Transparent Vehicle Trim with Recessed Display Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle trims made of plastics lack the ability to display and input information effectively, as they are primarily decorative and do not incorporate functional elements for information dissemination or user interaction.
Innovation Solution
A trim design featuring a partly or fully transparent first component and a second component with recesses or cutouts for display and input elements, manufactured using multi-component injection molding, allowing for the integration of display elements and input elements such as charge indicators, keypads, and sensors, which can be illuminated and activated for various informational purposes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the trim is made opaque and solid for decorative purposes, then the aesthetic appearance is improved, but the ability to display information and enable user interaction is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The trim is divided into multiple components: a first component (decorative cover) and a second component (carrier member with functional elements). This segmentation allows the decorative function to be separated from the information display and interaction functions, enabling both aesthetic appearance and information display capability to coexist.
Solution Approach 2:
The display elements and input elements are nested within recesses or cutouts of the second component, which is then covered by the first component. This nesting approach integrates functional elements into the trim structure without compromising the external decorative appearance, resolving the contradiction between aesthetics and information display.
2Adaptability or versatility
If functional elements are integrated into the trim, then information display and user interaction capabilities are improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first component and second component are merged into a single integrated trim assembly through the multi-component injection molding process. This combining of components with different functions (decorative and functional) into one manufacturing process reduces overall manufacturing complexity despite the increased functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The trim is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides decorative coverage, information display, and user interaction capabilities. The second component serves multiple purposes: structural support, housing for display elements, and interface for input elements, reducing the need for separate components.
3Loss of information
If the first component is made transparent or semi-transparent, then information display capability is improved, but the decorative appearance and protection of functional elements are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The first component is designed with varying transparency properties: transparent or semi-transparent regions where display elements are located to enable visibility, and potentially opaque or differently finished regions for purely decorative purposes. This local variation in optical properties allows simultaneous achievement of information display and aesthetic appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
Display elements and input elements are nested within recesses or cutouts of the second component, providing physical protection while maintaining visibility through the transparent first component. This nesting structure protects functional elements from damage while allowing light to pass through for display visibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A trim made of plastics for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprises a first component (7) made of plastics and a second component (8) made of plastics. To improve such trim, the first component (7) is at least partly transparent or semi-transparent. The second component (8) includes one or more recesses (10, 11, 12) for a display element and/or for an input element (FIG. 2).