A light guide uniform light optical lens and an optical assembly thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a light guide and light uniformization optical lens and an optical assembly thereof, which are integrally made of transparent material and comprise a light guide main plate, wherein a ring hole is arranged on the light guide main plate; a first light gathering protrusion, a second light gathering protrusion, a third light gathering protrusion and a fourth light gathering protrusion are arranged on a rear panel of the light guide main plate; and a light scattering groove, a light outlet groove and a diffusion groove are arranged on a front panel of the light guide main plate. According to the application, first light rays from a first light inlet surface are diffused and uniformly lighted in the light guide main plate below the ring hole through the diffusion groove; second light rays from a second light inlet surface are converged on the third light gathering protrusion and the fourth light gathering protrusion after total reflection of the lens inner wall, and the light rays converged on the third light gathering protrusion are diffused out through the light scattering groove, and the light rays converged on the fourth light gathering protrusion are diffused out through the light outlet groove.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of LED light distribution lenses, specifically relating to a light guiding and uniform optical lens and its optical components. Background Technology

[0002] The application of LED light sources for lighting, indication, and display is increasingly penetrating every detail of production and daily life. For example, with numerous uses of electricity in daily life, the demand for lighting indicators related to electricity usage is also growing. Current technologies commonly use buttons where light shines from underneath, effectively "lighting up" the button and serving as an indicator. Indicators are also placed near sockets and power outlets to provide approximate locations, but they cannot provide precise location indication. Unlike buttons, sockets have limited optical design space, making it difficult to design precise positional indicators around them. However, in low-light conditions or situations where concentration is difficult, precise socket indicators are crucial for easy insertion of plugs, such as at night, in dimly lit rooms, inside a car at night, or while the car is in motion, where it's often difficult to focus and carefully locate the socket. With the widespread use of mobile phones and cars, more time is spent in vehicles, and charging mobile phones in the car is a common need. However, current car phone charging ports either lack indicator lights or the range of the indicator lights is insufficient for precise insertion. For example, a design with multiple indicator lights might have a single light or a wide indicator on one side of the charging port. This only tells the user the approximate location of the charging port near the indicator light, and the user still needs to pay more attention to find and accurately insert the cable.

[0003] However, designing precise optical guidance around the charging port is difficult due to limited space. For example, a light ring could be applied around the charging port, with the charging hole inside. To use it, simply insert the plug (such as an Android plug, an Apple plug, or a Type-C plug) into the ring; it's very easy, especially in dimly lit environments or when concentration is difficult. In most cases, the same effect can be achieved by sacrificing power with large-area, high-power lighting and then using a baffle to block out the parts that don't need the light. However, this has obvious drawbacks, especially for cars, which are powered by batteries. Even for new energy vehicles, which have larger energy reserves, energy conservation is paramount. Furthermore, automotive interior ambient lighting and indicators typically use a modular design with very limited space. For example, a single port often needs to accommodate all components of a phone charging module, including mechanical, optical, and electrical modules. Outside the port, the only option is to connect directly to the vehicle's power supply. Therefore, the design space for precise optical guidance in vehicles is even narrower.

[0004] Furthermore, as consumers demand higher levels of experience and pursue a sense of technology and sophistication, the requirements for optical indicators are also increasing. For example, there needs to be not only indication of the socket but also an indication of charging status. When the device is plugged in, a distinct indicator on the panel can tell the consumer that it is charging; this further complicates the already limited design space. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the problems in related technologies, the present invention designs a light-guiding and light-uniforming optical lens and its optical components to overcome the existing technical problems described in the background section.

[0006] One of the solutions adopted is: a light-guiding and light-uniforming optical lens, which is integrally made of transparent material; including a light-guiding main board, wherein the light-guiding main board is provided with a ring hole that runs through the front and back for the plug-in module to pass through;

[0007] The rear panel of the light guide main board has: a slot for mounting a circuit board is provided on the lower side of the annular hole, and a first light-focusing protrusion is provided on the lower side of the slot, with the side of the first light-focusing protrusion facing the slot being the first light-incident surface; a second light-focusing protrusion is provided on the left and right ends of the annular hole, with the side of the second light-focusing protrusion facing the slot being the second light-incident surface; it also includes a third light-focusing protrusion and a fourth light-focusing protrusion connected to the second light-focusing protrusions at both ends and extending and closing to the upper side of the annular hole, the third light-focusing protrusion and the fourth light-focusing protrusion being curved protrusions; the fourth light-focusing protrusion surrounds the third light-focusing protrusion from the outside and the top, and the two have a gap in the upper and lower directions;

[0008] The front panel of the light guide main board has: a light-diffusing groove corresponding to the third light-concentrating protrusion, a light-emitting groove corresponding to the fourth light-concentrating protrusion, and a diffusion groove corresponding to the first light-concentrating protrusion.

