Protruding Plate Display with Concealing Layer for Clear Light Outlines

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing decorating methods using protruding wood plates struggle to achieve clear and detailed light expressions with arbitrary characters or patterns, as the natural wood's voids cause light diffusion, leading to blurred outlines, especially in applications requiring small line widths and clear displays, such as in-vehicle materials.

Innovation Solution

A display device configuration featuring a protruding plate with a thin film layer on the surface, a transparent base material, a metallic concealing layer, a light diffusion layer, and a light color toning layer on the back surface, where the metallic concealing layer and light diffusion layer have specific thicknesses and light transmittance properties to enhance light transmission and concealment, while the light color toning layer allows for desired color expression.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If light is transmitted through the protruding plate to display characters or patterns, then designability is improved, but the natural wood's voids cause light diffusion leading to blurred outlines

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovedesignabilityVSAvoidoutline clarity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

A metallic concealing layer is introduced as an intermediary between the protruding plate and the light source. This layer selectively blocks light in certain areas to define sharp boundaries of characters or patterns, while allowing light transmission in other areas to maintain the wood's natural appearance and grain texture, thus resolving the contradiction between designability and outline clarity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The metallic concealing layer is applied with varying properties in different regions: highly reflective and light-blocking in areas requiring sharp outlines, and more transparent in areas where the wood's natural texture should be visible. This local differentiation enables both clear display boundaries and preservation of material characteristics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If a concealing layer is added to prevent color transparency and control light transmission, then outline clarity is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoutline clarityVSAvoidlayer structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The metallic concealing layer is constructed as a composite material combining metallic particles or flakes within a transparent or translucent matrix. This composite structure provides the necessary light-blocking properties for sharp outlines while maintaining sufficient transparency to allow the wood's natural appearance to show through, achieving outline clarity without excessive complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The metallic concealing layer utilizes optical property changes based on light wavelength and angle. The metallic particles reflect specific wavelengths and modify light transmission characteristics, enabling the layer to provide sharp boundaries when needed while maintaining aesthetic appearance and transparency in other conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

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 configuration enables clear and detailed light displays with controlled color expression, maintaining the original color tone of the wood plate and preventing color transparency, thus achieving excellent designability and clear outlines when the light source is turned on.

Implementation Method 1

a light diffusion layer, wherein the light diffusion layer is disposed between the light color toning layer and the first concealing layer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight diffusion: Scattering

Implementation Method 2

a metallic concealing layer, wherein the metallic concealing layer is disposed between the light diffusion layer and the transparent base material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight blocking: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 3

a light color toning layer, wherein the light color toning layer is disposed between the light diffusion layer and the second concealing layer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight filtering: Filter (optical)

Data Source

PatentUS10890312B2Display device including protruding plate

Publication Date: 2021.01.12 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD

AI summary

A display device including a protruding-plate includes the protruding-plate, a thin-film-layer, a transparent-base-material, a first-concealing-layer, a light-diffusion-layer, a light-color-toning-layer, and a second-concealing-layer. The first-concealing-layer is disposed closer to the protruding-plate than the second-concealing-layer and the light-color-toning-layer to the protruding-plate. The protruding-plate, the transparent-base-material, the thin-film-layer, and the second-concealing-layer include a greater thickness in this order. The second-concealing-layer, the first-concealing-layer, and the light-diffusion-layer have a same thickness. The light-diffusion-layer is thicker than the light-color-toning-layer. The transparent-base-material and the thin-film-layer have a same light transmittance. The thin-film-layer, the protruding-plate, the light-diffusion-layer, the light-color-toning-layer, the first-concealing-layer, and the second-concealing-layer have a higher light transmittance in this order.