Vehicle Headliner Panel with Open-Cell Foam and Starry Sky LEDs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional motor vehicle headliners with integrated light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for a starry sky effect suffer from unattractive visual appearance at night and daytime protrusions, increased noise due to rigid panels, and weight issues, particularly when applied to non-flat roof profiles.
Innovation Solution
A headliner design featuring a first support panel with a flexible electronic film and a second panel made of open-cell foam, covered by a three-dimensional mesh textile fabric that diffracts light and absorbs acoustic waves, allowing for a smooth finish and reduced weight, with frustoconical holes to match LED emission cones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid thermoplastic polymer panel is used as the second panel, then the headliner provides structural support and reflects acoustic waves, but it increases the level of ambient noise in the passenger compartment and significantly weighs down the headliner
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid thermoplastic polymer panel with an open-cell foam panel. The porous structure of the foam allows it to absorb acoustic waves rather than reflect them, thereby reducing ambient noise in the passenger compartment while maintaining adequate structural support for the headliner assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure combining the open-cell foam panel with the textile covering sheet. This composite material provides both the necessary structural support and acoustic absorption properties, resolving the contradiction between strength and noise reduction.
2Strength
If a rigid thermoplastic polymer panel is used as the second panel, then the headliner provides structural support, but it can only be applied to a relatively flat portion of the sheet metal roof
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid thermoplastic polymer panel with a flexible open-cell foam panel. This flexible foam panel can conform to curved roof profiles while still providing the necessary structural support, thereby increasing the adaptability of the headliner to different roof geometries.
3Illumination intensity
If a flexible electronic film with LEDs is integrated into the headliner, then the visual appearance at night is improved with a starry sky effect, but the textile covering sheet has protuberances at the locations of the LEDs which distort the visual appearance during the day
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an open-cell foam panel as the second panel, which allows the textile covering sheet to lie flat over the LED locations without creating visible protuberances during the day. The porous structure of the foam accommodates the LEDs while maintaining a smooth external surface.
4Shape
If a second panel is added to the headliner structure, then the headliner achieves a smooth finish and conceals the light sources during the day, but it significantly increases the weight of the headliner
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the dense rigid thermoplastic polymer panel with a lightweight open-cell foam panel. The foam structure provides the necessary smooth finish and light source concealment while significantly reducing the weight of the second panel and the overall headliner assembly.
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
Enhances sound comfort by absorbing medium and high-frequency acoustic waves, maintains a smooth appearance, and reduces weight while adapting to curved roof profiles, providing a visually appealing and comfortable cabin environment.
Implementation Method 1
the said second panel reflects the acoustic waves passing through the passenger compartment, which leads to an increase in the level of ambient noise in the passenger compartment
Implementation Method 2
said covering sheet diffracting the light emitted by the point light sources
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a motor vehicle roof trim comprising a first support panel (11) designed to be attached to the roof (1) of said vehicle, a flexible electronic film having printed circuits (12) that is applied to the lower face (11A) of said first support panel (11) and that has a plurality of punctiform light sources (13) which are distributed irregularly so as to give the impression of a starry sky, a second panel (14) applied to the lower face (12A) of said flexible electronic film (12) and having a plurality of through-openings (15) housing said light sources (13), and a sheet of light-permeable textile lining (16) covering the lower face (40A) of said second support panel (14), said trim being characterized in that said second panel (14) is made of an open-cell foam.