Method for producing an optical component and an optical component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12529461-B2
Application number	US-202117410599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2021
Priority date	Aug 24, 2020
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

A method for producing an optical component of a lighting device for vehicles, wherein a base body is made of a translucent or transparent material, a screen coating is applied to an outer surface of the base body by vapor deposition or by sputtering of a coating material, wherein the screen coating is applied as a reflective coating, wherein, during the application process, first a first reflective laminate layer with a low degree of reflection and then a second reflective laminate layer with a high degree of reflection are applied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for producing an optical component of a lighting device for vehicles, the method comprising:
providing a base body of a translucent or transparent material; and applying a screen coating to an outer surface of the base body by vapor deposition or by sputtering of a coating material, such that a first portion of the outer surface has the screen coating and a second portion of the outer surface is devoid of the screen coating, wherein the screen coating is applied as a reflective coating, such that light emitted by a light source of the lighting device, in a direction towards the outer surface of the base body, is reflected by the first portion of the outer surface having the reflective coating and enters the base body exclusively via the second portion of the outer surface that is devoid of the screen coating, the second portion of the outer surface thus forming a light entry surface, wherein, during the application process, first a first reflective laminate layer with a low degree of reflection and then a second reflective laminate layer with a high degree of reflection are applied, such that the first reflective laminate layer is disposed between the outer surface of the base body and the second reflective laminate layer.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a concentration of a nonmetallic coating material is added to a metallic coating material to form an intermetallic phase that is applied to the outer surface of the base body during the application process, wherein the nonmetallic coating material is an auxiliary gas, wherein the intermetallic phase that is applied to the outer surface of the base body forms the first reflective laminate layer and the second reflective laminate layer, and wherein the degree of reflection of the first reflective laminate layer and the second reflective laminate layer is set as a function of an amount of the auxiliary gas added to the metallic coating material.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein a volume fraction and/or weight fraction of the auxiliary gas added to the metallic coating material decreases stepwise or continuously from the beginning of the application process to the end of the application process.

4 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein chromium-is the metallic coating material is chromium and the nonmetallic coating material is nitrides or oxides.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first reflective laminate layer and the second reflective laminate layer, that are provided on the outer surface of the base body, are partially removed by laser ablation to form the second portion of the outer surface of the base body that is the light entry surface.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reflective coating is applied to the outer surface of the base body after placing a mask on the outer surface of the base body, such that when the mask is removed, the second portion of the outer surface of the base body, that forms the light entry surface, is provided.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reflective coating is formed such that none of the light emitted by the light source of the lighting device passes through the reflective coating.

Assignees

• Hella Gmbh & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Fischer Bernd
• Rochotzki Ralf

Classifications

• B29D11/00865

  Applying coatings; tinting; colouring (printing, marking or copying processes B41M; identification in general G09F3/00; producing decorative effects in general B44C; positioning or marking of lenses B24B13/0055) · CPC title

• C23C14/14

  Metallic material, boron or silicon · CPC title

• C23C14/042

  using masks · CPC title

• C23C14/027

  Graded interfaces · CPC title

• G02B1/10 Primary

  Optical coatings produced by application to, or surface treatment of, optical elements (G02B1/08 takes precedence) · CPC title