Component for vehicle interior

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12583318-B2
Application number	US-202418430737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2024
Priority date	Aug 4, 2021
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A component for a vehicle interior is disclosed; a method for producing the component is also disclosed. The component comprises a base and a cover comprising an exterior surface providing the visible surface and an interior surface; the visible surface at the cover may comprise a display operated by light source/panel configured to present an image at an image presentation area. The image presentation area may comprise a formed image presentation area; the formed image presentation area may comprise at least one formed hole formation segment comprising at least one formed hole formation based on a hole pattern segment for a pattern image area. The image presentation area of the cover may comprise each formed hole formation comprising formed hole formation segments; each formed hole formation may comprise an opening through the cover generally corresponding to a hole of the hole pattern segment. A composite visual effect may be presented at the cover of the component; the external surface of the cover may comprise a surface effect such as by a veneer configured to provide a visual effect; the formed image presentation area is configured to provide a visual effect such as by the image illuminated at the display from the light source/panel. The formed hole formations for the image presentation area of the cover may comprise laser-formed openings formed through the internal surface and external surface of the cover.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A component for a vehicle interior with a visible surface intended to be visible to an occupant when the component is installed in the vehicle interior configured to be illuminated from a light source comprising:
(a) a base; (b) a cover for the base comprising an exterior surface providing the visible surface and an interior surface; wherein the cover is configured to provide an image presentation area at the visible surface; wherein the image presentation area of the cover comprises a formed image presentation area for the exterior surface of the cover; wherein the formed image presentation area comprises a formed hole formation segment; wherein the formed hole formation segment comprises at least one formed hole formation; wherein the formed hole formation segment is based on a hole pattern segment; wherein the formed hole formation segment comprises a formed hole formation with a shape formed at least partially by melting of at least two pattern holes of the hole pattern segment into one formed hole formation of the formed hole formation segment; wherein the formed hole formation segment comprises the formed hole formation with an irregular shape; wherein the irregular shape of the formed hole formation of the formed hole formation segment is based on a shape of a pattern hole of the hole pattern segment; wherein the shape of the pattern hole of the hole pattern segment comprises a regular shape; wherein the irregular shape of the formed hole formation of the formed hole formation segment is based on the regular shape of the pattern hole of the hole pattern segment; wherein the irregular shape of the formed hole formation is at least partially formed by melting and/or merging of at least two pattern holes of the hole pattern segment into one formed hole formation of the formed hole formation segment.

2 . The component of claim 1 wherein the at least one formed hole formation of the formed hole formation segment is based on a pattern hole of the hole pattern segment.

3 . The component of claim 1 wherein the formed hole formation segment comprises a rhomboid form generally corresponding to a rhomboid form of the hole pattern segment.

4 . The component of claim 1 wherein the formed hole formation segment comprises at least one formed hole formation with an irregular shape based on a pattern hole of the hole pattern segment.

5 . The component of claim 1 wherein the image presentation area of the cover comprises a hole pattern at the interior surface of the cover.

6 . The component of claim 1 wherein the image presentation area of the cover comprises a pattern image area; wherein the pattern image area of the cover comprises a hole pattern at the interior surface of the cover; wherein the hole pattern of the pattern image area comprises the hole pattern segment.

7 . The component of claim 1 wherein the image presentation area of the cover comprises the at least one formed hole formation at each formed hole formation segment in the formed image presentation area.

8 . The component of claim 1 wherein each formed hole formation segment is based on a hole pattern segment for the image presentation area.

9 . The component of claim 8 wherein the hole pattern segment comprises a pattern hole with a regular shape; wherein the formed hole formation segment comprises a formed hole formation with an irregular shape; wherein the irregular shape of the formed hole formation of the formed hole formation segment is based on the regular shape of the pattern hole of the hole pattern segment.

10 . The component of claim 8 wherein the formed hole formation segment comprises at least one formed hole formation; wherein each formed hole formation is based on a hole segment of the hole pattern segment for the image presentation area.

11 . The component of claim 1 wherein each formed hole formation comprises at least one opening through the cover comprising an opening at the exterior surface and at the interior surface of the cover.

12 . The component of claim 1 wherein the image presentation area of the cover comprises a pattern image area comprising a hole pattern comprising the hole pattern segment.

13 . The component of claim 1 wherein the hole pattern segment comprises a rhomboid form comprising a set of sides and a set of vertices and a set of pattern holes.

14 . The component of claim 13 wherein the set of pattern holes comprises at least one pattern hole and at least one pattern elongate hole.

15 . The component of claim 13 wherein the set of pattern holes comprises a pattern elongate hole and a pattern hole.

16 . The component of claim 15 wherein the pattern elongate hole comprises a symmetrical shape or a slot-like shape or a rectangle-like shape or an oblong shape.

17 . The component of claim 1 wherein the formed hole formation segment comprises at least one formed hole formation with an irregular shape based on a pattern hole of the hole pattern segment; wherein the formed hole formation segment comprises at least one formed hole formation segment; wherein the at least one formed hole formation segment of the formed image presentation area generally corresponds to at least one hole pattern segment of the hole pattern; wherein the at least one formed hole formation is formed according to the pattern hole of the hole pattern segment.

18 . The component of claim 17 wherein the at least one formed hole formation is formed by melting.

19 . A method of producing a component comprising a cover with an interior surface and an exterior surface with an image presentation area comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a pattern image area for the image presentation area comprising a hole pattern comprising a set of hole pattern segments at the interior surface of the cover; (b) forming a formed image presentation area as a set of formed hole formation segments for the exterior surface of the cover based on the hole pattern segments of the pattern image area for the interior surface of the cover; wherein the set of formed hole formation segments comprises a set of formed hole formations formed by perforation through the cover; wherein the step of forming a formed image presentation area comprises forming the set of formed hole formations by at least one of (a) melting material of the cover and/or (b) fusing material of the cover; wherein the image presentation area of the cover comprises the formed image presentation area for the exterior surface of the cover; wherein each formed hole formation segment is based on a hole pattern segment for the image presentation area; wherein each formed hole formation is based on a hole segment of the hole pattern segment for the image presentation area; wherein the formed hole formation segment comprises a formed hole formation with an irregular shape; wherein the irregular shape of the formed hole formation of the formed hole formation segment is based on a shape of a pattern hole of the hole pattern segment; wherein the shape of the pattern hole of the hole pattern segment comprises a regular shape; wherein the irregular shape of the formed hole formation of the formed hole formation segment is based on the regular shape of the pattern hole of the hole pattern segment; wherein the irregular shape of the formed hole formation is at least partially formed by melting and/or merging of at least two pattern holes of the hole pattern segment into one formed hole formation of the formed hole formation segment.

Assignees

• Shanghai yanfeng jinqiao automotive trim systems co ltd

Inventors

• Stieglitz Alexander
• Zimmer Michael Gerard
• Qun Xia
• Jiawen Ni
• Jing Wei
• Zhou Yichen

Classifications

• B60K35/50

  Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B60K2360/33

  Illumination features · CPC title

• B60K2360/693

  Cover plate features · CPC title