Decorative Plastic Molded Article with Metallic Appearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing decorative plastic molded articles with metallic color appearances require secondary processing steps like painting, hot stamping, and deposition, leading to increased costs and durability issues due to material differences affecting thermal expansion and humidity exposure.
Innovation Solution
A decorative plastic molded article with a metallic color appearance achieved through total reflection of light at inclined surfaces on a single-piece molded body with light transmittance properties, eliminating the need for additional decorative layers and allowing for simultaneous molding and decoration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If painting, hot stamp, or deposition is used to impart metallic color appearance to plastic molded articles, then the aesthetic appearance and metallic color are improved, but the manufacturing cost increases due to additional secondary processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the molding process and decorative finish application into a single simultaneous operation. The molded article body is formed with integrated decorative layers including metallic effect layers, color layers, and transparent layers during the injection molding process itself, eliminating the need for separate secondary processing steps like painting, hot stamping, or vacuum deposition that were traditionally required to achieve metallic color appearances.
Solution Approach 2:
The decorative layers are prepared and positioned on the molded article body surface before the final molding completion. The injection molding process preliminarily forms the article shape, then immediately forms the decorative layers with metallic effects, color, and transparency in a continuous operation, so the aesthetic finish is built into the structure before the article leaves the mold.
2Illumination intensity
If decorative layers are laminated on the surface of the molded article body, then the metallic color appearance is achieved, but the durability deteriorates due to peeling and corrosion from thermal expansion differences and humidity exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses homogeneous material composition throughout the molded article body and decorative layers. Both the article body and the decorative layers are made from the same plastic material, ensuring uniform thermal expansion coefficients and consistent material properties. This eliminates the peeling and corrosion problems that occur when dissimilar materials with different thermal expansion rates are bonded together under temperature and humidity variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure where multiple functional layers (metallic effect layer, color layer, transparent layer) are integrated within a single homogeneous plastic material matrix. This composite approach allows the decorative functionality to be embedded within the material itself rather than applied as separate coatings, maintaining structural integrity and durability while achieving metallic color appearances.
3Illumination intensity
If secondary processing steps like painting and hot stamping are added, then the metallic color appearance is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases due to additional equipment and process requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the molding process and decorative finish application into a single simultaneous operation. The molded article body is formed with integrated decorative layers including metallic effect layers, color layers, and transparent layers during the injection molding process itself, eliminating the need for separate secondary processing steps like painting, hot stamping, or vacuum deposition that were traditionally required to achieve metallic color appearances.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection molding process itself performs the decorative function without requiring external secondary processing equipment. The mold cavity is designed to directly form the decorative layers with metallic effects, color, and transparency as part of the article body, allowing the manufacturing process to be self-sufficient and eliminating dependence on additional specialized equipment for decorative finishing.
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 stable metallic color appearance over time, reduces costs by eliminating secondary processing, and enhances durability by using a single-material construction that is not affected by environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a light from outside the molded article body enters the first surface and transmits inside the molded article body
Implementation Method 2
the refractive index of the molded article body is higher than that of a medium outside the inclined surfaces of the molded article body... the outer appearance of metallic color like is obtained by the total reflection light being a part of the reflection light at the inclined surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
A decorative plastic molded article has an outer appearance of metallic color like and a display of a character, a graph or a symbol. A body of the molded article has a plate-like portion; the plate-like portion has a first surface and a second surface; a small concave and convex portion is formed on the second surface; the small concave and convex portion has a plurality of inclined surfaces. The outer appearance of metallic color like is obtained by the total reflection light at the inclined surface and the display of a character, a graph or a symbol is obtained by the transmissive light through a planar transparent portion with shape of a character, a graph or a symbol formed in the small concave and convex portion or the total reflection light at the small concave and convex portion with shape of a character, a graph or a symbol.