Vehicle light-transmissive component and method for manufacturing same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle light-transmissive component, comprising an appearance layer. The appearance layer has a first outer surface; a hollowed pattern is formed on the appearance layer, the hollowed pattern is filled with a light-transmissive material to form a light-transmissive pattern, the light-transmissive pattern has a second outer surface, and the first outer surface and the second outer surface are located on the same plane. The present disclosure also relates to a method for manufacturing the vehicle light-transmissive component. According to the vehicle light-transmissive component of the present disclosure, the light-transmissive pattern is flush with the outer surface of the appearance layer, thereby avoiding impact-induced detachment of the light-transmissive pattern, and facilitating easy surface cleaning.

Description

Vehicle light-transmitting component and method for manufacturing the same Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of vehicle interior decoration, and more particularly to a vehicle light-transmitting component and a method for manufacturing the vehicle light-transmitting component. Background Art

[0002] As the automotive industry develops, the requirements for vehicle components are becoming increasingly demanding. Vehicle components are often decorated with specific patterns for guidance, aesthetics, and other purposes. These patterns are often designed to be light-transmissive to achieve a cool visual effect.

[0003] In the prior art, the outermost layer of a vehicle component (such as a real wood layer) is usually hollowed out, and then a transparent layer is embedded from the outer surface toward the hollowed-out portion. The transparent layer protrudes from the real wood layer and is engraved with an uneven pattern. When the light-emitting component on the inside of the vehicle component is illuminated, the pattern will illuminate, thereby serving as an indication, aesthetics, etc.

[0004] However, the existing patterns protrude from the outer surface of the vehicle component and are easily knocked and fallen off during use. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a vehicle light-transmitting component, wherein a light-transmitting pattern thereof is flush with an outer surface of the vehicle light-transmitting component to prevent the component from being bumped or dropped.

[0006] Based on the above-mentioned purpose, one aspect of the present disclosure relates to a vehicle translucent component, which includes an appearance layer, the appearance layer having a first outer surface; a hollow pattern is formed on the appearance layer, and the hollow pattern is filled with a translucent material to form a translucent pattern, the translucent pattern having a second outer surface, and the first outer surface and the second outer surface are in the same plane.

[0007] In some embodiments, the hollow pattern has a closed area, which divides the appearance layer into an island portion and an appearance layer body. The edge of the island portion is provided with at least one connecting bridge, and the at least one connecting bridge is used to connect the island portion and the appearance layer body.

[0008] In some embodiments, the connecting bridge has a third outer surface, which is not coplanar with the second outer surface and is located on an inner side of the second outer surface.

[0009] In some embodiments, at least two connecting bridges are provided on the edge of the isolated island portion, and the at least two connecting bridges are evenly arranged along the circumference of the isolated island portion.

[0010] In some embodiments, the light-transmissive pattern covers the outer surface of the connecting bridge to hide the connecting bridge.

[0011] In some embodiments, a groove is provided on the inner side of the appearance layer, the groove is located in the pattern area of ​​the appearance layer, and the hollow pattern is connected to the groove; the groove is filled with the light-transmitting material to form a pattern base, the light-transmitting pattern and the pattern base are formed as one body, and the projection of the light-transmitting pattern along the thickness direction of the appearance layer falls on the pattern base.

[0012] In some embodiments, the exterior layer includes a light-impermeable decorative layer and a light-permeable base layer, the base layer is fixed to the inner side of the decorative layer, and the connecting bridge is formed on the base layer.

[0013] In some embodiments, the base layer includes a plurality of light-transmitting areas, each light-transmitting area is provided with a hollow pattern, each hollow pattern is filled with a light-transmitting pattern, and each light-transmitting pattern in each light-transmitting area can emit light independently.

[0014] In some embodiments, a light-impermeable region is provided between any two adjacent light-transmitting regions, and the light-transmitting region and the light-impermeable region are integrally formed by two-color injection molding.

[0015] In some embodiments, each light-transmissive pattern has a different style.

