Light guide assembly, signal lamp and vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a light guide assembly, a signal lamp and a vehicle, and relates to the technical field of vehicle signal lamps. The light guide assembly comprises a reflector, the reflector comprises a reflecting surface, the reflecting surface is opposite to a light emitting surface of a light source, the reflecting surface is used for reflecting light rays of the light source and converging the light rays on a first focal line, and the first focal line extends in a first direction; the light guide part is arranged on one side of the reflecting mirror, the light guide part comprises a light inlet face and a light outlet face which are oppositely arranged in the second direction, the light outlet face is located on the side, away from the reflecting mirror, of the light inlet face, and the light rays gathered on the first focal line enter the light guide part through the light inlet face and are emitted out through the light outlet face; the size of the light guide part in the first direction is larger than the size of the light guide part in the third direction, and the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to one another. Therefore, the ultra-narrow opening of the signal lamp is realized, and the lighting effect is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle signal light technology, and in particular to a light guide component, a signal light, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Besides their regulatory functions, automotive exterior lights are also an important element of aesthetic design. With the development of new energy technologies, higher demands are being placed on the design, performance, and cost of traffic lights.

[0003] Currently, in order to match the overall vehicle design, traffic lights are gradually moving towards extremely narrow openings, with the expectation that they can achieve a slender lighting effect and also achieve dynamic lighting, such as a dynamic flowing effect.

[0004] However, because the light-emitting opening in the vertical direction of the signal light is too small and the divergence angle of the light emitted from the light source is too large, most of the light cannot be effectively utilized, resulting in significant light loss and low optical efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a light guide component, a signal light, and a vehicle, aiming to improve the problems of low light efficiency and large light loss of signal lights caused by small light emission openings.

[0006] The specific technical solution is as follows: An embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a light guide assembly. The light guide assembly includes: a reflector, the reflector including a reflective surface opposite to the light-emitting surface of a light source, the reflective surface being used to reflect light from the light source and converge the light to a first focal line, the first focal line extending along a first direction; and a light guide disposed on one side of the reflector, the light guide including an incident surface and an exit surface disposed opposite to each other along a second direction, the exit surface being located on the side of the incident surface away from the reflector, the light converged to the first focal line entering the light guide through the incident surface and exiting through the exit surface, the dimension of the light guide along the first direction being larger than the dimension of the light guide along a third direction, the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction being perpendicular to each other.

[0007] The light guide assembly of this application collects large-angle light rays from the light source through the reflective surface of the mirror, and then collimates and converges the reflected light rays to the first focal line through the collimation effect of the reflective surface in the first direction and the convergence effect in the third direction. This maximizes the collection and utilization of the divergent light emitted by the light source. Furthermore, the light rays converged at the first focal line are incident on the light guide through the incident surface. The dimension of the light guide along the first direction is larger than its dimension along the third direction; that is, the light guide is a flat, elongated shape. In this case, the first focal line is equivalent to a continuous virtual line light source. The light rays can be considered as emanating from the first focal line, emitting parallel light in the first direction and controllable divergent light in the third direction. Even though the light guide is flat, it ensures that most of the light rays enter the light guide, are fully mixed internally, and then uniformly exit from the emitting surface, allowing the emitting surface of the light guide to form a highly uniform light band without dark areas or bright spots.

[0008] In other words, the reflector functions as an efficient light collector and directional guide. Through its two-way differentiated curvature reflective surface, it reflects the divergent light from the light source, converting it into directional light focused on the first focal line, making the first focal line a virtual line light source. The light guide functions as a uniform light mixer and a directional light emitter. The light guide receives not the divergent light from the light source, but rather the line light that has been initially converged and collimated after reflection by the reflector. Therefore, most of the light can enter the light guide, propagate orderly within it, and be fully mixed, without worrying about light loss due to large-angle scattering. This facilitates achieving an extremely narrow opening in the traffic light while reducing light loss and improving luminous efficiency. By using the light guide assembly of this embodiment, the light output efficiency of the traffic light can reach at least 30%.

