Vehicle Interior Skin Material With Variable Recess Light Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing skin materials for vehicle interiors with backlighting patterns or switches have limited design freedom due to uniform light transmittance and recess depth, restricting the ability to create diverse and dynamic designs.
Innovation Solution
A skin material comprising a skin layer, an intermediate layer, and a design layer with recesses that vary in depth and lateral surface orientation, allowing for adjustable light transmittance and design expression by positioning the intermediate layer reaching part closer to either the skin layer or the design layer, and incorporating inclined surfaces to reflect and refract light.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the back surface of the base material part is used uniformly as bottoms of all recesses, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the degree of freedom in design is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different bottom structures for different recesses. Specifically, some recesses have bottoms formed by the base material part while other recesses have bottoms formed by the intermediate layer, allowing each recess to have customized light transmittance and depth characteristics to achieve diverse design expressions
2Ease of manufacture
If the depth of the bottoms of all recesses is constant, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the degree of freedom in design is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by varying the depth of recess bottoms. The intermediate layer reaching parts create different bottom depths across different recesses, enabling customized light transmission paths and shadow effects for enhanced design flexibility while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process
3Ease of manufacture
If all recesses uniformly extend in a plane normal direction, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the degree of freedom in design is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by configuring recesses with different extension directions. While some recesses extend in the plane normal direction, other recesses are configured to extend in directions intersecting with the plane normal direction, creating asymmetric light transmission patterns and shadow effects that enhance design freedom
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 increases design freedom by allowing for varied light transmittance and pattern expression, enabling more complex and dynamic designs on the surface, while also simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing the need for frequent screen mask changes.
Implementation Method 1
The intermediate layer is disposed on a back side of the skin layer and has a light transmittance lower than the light transmittance of the skin layer
Implementation Method 2
A lateral surface of the recess has an inclined part that extends in a direction intersecting with a plane normal direction of a surface of the skin layer
Implementation Method 3
A lateral surface of the recess has an inclined part that extends in a direction intersecting with a plane normal direction of a surface of the skin layer
Data Source
AI summary
A skin material includes a skin layer, an intermediate layer, a design layer, and at least one recess. The skin layer has a light transmittance. The intermediate layer is disposed on a back side of the skin layer and has a light transmittance lower than the light transmittance of the skin layer. The design layer is disposed on the back side of the intermediate layer and has a light transmittance lower than the light transmittance of the intermediate layer. The at least one recess is opened on a back surface of the design layer. A bottom of the recess has an intermediate layer reaching part defined at the intermediate layer.