Vehicle Exterior Illumination Panel With Roughened Pattern Openings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle exterior components struggle to clearly display patterns or characters under varying lighting conditions, particularly when transitioning from direct sunlight to illumination at night, as they often fail to effectively utilize illumination light for enhanced visibility.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle exterior component and a vehicle illumination unit comprising a plate-shaped base material having a translucent plate, a front surface coating film, and a light-absorbing layer with an opening portion that exposes a rougher surface to enhance visibility of patterns or characters under illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the vehicle exterior component uses a translucent base material with a light-absorbing layer to display patterns or characters under illumination, then the visibility of patterns or characters is improved, but the boundary between bright and dark regions becomes unclear and recognition clarity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different surface qualities to different regions of the base material. The exposed surface (through which illumination light passes) is made rougher to scatter light and enhance brightness, while the adhesion surface (contacting the light-absorbing layer) is kept smoother to ensure clean light absorption boundaries. This local differentiation of surface properties resolves the contradiction by optimizing each surface for its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary surface treatment to create the rough exposed surface before applying the light-absorbing layer. By pre-roughening the surface that will be exposed to illumination, the patent ensures that light scattering occurs at the source, creating clearer boundaries between bright and dark regions before the light-absorbing layer is applied.
2Strength
If the vehicle exterior component uses a smooth surface for the light-absorbing layer adhesion, then the adhesion quality is improved, but the light scattering effect is reduced and visibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the base material surface into two distinct functional zones: a rough exposed surface for light scattering and a smooth adhesion surface for light-absorbing layer bonding. This segmentation allows each surface to optimize its specific function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between adhesion strength and light scattering effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different surface qualities to different regions of the base material. The exposed surface is made rougher to scatter light and enhance brightness, while the adhesion surface is kept smoother to ensure clean light absorption boundaries. This local differentiation of surface properties resolves the contradiction by optimizing each surface for its specific function.
3Manufacturing precision
If the vehicle exterior component uses a light-absorbing layer with high light absorption, then the contrast between bright and dark regions is improved, but the overall brightness under illumination is reduced and recognition difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of excessive light absorption into a benefit by using the light-absorbing layer selectively only in dark region areas. This allows the dark regions to maintain high contrast while the bright regions remain sufficiently illuminated, resolving the contradiction between contrast and overall brightness.
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 enhances the clarity of pattern or character recognition by scattering illumination light and absorbing external light, ensuring clear boundaries between bright and dark regions, thereby improving visibility.
Implementation Method 1
light transmitted through the opening portion of the light-absorbing layer is scattered by the rough exposed surface
Implementation Method 2
external light having entered the vehicle exterior component from the outside is absorbed by the light-absorbing layer
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle exterior component includes: a plate-shaped base material having translucency that visible light is transmitted therethrough; a front surface coating film covering a front surface of the base material directed to front; and a light-absorbing film provided on a rear surface of the base material directed to rear and including an opening portion exposing at least part of the rear surface. The rear surface of the base material includes: an adhesion surface to which the light-absorbing film is adhered, and an exposed surface exposed through the opening portion. The exposed surface is rougher than the adhesion surface.