer has a plurality of pores formed in the light-shielding layer. According to the above configuration, the non-light-shielding layer makes it difficult to see the substrate layer from the outside through the uncolored portion of the light-transmitting part of the cover panel.

[0013] [Aspect 6] The exterior part for a vehicle according to any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 5], characterized in that the cover panel has an electromagnetic wave transmitting portion that transmits electromagnetic waves. According to the above configuration, the cover panel can be used as an electromagnetic wave-transmitting cover to cover, for example, a millimeter-wave sensor.

[0014] A vehicle exterior structure characterized in that, when a vehicle exterior part described in any one of [Aspect 7] to [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 6] is used as the first exterior part, the structure comprises the first exterior part and a second exterior part disposed around the first exterior part, wherein the second exterior part has a colored layer having the same configuration as the colored layer of the first exterior part.

[0015] According to the above configuration, the color of the first exterior part and the second exterior part will be the same, thus creating a sense of unity in their appearance. This contributes to improving the vehicle's appearance. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The present invention has the effect of improving the appearance of the cover panel.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a front schematic view showing the front part of the vehicle of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a side cross-sectional schematic view of the light-emitting grill. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional schematic view showing a part of the cover panel. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional schematic view showing another part of the cover panel. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional schematic view taken along the line 5-5 in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional schematic view showing a part of the cover panel of the second embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional schematic view showing the state when manufacturing the cover panel. [Figure 8] It is a cross-sectional schematic view of the cover panel of the modified example. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional schematic view of the cover panel of another modified example. [Figure 10] It is a cross-sectional schematic view of the cover panel of still another modified example.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. <Configuration of Vehicle 11> As shown in FIG. 1, at the front part of the vehicle 11, there are provided a pair of left and right headlamps 12, a light-emitting grill 13 as an example of a first exterior part which is an exterior part of the vehicle, and a front bumper 14 as an example of a second exterior part. The headlamp 12 is arranged at the upper part in the front part of the vehicle 11. The front bumper 14 is arranged at the lower part in the front part of the vehicle 11. [[ID=5۳]]

[0019] The luminous grille 13 is positioned adjacent to the upper side of the front bumper 14 at the front of the vehicle 11. That is, the front bumper 14 is positioned around the luminous grille 13. The luminous grille 13 is positioned to occupy most of the area above the front bumper 14 at the front of the vehicle 11, excluding the headlights 12. In this embodiment, the luminous grille 13 and the front bumper 14 constitute the exterior structure of the vehicle 11.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a millimeter-wave sensor 15 is positioned at the rear of the central part of the light-emitting grille 13 at the front of the vehicle 11. The millimeter-wave sensor 15 transmits millimeter waves of electromagnetic waves toward the front of the vehicle 11 and receives millimeter waves that have been reflected after hitting objects outside the vehicle, including preceding vehicles and pedestrians.

[0021] The millimeter-wave sensor 15 recognizes the object outside the vehicle based on transmitted and received millimeter waves, and also detects the distance and relative speed between the vehicle 11 and the object. Millimeter waves are radio waves with a wavelength of 1 mm to 10 mm and a frequency of 30 GHz to 300 GHz. The millimeter-wave sensor 15 is resistant to adverse weather conditions such as rain, fog, and snow, and has a longer detection range compared to infrared sensors.

[0022] <Illuminated Grille 13> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the light-emitting grille 13 has a bottomed box-shaped case 16 with an open front end, and a cover panel 17 that closes the opening of the case 16. A light source 18, configured to emit visible light, is provided on the bottom surface inside the case 16 so as to face the cover panel 17 in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, the cover panel 17 covers the light source 18 from the front. In this embodiment, the light source 18 is, as an example, composed of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that emits white visible light.

[0023] The light source 18 includes a decorative lamp 19, a pair of DRLs 20 (Daytime Running Lamps) on the left and right, a pair of turn signals 21 (direction indicator lights) on the left and right, and a pair of position lamps 22 (side marker lights) on the left and right. The case 16 is made of a synthetic resin such as polycarbonate (PC) or polypropylene (PP).

