Decoration Member With Optical Interference for 3D Color Patterns

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing decoration films for mobile devices and electronic products struggle to express a variety of colors and brightness changes on a single surface, particularly when depicting three-dimensional patterns, and the color appearance is fixed and limited to slight variations with changes in viewing angle.

Innovation Solution

A decoration member with a substrate and a decoration layer featuring a five-layer structure, including light reflection and absorption layers, designed to create dynamic color and brightness changes through constructive and destructive interference, allowing for multiple colors to be expressed in three-dimensional patterns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If printing or deposition method is used to express colors on decoration film, then color expression is achieved, but the ability to express heterogeneous colors on a single surface and three-dimensional patterns is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor expression capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a five-layer inorganic structure that utilizes optical interference to produce color changes. The layers include light reflection layers and light absorption layers with specific thicknesses (e.g., 1-100 nm each) that create constructive and destructive interference patterns, enabling multiple colors to be expressed on a single surface without complex printing processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The decoration film uses a composite inorganic layer structure consisting of five alternating layers of light reflection and light absorption materials. This composite structure creates optical interference effects that enable diverse color expression while maintaining a simple manufacturing process, resolving the contradiction between color versatility and process complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Stability of the object's composition

If fixed color is applied to decoration film, then color consistency is maintained, but the ability to show color and brightness changes with viewing angle is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor consistencyVSAvoidcolor variation with viewing angle
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a dynamic color effect where the appearance of the decoration film changes based on viewing angle and lighting conditions. The five-layer inorganic structure produces optical interference that causes color and brightness variations when observed from different angles, transforming the static color into a dynamic property that adapts to viewing conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The inorganic layer structure is specifically designed to produce color changes through optical interference. The thickness and material composition of each layer are optimized to create constructive and destructive interference patterns that result in different color perceptions at different viewing angles, while maintaining compositional stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple printing layers are used to express heterogeneous colors, then color diversity is improved, but the difficulty to apply colors to three-dimensional patterns increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheterogeneous color expressionVSAvoidapplication to three-dimensional patterns
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a single-layer inorganic structure that produces multiple colors through optical interference rather than requiring multiple printing layers. The five-layer structure with specific thicknesses creates different color reflections at different angles, enabling heterogeneous color expression on three-dimensional patterns without the complexity of multiple printing processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical printing process with an optical interference-based color expression system. Instead of physically applying multiple layers of different colors through printing, the invention uses a thin inorganic structure where optical interference creates the appearance of multiple colors, significantly simplifying the manufacturing process especially for three-dimensional surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 decoration member achieves significant changes in color and brightness across different regions, providing a more dynamic and visually engaging appearance with adjustable color expression based on thickness variations and interference phenomena.

Implementation Method 1

designed to create dynamic color and brightness changes through constructive and destructive interference

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConstructive interference: Interference

Implementation Method 2

designed to create dynamic color and brightness changes through constructive and destructive interference

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDestructive interference: Interference

Implementation Method 3

a decoration layer provided on the substrate, wherein... light reflection and absorption layers

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight reflection: Reflection

Implementation Method 4

light reflection and absorption layers

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentEP3808555B1Decoration member
Publication Date: 2025.09.03 LG CHEM LTD
  • EP3808555B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3808555B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3808555B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This specification relates to a decoration member including: a substrate; and a decoration layer provided on the substrate in which there are one or more combinations of viewing angles θ and ϕ in which a contrast parameter Cn represented by Equation 1 is 0.1 or more.