[0016] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a vehicle light-transmitting component according to the present disclosure, the method comprising at least one of the following steps: a. providing an appearance layer; b. processing the appearance layer to form a hollow pattern on the appearance layer; c. placing the processed appearance layer into a mold; d. injecting a light-transmitting material into the mold so that the light-transmitting material fills the hollow pattern to form a light-transmitting pattern, wherein the second outer surface of the light-transmitting pattern is in the same plane as the first outer surface of the appearance layer.

[0017] In some embodiments, step b includes: processing the appearance layer so that the hollow pattern has a closed area, and the closed area divides the appearance layer into an island portion and an appearance layer body, wherein at least one connecting bridge is formed at the edge of the island portion, and the at least one connecting bridge is used to connect the island portion and the appearance layer body.

[0018] In some embodiments, step b includes: digging a groove in the pattern area from the inner side of the appearance layer, forming a hollow pattern in the pattern area from the outer side of the appearance layer, and leaving a connecting bridge on the appearance layer.

[0019] In some embodiments, step a includes placing the decoration layer in a mold, and injecting a light-transmitting material to form a base layer inside the decoration layer, thereby forming an appearance layer, wherein the appearance layer includes the decoration layer and the base layer.

[0020] In some embodiments, step b includes: opening a groove from the inner side of the base layer of the appearance layer, forming a hollow pattern from the outer side of the decoration layer inward, and leaving a connecting bridge on the base layer.

[0021] In some embodiments, after the decorative layer is placed in the mold, an opaque material is injected into the mold to form an opaque area of ​​the base layer, and then a translucent material is injected into the mold to form a translucent area of ​​the base layer, thereby providing an opaque area between any two adjacent translucent areas.

[0022] The vehicle translucent component disclosed in the present invention is characterized in that the hollow pattern of the appearance layer is filled with translucent material to form a translucent pattern. The second outer surface of the translucent pattern is in the same plane as the first outer surface of the appearance layer, which can prevent it from being knocked and falling, and the surface is easy to clean. The hollow pattern is carved by a precision engraving machine with uniform line width. The hollow pattern is filled by injection molding, and the surface is flat and uniform. The island part is connected to the appearance layer body by a connecting bridge to prevent the island part from falling, thereby forming a translucent pattern with a closed area. The appearance layer includes a decorative layer and a translucent base layer. The connecting bridge is formed on the base layer to achieve light transmission, avoid the connecting bridge blocking the light there, and enable the translucent pattern to emit light at the position of the connecting bridge, thereby improving the lighting effect. The connecting bridge can also be hidden inside the translucent pattern to make the component more beautiful. The base layer has multiple translucent areas to form multiple translucent patterns. The light of each translucent pattern is blocked by the non-translucent area, so that they can emit light separately without interfering with each other. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG1A is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG1B is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the vehicle of FIG1A ;

[0025] FIG2A is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle light-transmitting component according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a pattern “L” is provided on the vehicle light-transmitting component;

[0026] FIG2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG2A ;

[0027] FIG3A is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle light-transmitting component according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the hollow pattern is a “lock”;

[0028] 3B is an exploded view of a vehicle light-transmitting component according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, viewed from the outside to the inside;

[0029] 3C is an exploded view of a light-transmitting component of a vehicle according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, viewed from the inside to the outside;

[0030] 3D is a cross-sectional view of an exterior layer having a hollow pattern and connecting bridges of a light-transmitting component for a vehicle according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] 3E is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle light-transmitting component according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG4A is a schematic structural diagram of an exterior layer of a light-transmitting component for a vehicle according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG4A ;

[0034] FIG4C is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG4A ;

[0035] 5A is a schematic structural diagram of an exterior layer of a light-transmitting component for a vehicle according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG5A . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and described in detail.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B , the vehicle 10 of the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure generally has luminous patterns on its light-transmitting components such as the dashboard 11 , door panels 12 and center console 13 to provide guidance and enhance aesthetics.

