Vehicle panel including a perforated pattern and a method of manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745649-B2
Application number	US-202117553043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2021
Priority date	Jul 1, 2021
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A vehicle panel including a perforated pattern and a method of manufacturing the same, whereby a pattern can be realized through minimal means and a simple method, thereby reducing the amount of time taken and the expense incurred for the production of a product. Additionally, large-area patterning is possible, so the method can be applied to large parts. Moreover, the vehicle panel is capable of realizing a uniform lighting pattern without variation in luminance. When power is turned off, only a perforated pattern is viewed and, when power is turned on, a logical pattern with various designs is viewed, advantageously improving the aesthetic appearance of metal parts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle panel, comprising:
a panel body comprising a perforated pattern portion including, as a perforated pattern, a plurality of patterned perforations in a form of through-holes and a transparent portion including a plate layer located on a lower surface of the perforated pattern portion and a plurality of convex layers formed in the plurality of patterned perforations; and
a lighting unit located so as to emit light from inside the panel body,
wherein the lighting unit comprises a light guide plate provided at a position corresponding to the panel body and including, as a three-dimensional pattern, a plurality of patterned intaglios engraved in a rear surface thereof, and includes a light source provided at a lateral side of the light guide plate,
wherein the patterned intaglios are provided at respective positions corresponding to the patterned perforations and are obliquely recessed upwards at a predetermined inclination angle from the rear surface of the light guide plate,
wherein a diameter of the patterned perforations is greater than 0.5 mm and less than 1.0 mm, and
wherein the diameter of the patterned intaglios is larger than the diameter of the patterned perforations.

2. The vehicle panel of claim 1 , wherein the perforated pattern portion is a metal sheet selected from the group consisting of an aluminum sheet, a copper sheet, and a stainless steel (SUS) sheet.

3. The vehicle panel of claim 2 , wherein a thickness of the metal sheet is 0.2 mm to 0.8 mm.

4. The vehicle panel of claim 1 , wherein the transparent portion comprises at least one resin selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate (PC), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polycarbonate/polyethylene terephthalate glycol composite (PC/PETG), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS), and PC/ABS composite.

5. The vehicle panel of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the patterned intaglios is larger than a diameter of the patterned perforations by an amount within a range greater than 0.05 mm and less than 0.3 mm.

6. The vehicle panel of claim 1 , wherein the inclination angle is 30° to 70°.

7. The vehicle panel of claim 1 , wherein light from the light source is incident on the light guide plate and is reflected through the three-dimensional pattern, wherein the reflected light is radiated onto the panel body, and wherein the radiated light passes through the convex layers of the transparent portion, so a lighting pattern is viewed in accordance with a shape of the patterned perforations.

8. A method of manufacturing a vehicle panel, the method comprising:
manufacturing a perforated pattern portion by press-perforating a metal sheet to form a plurality of patterned perforations in a form of through-holes;
attaching a protective tape to an upper surface of the perforated pattern portion;
subjecting the perforated pattern portion having the protective tape attached thereto to sheet pressing;
manufacturing a panel body by performing insert injection on a lower surface of the perforated pattern portion to integrate a transparent portion including a plate layer located on the lower surface of the perforated pattern portion and a plurality of convex layers provided in the plurality of patterned perforations with the perforated pattern portion;
removing the protective tape; and
locating a lighting unit so as to correspond to the panel body,
wherein the lighting unit comprises a light guide plate provided at a position corresponding to the panel body and including a plurality of patterned intaglios engraved in a rear surface thereof, and includes a light source provided at a lateral side of the light guide plate,
wherein the patterned intaglios are provided at respective positions corresponding to the patterned perforations and are obliquely recessed upwards at a predetermined inclination angle from the rear surface of the light guide plate,
wherein a diameter of the patterned perforations is greater than 0.5 mm and less than 1.0 mm, and
wherein the diameter of the patterned intaglios is larger than the diameter of the patterned perforations.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the press-perforating is performed using a plurality of perforation pins to form a plurality of the patterned perforations in the metal sheet.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a diameter of the perforation pins is greater than 0.5 mm and less than 1 mm.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein a tensile strength of the protective tape is 30 N/cm or more.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein an adhesive strength of the protective tape is 3 N/cm or more.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein an elongation of the protective tape is 30% to 200%.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp
• Lee Hwan Gil

Inventors

• Yoon Sung Ho
• Lee Sun Jae
• Lee Hyun Jin

Classifications

• B60Q3/14 Primary

  lighting through the surface to be illuminated · CPC title

• B60Q3/64

  for a single lighting device · CPC title

• B62D65/14

  the sub-units or components being passenger compartment fittings, e.g. seats, linings, trim, instrument panels · CPC title

• G02B6/0036

  2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces · CPC title

• B60Q3/54 Primary

  Lighting devices embedded in interior trim, e.g. in roof liners · CPC title