Backlit Vehicle Badge In-Mold Bonding for Chrome Weather Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing backlit vehicle trim parts, particularly badges, made of plastic face challenges in achieving a brilliant color rendering, chrome trim part effect, and sufficient weather resistance while maintaining a simple structure and avoiding complex production processes.
Innovation Solution
The use of an in-mold method to create a stable, warp-free bond between a three-dimensional film-like visible part and a light housing, which is molded onto the rear side of the visible part, achieving superior weather resistance and a chrome trim part effect.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If varnished metal badges are used to achieve brilliant color rendering and chrome trim part effect, then color quality is improved, but weather resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure consisting of a plastic base body with integrated light guide and lens elements. The light guide is formed from the same plastic material as the base body, creating a unified composite structure that provides both optical functionality and weather resistance inherent to plastic materials.
2Illumination intensity
If genuine metal decorative panels are used to achieve chrome trim part effect, then aesthetic quality is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to complex machining requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the light guide function and lens function into a single integrated component formed from the same plastic material. The light guide contains light-guiding structures and light distributors that are directly formed as part of the light guide body, eliminating the need for separate machining operations and assembly steps required by metal badges.
3Reliability
If plastic compounds are used to produce backlit metallic vehicle badges to improve weather resistance, then reliability is improved, but color rendering quality and chrome trim part effect deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a light guide with integrated light-guiding structures and light distributors that manipulate light propagation to create visual effects. The plastic material itself is configured to guide and distribute light in specific patterns that produce the desired chromatic appearance and chrome trim part effect when illuminated.
4Reliability
If thermoformed plastic parts with lenses are used to achieve back-lighting, then weather resistance is improved, but structural stability deteriorates due to absent support and deformations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the light guide, lens, and base body into a single integrated plastic component. The light guide is directly formed as part of the base body structure, providing internal support and preventing the deformation issues that occur with separate thin film assemblies.
5Illumination intensity
If multiple separate layers are used in illuminated vehicle badges to achieve optical functions, then optical functionality is improved, but manufacturing complexity and sealing quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the light guide, light-guiding structures, and light distributors into a single monolithic plastic component formed in one molding operation. This eliminates the need for multiple separate layers and the complex assembly and sealing processes that would be required to join them.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in a backlit vehicle trim part with a brilliant color rendering, a stable chrome trim part effect, and enhanced weather resistance, while simplifying the production process and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
the three-dimensional film designed as the visible part or as a vehicle-typical badge can be at least partially transilluminated, is printed on both sides, or at least on one side, and is joined in one piece from a single material, on the rear side thereof, to a light housing (this being a light-emitting housing) with the aid of the in-mold method
Data Source
AI summary
A backlit vehicle-trim part, in particular a vehicle badge, comprising a three-dimensionally shaped film-like visible part (3) made of plastic, which can be at least partially transilluminated and the visible side of which forms the externally visible trim part or vehicle badge, and a light housing (15), which is arranged on the rear side of the visible part (3), contains one or more light elements (18, 19) and is connected to the visible part, wherein the film-like visible part (3) is connected to the light housing (15) in an in-mold back-molding operation.