Fiber Composite Component with Lighting Function

Abstract

A fiber composite component with a lighting function includes a fiber reinforced unit with at least two fiber layers integrated into a plastics matrix, and an electroluminescent light having a light source arranged between two adjacent fiber layers, the light source including a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer which electrically insulate the light source from the two adjacent fiber layers.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A fiber composite component with a lighting function, the fiber composite component comprising: a fiber reinforcement comprising at least two fiber layers incorporated into a polymer matrix, and an electroluminescent lamp having a lighting element disposed between two adjacent fiber layers, wherein: the lighting element has a first insulation layer and a second insulation layer that electrically isolate the lighting element from the two adjacent fiber layers.

14. The fiber composite component according to claim 13, wherein: the first insulation layer is directed to a visible side of the fiber composite component and takes a form of a color layer.

15. The fiber composite component according to claim 14, wherein: the second insulation layer faces away from the visible side of the fiber composite component and is formed by a polymer film.

16. The fiber composite component according to claim 15, wherein the second insulation layer is formed by a PES film bonded to the lighting element by an acrylic adhesive.

17. The fiber composite component according to claim 13, wherein: the electroluminescent lamp has a contacting section disposed in an edge region of the fiber composite component.

18. The fiber composite component according to claim 17, wherein: a component section of the fiber composite component that surrounds the contacting section is free of reinforcement fibers.

19. The fiber composite component according to claim 13, wherein: the lighting element, viewed from a visible side of the fiber composite component, is covered by the polymer matrix and exactly one fiber layer.

20. The fiber composite component according to claim 13, wherein: a visible layer of the fiber reinforcement is formed from directed continuous fibers.

21. The fiber composite component according to claim 13, wherein: a visible layer of the fiber reinforcement is formed from at least one of carbon fibers, metallized glass fibers or metal fibers.

22. The fiber composite component according to claim 13, wherein: the polymer matrix is at least partly transparent.

23. The fiber composite component according to claim 13, wherein: the polymer matrix is a thermoset polymer matrix.

24. The fiber composite component according to claim 13, wherein: the fiber composite component is an exterior or an interior component of a vehicle.

25. The fiber composite component according to claim 13, wherein: the fiber composite component is a structural component of a vehicle body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 shows an illustrative fiber composite component in a top view.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a section view A-A of the fiber composite component from FIG. 1.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a section view B-B of the fiber composite component from FIG. 1.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a section view of an illustrative electroluminescent lamp.

[0029] FIG. 5 shows the fiber composite component from FIG. 1 with the illumination switched off.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 shows an illustrative fiber composite component 1 in the form of a vehicle roof. The fiber composite component 1 has a fiber reinforcement 10 embedded into a polymer matrix 20. In addition, an electroluminescent lamp 30 is disposed between the fiber layers of the fiber reinforcement 10 and embedded into the polymer matrix 20.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a section view A-A of the fiber composite component 1 for illustration of the construction. The fiber reinforcement 10 has multiple (five here by way of example) fiber layers 11 to 15 that are stacked one on top of another to form a stack. The electroluminescent lamp 30 has a lighting element 32 disposed in the stack. Viewed from the visible side 2 of the fiber composite component 1, the lighting element 32 is covered by exactly one fiber layer 11. The electroluminescent lamp 30 and fiber layers 11 to 15 are collectively embedded in the matrix material 20. The matrix material 20 is preferably a thermoset matrix material and especially a transparently curing matrix material.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows the fiber composite component 1 with the light function switched on. The electroluminescent lamp 30 shines beneath the fiber layer 11. The light exits from the fiber composite component through the fiber interstices in the direction of the visible side 2. If one or more fiber layers are formed by metallized glass fibers, the light passes through these fibers as well. FIG. 5 shows the same fiber composite component 1 in the unlit state. The electroluminescent lamp 30 is covered by the fiber layer 11 and is integrated virtually invisibly into the component.

[0033] The electroluminescent lamp 30 has a contacting section 31 at which the lamp can be connected to an electrical field. The contacting section 31 is preferably, as shown in the B-B section in FIG. 3, disposed in the edge region of the fiber composite component 1. The component section 3 of the fiber composite component that surrounds the contacting section 31 (indicated by the dotted lines in FIG. 3) is formed without reinforcement fibers, e.g. as what is called a pure resin region, which achieves electrical insulation of the contacting section 31 in a particularly simple manner. The contacting section 31 can be exposed by mechanical processing, for example after the production of the fiber composite component 1.

[0034] The electroluminescent lamp 30 has a lighting element 32 by which the light is generated. The lighting element preferably includes an EL film 33, which is notable for a particularly flat design and has a low space requirement. Such an EL film may typically include an electrically conductive film, which is also referred to as front electrode, a back electrode, and an electrically insulating electroluminescent material disposed in between. The light generated by electroluminescence exits from the lamp through the front electrode. In order to enable simple integration of the electroluminescent lamp 30 into the fiber reinforcement 10, the EL film 33 is provided with an insulation layer on either side; see FIG. 4. On the side facing the visible side 2, a first insulation layer 34 is provided, which is preferably formed by an at least partly translucent color layer, for example a paint layer or colored polymer coating. As well as electrical insulation, this color layer additionally enables a change in the color effect of the light emitted by the electroluminescent lamp 30 or configuration of different colors with just one lighting element, or the color layer can serve as mask to create inscriptions or the like. On the side remote from the visible side 2, a second insulation layer 35 is provided, which is preferably formed by an electrically insulating polymer film.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0035] 1 fiber composite component [0036] 2 visible side [0037] 3 component section [0038] 10 fiber reinforcement [0039] 11-15 fiber layers [0040] 20 polymer matrix [0041] 30 electroluminescent lamp [0042] 31 contacting section [0043] 32 lighting element [0044] 33 EL film [0045] 34 first insulation layer [0046] 35 second insulation layer