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US 10,948,799 B2Granted
Color-changing vehicle interior panel
AssigneeFaurecia Interior Systems, Inc.
InventorMaxime Salandre
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle interior panel includes a color-changing element with an active layer configured to change from a first color to a different second color when a voltage is applied across top and bottom electrode layers. The top electrode includes fullerenes in a configuration that is visibly transparent and permits the color-changing element to bend along sharp radii and/or stretch without losing electrical continuity. Fullerenes including ellipsoidal elements can provide these characteristics.
Claims20
A vehicle interior panel, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a color-changing laminate disposed over the substrate and including an active layer disposed between a bottom electrode layer and a top electrode layer, the electrode layers being disposed between top and bottom film layers of the laminate, the active layer being configured to change from a first color to a different second color when a voltage is applied across the electrode layers, and the top film layer being at least partially transparent to visible light;
- an opening formed through the color-changing laminate;
- and
- a bend in the color-changing laminate along a visible surface of the panel,
- wherein the bend includes a radius of less than 200 millimeters surrounding the opening,
- wherein the electrode layers each have an electrical conductivity that is continuous across the bend such that the active layer changes color across the bend when the voltage is applied, and
- wherein the top electrode layer comprises ellipsoidal fullerenes and is at least partially transparent to visible light.
5 more elements
A method of making a vehicle interior panel, comprising the steps of:
- providing a color-changing laminate comprising a color-changing element disposed between a top polymeric film layer and a bottom polymeric film layer, the color-changing laminate having a flat shape;
- thermoforming the color-changing laminate from the flat shape to a contoured shape having an out-of-plan radius of less than 200 millimeters, wherein the step of thermoforming includes forming a permanent bend in the laminate with the out-of-plane radius located along the bend;
- and
- attaching the thermoformed color-changing laminate to a vehicle interior panel substrate,
- wherein the color-changing element comprises an active layer disposed between a bottom electrode layer and a top electrode layer, the active layer being configured to change from a first color to a different second color when a voltage is applied across the electrode layers,
- wherein the top film layer and the top electrode layer are at least partially transparent to visible light, and
- wherein the electrode layers each comprise fullerenes configured so that continuity of the electrical conductivity of the electrodes is maintained after the step of thermoforming, including along the formed radius.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.