Silicone lensing for aesthetic automotive trim lighting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12492803-B2
Application number	US-202318479232-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2023
Priority date	Oct 3, 2022
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

A decorative component for an automobile includes a carrier, a light source, a lens, and a cover. The lens is made of silicone material that is UV resistant, and does not include a UV resistant hardcoat. The silicone lens is flexible and covers the light source, and also seals against the carrier structure. The cover is sized to cover a portion of the lens, leaving an uncovered portion of the lens from which light from the light source will be transmitted and made visible. The lens may be formed by reactive injection molding, including a liquid silicone resin with low viscosity, such that the liquid silicone resin reaches small crevices within the mold cavity. A surface of the mold may include fine detail engraving, replicated in the formed solid of the lens, which may provide aesthetic features and/or light diffusion. The silicone resin may also include a diffusion agent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A decorative automotive component comprising:
a carrier structure; a light source mounted to the carrier structure; a transparent or translucent light-transmissive lens mounted to the light source; a decorative cover mounted to the lens; wherein the lens disperses light and includes a molded silicone body defining a light guide, wherein light generated by the light source is transmitted through the lens and visible around the decorative cover; wherein the decorative automotive component is mounted on an exterior of a vehicle and exposed to direct sunlight.

2 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the cover includes an electroplated chrome surface finish.

3 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the cover is opaque.

4 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the lens includes an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the lens includes a light diffusing roughened surface texture on one or both of the inner surface and the outer surface.

5 . The component of claim 4 , wherein the light diffusing roughened surface texture is in the form of a micro-texture integrally molded into the lens body.

6 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the lens includes a diffusing agent disposed internally within a hardened resin of the lens body.

7 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the lens includes an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein one or both of the inner and outer surfaces have a smooth surface texture.

8 . The component of claim 7 , wherein the lens completely covers the light source.

9 . The component of claim 8 , wherein the cover partially covers the lens, wherein an uncovered portion of the lens transmits light from the light source.

10 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the lens includes a lower cavity, wherein the light source is received in the lower cavity, wherein the lens includes an upper channel, wherein the cover is received at least partially in the upper channel.

11 . The component of claim 10 , wherein the lens has a greater width than the cover and defines a visible portion of the lens disposed outwardly relative to the cover, through which a visible portion of light from the light source is visible around the cover.

12 . The component of claim 11 , wherein the light source is disposed laterally inward relative to the visible portion of the lens.

13 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the carrier includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the light source is attached to the first portion of the carrier, wherein the first portion is received in a recess defined by the second portion of the carrier, and the first portion is attached to the second portion.

14 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the lens is formed by reactive injection molding.

15 . The component of claim1 , wherein the lens is flexible and provides a seal against the carrier, wherein the light source is enclosed between the lens and the carrier.

16 . A decorative automotive component comprising:
a carrier structure; a light source mounted to the carrier structure; a transparent or translucent light-transmissive lens mounted to the light source; a decorative cover mounted to the lens; wherein the lens disperses light and includes a molded silicone body defining a light guide, wherein light generated by the light source is transmitted through the lens and visible around the decorative cover wherein the lens does not include a protective hardcoat; wherein the decorative automotive component is mounted on an exterior of a vehicle and exposed to direct sunlight.

17 . The component of claim 16 , wherein the component defines a vertical axis, wherein the carrier is disposed below the light source, the light source is disposed below the lens, and the lens is disposed below the cover, wherein the cover, lens, light source, and carrier are in stacked contact and are each contained in a vertical cross-section of the decorative automotive component.

18 . A method of forming an automotive component having an optical lens, the method comprising the steps of:
producing a silicone lens from a mold, wherein the lens is translucent or transparent and light transmissive; attaching the lens over a light source; attaching a cover over a portion of the lens, wherein a visible portion of the lens remains outside of the cover; attaching the lens, light source, and cover to a carrier and forming the automotive component, wherein light from the light source is transmissible form the light source through the lens and which is visible around the cover; installing the automotive component on an exterior of a vehicle and exposing the visible portion of the lens to direct sunlight without a hardcoat applied to the lens.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of producing the silicone lens form the mold includes:
providing a mold defining a shape of the lens; providing a liquid silicone resin including a first liquid resin and a second liquid resin, wherein the second liquid resin includes a catalyst; providing the liquid silicone resin into the mold, wherein a viscosity of the liquid silicone resin is within a range of 15 k-30 k Pa/sec; heating the mold; activating the catalyst and converting oligomers into a formed solid of the lens.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the mold includes fine-detailed engraving on a surface of the mold, wherein the viscosity of the liquid silicone resin replicates the fine-detailed engraving in a surface finish of the formed solid of the lens, wherein the surface finish of the formed solid of the lens diffuses light passing through the lens.

Assignees

• Lacks Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Walters Dave

Classifications

• F21K9/90

  Methods of manufacture · CPC title

• F21Y2105/18

  annular; polygonal other than square or rectangular, e.g. for spotlights or for generating an axially symmetrical light beam · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21W2104/00

  Exterior vehicle lighting devices for decorative purposes · CPC title

• F21Y2103/10

  comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements · CPC title