[0009] Furthermore, in this application, using LED (Light Emitting Diode) chips of conventional size (usually above millimeter level) as the light source can realize a signal light strip with an extremely narrow opening, which also helps to reduce the production cost of the signal light.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, the light guide includes a first side and a second side, the first side and the second side are disposed opposite to each other along the third direction, and both the first side and the second side are used to connect the light emitting surface and the light incident surface; The first side and the second side are located on both sides of the first focal line along the third direction.

[0011] This configuration allows for several advantages. First, the light rays converging at the first focal line undergo multiple total internal reflections between the opposing first and second sides. Total internal reflection is a highly efficient light transmission method that reduces absorption and scattering losses during transmission through the sidewalls, thereby improving light utilization, reducing light loss, and increasing luminous efficiency. Second, the multiple total internal reflections on the first and second sides enable thorough light mixing: when the light source is a single source, it improves the uniformity and consistency of the signal light after illumination; when the light source includes multiple sub-sources of different colors, it allows for the full blending of different colors, avoiding localized single-color patches or color shifts, ensuring that the final mixed light emitted from the light-emitting surface is uniformly colored. This, in turn, enhances the diversity of the signal light's illumination effect and functionality while maintaining uniformity.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the distance between the first side and the second side is always equal.

[0013] This design offers several advantages. First, the angle of incidence of light on the first and second sides will not fluctuate due to variations in the thickness of the light guide, preventing total internal reflection failure and thus improving the stability and reliability of total internal reflection transmission, further reducing light loss. Second, uniform thickness indicates a consistent total internal reflection path length within the light guide, which also improves the uniformity of light output. Third, the light guide can be integrated into narrow areas such as body seams, aligning with the mainstream design of concealed lighting units, thereby improving the compatibility of the signal lights with the vehicle and ease of assembly. Furthermore, the uniform thickness of the light guide, being planar, also improves processing convenience, saves materials, and reduces costs.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, the first side surface includes a first sub-surface and a second sub-surface that are connected to each other, and the second side surface includes a third sub-surface and a fourth sub-surface that are connected to each other. The first sub-surface is located on the side of the second sub-surface that is away from the light-incident surface, and the third sub-surface is located on the side of the fourth sub-surface that is away from the light-incident surface. The distance between the third sub-face and the first sub-face is equal everywhere, and the distance between the second sub-face and the fourth sub-face gradually decreases from the light-incident surface to the light-exit surface.

[0015] This configuration offers several advantages. First, it provides a large incident surface area, ensuring a sufficient incident aperture to collect as much light as possible from the first focal line, thereby further reducing light loss and improving luminous efficiency. Second, the third and first sub-surfaces provide a stable transmission environment for subsequent multiple total internal reflections, enhancing the stability of total internal reflection propagation on these surfaces and further reducing light loss. Simultaneously, it improves manufacturing convenience, saves materials, and reduces costs.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, the distance between the light-incident surface and the first focal line along the second direction is L, and the dimension of the light guide along the third direction is T, wherein L≤3T.

[0017] If L is too long, firstly, the light beam reaching the incident surface will diverge excessively. The size of the beam along the third direction from the incident surface will be much larger than the thickness T of the light guide, meaning that the upper and lower portions of the beam will illuminate outside the incident surface of the light guide. In other words, a portion of the reflective area of ​​the reflective surface is wasted, unable to guide light into the light guide, thus reducing the effective contribution area of ​​the reflective surface. This results in a reduction in usable light, significant light energy loss, and low light energy coupling efficiency from the reflective surface to the light guide. Secondly, the diverged light will undergo unintended scattering, illuminating other structures inside the lamp housing and generating stray light. To solve these problems, the thickness T of the light guide needs to be increased to match the distance L, which would result in material waste and make it difficult to achieve the requirement of an extremely narrow opening. Furthermore, it would increase the distance between the first focal line and the incident surface, increasing the overall size of the light guide and reflector in the second direction, which is detrimental to improving the structural compactness of the light guide assembly.

