US20170297507A1 - Iridescent badges for vehicles and methods of making the same - Google Patents

Iridescent badges for vehicles and methods of making the same Download PDF

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Publication number
US20170297507A1
US20170297507A1 US15/132,732 US201615132732A US2017297507A1 US 20170297507 A1 US20170297507 A1 US 20170297507A1 US 201615132732 A US201615132732 A US 201615132732A US 2017297507 A1 US2017297507 A1 US 2017297507A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
badge
period
iridescent
diffraction
diffraction grating
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US15/132,732
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English (en)
Inventor
Paul Kenneth Dellock
Stuart C. Salter
Talat Karmo
Michael Musleh
Chester Stanislaus Walawender
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ford Global Technologies LLC
Original Assignee
Ford Global Technologies LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ford Global Technologies LLC filed Critical Ford Global Technologies LLC
Priority to US15/132,732 priority Critical patent/US20170297507A1/en
Assigned to FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC reassignment FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: DELLOCK, PAUL KENNETH, KARMO, TALAT, MUSLEH, MICHAEL, WALAWENDER, CHESTER STANISLAUS, SALTER, STUART C.
Priority to US15/290,235 priority patent/US20170297508A1/en
Priority to DE102017107796.0A priority patent/DE102017107796A1/de
Priority to MX2017005009A priority patent/MX2017005009A/es
Priority to CN201710257389.1A priority patent/CN107305262A/zh
Publication of US20170297507A1 publication Critical patent/US20170297507A1/en
Priority to US16/597,962 priority patent/US11124133B2/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R13/00—Elements for body-finishing, identifying, or decorating; Arrangements or adaptations for advertising purposes
    • B60R13/005—Manufacturers' emblems, name plates, bonnet ornaments, mascots or the like; Mounting means therefor
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B5/00—Optical elements other than lenses
    • G02B5/18—Diffraction gratings
    • G02B5/1847—Manufacturing methods
    • G02B5/1857—Manufacturing methods using exposure or etching means, e.g. holography, photolithography, exposure to electron or ion beams
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C45/00—Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C45/17—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
    • B29C45/26—Moulds
    • B29C45/37—Mould cavity walls, i.e. the inner surface forming the mould cavity, e.g. linings
    • B29C45/372—Mould cavity walls, i.e. the inner surface forming the mould cavity, e.g. linings provided with means for marking or patterning, e.g. numbering articles
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B27/00—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
    • G02B27/42—Diffraction optics, i.e. systems including a diffractive element being designed for providing a diffractive effect
    • G02B27/44—Grating systems; Zone plate systems
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
    • G09F19/00—Advertising or display means not otherwise provided for
    • G09F19/12—Advertising or display means not otherwise provided for using special optical effects
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
    • G09F21/00—Mobile visual advertising
    • G09F21/04—Mobile visual advertising by land vehicles
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
    • G09F3/00—Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means; Seals; Postage or like stamps
    • G09F3/02—Forms or constructions
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C33/00—Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor
    • B29C33/38—Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor characterised by the material or the manufacturing process
    • B29C33/3842—Manufacturing moulds, e.g. shaping the mould surface by machining
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C33/00—Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor
    • B29C33/38—Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor characterised by the material or the manufacturing process
    • B29C33/40—Plastics, e.g. foam or rubber
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C33/00—Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor
    • B29C33/42—Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor characterised by the shape of the moulding surface, e.g. ribs or grooves
    • B29C33/424—Moulding surfaces provided with means for marking or patterning
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C45/00—Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C45/17—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
    • B29C45/26—Moulds
    • B29C45/263—Moulds with mould wall parts provided with fine grooves or impressions, e.g. for record discs
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
    • B29D11/00—Producing optical elements, e.g. lenses or prisms
    • B29D11/0074—Production of other optical elements not provided for in B29D11/00009- B29D11/0073
    • B29D11/00769—Producing diffraction gratings
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
    • B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
    • B29L2031/744—Labels, badges, e.g. marker sleeves
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
    • G09F7/00—Signs, name or number plates, letters, numerals, or symbols; Panels or boards
    • G09F7/18—Means for attaching signs, plates, panels, or boards to a supporting structure
    • G09F2007/1873—Means for attaching signs, plates, panels, or boards to a supporting structure characterised by the type of sign
    • G09F2007/1882—Emblems, e.g. fixed by pins or screws

Definitions

  • the present invention generally relates to iridescent badges, trim and other exterior surfaces for vehicles and methods of making the same, particularly automotive badges with a jewel-like appearance.
