EXTERIOR PANEL ASSEMBLY FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

The invention relates to an exterior panel assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising a sheet having side edges, a first and second surface opposite of each other, and comprising a thermoplastic material, wherein the sheet is transparent to electromagnetic radiation in at least one of the ranges for radio waves, infrared radiation, visible light and ultraviolet radiation; a heating device comprising an infrared emitter for emitting infrared rays towards the sheet; and a housing structure for accommodating the heating device, wherein the housing structure opens up towards the sheet with an opening, and wherein the sheet extends over the opening of the housing structure. The inventor further relates to a vehicle comprising such an exterior panel assembly.

Claims

1. Exterior panel assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising: a safety device; a sheet having side edges, a first and second surface opposite of each other, and comprising a thermoplastic material, wherein the sheet is translucent to electromagnetic radiation in at least one of the ranges for radio waves, infrared radiation, visible light and ultraviolet radiation, the sheet has a specific wavelength band (A) within the near infrared band 800 nm to 2000 nm and excluding the wavelength band use by the safety device, in which the transmission is: equal to or lower than 50% when the sheet thickness is 1 mm, equal to or lower than 30% when the sheet thickness is 2 mm, equal to or lower than 20% when the sheet thickness is 3 mm, or equal to or lower than 10% when the sheet thickness is 4 mm; a heating device comprising an infrared emitter configured to emit infrared rays towards the sheet with wavelength(s) within the specific wavelength band (A) of the thermoplastic material; and a housing structure for accommodating the heating device, wherein the housing structure opens up towards the sheet with an opening, and wherein the sheet extends over the opening of the housing structure.

2. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sheet comprises at least one of the following materials: Polycarbonate with a lowest near IR transmission at 1670 nm, Polypropylene compound with a lowest near IR transmission at 1730 nm, PMMA with a lowest near IR transmission at 1760 nm, PVB with a lowest near IR transmission at 1800 nm, or/and PUR with a lowest near IR transmission at 833 nm.

3. Assembly according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a carrier structure with a base and a spacing structure to space apart the sheet and the base, wherein the first surface of the sheet faces away from the base.

4. Assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the housing structure forms part of the carrier structure, and extends from the carrier structure towards the sheet.

5. Assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet is adjacent the opening of the housing structure, such that the sheet closes the opening of the housing structure.

6. Assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the housing structure forms a device-accommodating portion that allows the heating device to be integrated into the assembly.

7. Assembly according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a further device-accommodating portion for integrating the safety devices into the assembly and/or wherein the housing structure integrates further devices into the assembly.

8. Assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein an emitting direction of the heating device has a perpendicular component relative to the sheet.

9. Assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet comprises a thermoplastic substrate and a protective layer.

10. Assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet further comprises a hardcoat layer on the first surface.

11. Assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet comprises a first portion having a visible light transmission equal to or greater than 40%, or equal to or greater than 60%, preferably equal to or greater than 75%, more preferably equal to or greater than 88%, measured in accordance with ASTM D1003-00.

12. Assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet comprises a second portion, having a visible light transmission of the second portion is less than 40%, or equal to or less than 10%, preferably equal to or less than 1%, more preferably equal to or less than 0.1%, measured in accordance with ASTM D1003-00.

13. Assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the infrared emitter is an IR LED or an IR laser.

14. Vehicle comprising an exterior panel assembly according to any of claims 1 to 13.

15. Vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the exterior panel assembly forms part of the front fascia of the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] The features and advantages of the invention will be further appreciated upon reference to the following drawings of a number of exemplary embodiments, in which:

[0047] FIG. 1 shows an exterior panel assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention in perspective view;

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a cross section along A-A of the exterior panel assembly of FIG. 1; and

[0049] FIG. 3 shows an example of the interior of an exterior panel assembly, in top view and front view.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0050] FIG. 1 shows an exterior panel assembly 100 according to the present invention in perspective view, here executed as a front-end panel assembly. The exterior panel assembly 100 is provided as a component of a front fascia 304 of a vehicle 300. The exterior panel assembly 100 comprises a sheet 108 (see FIG. 2) at its front. The exterior panel assembly is located between a pair of headlights 302 at its sides. At its top end, the hood 308 of the vehicle is located; at its bottom end a bumper assembly 306 of the vehicle is provided.

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a cross section along A-A of the front end panel assembly of FIG. 1. The exterior panel assembly or front-end panel assembly 100 is shown to have a sheet 108 that is located at the front end of the vehicle front fascia, see also FIG. 1a, in between the head light assemblies 302. The external surface of the sheet 108 comprises one or more protective layers to protect the sheet, in particular its thermoplastic substrate, from environmental factors, such as abrasion and ultraviolet radiation. The sheet 108 comprises a substrate, preferably of a polycarbonate resin.

