FLEXIBLE FABRIC FOR AN INTERIOR OF A VEHICLE, SEAT COVER FOR A VEHICLE SEAT, VEHICLE SEAT AND VEHICLE

Abstract

A flexible fabric for an interior of a vehicle, in particular for a vehicle seat, having an opaque top layer, an illuminant and at least one translucent light guide layer which is arranged between the illuminant and the top layer. The top layer has a plurality of cutouts through which light emitted by the illuminant passes, and the plurality of cutouts are filled with protrusions of the at least one light guide layer. Light emitted by the illuminant is guided as far as a surface of a visible side of the flexible fabric before it passes out of the light guide layer, with the result that the protrusions arranged in the cutouts form an illuminated pattern. The flexible fabric may be used with the vehicle seat with a vehicle.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A flexible sheetlike structure for an interior of a vehicle, comprising: an essentially opaque outer layer, and an illuminant and at least one essentially transparent light guide layer disposed between the illuminant and the outer layer, wherein the outer layer has a multitude of cutouts through which light emitted by the illuminant passes, and the cutouts are filled essentially with elevations in the at least one light guide layer, wherein light emitted by the illuminant is directed through to a surface of a viewing side of the flexible sheetlike structure before exiting from the light guide layer, which results in formation of an illuminated pattern in the elevations disposed in the cutouts.

17. The flexible sheetlike structure as claimed in claim 16, wherein a carrier layer that accommodates the illuminant is provided on a side of the illuminant remote from the light guide layer.

18. The flexible sheetlike structure as claimed in claim 16, wherein the cutouts in the outer layer are created by cutting by a laser, or by stamping or embossing.

19. The flexible sheetlike structure as claimed in claim 16, wherein the light guide layer is manufactured from a silicone or from a thermoplastic.

20. The flexible sheetlike structure as claimed in claim 16, wherein the light guide layer is manufactured from polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA).

21. The flexible sheetlike structure as claimed in claim 16, wherein the light guide layer is transparent.

22. The flexible sheetlike structure as claimed in claim 16, wherein the light guide layer is manufactured from a foamed material.

23. The flexible sheetlike structure as claimed in claim 16, wherein the light guide layer is configured such that a color composition of the light that passes through the light guide layer can be influenced in accordance with a defined property.

24. The flexible sheetlike structure as claimed in claim 16, wherein a further light guide layer is disposed between the light guide layer and a carrier layer.

25. The flexible sheetlike structure as claimed in claim 24, wherein the light guide layer and the further light guide layer are formed from an identical material.

26. The flexible sheetlike structure as claimed in claim 24, wherein the further light guide layer has scatter elements at which light passing through the further light guide layer is scattered.

27. The flexible sheetlike structure as claimed in claim 24, wherein the further light guide layer is a 3D spacer weave or a loop-formed 3D knit or a loop-drawn 3D knit.

28. A seat cover for a vehicle seat including the flexible sheetlike structure as claimed in claim 16.

29. A vehicle seat including the seat cover as claimed in claim 28.

30. A vehicle including an inner lining having the flexible sheetlike structure and/or having the vehicle seat as claimed in claim 29.

Description

FIGURES AND EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The invention is elucidated in detail hereinafter by an advantageous working example shown in the figures. However, the invention is not limited to this working example. The figures show:

[0028] FIG. 1: a schematic section diagram of a flexible sheetlike structure of the invention,

[0029] FIG. 2: a vehicle of the invention including a vehicle seat of the invention and an inner lining of the invention,

[0030] FIG. 3: a detail view of a flexible sheetlike structure of the invention in a state with deactivated illuminant,

[0031] FIG. 4: a detail view of a flexible sheetlike structure of the invention in a state with activated illuminant, and

[0032] FIG. 5: a schematic section diagram of a modification of the flexible sheetlike structure of the invention.

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a section diagram of an inventive flexible sheetlike structure 1.

[0034] The details of position and direction used, for example front, back, top and bottom, relate to the respective diagrams shown in the figures and are not necessarily restrictive in relation to an installation position of the element described within a vehicle 200. In particular, the sheetlike structure 1 shown in a section diagram in FIG. 1 may be installed in the vehicle 200 in any angular position, especially rotated relative to the diagram of FIG. 1.

[0035] The flexible sheetlike structure 1 has a carrier layer 2, a light guide layer 4, an illuminant 6 and an outer layer 10. The flexible sheetlike structure 1 has the light guide layer 4 on the carrier layer 2. The illuminant 6 is disposed on the side of the light guide layer 4 facing the carrier layer 2. The illuminant 6 is preferably a two-dimensionally light-emitting diode. The illuminant 6 is set up to emit light. The carrier layer 2, the illuminant 6 and the light guide layer 4 are preferably bonded to one another.