[0039] As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, a first embodiment of the present disclosure provides a light-transmitting component for a vehicle, comprising an exterior layer 110 having a hollow pattern 111 formed therein. The hollow pattern of the exterior layer 110 is filled with a light-transmitting material (e.g., polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), etc.) to form a light-transmitting pattern 120. The exterior layer 110 has a first outer surface 110a, and the light-transmitting pattern 120 has a second outer surface 120a. The first outer surface 110a and the second outer surface 120a are coplanar. In other words, the light-transmitting material completely fills the hollow pattern 111 of the exterior layer 110, so that the second outer surface 120a of the light-transmitting pattern 120 is flush with the first outer surface 110a of the exterior layer 110, thereby preventing the light-transmitting pattern 120 from protruding from the outer surface of the exterior layer 110. A light source (not shown in the figure) may also be provided on the inner side of the exterior layer 110 for emitting light outward. The exterior layer 110 may be set to be opaque or semi-transparent (it is sufficient to make the luminous brightness of the exterior layer 110 lower than that of the translucent pattern 120). In this way, when the light emitted by the light source is irradiated on the inner side of the exterior layer 110, the luminous brightness of the translucent pattern 120 is higher than that of the rest of the exterior layer 110, thereby showing a luminous pattern effect. On the one hand, it can serve as an indication, and on the other hand, it can also make the vehicle's translucent parts more beautiful.

[0040] A touch sensor may also be provided on the inner side of the exterior layer 110 (for example, on the inner side of the light-emitting layer) to achieve a touch effect. For example, when an occupant touches the light-transmitting pattern 120 , the touch sensor may be triggered to achieve automatic control.

[0041] It can be understood that although the translucent pattern 120 shown in Figure 1A is the character pattern "L", this embodiment does not limit the specific form of the pattern. It can also be other character patterns (such as "M", "N", etc.) or other patterns (such as fan, lock, etc.).

[0042] The vehicle light-transmitting component of the first embodiment can be manufactured by the following method:

[0043] First, a 0.3mm-1mm milling cutter is used to finely carve a hollow pattern 111 on an exterior layer 110 made of an opaque material (such as real wood, metal, opaque plastic, etc.) or a semi-transparent material. The carved exterior layer 110 is then placed in a mold, and translucent material is injected into the mold until the translucent material fills the hollow pattern 111, forming a translucent pattern 120. This allows the second outer surface 120a of the translucent pattern 120 to be flush with the first outer surface 110a of the exterior layer 110. After injection molding, the exterior surface of the exterior layer 110 can be painted, and then the light guide, light source, touch sensor, back cover, etc. are sequentially assembled on the inside of the exterior layer 110.

[0044] In the vehicle light-transmitting component of the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the light-transmitting material fills the hollow pattern 111 of the appearance layer 110 to form a light-transmitting pattern 120. The second outer surface 120a of the light-transmitting pattern 120 is in the same plane as the first outer surface 110a of the appearance layer 110, so as to avoid being bumped and falling, and the surface is easy to clean; the hollow pattern 111 is carved by a precision engraving machine, and the line width is uniform; in addition, the hollow pattern 111 is filled by injection molding, and the surface is flat and uniform.

[0045] The hollow pattern 111 on the vehicle light-transmitting component of the first embodiment is a semi-closed pattern, which does not have a closed area. Therefore, it can be hollowed out directly on the appearance layer 110. For the hollow pattern 111 with a closed area, such as the characters "A" and "B", they all have closed areas (such as the top of "A" and the two semicircular parts of "B"). The closed area will form an island portion on the appearance layer 110, so that the appearance layer 110 is divided into an island portion (i.e., the portion surrounded by the closed area) and the appearance layer body. If the hollow pattern 111 is engraved directly on the appearance layer 110, the island portion will be disconnected from the appearance layer body, causing the island portion to fall off, and the hollow pattern 111 with a closed area cannot be engraved.