[0052] The exterior panel assembly comprises a housing structure 116 to accommodate a heating device 118 with an emitter directed towards the sheet 108. The housing structure 116 comprises a perpendicular wall 126 that extends from the sheet in a perpendicular fashion. FIG. 2 shows that the sheet 108 is adjacent to the housing structure 116. i.e. the sheet 108 closes the opening 128 of the housing structure 116. In other words, the housing structure 116 opens up towards the sheet 108, and is adjacent to the sheet 108, such that the sheet 108 closes the formed opening 128. The assembly further comprises a carrier structure 112 comprising a base 110 and a peripheral upstanding wall 120, or spacing structure, that extends from the base 110 towards the sheet 108. The peripheral wall or spacing structure 120 connects with the sheet 108 at or near its side edges. Viewed from the sheet 108, the carrier structure 112 and the housing structure are provided behind the sheet 108. The peripheral upstanding wall 120 spaces the base 110 from the sheet 108. The sheet 108 and the carrier structure 112 together enclose a space 122.

[0053] The base 110 and the peripheral wall 120 may be connected by a smoothly curved transition region 113 towards the side edge of the sheet 108. Alternatively, the spacing structure or upstanding wall may extend substantially perpendicular from the base 110 towards the sheet 108. The housing structure 116 extends through the base 110 to the sheet 108 and is enclosed by the carrier structure 112.

[0054] The housing structure may comprises a further device 130 such as a sensor or a LiDAR component, or a light module.

[0055] The sheet 108 may have a pattern that is formed with a foil with a pre-fabricated pattern made of translucent and opaque regions, and may include a peripheral opaque border at the side edges of the sheet 108. In addition or alternatively, the sheet 108 may have a pattern layer made up with opaque lines and/or borders, thus forming an opaque portion and a translucent or transparent portion. The base 110 may be corrugated with zigzag waves or any other corrugation wave. A corrugated base adds a 3D effect to the exterior panel assembly, in particular if the pattern is provided on the sheet. An inner surface 114 of the base 110 may be provided with a foil, a mirror, a screen print or any other surface enhancing layer to optimize the 3D effect. Additionally, or alternatively, the inner surface 114 may be laser marked to include color change due to chemical/molecular alteration, charring, foaming, melting, ablation, and more. This laser marking adds to the 3D effect of the spacing between the sheet and the base of the carrier structure.

[0056] Between the base and the sheet, the front-end panel assembly may further comprise a light module 124 for highlighting the pattern and the 3D effect of the front-end panel assembly. The light module 124 may also be used for design purposes, such as brand identity or for a welcoming signal to a driver of a vehicle.

[0057] FIG. 3 shows the housing structure 116 with the heating device 118 and the further device 130 in detail, but schematic. The housing structure 116 of FIG. 3 houses a plurality of heating devices 118 and a further device 130. The heating devices 118 are directed at an angle α with a normal of the sheet. The angle α may be larger than 0 degrees and smaller than 180 degrees, preferably have an angle with the surface of the sheet of 0 degrees up to 90 degrees, i.e. in a perpendicular fashion. Preferably, the angle between the direction of emittance and the sheet surface is between more than 0 degrees and 50 degrees, or from 10 degrees to 30 degrees, or from 40 degrees to less than 90 degrees. The angle α in FIG. 3A may be around 40 to 50 degrees.

[0058] Each heating device may be angled towards the sheet 108 at a different angle, but every heating device at the same angle would be possible, too.

[0059] FIG. 3B shows that the plurality of heating devices 118 are distributed around the other device 130 as a ring shape. The opening 128 of the housing structure 116 may also be ring shaped. The housing structure 116 may have a cylindrical shape or any other desired shape, fitting with the carrier structure 112 and/or the exterior panel assembly 100. FIG. 3A shows that the heating device 118 is directed towards a first surface 102 of the sheet 108. The sheet 108 extends over the opening 108, but is not adjacent to the housing structure 116 in FIG. 3A, i.e. the sheet 108 is in the vicinity or near the housing structure.

LIST OF ITEMS

[0060] 100. Exterior panel assembly [0061] 108. Sheet [0062] 110. Base [0063] 112. Carrier structure [0064] 113. Transition region [0065] 114. Inner surface [0066] 116. Housing structure [0067] 118. Heating device [0068] 120. Wall or spacing structure [0069] 122. Space [0070] 124. Light module [0071] 126. Perpendicular wall [0072] 128. Opening [0073] 130. Device [0074] 300. Vehicle [0075] 302. Head lights [0076] 304. Front fascia [0077] 306. Bumper assembly [0078] 308. Hood