[0009] The first light ray incident from the first light-incident surface into the first focusing protrusion is diffused and uniformly distributed within the light guide plate below the annular hole via the diffusion groove; the second light ray incident from the second light-incident surface into the second focusing protrusion is guided into the third and fourth focusing protrusions respectively via total internal reflection through the inner wall of the lens; the light converging on the third focusing protrusion is diffused out through the diffusion groove, and the light converging on the fourth focusing protrusion is diffused out through the light-emitting groove.

[0010] Preferably, the first light-focusing protrusion is a rectangular protrusion that extends to both sides of the light guide main board; the upper surface of the rectangular protrusion is the first light-incident surface that is perpendicular to the slot, and the first LED light source mounted on the lower side of the circuit board emits light toward the first light-incident surface.

[0011] Preferably, a V-shaped groove is provided on the rectangular protrusion corresponding to the position of the first LED light source, forming a V-shaped light-incident surface, and part of the light emitted by the first LED light source enters the first light-focusing protrusion through the V-shaped light-incident surface.

[0012] Preferably, the third light-focusing protrusion is a saddle-shaped curved surface protrusion, with its height and thickness in the middle being smaller than those on the adjacent sides, so that the energy of the light inside diffuses from the middle to both sides.

[0013] Preferably, the fourth light-concentrating protrusion is a ∧-shaped protrusion, with its height and thickness in the middle being smaller than those on the adjacent sides, so that the energy of the light inside diffuses from the middle to both sides; the gap between the fourth light-concentrating protrusion and the third light-concentrating protrusion forms a triangle, and the triangular area uniformly receives diffused light from the fourth light-concentrating protrusion and the third light-concentrating protrusion on the periphery, so that the front panel part corresponding to the triangular area forms a uniform brightness.

[0014] Preferably, the four highest points of the third and fourth focusing protrusions form the four corners of a rectangular region.

[0015] Preferably, the diffusion groove is arranged horizontally, and its vertical cross-section is a right-angled triangle, with the hypotenuse of the right angle forming the lower wall surface of the diffusion groove and the right-angled side forming the upper wall surface; the upper wall surface faces vertically downward, and the lower wall surface is inclined towards the front of the light guide motherboard.

[0016] Preferably, the light-scattering groove is a continuous groove with multiple pits or protrusions at the bottom; the light-emitting groove is multiple and scattered on the front panel.

[0017] Preferably, it also includes a mounting plate that extends rearward from the second light-concentrating protrusion.

[0018] The second solution adopted is: an optical component based on the light-guiding and light-uniforming optical lens, including a circuit board and a cover plate, wherein the front end of the circuit board is inserted into a slot on the rear side of the light-guiding main board of the optical lens;

[0019] The circuit board is also provided with a power-connecting module at the front end, which passes through the annular hole from back to front; a first LED light source is provided on the lower side of the front end of the circuit board, which is located above the first light-incident surface; a second LED light source is provided on both sides of the upper side of the front end of the circuit board, which is located below the second light-incident surface and emits light perpendicularly towards the second light-incident surface; the circuit board is also provided with a circuit module for driving the LED light source and the power-connecting module, and the circuit board is connected to an external power supply;

[0020] The cover plate covers the front panel of the light guide main board, and the cover plate has a notch communicating with the annular hole; the cover plate along the periphery of the notch has an annular first light-transmitting area, the cover plate above the annular light-transmitting area has a second light-transmitting area, and the rest of the cover plate is opaque.

[0021] Preferably, the power supply module refers to a conventional power source such as an Android plug, an Apple phone plug, or a Type-C plug.