[0024] <Cover Panel 17> As shown in Figure 3, the cover panel 17 is composed of multiple layers stacked in the front-to-back direction. Each layer constituting the cover panel 17 has a front surface and a rear surface.

[0025] The cover panel 17 comprises a base layer 23, an adhesive layer 24 provided on the front surface of the base layer 23, a light adjustment layer 25 provided on the front surface of the adhesive layer 24, a first complementary color layer 26 provided on the front surface of the light adjustment layer 25, a colored layer 27 provided on the front surface of the first complementary color layer 26, a protective layer 28 provided on the front surface of the colored layer 27, and an anti-fogging layer 29 provided on the rear surface of the base layer 23.

[0026] The base layer 23 is made of a synthetic resin that transmits visible light. That is, the base layer 23 is made of, for example, polycarbonate (PC) or polypropylene (PP). The adhesive layer 24 is transparent so as to transmit visible light. The adhesive layer 24 is made of, for example, a primer, adhesive, buffer layer, etc. The light adjustment layer 25 has a light-shielding layer 30 that blocks visible light and a non-light-shielding layer 31 that does not block visible light.

[0027] In other words, the light-adjusting layer 25 has a configuration in which a light-shielding layer 30 and a non-light-shielding layer 31 are arranged side by side in the planar direction. The light-shielding layer 30 is made of a coating that does not transmit visible light, i.e., a black coating. The non-light-shielding layer 31 is made up of the region (space) in the light-adjusting layer 25 where the light-shielding layer 30 does not exist. Therefore, since the non-light-shielding layer 31 has no physical form, it transmits visible light.

[0028] The first complementary color layer 26 has the function of adjusting the emission state of visible light irradiated from the light source 18 at night, and adjusting the color state of the appearance of the cover panel 17 during the daytime when visible light is not irradiated from the light source 18. The colored layer 27 is composed of a coating film that transmits visible light. Specifically, the colored layer 27 has a two-layer structure, for example, a color clear layer 32 and a color pearl layer 33 laminated on the rear surface of the color clear layer 32.

[0029] The color clear layer 32 is composed of a paint film that has a so-called translucent appearance. The color pearl layer 33 is composed of a paint film containing pearl pigments, for example, mica coated with titanium dioxide or a metal oxide. The protective layer 28 has the function of protecting the colored layer 27 from scratches. The protective layer 28 is composed of, for example, a transparent clear paint film or a transparent hard coat layer. The anti-fogging layer 29 has the function of suppressing fogging.

[0030] The area of ​​the cover panel 17 that overlaps with the non-light-shielding layer 31 in the front-to-back direction, and which is in front of the non-light-shielding layer 31, is a light-transmitting area 34 that transmits visible light from the light source 18. The area of ​​the cover panel 17 that overlaps with the light-shielding layer 30 in the front-to-back direction, and which is in front of the light-shielding layer 30, is a light-transmitting area 35 that does not transmit visible light from the light source 18.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the cover panel 17 has a translucent portion 34 in the area facing the light source 18 in the front-to-back direction. That is, the cover panel 17 has translucent portions 34 in the areas facing the decorative lamp 19, the pair of left and right DRLs 20, the pair of left and right turn lamps 21, and the pair of left and right position lamps 22 in the front-to-back direction. In this case, the translucent portion 34 provided in the area facing the decorative lamp 19 in the front-to-back direction of the cover panel 17 is shaped to represent the letters "TG" as an example.

[0032] In the cover panel 17, the transmittance of visible light from the light source 18 in the area that includes the non-light-shielding layer 31 and overlaps with the non-light-shielding layer 31 in the front-to-back direction is set to be in the range of 5% to 70%. All areas of the cover panel 17 other than the light-transmitting area 34 are non-light-transmitting areas 35.

[0033] The colored layer 27 in the cover panel 17 has the same configuration in the translucent portion 34 and the non-translucent portion 35. That is, the same paint is used in the colored layer 27 of the cover panel 17 in both the translucent portion 34 and the non-translucent portion 35. The light-emitting grille 13 is configured such that when the light source 18 is not lit, the color difference ΔE of the appearance between the translucent portion 34 and the non-translucent portion 35 of the cover panel 17 is 5 or less.

