Vehicle Component and Method for Producing a Vehicle Component

Abstract

A vehicle component includes a colored translucent plastic component having a front side and a back side, and a metallic layer arranged on the back side of the plastic component.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A vehicle component comprising: a colored translucent plastic component having a front side and a rear side, wherein the front side of the plastic component forms a visible side of the vehicle component; and a metal layer arranged on the rear side of the plastic component.

14. The vehicle component according to claim 13, wherein the metal layer fully covers the rear side of the plastic component.

15. The vehicle component according to claim 13, wherein the plastic component has a transmission in a range from 10% to 70%.

16. The vehicle component according to claim 13, wherein the plastic component consists of a colored translucent plastic body.

17. The vehicle component according to claim 13, wherein the plastic component comprises a transparent plastic body and at least one coloring layer arranged on a rear side of the plastic body.

18. The vehicle component according to claim 13, wherein the plastic component comprises a colored translucent plastic body and at least one coloring layer arranged on a rear side of the plastic body.

19. The vehicle component according to claim 17, wherein the plastic component further comprises a translucent colored cover layer arranged on a front side of the plastic body.

20. The vehicle component according to claim 13, wherein the plastic component consists of a transparent plastic body and a translucent colored cover layer, wherein the translucent colored cover layer is arranged on a front side of the plastic body.

21. The vehicle component according to claim 13, wherein the vehicle component is an external skin component or a radar covering.

22. A method for producing a vehicle component, the method comprising: producing a colored translucent plastic component having a front side and a rear side, and depositing a metal layer on the rear side of the plastic component.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein producing the plastic component comprises: producing a plastic body by an injection molding process or an injection-compression molding process; and printing at least one translucent coloring layer on a rear side of the plastic body by an inkjet printing method.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein producing the plastic component comprising: producing a plastic body by an injection molding process or an injection-compression molding process; and molding a colored cover layer on a front side of the plastic body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIGS. 1 to 5 show schematic sectional views of possible layer structures of exemplary vehicle components.

[0030] FIG. 6 shows a schematic method sequence.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] FIGS. 1 to 5 show various configurations of exemplary vehicle components. Features which are the same are provided with the same references and are not explained again for each figure in order to avoid repetition.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a first configuration of a vehicle component. The vehicle component 1 comprises a colored translucent plastic component 10, on the rear side of which a metal layer 20 deposited by PVD is arranged. The plastic component 10 comprises a transparent plastic body 12, for example made of PMMA or PC, as well as a translucent coloring layer 14, which is formed on the rear side of the plastic body 12 and is consequently arranged between the plastic body 12 and the metal layer 20. The coloring layer 14 is preferably printed onto the plastic body 12 by an inkjet method.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows an alternative configuration of a vehicle component 1A, which differs from the configuration in FIG. 1 in that the plastic body is configured to be not transparent but likewise colored. The plastic component 10A consequently comprises a translucent colored plastic body 12A and the translucent coloring layer 14 arranged on the rear side thereof.

[0034] If the plastic body 12A is colorated, it is also possible to omit the coloring layer 14. A corresponding configuration is represented in FIG. 3. In this configuration, the plastic component 10B of the vehicle component 1B consists only of the colorated translucent plastic body 12A.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a vehicle component 1c in which a translucent colored cover layer 16 furthermore being arranged on the front side of the plastic body 12 of the vehicle component 1A shows in FIG. 1. The colored cover layer 16 is preferably a polyurethane layer, protection of the vehicle component 1C against mechanical wear simultaneously being achieved. The plastic component 10C in this configuration consequently contains the coloring layer 14, the transparent plastic body 12 and the cover layer 16. As in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, with this configuration a greater range in the color configuration may also be achieved by the use of two colored layers.

[0036] The vehicle component 10 shown in FIG. 5 differs from the configuration according to FIG. 4 in that the coloring layer 14 has been omitted, i.e. the metal layer 20 is deposited on the plastic body 12. If the plastic body 12 is configured as a transparent body, the color effect is produced merely by the colored layer 16 and the metal layer 20. As an alternative (not represented), it is conceivable to configure the plastic body 12 in FIG. 5 as a colored body, and for example to replace it with the plastic body 12A.

[0037] The overall transmission of the plastic components 10, 10A, 10B, 10C and 10D, i.e. the transmission through all layers of the plastic component, is preferably in a range from 10% to 70%, a metallic colored overall impression, which is given by the superposition of the metal layer 20 and the colored layers 14 and/or 16, and optionally the colorated plastic body 12A, being obtained when looking at the front side V of the vehicle component 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D.

[0038] The method for producing the vehicle component is shown in a schematic view in FIG. 6. Initially, in step A, the plastic body is produced in an injection molding process or injection-compression molding process. If a colored cover layer is intended to be formed on the plastic body, the optional step B is carried out. In step B, the colored cover layer is molded onto the plastic body. This may be done in the same process as the production of the plastic body or in a separate process, for example RIM. If a coloring layer is intended to be formed on the plastic body, this is printed in the optional step C onto the rear side of the plastic body, preferably by inkjet printing. In step D, the metal layer is deposited on the plastic body, or on the previously printed coloring layer.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0039] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D vehicle component [0040] 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D plastic component [0041] 12, 12A plastic body [0042] 14 coloring layer [0043] 16 colored cover layer [0044] 20 metal layer [0045] A, B, C, D method steps [0046] V front side