Multi-Component Plastic Display Element Injection Molding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Ceramic-based display elements in vehicles are expensive, laborious to produce, and result in high material waste, with plastic symbols used for display often lacking mechanical stability and quality appearance due to visible ceramic crosspieces and complex production processes.

Innovation Solution

A multi-component plastic element is integrated with a decorative element, providing a form-fitting or integral connection to create a display element with high mechanical stability and cost-effectiveness, using injection molding for precise and variable symbol production without high tool costs or material waste.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If plastic symbols are adhesively bonded to ceramic surfaces, then display symbols can be produced, but the production is laborious and mechanical stability is not permanent

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction processVSAvoidmechanical stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the plastic symbol and ceramic support into a single integrated component produced by injection molding. The plastic material is injected directly into a ceramic mold, creating a unified part where the plastic symbol and ceramic backing are permanently bonded during the molding process itself, eliminating the need for separate adhesive bonding steps and ensuring permanent mechanical stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical adhesive bonding system with an injection molding system. Instead of using adhesives to join plastic symbols to ceramic surfaces, the process uses injection molding to directly form the plastic symbol within the ceramic mold cavity, creating a permanent integral connection that eliminates the weaknesses of adhesive bonding.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Extent of automation

If plastic symbols are introduced by injection molding into ceramic-surface cutouts, then production can be automated, but ceramic crosspieces are visible and appearance quality is low

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinjection moldingVSAvoidappearance quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of creating cutouts in the ceramic surface and filling them with plastic (which leaves visible ceramic crosspieces), the patent inverts the approach by injecting plastic directly into the ceramic mold cavity. This allows the plastic to form the complete symbol shape without leaving visible ceramic remnants, as the ceramic mold itself becomes the negative space for the plastic injection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of manufacture

If symbol-shaped cutouts are produced in ceramic surfaces, then display elements can be created, but a large amount of ceramic material waste is generated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay element productionVSAvoidceramic material waste

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the plastic symbol formation process from the ceramic manufacturing process. Instead of removing ceramic material to create symbol-shaped cutouts, the plastic symbol is injected separately into the ceramic mold cavity. This allows the ceramic component to be produced without material removal for the symbol shapes, eliminating ceramic material waste while still achieving the desired display element.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Strength

If ceramic crosspieces are used for symbol shapes, then structural support is provided, but the crosspieces break easily and require additional grinding steps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural supportVSAvoidproduction steps

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite structure where a plastic symbol is integrated with a ceramic support. The plastic material provides the visible symbol shapes that are resistant to breaking, while the ceramic provides the rigid structural support. This composite approach eliminates the brittleness issue of pure ceramic symbols while maintaining the structural advantages of ceramic, and the integrated molding process eliminates the need for additional grinding steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 results in a display element with high-quality appearance and feel, mechanical stability, and reduced production costs, enabling a wide range of designs and patterns while minimizing material waste and tool expenses.

Implementation Method 1

using injection molding for precise and variable symbol production

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInjection molding:

Data Source

PatentUS11428936B2Display element, method for production of a display element and use of a display element and vehicle having a display element

Publication Date: 2022.08.30 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG

AI summary

A display element, in particular for a vehicle, that includes a decorative element and a multi-component plastic element, where the multi-component plastic element is connected to the decorative element. The multi-component plastic element includes a first plastic component and a second plastic component, where the second plastic component is in the form of an injection-molded symbol and is enclosed by the first plastic component such that the second plastic component is exposed on a top side of the display element. The first plastic component and the second plastic component have different colors.