Radar-Transparent Laminate Structure With Integrated Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radomes in vehicles with a two-shell structure and an air gap exhibit temperature and humidity-dependent radar detection issues, leading to increased energy consumption and poorer heating performance.
Innovation Solution
A laminate is produced through a multicomponent process involving a transparent polycarbonate base substrate coated with a polyurethane resin layer, which includes a self-healing transparent resin layer and a solid-color coating layer with integrated heating foil, allowing for optimized radar and heating performance, and featuring passages or recesses for design flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a two-shell structure with air gap is used, then structural integrity is improved, but radar detection performance deteriorates due to temperature and humidity dependence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the two separate shells into a single monolithic injection-molded component, eliminating the air gap between shells. This integration maintains structural integrity while removing the temperature- and humidity-dependent detection issues caused by the gap, thereby resolving the contradiction between strength and radar reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a transparent plastic material with specific radar wave transmission properties for the single-shell structure. By selecting materials with appropriate electromagnetic characteristics, the design achieves both structural strength and improved radar detection performance that is independent of environmental conditions.
2Ease of operation
If a heater is mounted on the rear of the component, then heating function is provided, but energy consumption increases and heating performance deteriorates due to heat loss through two plastic shells and air gap
Solution Approach 1:
By eliminating the air gap and integrating the shell structure, the patent reduces thermal resistance and improves heat transfer efficiency from the heater to the front surface. This allows the heating function to be maintained with lower energy consumption, as heat no longer has to traverse two plastic shells and an air gap.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a two-shell structure is used, then design flexibility is limited, but manufacturing complexity increases due to joining requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions and structural elements into a single injection-molded component. This eliminates the need for joining operations between separate shells, reducing manufacturing complexity while simultaneously increasing design freedom for integrating features like heating elements and radar-transparent structures.
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 laminate provides enhanced radar functionality, improved heating efficiency, and design freedom, while maintaining radar transparency and reducing energy consumption, with self-healing properties and a gapless appearance.
Implementation Method 1
the resin layer represents an outer side of the laminate... a self-healing layer is a resin system which, in the case of scratches or spots, has a self-healing effect through heat exposure or time, by which the scratches are closed up again or spots disappear
Implementation Method 2
A heater is mounted on the rear of these components in the non-visible region and must then heat the front side of the component through two plastic shells and through the air gap
Implementation Method 3
Through different intensities of the laser beam, the coating layer of the solid-color coating material can also be removed to differing degrees from passage to passage
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing a laminate in a multicomponent process and a laminate. The method includes generating a base substrate from a transparent plastic in a first fabrication step, coating the base substrate with a transparent resin layer in a second fabrication step, and applying a coating layer directly on a surface of the base substrate facing away from the transparent resin layer in a third fabrication step. The coating layer is a solid-color coating layer. Passages which extend from a side of the solid-color coating layer facing the transparent resin layer to a side of the solid-color coating layer facing away from the transparent resin layer are introduced into the solid-color coating layer and/or recesses which extend from a side facing away from the transparent resin layer partially into the solid-color coating layer are introduced into the solid-color coating layer.