Automotive Decorative Panel With Hidden Touch Icons and Light Shielding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional automotive buttons are unattractive, prone to jamming, and suffer from corrosion, losing operability over time due to their protruding nature.
Innovation Solution
An automotive decorative panel comprising a decorative film with a specific optical density, a touch icon component with a light-shielding pattern layer and light diffusion layer, and a light source system to illuminate icons, ensuring sufficient shielding and clarity through precise optical densities and thicknesses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional physical mechanical buttons are used, then reliability and environmental tolerance are improved, but aesthetic appeal and operational smoothness deteriorate due to protruding design and jamming issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical buttons with a touch-sensitive panel system that uses electrical fields and light transmission instead of physical mechanical components. The touch layer detects finger contact through changes in electrical properties, eliminating moving parts that can jam or corrode, while the flat panel design improves aesthetics and interior space utilization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a thin-film structure consisting of multiple functional layers (decorative film, light-shielding layer, touch layer) that can be integrated into a flat panel. This thin-film approach eliminates the need for protruding mechanical components while maintaining durability and environmental tolerance through the robust layered construction
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the decorative film has high optical density for shielding, then light-shielding performance is improved, but icon clarity and light transmission deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The light-shielding layer incorporates a patterned design where different regions have different optical properties. The icon areas have lower optical density to allow light transmission and maintain clarity, while the peripheral areas have higher optical density for light shielding. This local variation in optical quality enables simultaneous achievement of both light-shielding performance and icon clarity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the optical density parameter of the light-shielding layer within a specific range (3.5-6.0) to balance light shielding and transmission. By carefully controlling this parameter and the thickness of the layer, the system achieves sufficient light blocking while maintaining adequate light transmission for icon visibility when illuminated
3Illumination intensity
If the light diffusion layer has greater thickness for better light diffusion, then light diffusion effect is improved, but icon definition and clarity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the thickness parameter of the light diffusion layer within a specific range (10-30 μm) to balance light diffusion and icon definition. By carefully controlling this dimensional parameter, the system achieves sufficient light diffusion for uniform illumination while maintaining adequate resolution for clear icon definition, preventing excessive blurring
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 provides a visually appealing and functional panel with clear icons, maintaining operability and durability by balancing light diffusion and icon definition while reducing manufacturing complexity.
Implementation Method 1
The light diffusion layer is disposed under the light-shielding pattern layer and has a thickness between 10 μm and 30 μm
Implementation Method 2
The light-shielding pattern layer has an optical density between 3.5 and 6.0 and has a pattern area that is light-permeable and a peripheral area that surrounds the pattern area and is light-impermeable
Data Source
AI summary
An automotive decorative panel includes a decorative film, a touch icon component, and a light source system. The decorative film has an optical density between 0.2 and 2.0 and includes a substrate and a decorative layer disposed on the substrate. The touch icon component is disposed under the decorative film and includes a light-shielding pattern layer having an optical density between 3.5 and 6.0, a light diffusion layer disposed under the light-shielding pattern layer, and a touch layer. The light-shielding pattern layer has a pattern area that is light-permeable and a peripheral area that is light-impermeable. The touch layer is disposed on a side of the light-shielding pattern layer or between the decorative film and the light-shielding pattern layer. The light source system is disposed on a side of the touch icon component and configured to emit light toward the touch icon component.