[0022] The solution of this invention includes complex mechanical, optical, and electronic modules, which achieve the best indication effect with the least light consumption in a small space. The principle is to use an optical lens made of transparent material, similar to a light guide plate. In a small space, while still accommodating the circuit board, the LED light source and the necessary power module are directly mounted on the circuit board. Since the light needs to be guided around the socket, the LED light source needs to overcome the obstruction of the socket to form a uniform light guiding effect. Therefore, LED light sources are installed on the top and bottom sides of the circuit board. Only one light source is needed on the bottom side. Since the area requiring uniform light is larger on the top side, and it is necessary to take care of the uniform light on both sides of the ring hole, two light sources are set on the top side. At the same time, the light entrance of the second light source (the second focusing protrusion) is located on both sides of the ring hole. However, since a vertical angle is formed, most of the light will not be output from the sides of the ring hole, avoiding excessive brightness at close range. Instead, it is output from the third and fourth focusing protrusions along the direction of light entrance, concentrating most of the light on the top side of the ring hole for light guiding and uniform light. This effectively concentrates most of the light to the area that needs to be indicated, greatly saving space. It can be formed into a separate optical component module, making the size smaller, while meeting the requirements of high-end ambient lighting effects and energy saving. It has great market application prospects. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a front view of the optical lens of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a front perspective view of the optical lens of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is another perspective view of the front side of the optical lens of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the optical lens structure of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a rear perspective view of the optical lens of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a bottom perspective view of the optical lens of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the rear side of the optical lens of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional perspective view of the optical lens of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional perspective view of the optical lens and circuit board mounting of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 10 This is a physical illustration of the optical component of the present invention;

[0033] 5. Light guide main board; 10. Front panel; 8. Ring hole; 81. Hole wall; 9. Buckle plate; 11, 12. Light emission groove; 13. Light diffusion groove; 14. Diffusion groove; 142. Upper wall surface; 141. Lower wall surface;

[0034] Rear panel 20; Fourth focusing protrusion 21; Third focusing protrusion 23; Gap 22; Slot 24; First focusing protrusion 25; First light-incident surface 251; V-shaped groove 252;

[0035] Second focusing protrusion 3; Second light-incident surface 31;

[0036] Circuit board 4; power supply module 41; first LED light source 43; second LED light source 42. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown, a light-guiding and light-uniforming optical lens is integrally made of transparent material; characterized in that it includes a light-guiding main board 5, wherein the light-guiding main board 5 is provided with a ring hole 8 that runs through the front and back for the insertion module 41 to pass through.

[0039] A slot 24 for mounting a circuit board 4 is provided on the lower side of the annular hole 8 on one side of the rear panel 20. A first light-concentrating protrusion 25 is provided on the lower side of the slot 24. The side of the first light-concentrating protrusion 25 facing the slot 24 is the first light-incident surface 251.

[0040] The slot 24 has stepped structures at both ends, with the first step extending 0.5 to 1 mm toward the center for better mounting and securing of the circuit board.

[0041] The first focusing protrusion 25 is a rectangular protrusion that extends to both sides of the light guide mainboard 5. The upper surface of the rectangular protrusion is the first light-incident surface 251, which is perpendicular to the slot 24. The first LED light source 43, mounted on the lower side of the circuit board 4, emits light towards the first light-incident surface 251. A V-shaped groove 252 is provided on the rectangular protrusion corresponding to the position of the first LED light source 43, forming a V-shaped light-incident surface. Part of the light emitted by the first LED light source 43 enters the first focusing protrusion 25 through the V-shaped light-incident surface.

[0042] The left and right ends of the annular hole are respectively provided with second light-concentrating protrusions 3 on the rear panel 20, and the side of the second light-concentrating protrusion 3 facing the slot 24 is the second light-incident surface 31. Since a vertical angle is formed, most of the light will not be discharged from the front of the two sides of the annular hole, thus avoiding excessive brightness at close range.

[0043] It also includes a third focusing protrusion 23 and a fourth focusing protrusion 21 that are connected to the second focusing protrusions 3 at both ends and extend to the upper side of the annular hole. The third focusing protrusion 23 and the fourth focusing protrusion 21 are curved protrusions.

[0044] The third focusing protrusion 23 is a saddle-shaped curved protrusion, with its height and thickness in the middle being smaller than those on the adjacent sides, so that the energy of the light inside diffuses from the middle to the sides, avoiding excessive brightness in the middle.

[0045] The fourth focusing protrusion 21 is a ∧-shaped protrusion, with its height and thickness in the middle being smaller than those on the adjacent sides, so that the energy of the light inside diffuses from the middle to the sides, avoiding excessive brightness in the middle.

[0046] The gap 22 between the fourth light-concentrating protrusion 21 and the third light-concentrating protrusion 23 forms a triangle. The triangular area uniformly receives diffused light from the fourth and third light-concentrating protrusions on the periphery, so that the front panel part corresponding to the triangular area forms a uniform brightness.

[0047] The fourth focusing protrusion 21 surrounds the third focusing protrusion 23 from the outside and the top, and the two have gaps in the upper and lower directions. The four highest parts of the third focusing protrusion 23 and the fourth focusing protrusion 21 form the four corners of a rectangular area, thus forming a rectangular uniform light area.