[0046] To solve the above problems, as shown in Figures 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D and 3E, the second embodiment of the present disclosure provides a vehicle translucent component, which includes an appearance layer 110 and a translucent pattern 120. The translucent pattern 120 is in the shape of a lock. A hollow pattern 111 is provided on the appearance layer 110. The translucent pattern 120 is filled in the hollow pattern 111, and its second outer surface is in the same plane as the first outer surface of the appearance layer. The hollow pattern 111 will cause the appearance layer 110 to form two isolated island portions 112 and 113. The edges of the isolated island portions 112 and 113 are each provided with at least one connecting bridge 114 for connecting the isolated island portions 112 and 113 with the rest of the appearance layer 110 (i.e., the appearance layer body) to prevent the isolated island portions 112 and 113 from falling off; translucent material is filled in the hollow pattern to form the translucent pattern 120, and the translucent pattern 120 is flush with the outer surface of the appearance layer 110. Because the edges of the island portions 112 and 113 are each provided with connecting bridges 114, these bridges connect the island portions 112 and 113 to the rest of the exterior layer 110, preventing them from falling. In other words, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the second embodiment adds connecting bridges 114 for connecting the island portions to the exterior layer body, in addition to the first embodiment.

[0047] The connecting bridge 114 has a third outer surface 114a, which is non-coplanar with the first outer surface 110a and is located inward of the first outer surface 110a. This ensures that the connecting bridge 114 does not protrude beyond the first outer surface 110a, but rather resides within the hollow pattern 111. In other words, the thickness of the connecting bridge 114 is less than that of the exterior layer 110, allowing the connecting bridge 114 to reside within the hollow pattern 111 and maintain a distance from the first outer surface 110a of the exterior layer 110. This allows the light-transmitting pattern 120 to cover the connecting bridge 114 after the light-transmitting material fills the hollow pattern 111, thereby concealing the connecting bridge 114. This means that the connecting bridge 114 cannot be seen from the outside of the vehicle's light-transmitting component, and only the light-transmitting pattern 120 can be seen, thereby enhancing the vehicle's light-transmitting component's aesthetics.

[0048] The number of connecting bridges 114 at the edge of each island portion can also be two, three, or more. When there are multiple connecting bridges 114, they can be evenly distributed along the circumference of the island portion. The width and thickness of the connecting bridges 114 can be set according to actual needs as long as they meet the strength requirements. For example, the width of the connecting bridge 114 can be greater than 0.1 mm, and the thickness can be greater than 0.1 mm.

[0049] On the vehicle light-transmitting component shown in Figure 3C, two connecting bridges 114 are provided on the edge of the island portion 112, which are distributed on both sides of the edge of the island portion 112, and three connecting bridges 114 are provided on the edge of the island portion 113, which are evenly arranged along the circumference of the island portion 113.

[0050] As shown in Figures 3C, 3D, and 3E, a groove 115 is provided on the inner side of the exterior layer 110. The groove 115 is located in the pattern area (i.e., the area where the hollow pattern 111 is located). The hollow pattern 111 is connected to the groove 115. Since the hollow pattern 111 is formed by fine carving from the outer surface to the inner surface of the exterior layer 110 using a milling cutter, the thickness of the hollow pattern 111 can be reduced by providing the groove 115, thereby reducing the fine carving time of the hollow pattern 111. The light-transmitting material can be filled with the groove 115 and the hollow pattern 111 by injection molding. The light-transmitting material filled with the hollow pattern 111 forms a light-transmitting pattern 120, and the light-transmitting material filled with the groove 115 forms a pattern base 121. The light-transmitting pattern 120 and the pattern base 121 are formed into one piece.

[0051] Similar to the first embodiment, the vehicle light-transmitting component of the second embodiment may also include a light source, which is disposed inside the exterior layer 110 and is used to emit light. The light emitted by the light source passes through the light-transmitting pattern 120 (or the pattern base 121 and the light-transmitting pattern 120), causing the light-transmitting pattern 120 to emit light. A touch sensor may also be disposed inside the exterior layer 110 (e.g., inside the luminous layer) to achieve a touch effect. For example, when a passenger touches the light-transmitting pattern 120, the touch sensor may be triggered to achieve automatic control.

