Decorative radome and method of producing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12080942-B2
Application number	US-201917285422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2019
Priority date	Oct 15, 2018
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A method of producing a decorative radome includes providing a substrate having a first surface and a second surface; applying, to at least a portion of the second surface of the substrate, a decorative layer including a layer of a metal or an alloy having a metal and a metalloid; and overmolding at least the decorative layer with a radio-transmissive polymer to provide an overmolded layer as well as a decorative radome having a first layer with a radio-transmissive polymer, the first layer having a front surface; a second layer having a radio-transmissive polymer, the second layer having a rear surface; and a decorative layer, between at least a portion of the first and second layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of producing a decorative radome, comprising:
providing a substrate having a first surface and a second surface;
applying, to at least a portion of the second surface of the substrate, a decorative layer comprising a layer of a metal or an alloy comprising a metal and a metalloid; and
overmolding at least the decorative layer with a radio-transmissive polymer to provide an overmolded layer,
wherein the substrate is radio-transmissive, and wherein the radio-transmissive substrate and the decorative layer are heated prior to overmolding.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is radio-transmissive and/or once set, the overmolded layer provides a third surface which is substantially parallel to the first surface of the transparent and/or radio-transmissive substrate, over at least a portion of the radome, the portion defining a signal path.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radio-transmissive substrate and the decorative layer are heated prior to overmolding to at least 70 degrees Celsius, or to at least 80 degrees Celsius.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the decorative layer is applied to only a portion of the radio-transmissive substrate to form a visual feature.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radio-transmissive substrate comprises a relieved portion or an elevated portion on the second surface of the substrate.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the decorative layer is applied to the relieved portion or the elevated portion.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the relieved portion is provided by a recess toward the first surface or the elevated portion is provided by a projection extending away from the first surface.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radio-transmissive substrate is masked to limit the area of application of the decorative layer to only a portion of the second surface of the radio-transmissive substrate.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radio-transmissive substrate is formed by injection moulding.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein one of either the radio-transmissive substrate or the overmolded layer is substantially transparent to visible light.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein one of either the radio-transmissive substrate or the overmolded layer is substantially opaque to visible light.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radio-transmissive substrate is substantially transparent to visible light.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radio-transmissive substrate is formed of polycarbonate.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the overmolding is performed with a barrel nozzle temperature below 300 degrees Celsius.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the overmolded layer and/or the radio-transmissive substrate is/are formed and/or at least partly comprised of at least one of: Acrylonitrile Ethylene Styrene (AES), Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), high-flow AES or acrylonitrile-(ethylene-propylene-diene)-styrene (AEPDS), a blend of thermoplastics, or PC-ABS blended thermoplastic.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the decorative layer is a reflective layer.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the reflective layer is at least 35% reflective or photopic reflective, or at least 45% reflective or photopic reflective, or at least 50% reflective or photopic reflective, or at least 55% reflective or photopic reflective.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the decorative layer is applied by physical vapour deposition.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the physical vapour deposition is vacuum deposition or magnetron sputtering.

20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the decorative layer comprises indium, tin or an alloy comprising a metal and germanium and/or silicon.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the alloy comprises germanium, and wherein the concentration of germanium is at least 25 wt % germanium.

22. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the alloy of germanium includes silicon.

23. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the decorative layer comprises an alloy of aluminium and germanium and/or silicon.

24. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the average thickness of the decorative layer is 20 to 190 nm thick.

25. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the decorative layer acts at least partly as a frequency selective surface bandpass filter and/or comprises at least one repetitive pattern, wherein the pattern comprises crosses, circles, squares, stars, rectangles, lines, hexagons, ellipsoids, polygons, annulus, semicircles, circular sectors, triquetra , lune, arbelos, spiral, lemniscates and/or oval forms.

26. The method according to claim 25 , wherein the frequency selective surface bandpass filter is produced by structuring of the decorative layer after its application by laser etching.

27. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising applying at least one intermediate layer to at least a portion of the second surface of the radio-transmissive substrate and/or at least a portion of the decorative layer.

28. The method according to claim 27 , wherein the intermediate layer provides at least one functionality to the radome, a visual feature, a decorative feature, in addition to the decorative layer and/or the visual feature, at least one lighting and/or illumination functionality, at least one heating functionality and/or at least one cleaning functionality.

29. The method according to claim 27 , wherein at least two sublayers are applied, wherein by each of the sublayers at least partly at least one of the functionalities is provided.

30. The method according to claim 27 , wherein the intermediate layer is applied depending on the functionality provided by the intermediate layer and/or sublayer prior to applying or after applying the decorative layer.

31. The method according to claim 27 , wherein the intermediate layer is applied depending on the functionality provided by the intermediate layer and/or sublayer to the substrate and/or to the decorative layer.

32. The method according to claim 27 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises at least one fibre optical device, wherein the fibre optical device directs and/or emits light through and/or into the radome or at least partly in the area of the decorative layer, the visual feature and/or the decorative feature.

33. The method according to claim 32 , wherein the fibre optical device comprises at least one fibre optic string layered and/or embedded in the at least on intermediate layer and/or sublayer in form of at least one polymer film.

34. The method according to claim 33 , wherein the embedding comprises laminating, ultrasonic embedding and/or thermally embedding.

35. The method according to claim 33 , wherein the sublayer is at least partly formed by the film and/or the film is provided with at least one adhesive promoter on at least one surface, the intermediate layer and/or the sublayer.

36. The method according to claim 27 , wherein the intermediate layer, a sublayer and/or the film comprising at least

Assignees

• Motherson Innovations Co Ltd

Inventors

• Caruso Dean
• Belcher Simon
• Edwards Scott
• Symonds Tim
• Fimeri Garry Gordon Leslie
• Stoehr Bastian

Classifications

• H01Q1/44

  using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna {, e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspect}(H01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence) · CPC title

• C23C14/205

  by cathodic sputtering · CPC title

• B29L2031/3456

  Antennas, e.g. radomes · CPC title

• B29K2669/00

  Use of {PC, i.e.} polycarbonates {or derivatives thereof} for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts · CPC title

• B29K2055/02

  ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers · CPC title