An iridescent vehicle badge (and methods for making it) that includes a translucent, polymeric badge having a non-planar shape and comprising an interior and an exterior surface. Further, at least one of the surfaces of the badge comprises a plurality of diffraction gratings that are integral with the badge, each having a thickness from 250 nm to 1000 nm and a varying period from 50 nm to 5 microns. In some cases, the thickness can range from 500 nm to 750 nm. The period, in some cases, can vary within a set of discrete values in one or more portions of the at least one of the surfaces of the badge, e.g., from 150 nm to 400 nm.

A method of making an iridescent badge that includes: embossing a diffraction grating into a polymeric film to form a diffraction film; positioning the diffraction film in a mold; and injecting a translucent polymeric material into the mold over the diffraction film to form a vehicular badge. Further, the diffraction grating has a thickness from 250 nm to 1000 nm and a period from 50 nm to 5 microns. Another method of making an iridescent badge includes: heating a diffraction film positioned in a mold; applying a vacuum to form the film against a mold surface; and injecting a translucent polymeric material over the mold surface to form a vehicular badge. Further, the diffraction film comprises a polymeric material and a diffraction grating having a thickness from 250 nm to 1000 nm and a period from 50 nm to 5 microns.

An illuminated vehicle accessory system that is disposed within an automobile and is operable to provide decorative lighting effects. The illuminated vehicle accessory system includes a controller having a CPU and a user interface operable to control a plurality of lighted accessories. The lighted accessories include a floor mat, trunk mat and mud flaps. The lighted accessories include a body having a perimeter edge operable to mateable engage with an area of a vehicle in which the lighted accessories will be mounted. The lighted accessories include a light channel integrally formed therein wherein the light channel is proximate the perimeter edge of the body. A logo pad is further included having a logo and light ring wherein the logo pad is mounted to the body of the lighted accessories. The controller further includes a transceiver configured to facilitate control of the illuminated vehicle accessory system by an external device.

An ornamental device including a decorative plated surface and a backlit assembly is described, and includes a light engine including a light-emitting diode (LED), a light pipe optically coupled to the LED, a light diffuser and a lens assembly. The lens assembly includes a chrome surface finish, wherein the lens assembly encases the light engine, the light pipe and the light diffuser, and is assembled onto a back plate. When the LED is not illuminated, the lens assembly exhibits a chrome appearance, and when the LED is illuminated, light emanates through the lens assembly.

The radome for vehicles comprises a radio transmissive transparent layer (9) and a decorative element (6), wherein the decorative element (6) comprises a brightness and tone element (62) comprising a metal layer (621) and one or more metalloid layers (622). The brightness and tone element (62) preferably comprises two metalloid layers (622, 623), each metalloid layer being made from a different metalloid.

It permits to provide a radome for vehicles that allows to match a wider range of appearance specifications (brightness and color tone) defined by the car manufacturers.

This invention provides a method for manufacturing decorated-parts of high design-quality and reliability, since the exposed surface of the base coat-layer is not bulged, and thus the color of said coat-layer is distinct. The method for manufacturing decorated-parts of this invention comprises a base coat-layer-forming process, a surface coat-layer-forming process and a laser-decorating process. In the base coat-layer-forming process, a resin-base material of a highly light color at a lightness-level of 70 or more or a clear and colorless resin base-material is formed. In the surface coat-layer forming process, the surface coat-layer of a less-bright color at a lightness-level of 20 or less is formed on the base coat-layer. In the laser-decorating process, the first laser-processed groove penetrating the surface coat-layer and exposing partially the base coat-layer is made by irradiating the infrared laser onto such surface coat-layer, thus providing a fine decoration onto the surface of said decorated-part.

This invention provides a method for manufacturing decorated-parts of high design-quality and reliability, since the exposed surface of the base coat-layer is not bulged, and thus the color of said coat-layer is distinct. The method for manufacturing decorated-parts of this invention comprises a base coat-layer-forming process, a surface coat-layer-forming process and a laser-decorating process. In the base coat-layer-forming process, a resin-base material of a highly light color at a lightness-level of 70 or more or a clear and colorless resin base-material is formed. In the surface coat-layer forming process, the surface coat-layer of a less-bright color at a lightness-level of 20 or less is formed on the base coat-layer. In the laser-decorating process, the first laser-processed groove penetrating the surface coat-layer and exposing partially the base coat-layer is made by irradiating the infrared laser onto such surface coat-layer, thus providing a fine decoration onto the surface of said decorated-part.

Disclosed herein is an interior/exterior automotive trim component in which each of carbonate copolymers forming a polycarbonate resin composition is comprised of structural units derived from two or more different dihydroxy compounds. The structural units derived from the dihydroxy compounds include an ISB unit and a CHDM unit. In every one of the plurality of carbonate copolymers that form the polycarbonate resin composition, a molar ratio of the ISB unit to every dihydroxy compound unit in the carbonate copolymer is equal to or greater than 30 mol %. The molar ratio of the ISB unit to the CHDM unit in the polycarbonate resin composition satisfies 53/47≦ISB unit/CHDM unit≦56/44.

A rear emblem forms an outer surface and includes a base member made of transparent plastic and a pattern print layer arranged on a part of the back side of the base member. The pattern print layer includes a light transmitting portion and a light transmission reducing portion. The light transmission reducing portion is arranged around the light transmitting portion and transmits less light than the light transmitting portion.

A vehicle decorative part includes a decorative main body and a heater. The decorative main body is configured to be attached to a vehicle at a front side in a transmission direction of millimeter waves from a millimeter wave radar and has a millimeter wave transparency. The heater has a heating element that emits heat when energized. At least a part of the heating element is located in an irradiation region of the millimeter waves in the heater. As a millimeter wave attenuation reducing configuration that reduces attenuation of the millimeter waves passing through the heater, the heating element is incorporated in the heater in a condition where an area proportion of an area of a section of the heating element that occupies the irradiation region to an area of the irradiation region is set such that an attenuation amount of the millimeter waves is less than or equal to a permissible value.