Radar-Transparent Vehicle Trim With Low-Visibility Heating Wire
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle decorative components with heating wires used to prevent snow and ice accumulation from interfering with millimeter wave radar systems appear visually unappealing due to the visibility of the heating wire's coating, compromising the aesthetic appeal.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle decorative component design featuring a heating sheet with a transparent plastic coating that minimizes the visibility of the heating wire, using a transparent plastic coating to conceal the metal lead, ensuring the heating wire is not easily visible while maintaining effective snow and ice melting functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a heating wire with a colored coating portion is used to melt snow and ice, then the snow and ice melting function is improved, but the appearance of the vehicle decorative component deteriorates due to the visible coating portion
Solution Approach 1:
The coating portion of the heating wire is changed from a colored coating (black plastic) to a transparent coating, making it invisible or less visible when viewed from the front of the vehicle decorative component. This allows the heating wire to maintain its snow and ice melting function while eliminating the aesthetic problem of the visible colored coating spoiling the appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical properties of the coating portion are changed from opaque/colored to transparent, altering how the heating wire appears visually. This parameter change in transparency allows the heating wire to perform its thermal function while becoming aesthetically acceptable by blending into the transparent base material.
2Reliability
If the heating wire is positioned forward of the decorative layer to melt snow and ice, then the snow and ice melting effectiveness is improved, but the heating wire becomes more visible from the front, worsening the appearance
Solution Approach 1:
By applying a transparent coating to the heating wire positioned forward of the decorative layer, the wire becomes less visible from the front view while maintaining its heating effectiveness for melting snow and ice accumulation on the vehicle decorative component.
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 effectively limits the deterioration of the appearance by making the heating wire less visible while ensuring the millimeter wave radar system's performance is not hindered and ice/snow is efficiently melted, maintaining both functionality and aesthetics.
Implementation Method 1
the electrical conductor passage, which generates heat when energized and is provided at a position forward of the decorative layer in the transmission direction
Implementation Method 2
A decorative main body of the vehicle decorative component includes a base made of a transparent plastic and a decorative layer provided on the rear surface in the transmission direction of the base. The base and the decorative layer are components with a millimeter wave transparency.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
A vehicle decorative component includes a decorative main body and a heating wire. The vehicle decorative component includes a design surface on the front surface in the transmission direction of electromagnetic waves. The area from the design surface to a position behind and separated from the design surface in the transmission direction is constituted by a transparent member having a transparency to electromagnetic waves. The heating wire is disposed on the rear surface of the transparent member in the transmission direction. The heating wire includes a metal lead, which generates heat when energized, and a coating portion made of plastic. The coating portion coats the lead and constitutes the outer circumferential portion of the heating wire. At least the outer circumferential portion of the coating portion is constituted by a transparent coating portion, which is made of a transparent plastic.