  • Vehicle badges can be designed to reflect the luxury and high-end nature of particular vehicle models. For example, certain vehicle models can be more desirable to car enthusiasts and owners with a badge having a jewel-like appearance.
  • vehicular badges trim and other exterior surfaces (and methods of making them) that exhibit an iridescent or jewel-like appearance without a significant cost increase associated with the enhancement.
  • these iridescent, vehicular badges should maintain their appearance over a vehicle lifetime while being exposed to a typical vehicular environment.
  • an iridescent vehicle badge includes a translucent, polymeric badge having a non-planar shape and comprising an interior and an exterior surface. Further, at least one of the surfaces of the badge is non-planar and comprises a diffraction grating integral with the badge, the grating having a thickness from 250 nm to 1000 nm and a period from 50 nm to 5 microns.
  • an iridescent vehicle badge includes a translucent, polymeric badge having a non-planar shape and comprising an interior and an exterior surface. Further, at least one of the surfaces of the badge comprises a plurality of diffraction gratings that are integral with the badge, each having a thickness from 250 nm to 1000 nm and a varying period from 50 nm to 5 microns.
  • a method of making an iridescent vehicle badge includes the steps: forming a mold with mold surfaces corresponding to interior and exterior surfaces of the badge; ablating at least one of the mold surfaces to form a diffraction grating mold surface; and forming the badge with a diffraction grating having a thickness from 250 nm to 1000 nm and a period from 50 nm to 5 microns in the mold surfaces with a polymeric material.
  • FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an iridescent vehicular badge affixed to the front of a vehicle according to an aspect of the disclosure
  • FIG. 2 is a top-down, schematic plan view of an iridescent vehicular badge according to an aspect of the disclosure
  • FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional, schematic view of the badge depicted in FIG. 2 through line IIA-IIA;
  • FIG. 2B is an enlarged, cross-sectional schematic view of a diffraction grating incorporated into an interior surface of the badge depicted in FIG. 2 ;
  • FIG. 3 is a top-down, schematic plan view of an iridescent vehicular badge with non-planar exterior and interior surfaces according to an aspect of the disclosure
  • FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional, schematic view of the badge depicted in FIG. 3 through line IIIA-IIIA;
  • FIG. 3B is an enlarged, cross-sectional schematic view of a diffraction grating incorporated into a non-planar interior surface of the badge depicted in FIG. 3 ;
  • FIG. 4 is an enlarged, cross-sectional schematic view of a diffraction grating with a varying period.
  • the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “interior,” “exterior,” “vehicle forward,” “vehicle rearward,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1 .
  • the invention may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary.
  • the specific devices and assemblies illustrated in the attached drawings and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.
  • iridescent badges for vehicles (and methods of making the same).
  • the iridescent vehicular elements contain one or more diffraction gratings that are integral with the primary component(s) of the elements (e.g., a badge member), each of which provides sparkle and iridescence to the element.
  • Various microscopic features can be added or adjusted within the gratings to achieve varied aesthetic effects.
  • Gratings can also be incorporated into various regions within the vehicular element to achieve other varied, aesthetic effects.
  • these iridescent badges, trim and other iridescent vehicular elements can be injection molded as one part, and typically cost only marginally more than conventional badges and trim.
  • FIG. 1 a front perspective view of an iridescent vehicular badge 100 , 100 a affixed to the front of a vehicle 1 is provided according to an aspect of the disclosure.
  • the badge 100 , 100 a is characterized by an iridescent or jewel-like appearance under ambient lighting (e.g., from the sun).
  • One or more diffraction gratings 20 configured within an exterior and/or interior surface of the badge 100 , 100 a provide the iridescent or jewel-like appearance.
  • an iridescent vehicular badge 100 can include a translucent, polymeric badge member 10 .
  • the badge member 10 includes one or more exterior surfaces 12 and one or more interior surfaces 14 .
  • the badge member 10 is characterized by an optical transmissivity of 85% or more over the visible spectrum (e.g., 390 to 700 nm).
  • the badge member 10 is characterized by an optical transmissivity of 90% or more, and even more preferably, 95% or more, over the visible spectrum.
  • the badge member 10 can be optically clear with no substantial coloration.
  • the badge member 10 can be tinted or affixed with one or more filters on its exterior surfaces 12 and/or interior surfaces 14 to obtain a desired hue (e.g., blue, red, green, etc.).
