A method of making an iridescent, vehicular trim assembly is provided that includes: molding a polymeric base comprising an exterior surface; and over-molding an element over at least a portion of the exterior surface. The element comprises a polymeric, translucent material and an exterior surface with an integral diffraction grating having a thickness from 250 to 1000 nm and a period from 50 nanometers to 5 microns. Further, the molding can be conducted such that the polymeric base is molded with a tint. The method can also include forming a plated region over the exterior surface of the base. In addition, the method can also include cleaning the plated region with a plasma-etching process before the over-molding.

A trim panel for an external pillar of a motor vehicle, including: a first trim element which is formed by a first translucent or transparent material or a material which permits the diffusion of light which has a given wavelength, a second trim element which is formed by a second non-translucent and non-transparent material which does not allow the diffusion of light which has a given wavelength, the second element having an external surface in contact with an internal surface of the first element, the second element further having at least one recess which does not have the second material; an insert which is formed by a third translucent or transparent material or by a material which permits the diffusion of light which has a given wavelength, the insert comprising a nesting portion which is arranged so as to completely fill the recess of the second element.

An apparatus and method for making a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material using a linear solidification device is shown and described. The apparatus includes a solidification substrate assembly that is tiltable about a tilting axis to peel a solidification substrate from a recently formed object surface and to level the solidification substrate assembly and squeeze out accumulated solidifiable material between the solidification substrate and the recently formed object surface. Intelligent peeling and leveling may also be provided by providing a tilting parameter database that is used to adjust tilting parameters based on object geometry and/or solidifiable material properties.

A method for manufacturing a lighting button key is provided. The method includes forming a button body by processing a metal plate, attaching a thin film to the button body and performing double etching on a rear surface of the button body to process a symbol pattern. Additionally, the method includes press-forming the rear surface of the button body and an injection material of a transparent or translucent material into the rear surface of the button body to perform injection molding.

The invention relates to a method and a device for three-dimensional color printing, wherein at least a first printing material with a first printing material color and at least another printing material with another printing material color is used to construct a printing object (7), wherein an arrangement of the printing materials in a surface region and a near surface interior region of the printing object (7) is determined based on a desired color reproduction of the printing object.

A method of manufacturing a light plate includes defining a three-dimensional model of the light plate. The model includes a translucency map configured to light balance the light plate. The translucency map defines a first portion having a first translucency. The method includes providing the model to an additive layer device; selecting at least one material based on the model; and depositing the at least one material in a layer based on the model. The method includes at least one of adhering the at least two layers of material with one another and cross-linking the at least two layers of material with one another to form a first region of the light plate corresponding to the first portion of the translucency map.

A method of forming a transparent 3D object and a transparent 3D object formed by the method are provided. A transparent 3D object may be formed as follows. An internal structure of a 3D object is printed using a 3D printer based on a 3D image file having information about an internal region of the 3D object, and a mold, designed to form the 3D object and divided into at least two regions, is printed using the 3D printer based on the 3D image file. Then, the internal structure is combined with an inner region of the mold, and a transparent material is supplied to the mold. After the transparent material hardens, a transparent 3D object is obtained by removing the mold.

A lighted trim apparatus includes a light guide sub-assembly. The light guide sub-assembly includes a translucent film layer having a darkening agent on a first surface of the film layer to define multiple translucent windows in the film layer. Multiple light emitting diodes are each mounted on the film layer proximate to one of the windows. A transparent material light guide is applied over the windows and allows light from the light emitting diodes to be transmitted through the windows. A substrate defining an opaque polymeric material layer is commonly applied over the light emitting diodes, the light guide and the first surface of the film and extends beyond a perimeter of the film layer. A transparent cover layer extends over a second surface of the film layer opposite to the first surface and a portion of the opaque polymeric material extends beyond the perimeter of the film layer.

A method of making an iridescent, vehicular trim assembly is provided that includes: molding a polymeric base comprising an exterior surface; and over-molding an element over at least a portion of the exterior surface. The element comprises a polymeric, translucent material and an exterior surface with an integral diffraction grating having a thickness from 250 to 1000 nm and a period from 50 nanometers to 5 microns. Further, the molding can be conducted such that the polymeric base is molded with a tint. The method can also include forming a plated region over the exterior surface of the base. In addition, the method can also include cleaning the plated region with a plasma-etching process before the over-molding.

An illuminated emblem assembly includes a multi-component outer lens having an exterior surface and an interior surface further comprising an externally visible area to be illuminated, an inner lens having an exterior surface and an interior surface, a printed circuit board assembly, a heat sink, a housing for the inner and outer lenses, and at least one light source, wherein the at least one light source is offset from the externally visible area to be illuminated. A method of manufacturing the illuminated emblem assembly includes injection molding the multi-component outer lens, providing the inner lens, providing the housing for the inner and outer lenses, providing the at least one light source, and assembling the inner and outer lenses and the at least one light source within the housing to obtain the illuminated emblem assembly.