Translucent metallised design surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11946613-B2
Application number	US-202017642363-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2020
Priority date	Sep 26, 2019
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

The invention relates to a multi-layered body comprising a transparent thermoplastic layer, a diffuser layer and a metal layer which, despite a decorative, structured visible surface, can transport information from a projection unit behind it with excellent sharpness and brightness. Corresponding elements can be used, for example, in Car-to-X communication.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lighting unit, comprising the following elements in this sequence
a transparent thermoplastic layer ( 300 ) having a visible side and a side facing away from the visible side,
wherein
the transparent layer ( 300 ) has a transmittance Ty of ≥10%, determined in accordance with DIN ISO 13468-2:2006 (D65, 10°), and
has a 3-dimensionally structured surface on the side facing away from the visible side,
a metal layer ( 200 ) directly on the transparent layer ( 300 ) on the side facing away from the visible side, wherein the metal layer ( 200 ) has a transmittance Ty of ≥4%,
determined in accordance with DIN ISO 13468-2:2006 (D65, 10°),
wherein the combined transmittance Ty of the metal layer ( 200 ) with the transparent layer ( 300 ), determined in accordance with DIN ISO 13468-2:2006 (D65, 10°), is at least 3.0%,
a diffuser layer ( 100 ), which is at a distance of ≤5 mm from the metal layer and has a transmittance Ty of at least >50%, determined in accordance with DIN ISO 13468-2:2006 (D65, 10°), and a half-value angle of 10°≤<x≤50°, determined in accordance with DIN 5036:1978 (based on light intensity),
a light source ( 600 ), which conveys information and is at a distance from the diffuser layer of <80 cm.

2. The lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal layer ( 200 ) is vapor-deposited or applied to the transparent layer ( 300 ).

3. The lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the diffuser layer ( 100 ) is arranged directly on the metal layer ( 200 ).

4. The lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the diffuser layer ( 100 ) lies against the-rear side of the metal layer ( 200 ).

5. The lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light source ( 600 ) is a projector.

6. The lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmittance of the diffuser layer ( 100 ) is >80%, determined in accordance with DIN ISO 13468-2:2006.

7. The lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the 3-dimensionally structured surface has structural elements having a lateral extent of at least 1 mm, wherein surface normals of these structural elements have an angular deviation of >0.5°, based on surface normals of the adjoining structural elements, and wherein the height of these structural elements is in the range from 0.1 to 4 mm.

8. The lighting unit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the surface of the 3-dimensionally structured surface of the transparent thermoplastic layer ( 300 ) has more than 10 mutually distinguishable faces.

9. The lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transparent thermoplastic layer ( 300 ) is based on aromatic polycarbonate.

10. The lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transparent thermoplastic layer ( 300 ) on the visible side of the lighting unit has a maximum roughness of <0.1 μm, determined in accordance with DIN EN ISO 1302:2002-06.

11. The lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the diffuser layer ( 100 ) is applied directly to the metal layer ( 200 ).

12. The lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transparent thermoplastic layer ( 300 ) has a neutral-gray color.

13. A component from the automobile exterior region, comprising the lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 .

14. The component as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of a front panel, a side panel, a rear spoiler, a tailgate, and a subregion of these elements.

15. The component as claimed in claim 13 , which is designed for car-to-X communication.

Assignees

• Covestro Intellectual Property Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Grimm Thomas
• Hagen Rainer
• Grosser Ulrich

Classifications

• F21S43/26 Primary

  Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255 · CPC title

• G09F13/0418

  Constructional details · CPC title

• F21S43/20 Primary

  characterised by refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters · CPC title

• B32B27/08 Primary

  of synthetic resin · CPC title

• F21V3/062

  the material being plastics · CPC title