[0018] Therefore, in this embodiment, limiting L ≤ 3T has several advantages. First, it maximizes the guidance of the core beam emitted from the first focal line into the light guide, ensuring the effective contribution area of ​​the reflecting surface. This helps reduce light loss, improves light coupling efficiency, and increases luminous efficacy. Second, it reduces light leakage at the incident surface, thus mitigating stray light and increasing the proportion of effective optical output. With these low stray light and high luminous efficacy effects, a uniform light band with clear boundaries, no halos, and no bright spots can ultimately be formed on an extremely narrow emitting surface. Furthermore, it helps control the distance between the light guide and the reflector, improving the structural compactness of the light guide assembly.

[0019] In some embodiments of this application, the reflective surface includes a first end close to the light-incident surface and a second end away from the light-incident surface; The distance between the second end and the incident light surface is greater than 3 mm.

[0020] The above limitations, firstly, ensure that the reflective surface has sufficient size, improving its light-gathering efficiency and thus reducing light loss and increasing luminous efficacy. Secondly, they allow for increased space on one side of the reflective surface, which also improves the ease of assembly of various components.

[0021] In some embodiments of this application, the number of the reflective surfaces is multiple, and the multiple reflective surfaces are arranged along the first direction; The plurality of reflective surfaces are all opposite to the light incident surface of the light guide.

[0022] This configuration, firstly, reduces crosstalk between different light sources when sending different control signals, such as sequential lighting / extinguishing or gradual brightness changes, to the various light sources arranged along the first direction. This allows the signal lights to achieve complex dynamic lighting effects, increasing their functional versatility and enhancing the vehicle's technological and premium feel. Secondly, this embodiment distributes the total luminous flux requirement to each reflective optical channel, ensuring consistent brightness along the first direction and guaranteeing the longitudinal (first direction) uniformity of the ultra-long light strip. Furthermore, the above structure can form a standardized module. By increasing or decreasing the number of reflective surfaces and correspondingly increasing or decreasing the dimensions of the light guides along the first direction, the signal lights can be adapted to different vehicle models, thus improving their versatility and standardization.

[0023] In some embodiments of this application, the light-incident surface and / or the light-exit surface are provided with microstructures.

[0024] By forming microstructures on the light-incident surface, the light-collecting efficiency of the light-incident surface can be improved. Furthermore, the incident angle of the incident light can be adjusted to be greater than or equal to the critical angle for total internal reflection, thereby further improving the reliability and stability of total internal reflection, reducing light loss, and increasing luminous efficiency. Similarly, forming microstructures on the light-exiting surface can diffuse and homogenize the emitted light, further improving the uniformity of the emitted light.

[0025] In some embodiments, the dimension of the light-emitting surface along the third direction is less than or equal to 3 mm.

[0026] Because the divergent light from the light source is reflected and transformed into directional light focused on the first focal line, the first focal line becomes a virtual line light source, emitting parallel light in the first direction and controllable divergent light in the third direction. Therefore, by flexibly setting the relative position between the light guide and the reflector, and the curvature of the reflector, the light guide can efficiently receive light emitted from the first focal line while remaining extremely thin. This minimizes the size of the light-emitting surface of the light guide in the third direction, while ensuring efficient utilization of light energy, ultimately achieving a uniform and high-brightness long strip light output with a height not exceeding 3mm. This improves the compatibility of the signal lights with the overall vehicle design, enhancing the vehicle's premium and technological feel.

[0027] An embodiment of the second aspect of this application provides a signal light, which includes a light source and the light guide assembly described in the first aspect, wherein the reflective surface is disposed opposite to the light source.