  • badge member 10 of the iridescent vehicular badge 100 is fabricated from a polymeric material.
  • polymeric materials include thermoplastic and thermosetting polymeric materials, e.g., silicones, acrylics and polycarbonates.
  • the precursor material(s) employed to fabricate the badge member 10 have a high flow rate and/or a low viscosity during a molding process such as injection molding.
  • fillers e.g., glass beads and particles, can be added to a polymeric material, serving as a matrix, to form the badge member 10 without significant detriment to the optical properties of the member.
  • These fillers can provide added durability and/or additional aesthetic effects to the iridescent vehicular badge 100 .
  • glass fillers are added in the range of 1 to 15% by volume, depending on the nature of the filler and the desired effect (e.g., enhanced durability, added light scattering, etc.).
  • the badge member 10 of the iridescent vehicular badge 100 can take on any of a variety of shapes, depending on the nature of the badge, vehicle insignia and other design considerations.
  • one or more of the exterior and interior surfaces 12 , 14 of the badge member 10 are planar (e.g., faceted), non-planar, curved or characterized by other shapes.
  • the exterior and interior surfaces 12 , 14 can be characterized with portions having planar features and portions having non-planar features. As shown in FIGS.
  • the badge member 10 has planar (e.g., faceted) exterior and interior surfaces 12 , 14 comprising diffraction gratings 20 as viewed in cross-section, while having some curved portions in forming the overall design of the vehicular badge 100 .
  • the badge member 10 of the iridescent vehicular badge 100 can consist of a single component in a preferred embodiment.
  • the badge member 10 can be formed as a single piece with integral diffraction grating(s) 20 from a single mold.
  • the member 10 can be formed from multiple parts, preferably with the parts joined, without significant detriment to the overall optical properties of the member 10 .
  • exterior and interior surfaces 12 , 14 of the badge member 10 of the iridescent vehicular badge 100 include one or more diffraction gratings 20 , preferably integral with the badge member 10 .
  • the iridescent vehicular badge 100 includes a badge member 10 with exterior and interior surface diffraction gratings 22 , 24 on planar portions of exterior and interior surfaces 12 , 14 , respectively.
  • Some aspects of the vehicular badge 100 include a badge member 10 with one or more diffraction gratings 20 in the form of exterior surface gratings 22 on one or more planar portions of the exterior surface 12 .
  • Other aspects of the vehicular badge 100 include a badge member 10 with one or more diffraction gratings 20 in the form of interior surface gratings 24 on one or more planar portions of the interior surface 14 .
  • the diffraction gratings 20 of the badge member 10 of an iridescent vehicular badge 100 are formed at a microscopic level.
  • the diffraction gratings 20 i.e., as inclusive of exterior and interior surface diffraction gratings 22 , 24
  • the thickness 38 of the diffraction gratings 20 should be maintained in the range of 250 to 1000 nm to ensure that the iridescent vehicular badge 100 (see FIGS.
  • the thickness 38 of the diffraction gratings 20 ranges from about 390 nm to 700 nm. In other embodiments, the thickness 38 of the diffraction gratings 20 ranges from 500 nm to 750 nm.
  • the grooves of the diffraction gratings 20 within the badge member 10 of an iridescent vehicular badge 100 can be configured in various shapes to diffract incident light and produce an iridescent and jewel-like appearance.
  • the gratings 20 have a sawtooth or triangular shape. In three dimensions, these gratings 20 can appear with a stepped or sawtooth shape without angular features (i.e., in the direction normal to what is depicted in FIG. 2B ), pyramidal in shape, or some combination of stepped and pyramidal shapes.
  • Other shapes of the diffraction gratings 20 include hill-shaped features (not shown)—e.g., stepped features with one or more curved features.
  • the diffraction gratings 20 can also include portions with a combination of triangular and hill-shaped features. More generally, the shapes of the gratings 20 should be such that an effective blazing angle ⁇ B of at least 15 degrees is present for one or more portions of each grating, tooth or groove of the diffraction gratings 20 .
  • the blaze angle ⁇ B is the angle between step normal (i.e., the direction normal to each step or tooth of the grating 20 ) and the direction normal 40 to the exterior and interior surfaces 12 , 14 having the grating 20 .
  • the blaze angle ⁇ B is optimized to maximize the efficiency of the wavelength(s) of the incident light, typically ambient sunlight, to ensure that maximum optical power is concentrated in one or more diffraction orders while minimizing residual power in other orders (e.g., the zeroth order indicative of the ambient light itself).