[0036] The outer layer 10 may be a textile layer, a perforated leather layer or a perforated leatherlike layer. The light guide layer 4 is preferably transparent and serves at least partly as a scatter layer in which the light is scattered such that it exits uniformly on a side of the light guide layer 4 remote from the illuminant 6. Individual layers, or all layers, 2, 4, 6 and 10 that join one another two-dimensionally may be bonded to one another, especially adhesive-bonded. For this purpose, it is possible to provide additional layers of adhesive, especially an essentially transparent layer of adhesive, that are not shown for reasons of representation, through which light can penetrate essentially unhindered within the sheetlike structure 1.

[0037] The light guide layer 4 is three-dimensional and in the present context has multiple elevations 4a. Each elevation 4a is disposed in a cutout 12 of the outer layer 10. A number of elevations 4a corresponds to a number of cutouts 12. End faces of the elevations 4a are constituents of an outer viewing side of the sheetlike structure 1.

[0038] The outer layer 10 has, at least in some regions, the cutouts 12 in which the elevations 4a in the light guide layer 4 are disposed. Light from the illuminant 6 can pass through these elevations 4a, and hence through the cutouts 12. A surface of the outer layer 10 remote from the light guide layer 4 and the end faces of the elevations 4a constitute an outer viewing side of the sheetlike structure 1. No further layer is present above the viewing side of the sheetlike structure 1, especially no scatter layer or decorative layer that connects or covers the multitude of cutouts 12. Every single cutout 12 is identifiable as a single dot in the state with activated illuminant 6 on the viewing side of the sheetlike structure 1, with the multitude of cutouts 12 here forming an illuminated pattern. In regions of the outer layer 10 where there is no cutout 12, the light is essentially reflected and/or absorbed by the underside of the outer layer 10 in the direction of the light guide layer 4.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a vehicle 200 having a vehicle seat 100 and an inner lining 210. The flexible sheetlike structure 1 may be part of a seat cover 110 of the vehicle seat 100, especially of a seat cover 110 in the region of a seat surface, a front side of a backrest or a reverse side of a backrest. The flexible sheetlike structure 1 may be part of the inner lining 210 of the vehicle 200, especially part of a door lining, of a vehicle roof lining or, for example, of a dashboard.

[0040] FIGS. 3 and 4 show a detail of the flexible sheetlike structure 1 looking toward the outer layer 10. The illuminant 6 is deactivated in the state shown in FIG. 3 and does not emit any light, with essentially only the outer layer 10 being visible. The cutouts 12 and the elevations 4a are barely visible, if at all, and in particular are not perceptible to an observer.

[0041] In FIG. 4, the illuminant 6 is activated and emits light, some of which passes through the cutouts 12. The cutouts 12 and the elevations 4a are more brightly manifested by virtue of the additional illumination by the illuminant 6 and are clearly apparent from an outer surface of the sheetlike structure 1.

[0042] FIG. 5 shows a modification of the flexible sheetlike structure 1 shown in FIG. 1. The modification of the flexible sheetlike structure 1 differs from the working example shown in FIG. 1 merely in that a further light guide layer 14 is disposed between the light guide layer 4 and the carrier layer 2. The further light guide layer 14 has scatter elements at which light passing through the further light guide layer 14 is scattered. This achieves uniform distribution of the light emitted by the illuminant 6. The further light guide layer 14 in the present context is configured as a loop-formed 3D knit.

[0043] All the features mentioned in the description above and in the drawing are combinable with one another in any desired selection. The disclosure of the invention is thus not limited to the combinations of features that have been described or claimed or are shown in the drawing; instead, all the combinations of features that are viable within the context of the invention should be considered to be disclosed.

[0044] Even though the invention has been described in detail in the drawings and the preceding description, the representations are illustrative and should be considered to be exemplary and nonlimiting. In particular, the choice of proportions of the individual elements as shown in the drawings should not be interpreted as being obligatory or limiting. Furthermore, the invention is especially not limited to the working examples elucidated. Further variants of the invention and the execution thereof will be apparent to the person skilled in the art from the preceding disclosure, figures and claims.

[0045] Words used in the claims such as “comprise”, “have”, “include”, “contain” and the like do not rule out further elements or steps. The use of the indefinite article does not rule out a multitude. An individual device may execute the functions of multiple units or devices mentioned in the claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0046] 1 flexible sheetlike structure [0047] 2 carrier layer [0048] 4 light guide layer [0049] 4a elevations [0050] 6 illuminant [0051] 10 outer layer [0052] 12 cutout [0053] 14 further light guide layer [0054] 100 vehicle seat [0055] 110 seat cover [0056] 200 vehicle [0057] 210 inner lining