Molded part

Abstract

A molded part having a front side of the molded part designed as a visible side, comprising a decorative layer having a front side and a rear side opposite the front side, a carrier arranged on the rear side of the decorative layer, and a functional layer arranged on the front side of the decorative layer. The functional layer is or comprises an electrical display element, wherein the electrical display element is designed, in a switched-on operating state, for displaying a surface image and/or for realizing a display function, and/or for realizing an illumination function on the visible side of the molded part, and wherein the electrical display element is at least largely transparent and/or translucent when the operating state is switched off, so that the front side of the decorative layer is visible through the functional layer on the visible side of the molded part.

Claims

1. A molded part having a molded part front side designed as a visible side, comprising: a decorative layer with a front side and a rear side opposite the front side; a carrier arranged on the rear side of the decorative layer; and a functional layer arranged on the front side of the decorative layer; wherein: the functional layer is or comprises an electrical display element; the electrical display element is designed, in a switched-on operating state, for displaying a surface image and/or for realizing a display function, and/or for realizing an illumination function on the visible side of the molded part; and the electrical display element is at least largely transparent and/or translucent when the operating state is switched off, so that the front side of the decorative layer is visible through the functional layer on the visible side of the molded part; and the decorative layer has an irregular surface structure on the front side thereof; and on the front side of the decorative layer, a leveling layer, which is either transparent or translucent, is arranged to compensate for the irregular surface structure of the decorative layer.

2. The molded part according to claim 1, wherein: the leveling layer is provided between the decorative layer and the functional layer in order to form a smooth substrate surface for the functional layer with the front side of the leveling layer.

3. The molded part according to claim 1, wherein: a transparent or translucent protective and/or optical layer is arranged on the front side of the functional layer.

4. The molded part according to claim 1, wherein: the functional layer comprises one or more additional plies; the electrical display element is arranged on the front side of the one or more additional plies of the functional layer; and the electrical display element extends partially or completely over the front side of the one or more additional plies of the functional layer.

5. The molded part according to claim 1, wherein: the functional layer comprises at least two additional plies; the electrical display element is arranged between the at least two additional plies of the functional layer; and the electrical display element extends partially or completely over the front side of an additional ply and on the rear side of an additional ply of the functional layer.

6. The molded part according to claim 4, wherein: the at least one additional ply is an electrically conductive layer.

7. The molded part according to claim 1, wherein: the functional layer is or comprises a functional film.

8. The molded part according to claim 1, wherein: the functional layer comprises at least one connection element for applying current to the functional layer.

9. The molded part according to claim 1, wherein: the electrical display element is or comprises an e-ink display and/or an LCD display and/or an OLED display.

10. The molded part according to claim 1, wherein: the leveling layer has partial layers, wherein the partial layers are applied on top of one another.

11. The molded part according to claim 1, wherein: the leveling layer is designed as an adhesion promoter between the decorative layer and the functional layer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and features of the invention can be obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional illustration of one exemplary embodiment of the molded part according to the invention; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional illustration of one exemplary embodiment of the molded part according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows a molded part 10 with a front side 11 of the molded part designed as a visible side and a carrier 15 which is arranged on the rear side 14 of the decorative layer 12.

(5) On the front side 13 of the decorative layer 12, a transparent leveling layer 17 is arranged to compensate for the irregular surface structure of the decorative layer 12. According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the front side 18 of the leveling layer 17 forms a smooth substrate surface onto which the functional layer 16 can be applied. According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2, an additional adhesion layer 24 is provided on the front side 18 of the leveling layer 17 as an adhesion promoter between the leveling layer 17 and the functional layer 16.

(6) The functional layer 16 according to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 comprises two electrically conductive additional plies 22 and an LCD display as an electrical display element 21, which is arranged on the front side of the additional plies 22.

(7) The functional layer 16 according to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2 likewise comprises two electrically conductive additional plies 22 and an LCD display as an electrical display element 21, but here the LCD display is arranged between the two additional plies 22.

(8) In the switched-on operating state, the display serves to display a surface image on the visible side 11 of the molded part 10. Patterns or symbols can thus be realized as an additional design view. If the display is switched off, the front side 13 of the decorative layer 12 on the visible side 11 of the molded part 10 can be seen through the transparent functional layer 16.

(9) The functional layer 16 further includes a connection element 23 for the power supply of the electrical display element 21.

(10) A transparent protective layer 20, which consists of a protective lacquer and forms the front side 11 of the molded part, is arranged on the front side 19 of the functional layer 16.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(11) 10 molded part 11 front side of the molded part 12 decorative layer 13 front side 14 rear side 15 carrier 16 functional layer 17 leveling layer 18 front side 19 front side 20 protective and/or optical layer 21 electrical display element 22 additional ply 23 connection element 24 adhesion layer