[0048] The mounting plate 9 extends rearward from the second focusing protrusion 3.

[0049] On the front panel of the light guide main board: there is a light-diffusing groove 13 corresponding to the third light-concentrating protrusion 21, a light-emitting groove 11, 12 corresponding to the fourth light-concentrating protrusion 21, and a diffusion groove 14 corresponding to the first light-concentrating protrusion.

[0050] The diffusion groove 14 is arranged horizontally, and its vertical cross-section is a right-angled triangle. The hypotenuse of the right angle forms the lower wall 141 of the diffusion groove, and the right-angled side forms the upper wall 142. The upper wall faces vertically downward, and the lower wall faces obliquely towards the front of the light guide motherboard.

[0051] The diffused light groove 13 is a continuous groove, and the bottom of the groove has multiple pits or protrusions.

[0052] There are multiple light-emitting grooves 11 and 12, which are scattered on the front panel.

[0053] The first light rays entering the first focusing protrusion 25 from the first light-incident surface 251 are diffused and uniformly distributed within the light guide plate 5 below the annular hole 8 via the diffusion groove 14; most of the second light rays entering the second focusing protrusion 3 from the second light-incident surface 31 are guided into the third focusing protrusion 23 and the fourth focusing protrusion 21 respectively by total internal reflection through the inner wall of the lens; the light converging on the third focusing protrusion is diffused out through the diffusion groove, and the light converging on the fourth focusing protrusion is diffused out through the light-emitting groove.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the optical lens is assembled into an optical component by the circuit board 4 and the cover plate, with the front end of the circuit board 4 inserted into the slot 24 on the rear side of the optical lens light guide main board.

[0055] The front end of the circuit board 4 is also provided with a power-plug module 41, which passes through the annular hole 8 from back to front; a first LED light source 43 is provided on the lower side of the front end of the circuit board 4, which is located on the upper side of the first light-incident surface 251; a second LED light source 42 is provided on both sides of the upper side of the front end of the circuit board 4, which is located on the lower side of the second light-incident surface 31 and emits light vertically toward the second light-incident surface 31; the circuit board 4 is also provided with a circuit module for driving the LED light source and the power-plug module, and the circuit board is connected to an external power supply;

[0056] The cover plate covers the front side of the front panel 10 of the light guide main board, and the cover plate has a notch communicating with the annular hole 8; a first annular light-transmitting area is provided on the cover plate around the notch, a second light-transmitting area is provided on the cover plate above the annular light-transmitting area, and the remaining area of ​​the cover plate is opaque. The power plug module refers to conventional power outlets such as Android plugs, Apple phone plugs, and Type-C plugs.

[0057] like Figure 10 The image shown is a rendering of the optical components. A ring-shaped indicator light surrounds the charging port. To use, simply insert the charging plug into the ring as indicated; minimal attention is required. Above the charging port is a battery symbol, indicating the function and nature of the socket.

[0058] This embodiment includes complex mechanical, optical, and electronic modules, achieving optimal indication effect with minimal light consumption within a confined space. The principle is to use an optical lens made of transparent material, similar to a light guide plate. In a small space, while still accommodating the circuit board, the LED light source and the necessary power module are directly mounted on the circuit board. Since the light needs to be guided around the socket, the LED light source needs to overcome the obstruction of the socket to form a uniform light guiding effect. Therefore, LED light sources are installed on the top and bottom sides of the circuit board. Only one light source is needed on the bottom side. Since the area requiring uniform light is larger on the top side, and it is necessary to take care of the uniform light on both sides of the ring hole, two light sources are set on the top side. At the same time, the light entrance of the second light source (the second focusing protrusion) is located on both sides of the ring hole. However, since a vertical angle is formed, most of the light will not be output from the sides of the ring hole, avoiding excessive brightness at close range. Instead, it is output from the third and fourth focusing protrusions along the direction of light entrance, concentrating most of the light on the top side of the ring hole for light guiding and uniform light. This effectively concentrates most of the light to the area that needs to be indicated, greatly saving space. It can be formed into a separate optical component module, making the size smaller, while meeting the requirements of high-end ambient lighting effects and energy saving. It has great market application prospects.

[0059] Based on the disclosure and teachings of the foregoing specification, those skilled in the art can make changes and modifications to the above embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and described above, and some modifications and changes to the invention should also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention. Furthermore, although some specific terms are used in this specification, these terms are only for convenience of explanation and do not constitute any limitation on the invention.