[0052] The vehicle light-transmitting component of the second embodiment can be manufactured by the following method:

[0053] First, the exterior layer 110 is made of an opaque or semi-transparent material. A groove 115 is then cut out from the inside of the exterior layer 110 in the pattern area, leaving a thickness of at least 0.3 mm (e.g., 0.6 mm). A 0.3-1 mm milling cutter is then used to finely carve a hollow pattern 111 from the outside of the exterior layer 110 in the pattern area, leaving connecting bridges 114 on the exterior layer 110 (i.e., the connecting bridges 114 are not carved through). The carved exterior layer 110 is then placed in a mold and injected with translucent material for injection molding. The translucent material fills the grooves 115 and the hollow pattern 111, resulting in a pattern base 121 and a translucent pattern 120. The translucent pattern 120 is flush with the outer surface of the exterior layer 110 and covers the connecting bridges 114. After the second injection molding is completed, the exterior surface of the exterior layer 110 can be painted, and then the light guide, light source, touch sensor, back cover, etc. are sequentially assembled on the inside of the exterior layer 110.

[0054] It is understood that, in addition to the lock shape shown in FIG. 3A-3E , the light-permeable pattern 120 may also be other shapes with closed areas, such as letters “A”, “B”, “P”, a fan shape, and the like.

[0055] In the second embodiment of the present disclosure, the edges of the vehicle light-transmitting component 112 and 113 are provided with connecting bridges 114, and the island portions 112 and 113 are connected to the appearance layer body through the connecting bridges 114 to prevent the island portions 112 and 113 from falling, thereby forming a light-transmitting pattern 120 with a closed area, and the second outer surface 120a of the light-transmitting pattern 120 is flush with the first outer surface 110a of the appearance layer 110; the light-transmitting pattern 120 covers the connecting bridges 114 to hide the connecting bridges 114, making the vehicle light-transmitting component more beautiful.

[0056] In the second embodiment, since the appearance layer is made of opaque material or semi-transparent material, the connecting bridge 114 is also opaque or semi-transparent (i.e., the luminous brightness is low), so the connecting bridge 114 will block part of the light, making the translucent pattern 120 unable to emit light or the luminous brightness is insufficient at the position corresponding to the connecting bridge 114, affecting its luminous effect; and the luminous brightness of the connecting bridge 114 is lower than that of the translucent pattern 120. Although it is covered by the translucent pattern 120, the connecting bridge 114 may also be seen from the outside of the component, affecting the appearance of the component. In order to solve the above problems, as shown in Figures 4A, 4B and 4C, the third embodiment of the present disclosure provides a vehicle light-transmitting component, which is different from the vehicle light-transmitting component of the second embodiment in that: the appearance layer 110 includes two layers, namely a decorative layer 130 and a base layer 140, the base layer 140 is fixed to the inner side of the decorative layer 130, the base layer 140 is formed of a light-transmitting material to make it light-transmitting, and the decorative layer 130 is used to provide a first outer surface 110a, which can be formed of an opaque material or a semi-transparent material, so that the brightness of the light after passing through the decorative layer is lower than that of the light. The brightness of the line after passing through the base layer 140 is shown. The hollow pattern 111 is formed on the decorative layer 130 and the base layer 140 and is the character "B". The connecting bridge 114 is formed on the base layer 140. The translucent pattern 120 fills the hollow pattern 111 and covers the connecting bridge 114. Since the connecting bridge 114 is also formed from the translucent material of the base layer 140, light can pass through the connecting bridge 114 and reach the translucent pattern 120, and then pass through the translucent pattern 120, allowing all positions of the translucent pattern 120 to emit light, thereby improving the luminous effect. Moreover, since the connecting bridge 114 and the translucent pattern 120 are both formed from translucent materials, the luminous brightness of the two is the same or similar. Therefore, after the translucent pattern 120 covers the connecting bridge 114, the connecting bridge 114 structure cannot be seen from the outside of the component, further achieving the concealment of the connecting bridge 114 and making the component more beautiful.

[0057] In this embodiment, the groove 115 is also formed on the base layer 140 .