[0034] The cover panel 17 has an electromagnetic wave-transmitting portion 36 that transmits electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic wave-transmitting portion 36 of the cover panel 17 transmits electromagnetic waves more easily than the parts of the cover panel 17 other than the electromagnetic wave-transmitting portion 36. In this embodiment, the electromagnetic wave-transmitting portion 36 is adjusted on the rear surface (back surface) of the base material layer 23 so that the thickness of the base material layer 23 is optimized to match the wavelength of electromagnetic waves that transmit through the base material layer 23. As an example of this adjustment on the rear surface of the base material layer 23, a recess is formed on the rear surface of the base material layer 23 that is more recessed than the parts other than the electromagnetic wave-transmitting portion 36.

[0035] The electromagnetic wave transmission portion 36 in the cover panel 17 is positioned in a region facing the millimeter-wave sensor 15 in the front-to-back direction. Preferably, the electromagnetic wave transmission portion 36 in the cover panel 17 has a round-trip attenuation rate of millimeter waves of 3.0 dB or less. If the round-trip attenuation rate of millimeter waves in the electromagnetic wave transmission portion 36 exceeds 3.0 dB, the detection accuracy of the millimeter-wave sensor 15 may be insufficient.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, a second complementary color layer 37 is positioned between the base layer 23 and the anti-fogging layer 29 in the region of the cover panel 17 that faces the pair of left and right turn lamps 21 in the front-to-back direction. The second complementary color layer 37 has the function of coloring the visible light irradiated from the turn lamps 21 (light source 18) to a yellow-orange (amber) color.

[0037] As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the front bumper 14 adjacent to the light-emitting grille 13 has a resin substrate 38, a colored layer 27 provided on the front surface of the resin substrate 38, and a protective layer 28 provided on the front surface of the colored layer 27. In other words, the front bumper 14 has a colored layer 27 with the same configuration as the colored layer 27 of the cover panel 17 of the light-emitting grille 13.

[0038] <Operation of the First Embodiment> Vehicle 11 normally illuminates its decorative lamps 19 when driving at night. When this happens, visible light is shone from the decorative lamps 19 onto the translucent section 34 of the cover panel 17 that represents the letters "TG," and the letters "TG" are illuminated in white by the visible light passing through this translucent section 34.

[0039] Similarly, by illuminating the left and right pair of DRLs 20 and the left and right pair of position lamps 22, the light-transmitting portion 34 of the cover panel 17 facing them will emit white light due to the visible light irradiated from the left and right pair of DRLs 20 and the left and right pair of position lamps 22, respectively.

[0040] Furthermore, by selectively illuminating a pair of left and right turn lamps 21 as needed, the translucent portion 34 of the cover panel 17 facing the selected turn lamp 21 will emit a yellowish-orange light due to the visible light emitted from the selected turn lamp 21.

[0041] On the other hand, vehicle 11 normally illuminates only the left and right pair of DRLs 20 during daytime driving. That is, when vehicle 11 is driving during the day, the light sources 18 other than the left and right pair of DRLs 20 are not illuminated. In this state, the cover panel 17 is configured such that the color difference ΔE of the appearance between the translucent portion 34 facing the unilluminated light sources 18 and the non-translucent portion 35 is 5 or less.

[0042] Therefore, the boundary between the translucent portion 34 and the non-translucent portion 35 in the cover panel 17 becomes less noticeable. Consequently, the appearance of the cover panel 17 is improved, and consequently, the appearance of the vehicle 11 is improved.

[0043] Furthermore, the millimeter waves (electromagnetic waves) transmitted and received by the millimeter-wave sensor 15 pass through the electromagnetic wave-transmitting portion 36 of the cover panel 17. In this case, the electromagnetic wave-transmitting portion 36 of the cover panel 17 has a round-trip attenuation rate of 3.0 dB or less for millimeter waves. Therefore, the detection accuracy of the millimeter-wave sensor 15 is sufficiently ensured. Accordingly, the cover panel 17 functions suitably as an electromagnetic wave-transmitting cover.

