Illuminable Vehicle Trim With Hidden Lighting on 3D Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing illuminable attachments for motor vehicles are complex and costly, particularly when dealing with three-dimensional surfaces, and they often leave individual lighting elements visible when not in use, causing distraction or irritation.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a translucent film with a mask layer and a second layer that allows a predetermined proportion of light to pass through, coated with pigmentation or scattering additives, is back-injected with a carrier using injection molding, creating a flexible and stable attachment that can be easily adapted to any surface shape, with the ability to change appearance based on illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a mask layer is applied to a three-dimensional surface using conventional coating methods, then the attachment can provide illumination with visible characters and symbols, but the coating process becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The mask layer is divided into discrete light-transmissive regions corresponding to individual characters or symbols, allowing selective illumination of specific areas while keeping the rest opaque. This segmentation enables the complex visual effect to be achieved through simpler, modular coating regions rather than requiring complex continuous patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The mask layer is applied to the three-dimensional surface before the injection molding process. This preliminary coating allows the complex surface geometry to be pre-prepared with the appropriate optical properties, and the injection molding then simply encapsulates this pre-configured structure without requiring complex in-process coating operations.
2Loss of information
If individual lighting elements are made visible when not in use, then the attachment provides clear visibility of features, but it causes distraction or irritation to the user
Solution Approach 1:
The mask layer transitions between two optical states: opaque when unilluminated (hiding the lighting elements and preventing distraction) and light-transmissive when illuminated (revealing characters and symbols for clear visibility). This dynamic optical property change allows the attachment to adapt its appearance based on operational state, eliminating the harmful distraction effect while maintaining feature visibility when needed.
3Shape
If a complex three-dimensional surface structure is coated to provide illumination, then the attachment achieves the desired visual effect, but the coating process requires correspondingly complex procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The mask layer is applied to the three-dimensional surface before the injection molding process. This preliminary coating allows the complex surface geometry to be pre-prepared with the appropriate optical properties, and the injection molding then simply encapsulates this pre-configured structure without requiring complex in-process coating operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection molding process creates a precise copy or replica of the three-dimensional surface structure that already has the mask layer applied. This allows the complex geometry to be reproduced accurately through the molding process rather than requiring complex coating operations to conform to the complex shape.
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
This approach simplifies the coating process, reduces costs, and allows for a design that is not visible in the unilluminated state, providing a day and night design option while maintaining stability and energy-efficient lighting.
Implementation Method 1
at least a portion of the first side of the film is coated with a mask layer which is opaque except for at least one light-transmissive region
Implementation Method 2
at least a portion of the second side of the film is coated with a second layer which is designed such that it only transmits a predetermined proportion of the light striking the film and which has a pigmentation or scattering additives or a color tone
Implementation Method 3
the coated film is back-injected in an injection molding process, whereby a carrier is formed for the film, wherein the carrier is formed during the back-injection process in such a way that it has a translucent region which adjoins the at least one translucent region of the mask layer
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing an illuminated add-on part (10) that can be attached to a motor vehicle (12), wherein a translucent film (16) is provided with a first side (16a) and a second side (16b) opposite the first side (16a), at least a portion of the first side (16a) of the film (16) is coated with a mask layer (18) that is opaque except for at least one translucent area (18a), and at least a portion of the second side (16b) of the film (16) is coated with a second layer (20) that is designed to transmit only a predetermined proportion of the light incident on the film (16). The coated film (16) is back-injected in an injection molding process, thereby forming a carrier (22) for the film (16).