[0058] It is understandable that, in addition to the character “B”, the light-transmissive pattern 120 of the third embodiment may also be any other suitable pattern with a closed area.

[0059] The vehicle light-transmitting component of the third embodiment can be manufactured by the following method:

[0060] First, a decorative layer 130 is made of an opaque material or a semi-transparent material, and then the decorative layer 130 is placed in a mold and a translucent material is injected to form a base layer 140 on the inner side of the decorative layer 130, thereby forming an appearance layer 110. Then, a groove 115 is opened from the inner side of the base layer 140 of the appearance layer 110 to thin the thickness of the pattern area so that the remaining thickness is above 0.3 mm. Then, a 0.3 mm-1 mm milling cutter is used to carve a hollow pattern 111 from the outer side of the decorative layer 130 to the inside, and a connecting bridge 114 is left on the base layer 140, that is, except for the connecting bridge 114, the hollow pattern 111 parts of the base layer 140 and the decorative layer 130 are all carved through; after the carving is completed, the appearance layer 110 is placed in a mold again, and then a translucent material is injected from the groove 115 to fill the groove 115 and the hollow pattern 111, forming a pattern base 121 and a translucent pattern 120, and the translucent pattern 120 will cover the connecting bridge 114. After the injection molding is completed, the outer surface of the appearance layer 110 can be painted, and then the light guide, light source, touch sensor, back cover, etc. can be assembled on the inner side of the appearance layer 110 in sequence.

[0061] The vehicle translucent component of the third embodiment of the present disclosure has an exterior layer 110 including a decorative layer 130 and a translucent base layer 140. A connecting bridge 114 is formed on the base layer 140 to achieve light transmission, thereby preventing the connecting bridge 114 from blocking the light there, and allowing the translucent pattern 120 to emit light at the position of the connecting bridge 114, thereby improving the luminous effect. Furthermore, the connecting bridge 114 can be hidden inside the translucent pattern 120, making the component more beautiful.

[0062] As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure provides a vehicle light-transmitting component, which differs from the third embodiment in that: the base layer 140 includes a plurality of light-transmitting areas 141, and a light-impermeable area 142 is provided between any two adjacent light-transmitting areas 141, so that the two adjacent light-transmitting areas 141 are separated by the light-impermeable area 142 to prevent the light from one light-transmitting area 141 from passing through and irradiating the other adjacent light-transmitting area 141, thereby avoiding the light from the adjacent light-transmitting areas 141 from interfering with each other; each light-transmitting area 141 is provided with a hollow pattern 111, and the hollow pattern 111 is filled with a light-transmitting pattern 120, thereby forming a plurality of light-transmitting patterns 120. Each light-transmitting pattern 120 can emit light independently, thereby achieving different lighting effects. Since the light between the light-transmitting areas 141 will not interfere with each other, the light from each light-transmitting pattern 120 will not interfere with each other.

[0063] The method for forming the light-transmitting pattern 120 of each light-transmitting area 141 may refer to the embodiments described above. For example, for the hollow pattern 111 without a closed area, refer to the first embodiment; for the hollow pattern 111 with a closed area, refer to the second embodiment and the third embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0064] The styles of the light-transmitting patterns 120 in each light-transmitting area 141 can be the same or different. For example, in the cross-sectional view of the vehicle light-transmitting component shown in FIG5B , the base layer 140 includes two light-transmitting areas 141 and three light-impermeable areas 142. Each of the two light-transmitting areas 141 has a hollow pattern 111 formed therein, which is filled with light-transmitting patterns 120, one of which is a fan, and the other is a plurality of horizontal lines for displaying gear information. When in use, the two light-transmitting patterns 120 can emit light separately. For example, the fan emits light while one or more horizontal lines of the other pattern can emit light. The light-emitting fan indicates that the fan has started. The number of illuminated horizontal lines represents the gear of the fan. The more illuminated horizontal lines there are, the higher the gear of the fan and the faster the speed.

