Vehicle trim part having a layered, decorative finish and configured to form a light pattern at the front of the part

A vehicle trim part having a layered, decorative finish, the part comprising:

• a polymeric substrate;
• a decorative layer overlying the polymeric substrate;
• and
• a light-transmissive, protective layer overlying and protecting the decorative layer, the protective layer including a front surface and a rear surface having a plurality of separate surface portions, each of the surface portions having a translucent surface finish, the decorative layer having openings which extend from a rear surface of the decorative layer to a front surface of the decorative layer, each of the openings being aligned with one of the translucent surface finishes, wherein cross sections of the openings at the front surface of the decorative layer and their corresponding translucent surface finishes are sized and shaped to form light patterns which are visible at the front of the part when artificial lighting illuminates the translucent surface finishes from the rear of the part.

An illuminated vehicle trim part having a layered, decorative finish, the part comprising:

• a polymeric substrate;
• a decorative layer overlying the polymeric substrate;
• a light-transmissive, protective layer overlying and protecting the decorative layer, the protective layer including a front surface and a rear surface having a surface portion with a translucent surface finish, the decorative layer having an opening extending from a rear surface of the decorative layer to a front surface of the decorative layer and aligned with the translucent surface finish;
• and
• a source of illumination for emitting rays of light and disposed at the rear of the part so that the light rays fall on the translucent surface finish, the source being configured to be electrically coupled to an electrical system of the vehicle and wherein both a cross section of the opening at the front surface of the decorative layer and the translucent surface finish are sized and shaped to form a light pattern which is visible at the front of the part when the source of illumination illuminates the translucent surface finish with the light rays from the rear of the part.

An illuminated vehicle trim part having a layered, decorative finish, the part comprising:

• a polymeric substrate;
• a decorative layer overlying the polymeric substrate;
• a light-transmissive, protective layer overlying and protecting the decorative layer, the protective layer including a front surface and a rear surface having a plurality of separate surface portions, each of the surface portions having a translucent surface finish, the decorative layer having openings which extend from a rear surface of the decorative layer to a front surface of the decorative layer, each of the openings being aligned with one of the translucent surface finishes;
• and
• at least one source of illumination for emitting rays of light and disposed at the rear of the part so that the light rays fall on the translucent surface finish, each source being configured to be electrically coupled to an electrical system of the vehicle and wherein cross sections of the openings at the front surface of the decorative layer and their corresponding translucent surface finishes are sized and shaped to form light patterns which are visible at the front of the part when the at least one source of illumination illuminates the translucent surface finishes with the light rays from the rear of the part.