[0044] <Effects of the First Embodiment> According to the first embodiment described in detail above, the following effects are achieved. (1-1) The light-emitting grille 13 comprises a light source 18 configured to emit visible light and a cover panel 17 that covers the light source 18. The cover panel 17 has a substrate layer 23 that transmits visible light, a light-shielding layer 30 and a non-light-shielding layer 31 arranged on the surface side of the substrate layer 23 and aligned in the planar direction, and a colored layer 27 arranged on the surface side of the light-shielding layer 30 and the non-light-shielding layer 31. The area of ​​the cover panel 17 that overlaps with the non-light-shielding layer 31 and is on the surface side of the non-light-shielding layer 31 is a light-transmitting area 34 that transmits visible light. The area of ​​the cover panel 17 that overlaps with the light-shielding layer 30 and is on the surface side of the light-shielding layer 30 is a non-light-transmitting area 35 that does not transmit visible light. When the light source 18 is not lit, the color difference ΔE of the appearance between the light-transmitting area 34 and the non-light-transmitting area 35 is 5 or less.

[0045] According to the above configuration, when the light source 18 is lit, the visible light from the light source 18 passes through the translucent portion 34 of the cover panel 17 but not through the non-translucent portion 35 of the cover panel 17. Therefore, the visible light from the light source 18 can cause only the translucent portion 34 of the cover panel 17 to emit light. On the other hand, when the light source 18 is not lit, the color difference ΔE of the appearance between the non-translucent portion 35 and the translucent portion 34 of the cover panel 17 is 5 or less, so the boundary between the non-translucent portion 35 and the translucent portion 34 becomes less noticeable. As a result, the appearance of the cover panel 17 can be improved.

[0046] (1-2) The light-emitting grille 13 is equipped with a light source 18 that emits white visible light. The transmittance of visible light in the light-transmitting section 34 is in the range of 5% to 70%. According to the above configuration, the light-transmitting portion 34 can be suitably made to emit white visible light.

[0047] (1-3) In the light-emitting grille 13, the colored layer 27 has the same configuration in the light-transmitting portion 34 and the non-light-transmitting portion 35. With the above configuration, the cover panel 17 can be manufactured more easily compared to the case where the configuration of the colored layer 27 differs between the light-transmitting portion 34 and the non-light-transmitting portion 35.

[0048] (1-4) In the light-emitting grille 13, the cover panel 17 has an electromagnetic wave transmitting portion 36 that transmits electromagnetic waves. According to the above configuration, the cover panel 17 can be used as an electromagnetic wave-transmitting cover that covers the millimeter-wave sensor 15.

[0049] (1-5) The exterior structure of the vehicle 11 comprises a light-emitting grille 13 and a front bumper 14 positioned around the light-emitting grille 13. The front bumper 14 has a colored layer 27 having the same configuration as the colored layer 27 of the light-emitting grille 13.

[0050] With the above configuration, the appearance of the illuminated grille 13 and the front bumper 14 will be the same in color, thus creating a sense of unity in appearance between the illuminated grille 13 and the front bumper 14. This contributes to improving the appearance of the vehicle 11.

[0051] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. This second embodiment is modified in which the cover panel 17 shown in Figure 3 of the first embodiment is replaced with the cover panel 50 shown in Figure 6. As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the cover panel 50 is modified in which each layer other than the protective layer 28 is arranged on the rear side of the base material layer 23, as in the cover panel 17 of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described, and explanations that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted. In addition, in the second embodiment, the same reference numerals will be used for the same components as in the first embodiment.

[0052] <Cover Panel 50> As shown in Figure 6, the cover panel 50 comprises a base layer 23, a protective layer 28 provided on the front surface of the base layer 23, an adhesive layer 24 provided on the rear surface of the base layer 23, a colored layer 27 provided on the rear surface of the adhesive layer 24, a first complementary color layer 26 provided on the rear surface of the colored layer 27, a light adjustment layer 25 provided on the rear surface of the first complementary color layer 26, and an anti-fogging layer 29 provided on the rear surface of the light adjustment layer 25.