[0065] In some embodiments, the base layer 140 may be formed of a light-impermeable material and a light-transmitting material by two-color injection molding, wherein the light-impermeable material forms the light-impermeable region 142 , and the light-transmitting material forms the light-transmitting region 141 .

[0066] It is understandable that, in order to achieve independent illumination of each light-transmitting pattern 120, a light source needs to be provided inside each light-transmitting region 141. The colors of light emitted by each light source can be the same or different to achieve different lighting effects.

[0067] The vehicle light-transmitting component of the fourth embodiment can be manufactured by the following method:

[0068] First, a decorative layer 130 is made of an opaque material, and then the decorative layer 130 is placed in a mold. The opaque material and the translucent material are injected in sequence to form a base layer 140 on the inner side of the decorative layer 130 by two-color injection molding, so that the base layer 140 includes multiple translucent areas 141 and multiple opaque areas 142. Then, grooves 115 are opened from the inner side of each translucent area 141 of the base layer 140 to reduce its thickness so that its remaining thickness is above 0.3 mm. Then, a 0.3 mm-1 mm milling cutter is used to carve out the hollow patterns 111 of each translucent area 141 from the outside of the decorative layer 130 to the inside. If the hollow pattern 111 has a closed area, a connecting bridge 114 is left on the base layer 140. After the carving is completed, the appearance layer 110 is placed in the mold, and then the translucent material is injected from each groove 115 to fill each groove 115 and each hollow pattern 111, forming each pattern base 121 and each translucent pattern 120. After the injection molding is completed, the outer surface of the appearance layer 110 can be painted, and then the light guide, light source, touch sensor, back cover, etc. can be assembled on the inner side of the appearance layer 110 in sequence.

[0069] In the fourth embodiment of the vehicle light-transmitting component disclosed herein, the base layer 140 has a plurality of light-transmitting areas 141 to form a plurality of light-transmitting patterns 120 , and the light of each light-transmitting pattern 120 is blocked by the light-impermeable area 142 , so that each light-transmitting pattern 120 can emit light independently without interfering with each other.

[0070] It should be noted that the present disclosure (e.g., the disclosed concepts, etc.) has been described in the specification of this patent document and / or illustrated in the drawings based on exemplary embodiments; the embodiments of the present disclosure are presented only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The structure and / or arrangement of the elements of the disclosed concepts embodied in the present disclosure as described in the specification and / or illustrated in the drawings is illustrative only. Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail in this patent document, it is readily understood by those skilled in the art that equivalents, modifications, variations, etc. of the subject matter of the exemplary embodiments and alternative embodiments are possible and are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure; all such subject matters (e.g., modifications, variations, embodiments, combinations, equivalents, etc.) are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. It should also be noted that various / other modifications, changes, substitutions, equivalents, alterations, omissions, etc. may be made in the configuration and / or arrangement of the exemplary embodiments (e.g., in terms of concept, design, structure, device, form, assembly, construction, means, function, system, process / method, step, order of process / method steps, operation, operating conditions, performance, materials, composition, combination, etc.) without departing from the scope of the present disclosure; all such subjects (e.g., modifications, changes, embodiments, combinations, equivalents, etc.) are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the subject matter described in the specification and / or drawings of this patent document (e.g., details, structures, functions, materials, acts, steps, orders, systems, results, etc.). Considering that the claims of this patent document will be appropriately interpreted to cover the full scope of the subject matter of the present disclosure (e.g., including any and all such modifications, changes, embodiments, combinations, equivalents, etc.); it should be understood that the terminology used in this patent document is intended to provide a description of the subject matter of the exemplary embodiments and not as a limitation on the scope of the present disclosure.

[0071] It should also be noted that, depending on the exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure may include conventional technologies (e.g., technologies implemented and / or integrated in the exemplary embodiments, modifications, variations, combinations, equivalents), or may include any other applicable technologies (present and / or future) that have the ability to perform the functions and processes / operations described in the specification and / or illustrated in the figures. All such technologies (e.g., technologies implemented in embodiments, modifications, variations, combinations, equivalents, etc.) are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure of this patent document.