Claims

1. A light-guiding and light-uniforming optical lens, integrally made of a transparent material; characterized in that, Includes a light guide mainboard, which has a through-hole for the power module to pass through; The rear panel of the light guide main board has: a slot for mounting a circuit board is provided on the lower side of the annular hole, and a first light-focusing protrusion is provided on the lower side of the slot, with the side of the first light-focusing protrusion facing the slot being the first light-incident surface; a second light-focusing protrusion is provided on the left and right ends of the annular hole, with the side of the second light-focusing protrusion facing the slot being the second light-incident surface; it also includes a third light-focusing protrusion and a fourth light-focusing protrusion connected to the second light-focusing protrusions at both ends and extending and closing to the upper side of the annular hole, the third light-focusing protrusion and the fourth light-focusing protrusion being curved protrusions; the fourth light-focusing protrusion surrounds the third light-focusing protrusion from the outside and the top, and the two have a gap in the upper and lower directions; The front panel of the light guide main board has: a light-diffusing groove corresponding to the third light-concentrating protrusion, a light-emitting groove corresponding to the fourth light-concentrating protrusion, and a diffusion groove corresponding to the first light-concentrating protrusion. The first light ray incident from the first light-incident surface into the first focusing protrusion is diffused and uniformly distributed within the light guide plate below the annular hole via the diffusion groove; the second light ray incident from the second light-incident surface into the second focusing protrusion is guided into the third and fourth focusing protrusions respectively via total internal reflection through the inner wall of the lens; the light converging on the third focusing protrusion is diffused out through the diffusion groove, and the light converging on the fourth focusing protrusion is diffused out through the light-emitting groove.

2. The light-guiding and homogenizing optical lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first light-focusing protrusion is a rectangular protrusion that extends to both sides of the light guide main board. The upper surface of the rectangular protrusion is the first light-incident surface that is perpendicular to the slot, and the first LED light source installed on the lower side of the circuit board emits light towards the first light-incident surface.

3. The light-guiding and homogenizing optical lens according to claim 2, characterized in that, A V-shaped groove is provided on the rectangular protrusion corresponding to the position of the first LED light source, forming a V-shaped light-incident surface. Part of the light emitted by the first LED light source enters the first light-focusing protrusion through the V-shaped light-incident surface.

4. The light-guiding and homogenizing optical lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The third light-focusing protrusion is a saddle-shaped curved protrusion, with its height and thickness in the middle being smaller than those on the adjacent sides, so that the energy of the light inside diffuses from the middle to both sides.

5. The light-guiding and homogenizing optical lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fourth light-focusing protrusion is a ∧-shaped protrusion, with its height and thickness in the middle being smaller than those on the adjacent sides, allowing the energy of the light inside to diffuse from the middle to both sides; the gap between the fourth light-focusing protrusion and the third light-focusing protrusion forms a triangle, and the triangular area uniformly receives diffused light from the fourth light-focusing protrusion and the third light-focusing protrusion on the periphery, so that the front panel part corresponding to the triangular area forms a uniform brightness.

6. The light-guiding and homogenizing optical lens according to claim 5, characterized in that, The highest four parts of the third and fourth focusing protrusions form the four corners of a rectangular area.

7. The light-guiding and homogenizing optical lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diffusion groove is arranged horizontally, and its vertical cross-section is a right-angled triangle. The hypotenuse of the right angle forms the lower wall of the diffusion groove, and the right-angled side forms the upper wall. The upper wall faces vertically downward, and the lower wall faces obliquely towards the front of the light guide motherboard.

8. The light-guiding and homogenizing optical lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light-scattering groove is a continuous groove with multiple pits or protrusions at the bottom; there are multiple light-emitting grooves, which are scattered on the front panel.

9. The light-guiding and homogenizing optical lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a mounting plate that extends rearward from the second light-focusing protrusion.

10. An optical component comprising the light-guiding and homogenizing optical lens according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, It also includes a circuit board and a cover plate, wherein the front end of the circuit board is inserted into a slot in the rear panel of the optical lens light guide main board; The circuit board is also provided with a power-plug module at the front end, which passes through the annular hole from back to front; a first LED light source is provided on the lower side of the front end of the circuit board, which is located above the first light-incident surface; a second LED light source is provided on both sides of the upper side of the front end of the circuit board, which is located below the second light-incident surface and emits light vertically toward the second light-incident surface; the circuit board also includes a circuit module for driving the LED light source and the power-plug module. The cover plate covers the front panel of the light guide main board, and the cover plate has a notch communicating with the annular hole; the cover plate along the periphery of the notch has an annular first light-transmitting area, the cover plate above the first light-transmitting area has a second light-transmitting area, and the rest of the cover plate is opaque.

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