[0053] <Manufacturing method for cover panel 50> As shown in Figure 7, when manufacturing the cover panel 50, first, a protective layer 28 is provided on the front surface of the base layer 23. Next, an adhesive layer 24, a coloring layer 27, and a first complementary color layer 26 are sequentially laminated on the rear surface of the base layer 23. Subsequently, a light-shielding layer 30 is provided on the entire rear surface of the first complementary color layer 26. Next, a non-light-shielding layer 31 is formed in the region of the light-shielding layer 30 that faces the light source 18 in the front-to-back direction to form a light-transmitting portion 34. As a result, a light-adjusting layer 25 having a light-shielding layer 30 and a non-light-shielding layer 31 is provided on the rear surface of the first complementary color layer 26.

[0054] In this case, the non-light-shielding layer 31 is formed, for example, by performing laser etching, which partially removes the light-shielding layer 30 by irradiating it with laser light from the rear side using a laser irradiation device 51. Subsequently, the cover panel 50 shown in Figure 6 is manufactured by providing an anti-fogging layer 29 on the rear surface of the light-adjusting layer 25.

[0055] <Effects of the second embodiment> According to the second embodiment described in detail above, in addition to the effects described in (1-1) to (1-5) above, the following effects are also achieved.

[0056] (2-1) In the cover panel 50, the non-light-shielding layer 31 can be formed by partially removing the light-shielding layer 30 from the rear side, for example by laser etching. This allows the light-adjusting layer 25 to be easily formed, and consequently the cover panel 50 to be easily manufactured.

[0057] <Example of changes> Each of the above embodiments can be implemented with the following modifications. Furthermore, the above embodiments and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0058] As shown in Figure 8, a film substrate 39 that transmits visible light may be provided between the protective layer 28 and the colored layer 27 in the cover panel 17. In this case, the protective layer 28, the film substrate 39, the colored layer 27, the first complementary color layer 26, and the light adjustment layer 25 are integrally formed as a laminated unit A. In this way, the cover panel 17 can be easily manufactured by bonding the laminated unit A to the substrate layer 23 via the adhesive layer 24. The film substrate 39 is made of, for example, polymethyl methacrylate resin (PMMA) or polycarbonate (PC).

[0059] As shown in Figure 9, a portion of the light-transmitting portion 34 of the cover panel 17 may be provided with an uncolored portion 40 where the colored layer 27 is absent. In this case, the portion of the first complementary color layer 26 corresponding to the uncolored portion 40 is omitted. By doing so, the uncolored portion 40 of the cover panel 17 is provided in the light-transmitting portion 34 facing the turn lamp 21 or DRL 20, thereby increasing the luminous intensity of visible light transmitted through the light-transmitting portion 34 from the turn lamp 21 or DRL 20.

[0060] As shown in Figure 10, in the cover panel 17 of Figure 9, the non-light-shielding layer 31 may be made by forming multiple pores in the light-shielding layer 30. That is, the non-light-shielding layer 31 may be made by having an actual entity in which multiple pores penetrating in the front-to-back direction are formed in the light-shielding layer 30. In this way, visible light transmission is ensured by the multiple pores in the non-light-shielding layer 31, while the non-pore portions of the non-light-shielding layer 31 make it difficult to see the base layer 23 from the outside through the uncolored portion 40 of the light-transmitting portion 34 of the cover panel 17.

[0061] The front bumper 14 does not necessarily have to have a colored layer 27 with the same configuration as the colored layer 27 of the luminous grille 13. The cover panel 17 does not necessarily need to have an electromagnetic wave-transmitting portion 36.

[0062] In the light-emitting grille 13, the colored layer 27 does not necessarily have to have the same configuration in the light-transmitting portion 34 and the non-light-transmitting portion 35. The light-emitting grille 13 does not necessarily need to use a light source 18 that emits white visible light.

[0063] The transmittance of visible light in the light-transmitting portion 34 of the light-emitting grille 13 does not necessarily have to be in the range of 5% to 70%. The second complementary color layer 37 may be omitted, and the visible light irradiated from the turn lamp 21 and transmitted through the light-transmitting portion 34 of the cover panel 17 may be colored by the turn lamp 21 itself so that it is yellow-orange (amber).

[0064] The colored layer 27 may be a metallic coating layer containing aluminum flakes or a solid coating layer that does not contain aluminum flakes or pearl pigments, instead of the color pearl layer 33, or a coating layer of the same color as the exterior parts of the vehicle 11, such as the bumper cover or fender panel.

