GB2366902A

GB2366902A - Display device suitable for an automobile dashboard

Info

Publication number: GB2366902A
Application number: GB0117076A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Breslin
Original assignee: John McGavigan Ltd
Current assignee: John McGavigan Ltd
Priority date: 2000-07-13
Filing date: 2001-07-13
Publication date: 2002-03-20
Also published as: GB0117076D0; GB0017160D0

Abstract

An arrangement comprises a sheet form member 10' and an at least partially transparent portion 15' provided on a surface of said sheet form member 10', said portion 15' at least partially being formed on at least part of an at least transparent area of the sheet form member 10'. The arrangement may comprise a display device 20'. Said sheet form member 10' may be adapted to form an applique and other than said at least transparent area, may be substantially opaque. Ink may be applied to said sheet form member in a discontinuous fashion so that some areas remain at least partially transparent. The arrangement may be such that when a light illuminates the sheet form member 10' from behind, a logo may be visualised. Said sheet form member 10' and said at least partially transparent portion 15' may be formed from a plastics or polymeric material and may be flexible, said sheet form member 10' being preferably of polycarbonate, and said at least partially transparent portion 15' being preferably of polyurethane. Said at least transparent portion 15' may be formed from a liquid material directly onto said sheet form member 10', and said ink may be applied to said sheet form member 10' by means of screen printing. The invention relates in particular to display devices for automobile dashboards.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO DISPLAY DEVICES The present invention relates to display devices in particular to automobile dashboard display appliques and the like. A versatile method of displaying information is through use of printed graphics. A printed pattern may be applied to various substrates to produce a display and such displays may simply be applied to a product or the packaging of a product. A printed display may have a functional rather than purely aesthetic role to play such as use in automotive displays such as car dashboard displays which indicate inter alia vehicle speed and fuel levels. These displays usually have the option of being illuminated from the back face. Such displays may also indicate the vehicle manufacturers name. There is an ever growing need for goods of one manufacturer to be more attractive to customers than the goods of other manufacturers and the present invention seeks to address this need. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a sheet form member and an at least partially transparent portion provided on a surface of the sheet form member, the portion at least partially being formed on at least part of an at least partially transparent area of the sheet form member.

The sheet form member may comprise a display device. The sheet form member may be substantially opaque. Preferably, the sheet form member is adapted by suitable means to form an applique. In the context of the present invention an applique is a sheet form ciispiay device, usually having ink applied thereto in a discontinuous fashion, for example, by means of screen printing, so that some areas will remain at least partially transparent to allow light to pass through when the applique is mounted with a source of light behind it. Typically an area of the sheet form material remains sufficiently transparent or translucent so that, for example, a logo may be visualised when the applique is illuminated from behind. The applique may be formed from any suitable material, but typically this will be a plastic or polymeric material which is preferably transparent or translucent. Suitable materials from which the appliaue may be formed are polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polycarbonate, polyurethane and mixtures or copolymers thereof. Preferably the applique material substantially comprises polycarbonate. Any suitable at least partially transparent material may be provided on a surface of the sheet form member and such materials may be chosen from those listed supra from

which the sheet form member may be formed. It is preferred that the at least partially transparent portion is formed from polyurethane. The at least partially transparent portion may be applied to the sheet form member by any suitable technique such as direct application of liquid material to the surface of the sheet form member or by moulding the material on to the sheet form member. It should be understood that the said polyurethane portion is available in a variety of hardnesses. Hardness is typically expressed as a "Shore D" hardness, and any available hardness of polyurethane is suitable for use in the present invention. Typical hardnesses for the transparent portion are in the range 20 to 85 "Shore D". A hardness in the range 20 to 45 "Shore D" is preferred. It is preferred that the sheet form member is flexible and that the at least partially transparent portion is also flexible.

It should be understood that the at least partially transparent portion may be applied on an un-printed portion of the sheet form member or may be applied on a printed portion of the sheet form member or together on both an unprinted and printed portion of the sheet form member. The sheet form member may be used in any application where display devices are used for example, car dashboard displays such as car speedometers, use on white goods such

as refrigerators, laundry washing machines, dishwashers, and cookers, and other electrical apparatus such as televisions, and audio devices such as stereos, personal stereos, radios, and mobile telephones. The present invention also provides an apparatus incLuding an applique according t=o the first aspect of the present invention wherein said apparatus may be an automotive vehicle, e.g. automobile of any of those ir_ems listed above. The prcsenr. invention also provides a method of formrig a display devi;-e comprising: - a method of formi nex a sheet form member - forming an at. least. partially transparent portion on at least part of the sheet form member. Preferably Lhe sheet form member is formed such that it includes a window portion of a coloured or colourless transparent or translucent material which may or may riot have ink applied thereto and preferably r.he at least partially t=ransparent portion is formed on at least part of the said window of the sheet form member. The at least partially transparent portion is preferably formed from polyurethane. It is preferred that the polyurethane is applied in liquid form directly to the surface of the sheet form member. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art

