Bezel apparatus for use with vehicle lamps and related methods
AssigneeValeo North America, Inc.
InventorsJohn Orisich, Mark Pattison, Ambroise Servantie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Bezel apparatus for use with vehicle lamps are disclosed. A disclosed bezel for a vehicle lamp includes a skeleton defining a portion of the bezel. The skeleton is configured to provide structural integrity to the bezel. The bezel also includes a film configured to cover the skeleton. The film comprises a first side configured to contact the skeleton and a second side opposite to the first side and including a visual design. The bezel also includes a coupling mechanism configured to couple the film to the skeleton to provide a completed bezel.
Claims17
A bezel of a motor vehicle lamp, comprising:
- a portion of the bezel, which is a skeleton configured to provide a structural integrity;
- a film disposed on an exterior surface of the bezel and configured to cover said bezel, the film comprising a first side that is configured to contact the bezel and a second side opposing the first side that includes a visual design;
- and
- a coupling mechanism configured to couple the film to the bezel to form a completed assembly, wherein the film conforms to an in-mold decoration (IMD) or an in-mold label (IML) manufacture, and
- wherein the film is configured to transmit light therethrough to reveal the visual design when the light is received by the first side of the film.
A vehicle lamp, comprising:
- a bezel affixed to a housing, the bezel having a first and a second portion that are each configured to couple or decouple from one other, the second portion being disposed on an exterior surface of the first portion, the first portion at least partially defining a body of the bezel, the second portion at least partially defining an exterior surface of the bezel having a visual design, wherein the second portion is an in-mold decoration (IMD) or an in-mold label (IML), and wherein the second portion is translucent
- the second portion has a substantially uniform thickness that is 2 mm or less.
A method to provide a bezel of a motor vehicle lamp, comprising:
- providing structural integrity to the bezel with a skeleton;
- coupling a film to the bezel to provide a completed assembly, disposing the film on an exterior surface to cover said bezel;
- including a visual design on the film;
- contacting the film to the exterior surface of the bezel and a second side opposite to the first side and using an in-mold decoration (IMD) or an in-mold label (IML) manufacture;
- and
- revealing the visual design when a light is received by the first side of the film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.