Method for producing a plate

• US 7,210,799 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2003
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: REBO Lighting & Electronics GmbH (PTC Inc.)
• Original Assignee: REBO Lighting & Electronics GmbH (PTC Inc.)
• Inventors: Moser, Helmut, Gotthardt, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; James
• Application Number:
  US10/506,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20050150146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 359/520
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/10 Registration, licensing, or like devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/105 Licence- or registration plates, provided with mounting means, e.g. frames, holders, retainers, brackets
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2013/227 Electroluminescent displays for vehicles

Abstract

In a process for the production of a plate, in particular a motor vehicle licence plate, in which at least a layer sequence forming an electroluminescence flat capacitor (4, 5, 6, 7) and a reflection film (10; 10′) are applied to a carrier (1), a reflection film (10; 10′) is selected whose reflection value is higher than the maximum value permitted by statute, and said reflection value is reduced by further production steps to such an extent that it is below the maximum value permitted by statute.

Claims

1. A process for the production of a plate, in particular a motor vehicle licence plate, in which initially at least one layer sequence forming an electroluminescence flat capacitor (4, 5, 6, 7) and thereafter a reflection film (10;

10′

) which is translucent for the light of the electroluminescence flat capacitor (4, 5, 6, 7) are applied to a carrier (1), wherein the reflection value of the reflection film (10;

10′

) is higher than the maximum statutory permissible value, and said reflection value is reduced by further production steps to such an extent that it is below the maximum statutory permissible value,

characterised

in that a reflection film (10) is used whose reflection properties are based on it having on its rear side rearwardly projecting prismatic structures (12), at the interfaces of which the light incident from the front side is reflected by total reflection, and that the further production steps involve applying the reflection film (10) to an adhesive layer (9) which is translucent in respect of the light of the electroluminescence flat capacitor (4, 5, 6, 7) and is of approximately the same optical refractive index as the rearwardly projecting prismatic structures (12) of the reflection film (10), and

in that situation the intermediate spaces between the prismatic structures (12) are partially filled by the adhesive to such an extent that the reflection value of the reflection film (10) is reduced in the desired manner.

2. A process as set forth in claim 1, characterised in that the operation of filling the intermediate spaces between the prismatic structures by the adhesive is partially effected in respect of height by a procedure whereby the pressing pressure of the reflection film (10) and the viscosity of the adhesive at the time of pressing the reflection film (10) are so selected that the prismatic structures (12) which project on the rear side of the reflection film (10) penetrate into the adhesive only to such a depth that the total reflection which is reduced in the regions embedded in the adhesive reduces the reflection value of the reflection film (10) in the desired fashion.

3. A process as set forth in claim 1, characterised in that filling of the intermediate spaces between the prismatic structures (12) by the adhesive is effected partially in respect of height by the adhesive being applied to a layer which is so hard that it is substantially not deformable by the prismatic structures (12) projecting from the rear side of the reflection film (10) when the reflection film produced is subjected to pressure and by the thickness of the adhesive layer being so selected that the prismatic structures (12) which project on the rear side of the reflection film (10) and which when pressure is applied to the reflection film (10) penetrate with their tips as far as the hard layer engage into the adhesive only to such a depth that the total reflection which is reduced in the regions embedded in the adhesive reduces the reflection value of the reflection film (10) in the desired manner.

4. A process as set forth in claim 1, characterised in that filling of the intermediate spaces between the prismatic structures (12) by the adhesive is effected partially in respect of surface area in that, in surface regions disposed in mutually juxtaposed raster-like relationship, the intermediate spaces between the prismatic structures (12) are filled to differing heights so that the reflection value of the reflection film (10), which is averaged in respect of surface area, is below the maximum value permitted by statute.

5. A process as set forth in claim 4, characterised in that in first surface regions the intermediate spaces between the prismatic structures (12) are filled completely in respect of height by the adhesive while in the interposed second surface regions there is no filling of the intermediate spaces by the adhesive.

6. A process as set forth in claim 2, characterised in that filling of the intermediate spaces between the prismatic structures (12) by the adhesive is effected partially both in respect of height and also in respect of surface area.

7. A plate, in particular a motor vehicle licence plate, which includes a carrier (1), a reflection film (10;

10′

) and at least one layer sequence which as seen from the viewer is disposed behind the reflection film (10′

) and which forms an electroluminescence flat capacitor (4, 5, 6, 7), wherein the reflectance, which is originally above the maximum value permitted by statute of the reflection film (10;

10′

) which is translucent for the light of the electroluminescence flat capacitor (4, 5, 6, 7), has been reduced in the course of the plate production process, characterised in that prismatic structures (12) which project from the rear side of the reflection film (10) and at the interfaces of which the light incident from the front side is reflected by total reflection are partially embedded into a transparent layer (9) having approximately the same refractive index as the prismatic structures (12), in such a way as to afford a reduced total reflectance.

8. A plate as set forth in claim 7, characterised in that partial embedding is based on the fact that the prismatic structures (12) are not engaged over their entire height into the transparent layer (9) having approximately the same refractive index.

9. A plate as set forth in claim 7, characterised in that the prismatic structures (12) in differing surface regions of the flat side of the plate are engaged to differing depths into the transparent layer (9) having substantially the same refractive index.

10. A plate as set forth in claim 9, characterised in that in first surface regions of the flat side of the plate the prismatic structures (12) are engaged with their entire height into a transparent layer (9) having substantially the same refractive index and in second surface regions they are not engaged into such a layer.

11. A plate as set forth in claim 7, characterised in that the layer (9) having substantially the same refractive index is an adhesive layer which serves at the same time for fixing the reflection film (10) on the layer therebeneath.