[0028] The traffic light uses the light guide assembly described in the first aspect. The reflector serves to efficiently collect and guide light in a directional manner. Through the reflective surfaces with differentiated curvatures in both directions, the divergent light from the light source is reflected and converted into directional light focused on the first focal line, making the first focal line a virtual line light source. The light guide serves to uniformly mix and directionally emit light. The light guide receives not the divergent light from the light source, but the line light that has been initially converged and collimated after being reflected by the reflector. Therefore, most of the light can enter the light guide, propagate orderly and mix fully within it, without worrying about light loss due to large-angle scattering. This helps to achieve an extremely narrow opening in the traffic light while reducing light loss and improving luminous efficiency. By using the light guide assembly of this embodiment, the light output efficiency of the traffic light can reach at least 30%.

[0029] An embodiment of the third aspect of this application provides a vehicle that includes the traffic lights described in the second aspect.

[0030] The vehicle's signal light uses the light guide assembly described in the first aspect. The reflector serves to efficiently collect and direct light. Through a reflective surface with differentiated curvature in both directions, it reflects the divergent light from the light source and converts it into directional light focused on a first focal line, making the first focal line a virtual line light source. The light guide serves to uniformly mix and directionally emit light. The light guide receives not the divergent light from the light source, but the line light that has been initially converged and collimated after reflection by the reflector. Therefore, most of the light can enter the light guide, propagate orderly and mix fully within it, without worrying about light loss due to large-angle scattering. This helps to achieve an extremely narrow opening for the signal light while reducing light loss and improving luminous efficiency. By using the light guide assembly of this embodiment, the light output efficiency of the signal light can reach at least 30%. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the light guide assembly according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the light guide assembly from another perspective according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the light guide assembly according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of a traffic light according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of one structure of the optical guide component according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 6a and Figure 6b These are schematic diagrams illustrating two different effects of the traffic light being lit according to an embodiment of this application.

[0032] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows: 1. Signal light; 10. Light guide assembly; 20. Light source; 100. Mirror; 110. Reflecting surface; 101. First end; 102. Second end; 200, light guide; 210, light-incident surface; 220, light-outceasing surface; 230, first side surface; 231, first sub-surface; 232, second sub-surface; 240, second side surface; 241, third sub-surface; 242, fourth sub-surface; FL, first focal line. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0034] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms used to describe positional relationships in the accompanying drawings are only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting this patent. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0035] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as implying or suggesting relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0036] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0037] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0038] In related technologies, the main optical solutions for traffic lights include reflector solutions and thick-walled solutions. Specifically, multiple LED (Light Emitting Diode) chips are generally used in conjunction with a reflector, or thick-walled light guides are used to emit light. The above arrangements have the drawbacks of complex structure and large size.

[0039] To match the overall vehicle design, turn signals are gradually moving towards extremely narrow openings, with the aim of achieving a slender lighting effect and dynamic lighting, such as a flowing water effect.

[0040] However, when achieving the ultra-thin light strip effect of traffic lights, that is, when reducing the opening size of the light-emitting surface in the vertical direction, it is difficult for all the light from the light source to pass through components such as reflectors and thick-walled parts, resulting in significant light loss, low optical efficiency, and seriously affecting visual effects and product quality.

[0041] Based on the above problems, this application proposes a light guide component, a signal light, and a vehicle, aiming to improve the problem of large light loss and low luminous efficiency caused by the small opening of the signal light.

[0042] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the light guide assembly according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the light guide assembly from another perspective, according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the light guide assembly according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the signal light 1 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0043] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a light guide assembly 10. The light guide assembly 10 includes a reflector 100 and a light guide 200. The reflector 100 includes a reflective surface 110, which is opposite to the light-emitting surface 21 of the light source 20. The reflective surface 110 is used to reflect the light from the light source 20 and converge the light to a first focal line FL. The first focal line FL extends along a first direction. The light guide 200 is disposed on one side of the reflector 100. The light guide 200 includes an incident surface 210 and an exit surface 220 disposed opposite to each other along a second direction. The exit surface 220 is located on the side of the incident surface 210 away from the reflector 100. The light converged to the first focal line FL enters the light guide 200 through the incident surface 210 and exits through the exit surface 220. The dimension of the light guide 200 along the first direction is larger than the dimension of the light guide 200 along a third direction. The first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0044] Let the first direction be the Y direction in the attached figure, the second direction be the X direction in the attached figure, and the third direction be the Z direction in the attached figure. The first direction can be the left and right direction of the vehicle, and also corresponds to the length direction of the light-emitting surface 220. The second direction can be the front and rear direction of the vehicle, and also corresponds to the main direction of light propagation. The third direction can be the height direction of the vehicle, and also corresponds to the thickness direction of the light guide 200.