  • the diffraction gratings 20 of the badge member 10 of an iridescent vehicular badge 100 are characterized by one or more periods 36 (also known as din the standard nomenclature of diffraction gratings).
  • the period 36 of the diffraction grating 20 is maintained between about 50 nm and about 5 microns.
  • the maximum wavelength that a given diffraction grating 20 can diffract is equal to twice the period 36 .
  • a diffraction grating 20 with a period 36 that is maintained between about 50 nm and about 5 microns can diffract light in an optical range of 100 nm to about 10 microns.
  • the period 36 of a diffraction grating 20 is maintained from about 150 nm to about 400 nm, ensuring that the grating 20 can efficiently diffract light in an optical range of about 300 nm to about 800 nm, roughly covering the visible spectrum.
  • Incident light 50 (typically ambient, sun light) at an incident angle ⁇ is directed against a sawtooth-shaped diffraction grating 24 having a thickness 38 , a period 36 and a blaze angle ⁇ B . More particularly, a portion of the incident light 50 (preferably, a small portion) striking the grating 24 at an incident angle ⁇ is reflected as reflected light 50 r at the same angle ⁇ , and the remaining portion of the incident light 50 is diffracted at particular wavelengths corresponding to diffracted light 60 n , 60 n+1 , etc.
  • Interior surface gratings 24 are advantageous within the iridescent vehicular badge 100 (see FIGS. 2 and 2A ) due to their protected location.
  • these gratings 24 are generally protected from damage, alteration and/or wear due to their location on the backside of the badge member 10 .
  • incident light 50 must pass through the member 10 to reach the grating 24 and that diffracted light 60 n , 60 n+1 , etc., must also pass through the member 10 to produce an iridescent effect
  • the diffraction efficiency of gratings 24 can be somewhat lower than the diffraction efficiency of the exterior surface gratings 22 (see FIG.
  • a preferred embodiment of the vehicular badge 100 includes both exterior and interior surface diffraction gratings 22 , 24 to balance diffraction efficiency and wear resistance.
  • an iridescent vehicular badge 100 a comprising a translucent, polymeric badge member 10 a with non-planar exterior and interior surfaces 12 a, 14 a is depicted according to an aspect of the disclosure.
  • the iridescent vehicular badge 100 a shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A is similar to the iridescent vehicular badge 100 depicted in FIGS. 2 and 2A , and like-numbered elements have the same structure and function.
  • badges 100 a and badges 100 have a badge member 10 a with non-planar portions of interior and exterior surfaces 12 a, 14 a (or such surfaces 12 a, 14 a that are substantially non-planar across their entire surface area) and diffraction gratings 20 a on such non-planar features.
  • vehicular badges 100 have a badge member 10 with diffraction gratings 20 located on planar portions of exterior and interior surfaces 12 , 14 .
  • the iridescent vehicular badge 100 a includes a badge member 10 a with one or more diffraction gratings 20 a.
  • diffraction gratings 20 a include exterior and interior surface diffraction gratings 22 a and 24 a, respectively, located within or otherwise on non-planar portions of exterior and interior surfaces 12 a, 14 a of the member 10 a.
  • Some aspects of the vehicular badge 100 a include a badge member 10 a with one or more diffraction gratings 20 a in the form of exterior surface gratings 22 a on one or more non-planar portions of the exterior surface 12 a.
  • Other aspects of the vehicular badge 100 a include a badge member 10 a with one or more diffraction gratings 20 a in the form of interior surface gratings 24 a on one or more non-planar portions of the interior surface 14 a.
  • FIG. 3B the cross-sectional view of the diffraction gratings 20 a within the badge member 10 a of an iridescent vehicular badge 100 a are similar to the diffraction gratings 20 in FIG. 2B .
  • Incident light 50 typically ambient, sun light
  • ⁇ incident angle
  • FIG. 2B the cross-sectional view of the diffraction gratings 20 a within the badge member 10 a of an iridescent vehicular badge 100 a are similar to the diffraction gratings 20 in FIG. 2B .
  • Incident light 50 typically ambient, sun light
  • ⁇ the cross-sectional view of the diffraction gratings 20 a within the badge member 10 a of an iridescent vehicular badge 100 a are similar to the diffraction gratings 20 in FIG. 2B .
