Decorative Film Slit Pattern for 3D Surface Conformability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing decorative films are unable to flexibly adapt to three-dimensionally shaped surfaces, particularly curved and cambered surfaces, and are limited in their ability to change appearance based on specific driving purposes or environments.

Innovation Solution

A decorative film with a pattern of compression and expansion regions, featuring star-shaped or diamond-shaped compression elements and expansion slits that penetrate the film in the thickness direction, allowing for three-dimensional flexibility and adaptability to non-planar surfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If an inherently stiff decorative film is used, then the film maintains its structural integrity and decorative quality, but it cannot conform to three-dimensionally shaped surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to three-dimensionally shaped surfacesVSAvoidstructural integrity of decorative film

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The decorative film is segmented by introducing a pattern of compression slits and expansion slits that divide the film into multiple regions. These slits allow the film to be divided into compressible regions and expandable regions, enabling the inherently stiff decorative film to adapt to three-dimensionally shaped surfaces while maintaining structural integrity through the distributed slit pattern

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the decorative film are given different local qualities through the slit pattern. Compression regions with star-shaped or diamond-shaped compression elements provide localized compressibility for concave surfaces, while expansion regions with expansion elements provide localized expandability for convex surfaces, allowing the film to conform to complex geometries while preserving overall structural stability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If the decorative film is made more flexible to conform to curved surfaces, then it can adapt to non-planar surfaces, but it loses its inherent stiffness and structural integrity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility to conform to curved surfacesVSAvoidstructural strength of decorative film

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The film structure is segmented into intact regions and slit regions, where the intact regions maintain structural strength while the slit regions provide flexibility. The compression slits and expansion slits are distributed throughout the film to create a balance between rigidity and conformability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The decorative film creates a composite structure combining stiff intact regions with flexible slit regions. This composite approach allows the film to exhibit both strength from the intact decorative material and flexibility from the slit patterns, enabling conformation to curved surfaces without compromising structural integrity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Adaptability or versatility

If compression regions are added to the decorative film, then it can adapt to depression and indentation in substrates, but the film structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to substrate depressions and indentationsVSAvoidcomplexity of slit pattern structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The compression regions are segmented into discrete star-shaped or diamond-shaped compression elements distributed across the film. Each compression element consists of multiple compression slits radiating from a center point, creating a modular pattern that can be systematically applied across the entire decorative film surface

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The star-shaped and diamond-shaped compression elements use geometric patterns with radial symmetry that naturally accommodate curved and indented surfaces. The tapered surface regions between compression slits can converge and overlap to bridge compression slits, allowing the film to conform to spherical and curved substrate geometries

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

4Adaptability or versatility

If expansion regions are added to the decorative film, then it can stretch to conform to convex surfaces, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to stretch and expand on convex surfacesVSAvoidease of manufacturing the slit pattern

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The expansion regions are segmented into discrete expansion elements with expansion slits that are distributed between compression regions. This segmentation creates a regular, repeating pattern that can be efficiently manufactured using laser beams or cutting plotters

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The manual or mechanical slit creation process is replaced with laser beam technology or automated cutting plotters, which can precisely and efficiently create the complex pattern of compression slits and expansion slits across the decorative film surface, significantly improving ease of manufacture

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 decorative film becomes flexible in three dimensions due to the slit pattern, enabling it to conform to complex surface shapes while maintaining electrical conductivity for switchable decorative layers, thus offering enhanced design flexibility and adaptability.

Implementation Method 1

The inherently stiff decorative film becomes flexible in three dimensions due to the slit pattern of the invention. The compression regions can be compressed due to their star-shaped or diamond-shaped structure... The tapering surface regions of the decorative film that remain between the star-shaped compression slits can converge or even overlap, bridging the respective compression slit, so that the decorative film is contracted at this point

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS20250065823A1Decorative film and vehicle with a decorative film

Publication Date: 2025.02.27 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG

AI summary

A decorative film (2) for application to a surface (10) having non-planar surface regions (17, 18), with a decorative layer (24), is characterised in that the inherently stiff decorative film (2) is provided with a plurality of compression regions (4, 4′, 4″) and/or expansion regions (5, 5′, 5″), in that each compression region (4, 4′, 4″) has a star-shaped or diamond-shaped compression element (40, 40′, 40″) which is formed by a plurality of compression slits (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47; 42′, 43′, 44′, 45′, 46′, 47′) extending in a star shape or designed in a diamond shape that penetrate the decorative film (2) in the thickness direction (D), and in that each expansion region (5, 5′, 5″) has an expansion element (50, 50′, 50″) which is formed by at least one expansion slit (52, 54) that penetrates the decorative film (2) in the thickness direction (D).