Backlit Component Coating With Directional Light Deflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current backlit components for vehicles lack efficient and aesthetically appealing designs that effectively redirect light for enhanced visibility and attention, often resulting in suboptimal light distribution and production complexity.
Innovation Solution
A backlit component comprising a base layer and a lacquer layer with integrated light deflection structures that redirect light emitted by a lighting element towards the visible side, where the layers are designed to be translucent or transparent, allowing for specific directional light coupling and adjustable light extraction, facilitating efficient production using injection molding or extrusion processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If light deflection structures are added to redirect light towards the visible side, then light distribution and visibility are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light deflection structures are integrated directly into the base layer during the injection molding process, merging the light guiding function with the structural layer. This eliminates the need for separate light guiding components and reduces overall device complexity while achieving improved light distribution towards the visible side.
Solution Approach 2:
The base layer is designed with spatially varying properties: certain regions contain light deflection structures (such as prisms, gratings, or microlenses) while other regions remain homogeneous. This local differentiation enables targeted light redirection only where needed, optimizing visibility without unnecessarily complicating the entire structure.
2Shape
If multiple layers with light deflection structures are used to enhance visual appeal, then aesthetic quality improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional layers (base layer with light deflection structures and coating layer) are combined into a single integrated component manufactured through a unified injection molding process. This approach maintains aesthetic quality with multiple distinct visual layers while simplifying manufacturing by eliminating separate assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The light deflection structures are pre-formed as integral parts of the base layer during injection molding, before final assembly. This preliminary formation of complex geometric features avoids subsequent machining or assembly operations, reducing manufacturing complexity while preserving the desired visual appeal.
3Illumination intensity
If translucent or transparent materials are used for base and coating layers, then light extraction efficiency improves, but structural strength may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The base layer and coating layer are manufactured from translucent or transparent thermoplastic materials that provide both the necessary optical properties for light extraction and sufficient mechanical strength for structural applications. The injection molding process allows optimization of material composition to balance transparency and strength requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical and mechanical properties of the plastic materials are optimized by adjusting parameters such as material composition, layer thickness, and processing conditions during injection molding. This enables achieving the desired light extraction efficiency while maintaining adequate structural strength for vehicle interior applications.
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
The solution enables targeted light deflection and efficient light coupling, enhancing the component's visual appeal and visibility while simplifying production, allowing for cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing designs with adjustable light effects.
Implementation Method 1
one or more light deflection structures arranged in the area of the base layer to deflect the light emitted by the at least one luminaire element towards the visible side
Implementation Method 2
one or more light deflection structures arranged in the area of the base layer to deflect the light emitted by the at least one luminaire element towards the visible side
Data Source
Figure 1~2b
Figure 2c~2e
Figure 3~4b
AI summary
The invention relates to a component that can be backlit and to a method for producing a component of this type. The component has a support layer (2) and a coating layer (1), which is applied to the support layer (2) and forms, at least in some regions, a visible side (13) of the component. The coating layer (1) and/or the support layer (2) is translucent or transparent at least in some regions. Furthermore, the component has at least one lighting element (41) for backlighting the component and has one or more light-deflecting structures (16, 17, 230, 231, 232), which are arranged in the region of the support layer (2) and/or in the region of the coating layer (1) in order to deflect, toward the visible side (13), the light emitted by the at least one lighting element (41). The one or more light-deflecting structures (16, 17, 230, 231, 232) are designed to deflect the light emitted by the at least one lighting element (41) specifically into one or more certain directions or into one or more certain direction ranges.