  • Incident light 50 typically ambient, sun light
  • ⁇ B blaze angle
  • a portion of the incident light 50 (preferably, a small portion) striking the grating 24 a at an incident angle ⁇ is reflected as reflected light 50 r at the same angle ⁇ (see FIG. 2B ), and the remaining portion of the incident light 50 is diffracted at particular wavelengths corresponding to diffracted light 60 n , 60 n+1 , etc., at corresponding diffraction angles ⁇ n and ⁇ n+1 (see FIG. 2B ) and so on.
  • n is an integer corresponding to particular wavelengths of the reflected or diffracted light.
  • each tooth of the diffraction grating 20 a can produce diffracted light at unique or differing diffraction orders.
  • one tooth of the diffraction grating can produce diffracted light 60 n and 60 n+1 and a different tooth can produce diffracted light 60 n+2 and 60 n+3 , all from the same incident light 50 .
  • the interior surface diffraction grating 24 a, and more generally diffraction gratings 20 a advantageously can produce jewel-like effects of widely varying wavelengths within small regions of the badge 100 a (see FIGS. 3 and 3A ).
  • a diffraction grating 120 with varying periods that can be employed in iridescent vehicular badges 100 , 100 a (or other badges consistent with the principles of the disclosure) is depicted in a cross-sectional form according to an aspect of the disclosure.
  • the diffraction grating 120 is similar in most respects to the diffraction gratings 20 , 20 a depicted in FIGS. 2-2B and 3-3B , with like-numbered elements having the same structure and function.
  • Diffraction grating 120 differs from diffraction gratings 20 , 20 a in that it contains varying periods within the same grating.
  • diffraction grating 120 can have two or more sets of teeth or grooves, each having a particular period (e.g., period 136 a ) that can produce light at unique or differing diffraction orders. As shown in exemplary form in FIG. 4 , the grating 120 is configured with three periods—period 136 a, period 136 b and period 136 c.
  • One set of teeth of the diffraction grating 120 with a period of 136 a can produce diffracted light 60 n and 60 n+1
  • a different set of teeth with a period of 136 b can produce diffracted light 60 n+2 and 60 n+3
  • a third set of teeth with a period of 136 c can produce diffracted light 60 n+4 and 60 n+5 , all from the same incident light 50 .
  • a diffraction grating 120 whether employed on interior and/or exterior surfaces 12 , 12 a, 14 , 14 a (see FIGS. 2A and 3A ) of the member 10 , 10 a, (see FIGS. 2A and 3A ) advantageously can produce jewel-like effects of widely varying wavelengths within various regions of the badge 100 , 100 a (see FIGS. 2A and 3A ) containing such a grating.
  • the diffraction grating 120 includes a varying period that varies between two to ten discrete values or, more preferably, between two to five discrete values.
  • a diffraction grating 120 with varying periods can be employed in one or more portions of an exterior and/or interior surface 12 , 12 a, 14 , 14 a of a badge member 10 , 10 a, and one or more diffraction gratings 20 , 20 a having a constant period are employed in other portions of the exterior and/or interior surface of the badge member 10 , 10 a to create interesting, jewel-like appearance effects produced by the vehicular badge 100 , 100 a employing the gratings.
  • the diffraction grating 120 includes a varying period that changes between any number of values, only limited by the overall length of the grating 120 and/or the processing capabilities to develop such variability through precise control of mold dimensions.
  • optional coatings may be applied over the exterior surfaces 12 , 12 a of the badge member 10 , 10 a.
  • an optically clear sealing layer e.g., a polyurethane seal
  • an optically clear sealing layer can be applied over such exterior surfaces to add further mechanical and/or ultraviolet light protection to the badges 100 , 100 a, particularly to any diffraction gratings 20 , 20 a included in the exterior surfaces of these badges.
  • the additional of a relatively thin protective coating can protect the diffraction gratings while retaining the benefits of locating the grating on the exterior surface of the badge in terms of diffraction efficiency and the overall iridescence obtained by the badges 100 , 100 a.
  • an optional backing plate or backing layer can be applied to the interior surfaces 14 , 14 a of the badge members 10 , 10 a of these badges.
  • a backing plate or layer can be specular (e.g., mirror-like) or non-specular (e.g., light-scattering), depending on the aesthetic effect desired of the badge 100 , 100 a .
  • the backing plate or layer can be white, grey, black or any conceivable color.
  • a badge designer could employ a red backing plate to produce a red-hued iridescence with a badge 100 , 100 a configured on the hood of a blue-colored vehicle possessing such a badge.
