Transparent Vehicle Part Coating With Laser-Etched Opaque Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for treating vehicle transparent parts to enhance their appearance, such as overmolding films or painting, face issues with color matching, precision, and film aging, leading to potential damage and reduced aesthetic quality.
Innovation Solution
Applying paint to a transparent part and removing it with laser engraving to achieve precise patterns, using an opaque lacquer instead of a primer to maintain opacity without increasing layer thickness, and adding a protective varnish layer to enhance durability and appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a film is overmolded onto the surface of the transparent part, then the appearance is improved, but color matching issues with the vehicle's paint occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a film bearing a pattern that copies or replicates the vehicle's paint color and design. This allows the transparent part to match the vehicle's aesthetic appearance without requiring custom painting, thus resolving the color matching issue while maintaining improved appearance.
2Illumination intensity
If a film is applied to the transparent part, then the light transmission is modified, but the pattern precision is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical film application methods with a printing process that directly deposits material or applies patterns onto the transparent part. This substitution enables much higher pattern precision while still controlling light transmission through the printed design elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from physical film placement to controlled material deposition with varying parameters such as material composition, layer thickness, and deposition patterns. This allows precise control over both light transmission properties and pattern accuracy simultaneously.
3Shape
If a film is used on the transparent part, then the appearance is enhanced, but aging problems occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using inorganic materials or highly stable compounds for the printed patterns instead of organic film materials. This substitution provides superior aging resistance while maintaining the appearance enhancement benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite structures combining the transparent part material with printed layers of durable, aging-resistant materials. This composite approach maintains aesthetic appearance while significantly improving long-term reliability and resistance to degradation.
4Illumination intensity
If the paint layer thickness is increased to achieve opacity, then the opacity is improved, but the manufacturing cost and adhesion problems increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the paint layer by incorporating pigments or additives with high light-absorbing properties. This allows achieving the required opacity with a much thinner layer, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and improving adhesion performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes materials with inherent optical properties that provide high opacity at thin thicknesses, such as metallic pigments or compounds with strong light absorption in the visible range. This achieves the desired opacity without increasing layer thickness, avoiding associated manufacturing problems.
5Illumination intensity
If a thicker paint layer is applied, then the opacity is improved, but the laser etching difficulty and manufacturing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the paint layer thickness parameter to a thin range while compensating for reduced opacity through enhanced pigment concentration or optical additives. This creates a thin layer that is both easy to laser etch quickly and sufficiently opaque for the intended application.
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
Improves color matching with the vehicle's paint, enhances precision, reduces manufacturing time, and increases the durability and aesthetic quality of the transparent parts by minimizing light diffusion and edge effects.
Implementation Method 1
a) applying a paint layer (6) to a first face (4a) of the transparent part (4); b) removing, by irradiating the paint layer (6) with a laser beam (14), portions of the paint layer (6) according to a predefined pattern
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
In this process for manufacturing a vehicle part (2), the following steps are implemented: - application of a layer of paint (6), comprising a layer of opaque primer or opaque lacquer (10), on a first face (4a) of a transparent part (4), and - partial irradiation of the layer of paint (6) with laser radiation (14) so as to etch the layer of paint (6).