Decorative assembly for an automobile and a method of manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9988101-B2
Application number	US-201314065564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2013
Priority date	Oct 29, 2013
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A decorative assembly ( 20 ) includes a translucent part ( 26 ) overlaying a portion of a chromed visible surface ( 24 ) of a base part ( 22 ) to define a first visible portion ( 28 ) of the chromed visible surface ( 24 ) not covered by the plastic layer and a second visible portion ( 30 ) of the chromed visible surface ( 24 ) covered by but visible through the translucent part ( 26 ) for allowing the chromed visible surface ( 24 ) to be freely exposed along the first visible portion ( 28 ) and for allowing light to pass through the translucent part ( 26 ) and reflect off the second visible portion ( 30 ) of said chromed visible surface ( 24 ). At least one of the second visible portion ( 30 ) of the chromed visible surface ( 24 ) or the translucent part ( 26 ) includes a three-dimensional texture ( 32 ) to redirect the light reflected off the second visible portion ( 30 ) of the chromed visible surface ( 24 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A decorative assembly for an automobile comprising:
a base part having a visible surface;
a chrome layer disposed on all of said visible surface of said base part to create a chromed visible surface;
a translucent part overlaying a portion of said chromed visible surface of said base part to define a first visible portion of said chromed visible surface not covered by said translucent part and a second visible portion of said chromed visible surface covered by but visible through said translucent part for allowing light to pass through said translucent part and reflect off said second visible portion of said chromed visible surface, said translucent part including a bottom portion and a top portion opposite said bottom portion, said bottom portion facing said second visible portion and extending in spaced and adjacent relationship with said second visible portion; and
wherein at least one of said second visible portion of said chromed visible surface or said translucent part includes a three-dimensional texture, and wherein said first visible portion of said chromed visible surface is free of said three-dimensional texture to provide a first aesthetic characteristic, wherein said three-dimensional texture is configured to redirect the light reflected off said second visible portion of said chromed visible surface and create a second aesthetic characteristic for said second visible portion that is separate and distinct from said first aesthetic characteristic of said first visible portion.

2. A decorative assembly as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:
said three-dimensional texture comprising a textured surface disposed along one of said top and bottom portion of said translucent part.

3. A decorative assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said three-dimensional texture comprises a textured surface disposed along said second visible portion of said chromed visible surface.

4. A decorative assembly as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an interlocking means to establish interlocking relationship between said base part and said translucent part.

5. A decorative assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said interlocking means comprises at least one of snap tabs, glue, double-sided tape, buckle clips, heat stakes, a rib with metal clips, or hoops.

6. A decorative assembly as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:
said base part including a channel extending from a first channel end to a second channel end;
said base part including a pair of raised edges each extending between said first and second channel end in parallel and raised relationship to said channel; and
said translucent part laying within said channel and disposed between said ends and said edges to define said first visible portion of said chrome layer disposed along the raised edges of the base and said second visible portion of said chrome layer disposed along said channel.

7. A decorative assembly as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:
said base part including a plurality of bars extending in spaced relationship to one another from a first bar end to a second bar end to define a top side and a front side along each of said bars; and
said translucent part disposed along said top side of said bars between said first end and said second end to define said first visible portion of said chromed visible surface disposed along said front side of said plurality of bars and said second visible portion of said plurality of bars disposed along said top side of said plurality of bars.

8. A decorative assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base part comprises a plastic material.

9. A decorative assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said plastic material comprises at least one of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or a polycarbonate-acrylonitrile butadiene styrene blend (PC/ABS).

10. A decorative assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said translucent part is comprised of at least one of polycarbonate or acrylic material.

11. A decorative assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said translucent part comprises a colored translucent part.

12. A method of manufacturing a decorative assembly for an automobile comprising:
injection molding a base part to create a visible surface;
plating a chrome layer along all of the visible surface of the base to create a chromed visible surface; and
overlaying a translucent part in spaced and adjacent relationship along a portion of the chromed visible surface of the base to define a first visible portion of the chromed visible surface not covered by the translucent material and a second visible portion of the chromed visible surface covered by but visible through the translucent part for allowing the chrome layer to be freely exposed along the first visible portion and for allowing light to pass through the translucent material and reflect off the second visible portion of the chromed visible surface;
said translucent part including a bottom portion and a top portion opposite said bottom portion, said bottom portion facing said second visible portion;
providing at least one of the second visible portion of the chromed visible surface and the translucent material with a three-dimensional texture to redirect the light reflected off of the second visible portion of the chromed visible surface.

13. A method of manufacturing a decorative assembly as set forth in claim 12 further comprising: texturing the translucent part to define the three-dimensional texture of the decorative assembly.

14. A method of manufacturing a decorative assembly as set forth in claim 12 further comprising: texturing the second visible portion of the chromed visible surface to define the three-dimensional texture of the decorative assembly.

15. A method of manufacturing a decorative assembly as set forth in claim 12 further comprising:
interlocking the base and the translucent material with one another to securely assembly the decorative assembly.

16. A method of manufacturing a decorative assembly as set forth in claim 12 further comprising:
injection molding the translucent part prior to said overlaying step.

17. A method of manufacturing a decorative assembly as set forth in claim 16 further comprising:
providing a three-dimensional pattern to a mold prior to the step of molding the base part or the translucent part.

18. A decorative assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said translucent part is a self supporting part with an air gap formed between said translucent part and said base part.

Assignees

• Lacks Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Chase Lee A

Classifications

• B60R2013/0281

  made of a plurality of visible parts · CPC title

• B62D29/043 Primary

  Superstructures (B62D25/161 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D29/005

  preformed metal and synthetic material elements being joined together, e.g. by adhesives · CPC title

• B29C45/0055

  Shaping · CPC title

• B29L2031/30

  Vehicles, e.g. ships or aircraft, or body parts thereof {(vanes or blades B29L2031/08, air bags B29L2022/027)} · CPC title