  • a method of making an iridescent vehicle badge (e.g., iridescent vehicular badges 100 , 100 a ) is provided that includes a step of forming a mold with mold surfaces corresponding to interior and exterior surfaces of the badge (e.g., exterior and interior surfaces 12 , 12 a, 14 , 14 a ).
  • a mold is formed for this step from metals or metal alloys sufficient to withstand the temperatures and environmental conditions associated with injection molding a badge member (e.g., members 10 , 10 a ) suitable for the iridescent vehicular badge.
  • the forming a mold step is conducted such that the mold is capable of injection molding a single piece badge member 10 , 10 a.
  • the method of making an iridescent vehicular badge also includes a step of ablating at least one of the mold surfaces to form one or more diffraction grating mold surfaces.
  • the ablating step is conducted to form one or more such diffraction grating surfaces intended to correspond to diffraction gratings (e.g., gratings 20 , 20 a and 120 ) intended to be incorporated in portions of the exterior and/or interior surfaces of the badge (e.g., badges 100 , 100 a ).
  • the ablating step is conducted with a laser ablation process.
  • Laser ablation processes e.g., employing an AgieCharmilles Laser P cutting apparatus from Georg Fischer Ltd., are particularly adept at developing the diffraction grating mold surfaces in the mold given their ability to precisely ablate microscopic features into metal and metal alloy mold surfaces.
  • the iridescent vehicular badge also includes a step of forming the badge (e.g., badges 100 , 100 a ) with a diffraction grating (e.g., diffraction gratings 20 , 20 a, 120 ) having a thickness from 250 nm to 1000 nm and a period from 50 nm to 5 microns in the mold surfaces with a polymeric material (e.g., optically clear silicone with a high flow rate).
  • the forming the badge step is conducted with an injection molding process.
  • portions of the mold in proximity to the one or more diffraction grating mold surfaces are heated prior to the step of forming the badge. Adding additional heat to these portions of the mold serves to further reduce the viscosity of the polymeric material such that it can flow within the very small scale aspects of the diffraction grating mold surfaces.
  • iridescent vehicular badges 100 , 100 a can be applied to other iridescent vehicular elements. These elements include exterior and interior vehicle trim, license plate holders, hubcaps, key bezels and any other feature that might benefit from iridescent appearance effects under ambient lighting, for example. It is also feasible to employ molds for the creation of such iridescent vehicular elements that can produce one-of-a-kind or near one-of-a-kind jewel-like appearance effects.
  • an iridescent vehicular badge 100 , 100 a can be designed for a mold with a fully-symmetric badge member having one or more symmetrically positioned diffraction grating(s) that diffract light differently in each direction.
  • iridescent vehicular badges 100 , 100 a can be configured with diffraction gratings 20 , 20 a such that they produce an iridescent appearance under day-time, ambient illumination while balancing the reduction of sparkle and glare for oncoming drivers under day-time or night-time conditions.
  • diffraction gratings 20 , 20 a can be placed within certain locations of the exterior and/or interior surfaces 12 , 12 a, 14 , 14 a to produce the desired jewel-like appearance, but only when observers are located in positions not typical of oncoming vehicles.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
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  • Marketing (AREA)
  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Vehicle Interior And Exterior Ornaments, Soundproofing, And Insulation (AREA)
  • Diffracting Gratings Or Hologram Optical Elements (AREA)
  • Vehicle Waterproofing, Decoration, And Sanitation Devices (AREA)
US15/132,732 2016-04-19 2016-04-19 Iridescent badges for vehicles and methods of making the same Abandoned US20170297507A1 (en)

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US15/132,732 US20170297507A1 (en) 2016-04-19 2016-04-19 Iridescent badges for vehicles and methods of making the same
US15/290,235 US20170297508A1 (en) 2016-04-19 2016-10-11 Iridescent badges with embossed diffraction films for vehicles and methods of making the same
DE102017107796.0A DE102017107796A1 (de) 2016-04-19 2017-04-11 Irisierende embleme für fahrzeuge und verfahren, um diese herzustellen
MX2017005009A MX2017005009A (es) 2016-04-19 2017-04-18 Insignias iridiscentes para vehiculos y metodos de hacer las mismas.
CN201710257389.1A CN107305262A (zh) 2016-04-19 2017-04-19 车辆的彩虹色徽章及其制造方法
US16/597,962 US11124133B2 (en) 2016-04-19 2019-10-10 Iridescent badges for vehicles

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MX2017005009A (es) 2018-08-16

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