Micro-Embossed Resin Surface for Gloss and Shadow Contrast
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Solution Overview
Problem
The excessive height and pitch of micro-embossed patterns on resin members lead to poor gloss and shadow contrast, degrading the design quality due to increased reflected light and reduced specular reflection.
Innovation Solution
A resin member with a micro-embossed pattern featuring first and second protrusions of specific heights, a controlled pitch, and a distribution of inclined surfaces that optimize light reflection, increasing the proportion of highlights and reducing inclined surfaces to enhance gloss and shadow contrast.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the height and pitch of protrusions in a micro-embossed pattern are increased, then the difference in elevation between recesses and protrusions is improved, but the proportion of inclined surfaces increases which reduces specular reflection and degrades gloss and shadow contrast
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the height parameter of protrusions to a specific range (15-35 μm) and controls the pitch between adjacent protrusions (100-500 μm). These parameter changes ensure that the proportion of inclined surfaces with angles between 0°-10° remains between 78-95%, thereby maintaining adequate specular reflection while achieving sufficient elevation difference for visual texture.
2Shape
If the pitch between adjacent protrusions is increased, then the visual texture depth is improved, but the side surface area connecting protrusions and recesses enlarges which increases diffuse reflection and reduces shadow contrast
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies that the pitch between peaks of adjacent protrusions should be controlled within 100-500 μm. This parameter optimization balances the visual texture depth with the maintenance of shadow contrast by limiting the side surface area that would otherwise increase diffuse reflection.
3Shape
If the proportion of inclined surfaces is increased, then the micro-embossed pattern depth is enhanced, but the amount of light reflected off inclined surfaces increases which reduces highlights and degrades design quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent controls the height of protrusions to 15-35 μm and the pitch between them to 100-500 μm, which ensures that the proportion of inclined surfaces with angles between 0°-10° remains between 78-95%. This optimization maintains sufficient pattern depth while preserving adequate highlights through specular reflection.
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 improves the design quality by increasing the gloss and contrast between highlights and shadows, resulting in a resin member with superior appearance quality.
Implementation Method 1
Light incident on the micro-embossed pattern at an angle of incidence of 45°, if it is incident on flat portions, increases specular reflection in which light is incident at the angle of 45° and reflected at the angle of 45°.
Implementation Method 2
if light is incident on an inclined surface at a transition portion from a recess to an adjacent protrusion of the micro-embossed pattern, the light is less likely to be specularly reflected
Data Source
AI summary
A resin member includes: a resin substrate; and a micro-embossed pattern and having a plurality of recesses and a plurality of protrusions. The plurality of protrusions includes: a plurality of first protrusions; and a plurality of second protrusions having a height of from ¼ to ¾ of the height of the first protrusions. A distance between peaks of two adjacent ones of the plurality of protrusions ranges from 100 μm to 500 μm. The number of the minute regions having an angle of inclination of from −10° to 10° with respect to the reference plane ranges from 78% to 95% of the number of all of the minute regions included in the micro-embossed pattern corresponding to the predetermined distance, and the number of the minute regions having an angle of inclination of from −1° to 1° ranges from 25% to 40% of the number of all of the minute regions.