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EP-4578621-B1 - METHOD FOR PRODUCING A PARTIALLY TRANSLUCENT OUTER TRIM PART FOR A VEHICLE

EP4578621B1EP 4578621 B1EP4578621 B1EP 4578621B1EP-4578621-B1

Inventors

  • Beyerlein, Patrick
  • Friese, Dominik
  • Jäger, Christoph
  • KÄTZEL, Patrick
  • LEISTER, Christian

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241212

Claims (9)

  1. Method for producing a partially light-transmissive exterior trim part for a vehicle, wherein the exterior trim part has a base body (1), comprising the following steps: - Providing a color film (2) which has at least one carrier film (2a) made of a plastic material that is transparent or translucent to visible light and a light-impermeable and color-imparting layer (2b) arranged on the carrier film (2a), - Introducing a plurality of perforations (4) into the color film (2), wherein the perforations completely penetrate the carrier film (2a) and the color-imparting layer (2b) in order thereby to enable partial light transmissivity of the color film (2), - Placing the color film (5) into an injection mold which has at least two mold halves (6, 7) which, in the closed state, form between them a cavity (8) defining the base body (1), wherein the color-imparting layer (2b) of the color film (2) bears against the inner wall of one of the mold halves (6) or faces the inner wall of one of the mold halves (6), - Injecting a first plasticized plastic material (1a) forming the base body (1) into the cavity (8), wherein the first plasticized plastic material (1a) consists of a plastic material that is transparent or translucent to visible light, and injecting a second plasticized plastic material (1b) likewise forming the base body (1) into the cavity (8), wherein the plasticized plastic materials (1a, 1b) are injected in such a way that the color film (2) is back-injected in mutually different regions by the first and by the second plasticized plastic material (1a, 1b) and the two plastic materials (1a, 1b) in this case bond with the carrier film (2a) of the color film (2), wherein the plasticized plastic materials (1a, 1b) are selectively injected in such a way that only the first plasticized plastic material (1a) is pressed into the perforations (4) of the color film (2) and there forms sub-regions (9) of the base body (1), - Applying a sealing layer (10) made of a transparent or translucent plastic material, sealing the color film (2) and the sub-regions (9).
  2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that introducing the perforations (4) into the color film (2) is carried out by punching, in particular by fine blanking, or by waterjet cutting or by laser beam cutting or by plasma beam cutting or by drilling or by cutting with a knife.
  3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the plastic material of the carrier film (2a) of the color film (2) comprises polypropylene or consists of polypropylene.
  4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first plastic material (1a) of the base body (1) comprises a transparent or translucent polypropylene or consists of a transparent or translucent polypropylene.
  5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the second plastic material (1b) of the base body (1) comprises a polypropylene reinforced relative to the first plastic material (1a) or consists of a polypropylene reinforced relative to the first plastic material (1a).
  6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sealing layer (10) comprises polyurethane or consists of polyurethane.
  7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the color film (2) has at least one heating wire or at least one antenna wire or at least one electrical circuit or at least one light-emitting diode, or that at least one additional functional film is provided which is connected to the color film (2) and/or to the base body (1), wherein the functional film has at least one heating wire or at least one antenna wire or at least one electrical circuit or at least one light-emitting diode.
  8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that applying the sealing layer (10) is carried out in an injection molding process or by a flood coating process or by an immersion process or by a reaction injection molding process (RIM).
  9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the exterior trim part is a bumper cover or an outer door trim or an outer tailgate trim or a fender trim or a front panel or a radiator trim, or a rocker panel trim or a spoiler or a component of a bumper cover or of an outer door trim or of an outer tailgate trim or of a fender trim or of a front panel or of a radiator trim or of a rocker panel trim or of a spoiler.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a partially translucent exterior panel for a vehicle. Numerous manufacturing processes for such exterior cladding components are known. The documents are just a few examples. DE 10 2020 000 921 A1 , DE 10 2017 214 943 A1 , DE 10 2020 105 729 A1 , DE 10 2021 134 475 A1 , DE 10 2020 134 132 A1 or EP 3 632 749 A1 referred. EP 4 019 338 A1 Disclosure reveals a method for manufacturing a partially translucent exterior cladding component. In this process, a laminating film is applied to the outer surface, covering the transition area between the base body and the light window. The film is inserted into the injection mold designed for a multi-component injection molding process and subsequently back-injected by both the material of the light window and the material of the base body. In a subsequent step, a single- or multi-layer coating, such as a paint layer or lacquer film, is applied to the outer surface, at least in the area of the light window. To achieve partial translucency, the coating is completely perforated. A clear lacquer layer is applied over the perforated coating, sealing both the coating and the perforations. WO 2023/017071 A1 A method for producing a partially translucent exterior cladding component is also known. For this purpose, a perforated colored film with a carrier layer, in particular a plastic film, and a pigmented or color-imparting layer, in particular a paint layer, is inserted into the injection mold and back-injected. The film is positioned so that the carrier layer rests against the mold wall and the color-imparting layer against the molten plastic. DE 10 2010 053740 A1 This describes the process of back-injecting a decorative element in the form of a metal sheet or film bearing an adhesive layer that comes into contact with the molten plastic during the back-injection process. EP 3 572 282 A1 This shows the back injection molding of a film with a mirror coating, which is also brought into direct contact with the molten plastic. EP 4 112 267 A1 This concerns the back injection molding of a paint transfer film. After back injection molding, the carrier film is removed, leaving only the transferred paint layer on the plastic part. After the WO 2020/053368 A1 Blind openings in a plastic component are first primed and then painted. A clear coat is then applied, covering both the paint and the outer surface, provided it is not perforated. 1 The object of the present invention is to provide an alternative method for manufacturing an outer cladding part. This problem is solved in the present case by a method for manufacturing a partially translucent exterior trim part for a vehicle, wherein the exterior trim part has a base body, comprising the following steps: Providing a color film comprising at least a carrier film made of a plastic material transparent or translucent to visible light and an opaque and color-imparting layer arranged on the carrier film, Introducing a large number of perforations into the colored film, the perforations completely penetrating the carrier film and the color layer to enable partial translucency of the colored film, Inserting the colored film into an injection mold which has at least two mold halves which, in the closed state, form a cavity between them defining the base body, wherein the colored layer of the colored film rests against the inner wall of one of the mold halves or is opposite the inner wall of one of the mold halves, Injecting a first plasticized plastic material forming the base body into the cavity, wherein the first plasticized plastic material consists of a plastic material transparent or translucent to visible light, and injecting a second plasticized plastic material also forming the base body into the cavity, wherein the plasticized plastic materials are injected in such a way that the colored film is back-injected by the first and second plasticized plastic materials in distinct areas, and the two plastic materials bond with the carrier film of the colored film, wherein the plasticized plastic materials are injected in such a targeted manner that only the first plasticized plastic material is pressed into the perforations of the colored film and forms partial areas of the base body there. Applying a sealing layer made of a transparent or translucent plastic material to seal the colored film and the sub-areas. The perforations can be introduced into the colored film, for example, by punching, especially by fine punching, or by water jet cutting, or by laser beam cutting, or by plasma beam cutting, or by drilling, or by cutting with a knife. The plastic material of the carrier film of the colored film may preferably comprise or consist of polypropylene. The first plastic material of the base body can comprise or consist of transparent or translucent polypropylene. The second plastic material of the base body can comprise polypropylene reinforced compared to the first plastic