[0065] The colored layer 27 may have a single-layer structure or a structure of three or more layers. • In the cover panel 17, the anti-fog layer 29 may be omitted. • In the cover panel 17, the adhesive layer 24 may be omitted.

[0066] • In the cover panel 17, the first complementary color layer 26 may be omitted. • In the cover panel 17, the protective layer 28 may be omitted. The electromagnetic wave-transmitting portion 36 of the cover panel 17 may be configured such that the thickness of the color pearl layer 33 constituting the colored layer 27 is thinner in the part of the cover panel 17 other than the electromagnetic wave-transmitting portion 36. In this case, since the color pearl layer 33 is composed of a coating film containing pearl pigments that inhibit the transmission of electromagnetic waves, the thinner the thickness, the easier it is for electromagnetic waves to be transmitted.

[0067] - An infrared sensor may be placed behind the light-emitting grille 13 instead of the millimeter-wave sensor 15, or an infrared sensor may be placed in addition to the millimeter-wave sensor 15. The infrared sensor transmits infrared radiation (near-infrared radiation) having a wavelength of 900 nm to 2000 nm from electromagnetic waves toward the front of the vehicle 11, and receives infrared radiation reflected from objects outside the vehicle, including preceding vehicles and pedestrians. Based on the transmitted and received infrared radiation, the infrared sensor recognizes the above-mentioned objects outside the vehicle and detects the distance between the vehicle 11 and the objects, relative speed, etc. The infrared sensor has the characteristic of being able to detect objects smaller than those that the millimeter-wave sensor 15 can detect.

[0068] • The vehicle exterior parts (first exterior parts) may be vehicle exterior parts other than the luminous grille 13. The second exterior part may be, for example, a fender panel of the vehicle 11. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 11…Vehicles 12... Headlights 13…Illuminated grille as an example of a first exterior part, which is an exterior part for a vehicle. 14…Front bumper as an example of a second exterior part 15…Millimeter wave sensor 16…case 17,50... Cover panel 18...Light source 19… Decorative lamps 20...DRL 21... Turn signal 22...Position lamps 23...Base material layer 24...adhesive layer 25...Light adjustment layer 26…First complementary layer 27...Colored layer 28…Protective layer 29…Anti-fog layer 30...Light blocking layer 31...Non-shading layer 32...Color clear layer 33…Color pearl layer 34…Translucent part 35…Non-transparent part 36...Electromagnetic wave transmission part 37…Second complementary color layer 38… Resin base material 39…Film substrate 40...Uncolored area 51…Laser irradiation device A...Laminated unit

Claims

1. A vehicle exterior part comprising a light source configured to emit visible light and a cover panel that covers the light source, The cover panel comprises a substrate layer that transmits visible light, a light-shielding layer and a non-light-shielding layer arranged side by side in the planar direction on either the front or back side of the substrate layer, a colored layer arranged on the front side of the light-shielding layer and the non-light-shielding layer, and an anti-fogging layer arranged on the back side of the substrate layer. The region of the cover panel that overlaps with the non-light-shielding layer and is on the surface side of the non-light-shielding layer is a light-transmitting portion that transmits visible light. The area of ​​the cover panel that overlaps with the light-shielding layer and is on the surface side of the light-shielding layer is a non-transparent portion that does not transmit visible light. When the light source is not illuminated, the color difference ΔE of the appearance between the light-transmitting portion and the non-light-transmitting portion is 5 or less. The cover panel has a complementary color layer disposed between the base material layer and the anti-fog layer, and the complementary color layer disposed between the base material layer and the anti-fog layer is characterized in that it modulates the visible light.

2. The cover panel has a complementary color layer disposed on the back side of the colored layer, The vehicle exterior part according to claim 1, characterized in that the complementary color layer disposed on the back side of the colored layer adjusts the color state of the cover panel's appearance when the light source is not illuminated.

3. When the vehicle exterior part described in claim 1 or claim 2 is designated as the first exterior part, the vehicle comprises the first exterior part and a second exterior part arranged around the first exterior part. The exterior structure of a vehicle, characterized in that the second exterior part has a colored layer having the same configuration as the colored layer of the first exterior part.

Images