that such a sheet form member including a portion applied thereon provides an improved display device which is believed to occur through an improved optical effect because the portion formed on the sheet form member provides a pseudo lens effect which enhances the visual appearance of a marking such as a printed pattern or logo positioned thereunder. The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following figures in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective schematic view of a car dashboard applique of the prior art which does not have an at least partially transparent portion applied thereto. Figure 2 shows a perspective schematic view of the car dashboard applique of Figure 1 having a portion of polyurethane applied thereto. Figure 3 shows a side cross sectional view of a portion of applique shown in Figure 2 through line A-B. Referring to Figure I there is shown a sheet form member according to an embodiment of the present invention which in this embodiment is an appiique generally designated 10 having an at least partially transparent area comprising a window portion 15 with a logo 20 printed on the top surface 30 of the window 15. Referring now to Figure 2 there is shown a sheet form member according to an embodiment of the present invention which in this embodiment is an applique generally

designated 1.0' and is shown with an at least partially transparent area comprising a window portion 15' and logo 20'. in this embodiment, there is shown an at least partially transparent portion in the form of a polyurethane coating 25 which has been applied to the top surface 30 of -.he window por`on 15' -i;: a liquid form wriich, following application, cures or hardens and self adheres to the surface of ti`ic, window nortiori 1 5' . The polyurethane coating 25 enhances IL-he visual appearance of the logo 20' by providing a pseudo lens eliect. A#:; seen in _r_.q:,r a @@, the polyurethane co,at-Lrg 25' l s a relatively thick coating adhered directly to the top surface 30' o.`_ t':e window por t ,J on !5''.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An arrangement comprising a sheet form member and an at least partially transparent portion provided on a surface of the sheet form member, the portion at least partially being formed on at least part of an at least partially transparent area of the sheet form member. 2. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said sheet form member comprises a display device. 3. The arrangement according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said sheet form member, other than said at least partially transparent area, is substantially opaque. 9. The arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein said sheet form member is adapted to form an applique. 5. The arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein said sheet form member is a sheet form display device, having ink applied thereto in a discontinuous fashion, so that some areas remain at least partially transparent to allow light to pass through when the sheet form member is mounted with a source of light behind it.

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6. The arrangement according to any preceding ca aim wherein a logo is visualised when the sheet form, member is illuminated from behind. 7. The arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein said sheet form member comprises a plastic or polymeric material which is transparent or translucent.. 8. The arrangement according to claim 7 wherein said plastic or polymeric mate,2-a! ..._ chosen -110m polyethylene, polypropylene, poiyamide, polycarbonate, polyurethane and mixtures or cope;: ymers thereof. 9. i c arrangement. a-c:#cordJng t;@ ; i.aanl 8 w;ir.rcin said plastic or polymeric iriaterial is polycarbonate. 10. The arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein said at least partially transparent portion is c.riosen rrom po:Lyethylene, polypropylene, ooiyamide, polycarbonate, polyurethane and mixtures or copolymers thereof. 11. The arrangement according to claim 10 wherein said at least partially transparent portion is formed from polyurethane.

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12. The arrangement according to claim 11 wherein said polyurethane transparent portion has a hardness in the range 20 to 85 "Shore D". 13. The arrangement according to claim 12 where said polyurethane transparent portion has a hardness in the range 20 to 45 "Shore D". 14. The arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein said sheet form member is flexible and said at least partially transparent portion is also flexible. 15. An apparatus including an arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein said apparatus is chosen from an automotive vehicle, car dashboard display, car speedometer, refrigerator, laundry washing machine, dishwasher, cooker, television, stereo, personal stereo, radio, and mobile telephone. 16. A method of forming a display device comprising: - forming a sheet form member - forming an at least partially transparent portion on at least part of the sheet form member.

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17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the at least partially transparent portion is formed by applying to the sheet. form member liquid material directly to the surface of the sheet form member. 18. The method according to claim 16 or claim 17 wherein :he at least par' i & - '-'-y moulding liquid material on to the sheet form member. 19. The method according to claim 16, 1.7 or 18, wherein said sheet form member is formed such that it includes a window portion of a coloured or colourless transparent or translucenL material and the at least- par tial l y Lransparent portion is formed on at least part of the said window of the sheet form member. 20. The method .according to any of claims 16 to 20 wherein ink is applied to said sheet form member. 21. The method according to claim 20 wherein said ink is applied by means of screen printing. 22. The method according to claim 21 wherein said at least partially transparent portion is applied to an un-printed portion of the sheet form member.

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23. The method according to claim 21 wherein said at least partially transparent portion is applied to a printed portion of the sheet form member. 24. The method according to claim 21 wherein said at least partially transparent portion is applied to both an unprinted and printed portion of the sheet form member.