Claims

1. A light-transmissive component for a vehicle, characterized in that, It includes an appearance layer, and the appearance layer has a first outer surface; a hollow pattern is formed on the appearance layer, and the hollow pattern is filled with a light-transmitting material to form a light-transmitting pattern. The light-transmitting pattern has a second outer surface, and the first outer surface and the second outer surface are in the same plane.

2. The vehicle light-transmitting component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hollow pattern has a closed area, and the closed area divides the appearance layer into an island part and an appearance layer body. At least one connecting bridge is provided at the edge of the island part, and the at least one connecting bridge is used to connect the island part and the appearance layer body.

3. The vehicle light-transmissive component according to claim 2, characterized in that, The connecting bridge has a third outer surface, and the third outer surface is not coplanar with the second outer surface and is located inside the second outer surface.

4. The vehicle light-transmitting component according to claim 2, characterized in that, At least two connecting bridges are provided at the edge of the island part, and the at least two connecting bridges are evenly arranged along the circumference of the island part.

5. The vehicle light-transmissive component according to claim 2, wherein The light-transmitting pattern covers the outer surface of the connecting bridge to hide the connecting bridge.

6. The vehicle light-transmitting component according to claim 2, characterized in that, A groove is provided inside the appearance layer, and the groove is located in the pattern area of the appearance layer. The hollow pattern communicates with the groove; the groove is filled with the light-transmitting material to form a pattern base, and the light-transmitting pattern and the pattern base are formed as a whole. The projection of the light-transmitting pattern along the thickness direction of the appearance layer falls on the pattern base.

7. The vehicle light-transmitting component according to claim 2, characterized in that, The appearance layer includes a decorative layer and a light-transmitting base layer. The decorative layer is used to provide the first outer surface, the base layer is fixed inside the decorative layer, and the connecting bridge is formed on the base layer.

8. The vehicle light-transmitting component according to claim 7, wherein The base layer includes a plurality of light-transmitting areas, and a hollow pattern is provided in each light-transmitting area. Each hollow pattern is filled with a light-transmitting pattern, and the light-transmitting patterns in each light-transmitting area can emit light independently.

9. The vehicle light-transmissive component according to claim 8, wherein, An opaque area is provided between any two adjacent light-transmitting areas, and the light-transmitting areas and the opaque areas are integrally formed by two-color injection molding.

10. The vehicle light-transmissive component according to claim 8, wherein, Each light-transmitting pattern has a different style.

11. A method for manufacturing a vehicle light-transmissive component according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The method includes at least one of the following steps: a. Provide an appearance layer; b. Process the appearance layer to form a hollow pattern on the appearance layer; c. Place the processed appearance layer in a mold; d. Inject a light-transmitting material into the mold to make the light-transmitting material fill the hollow pattern to form a light-transmitting pattern, wherein the second outer surface of the light-transmitting pattern is in the same plane as the first outer surface of the appearance layer.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein Step b includes: processing the appearance layer so that the hollow pattern has a closed area, and the closed area divides the appearance layer into an island part and an appearance layer body. Wherein, at least one connecting bridge is formed at the edge of the island part, and the at least one connecting bridge is used to connect the island part and the appearance layer body.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, Step b includes: digging a groove from the inside of the appearance layer in the pattern area, forming a hollow pattern from the outside of the appearance layer in the pattern area, and leaving a connecting bridge on the appearance layer.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein Step a includes: placing the decorative layer in a mold and injecting a light-transmitting material to form a base layer inside the decorative layer, thereby forming an appearance layer, wherein the appearance layer includes a decorative layer and a base layer.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein Step b includes: opening a groove from the inner side of the base layer of the appearance layer, forming a hollow pattern from the outer side of the decorative layer inward, and leaving a connecting bridge on the base layer.

16. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, After placing the decorative layer in the mold, an opaque material is injected into the mold to form an opaque area of the base layer, and then a light-transmitting material is injected into the mold to form a light-transmitting area of the base layer, so that an opaque area is provided between any two adjacent light-transmitting areas.

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