[0045] The light guide assembly 10 of this application embodiment includes a reflector 100 and a light guide 200. The reflector 100 includes a reflective surface 110, which is used to collect divergent light emitted by the light source 20 and reflect the light to converge it to form a first focal line FL. Specifically, along the first direction (Y, i.e., the left-right direction), the reflective surface 110 reflects and collimates the light from the light source 20 into parallel or approximately parallel light, and along the third direction (Z, i.e., the thickness direction), the reflective surface 110 converges the light from the light source 20 to a point. That is to say, the reflective surface 110 of the reflector 100 has a reflective surface with different optical curvatures in two mutually perpendicular directions, which can realize bidirectional control of light. Optionally, the reflective surface 110 can be a freeform surface, or the reflective surface 110 can be a composite regular surface with a collimation curve such as a parabola in the first direction and a convergence curve such as an arc in the third direction. This application does not limit this.

[0046] Optionally, the light source 20 can be an LED chip. For example, the light source 20 is a flip-chip LED chip with a beam angle of up to 120°.

[0047] The collimation curvature in the Y direction and the convergence curvature in the Z direction of the reflecting surface 110 are matched to ensure that the reflected light rays converge to form the first focal line FL. The first focal line FL can be regarded as a virtual line light source extending along the first direction. It can be understood that when there are multiple reflecting surfaces 110, each reflecting surface 110 reflects the light rays emitted from its corresponding light source 20 into a sub-focal line, and the sub-focal lines are spliced ​​together to form the first focal line FL.

[0048] The substrate of the reflector 100 can be made of engineering plastics such as PC (polycarbonate) or PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), or it can be made of optical glass, metal, or other materials. A reflective film, such as an aluminum film or a silver film, is then formed on the reflective surface of the reflector 100, thereby forming the reflective surface 110. Preferably, the substrate of the reflector 100 is made of PC material, which has excellent temperature resistance and low cost. The reflective film can be formed, for example, using a sputtering process.

[0049] The light guide 200 includes an incident light surface 210 and an emitting light surface 220 disposed opposite to each other along a second direction. The incident light surface 210 is used to receive reflected light from the reflector 100, and the emitting light surface 220 is the light-emitting surface of the signal lamp 1. Optionally, the light guide 200 can be made of materials such as PC, PMMA, or PMMI (polymethyl methacrylate imide).

[0050] Optionally, the light-emitting surface 220 and the light-incident surface 210 can be smooth surfaces, or they can be provided with optical patterns, textures, or other microstructures, or they can be covered with optical films such as antireflective films or diffusion films. This application does not impose any restrictions on these aspects. The specific shapes of the light-emitting surface 220 and the light-incident surface 210 can be flexibly designed according to the final light emission effect requirements.

[0051] The light propagation path of the light guide assembly 10 in this application is as follows: the light emitted from the light source 20 is incident on the reflecting surface 110 of the reflector 100, and the light is focused on the first focal line FL by the reflection of the reflecting surface 110. Then, the light focused on the first focal line FL is incident on the light guide 200 through the light incident surface 210, where the light is mixed to eliminate dark areas, and then emitted from the light emitting surface 220 to form a long strip of uniform light.

[0052] The light guide assembly 10 of this application embodiment collects large-angle light rays from the light source 20 through the reflecting surface 110 of the reflector 100, and then collimates and converges the reflected light rays to the first focal line FL through the collimation effect of the reflecting surface 110 in the first direction and the convergence effect in the third direction. Thus, the divergent light emitted by the light source 20 can be collected and utilized to the maximum extent. Furthermore, the light rays converged to the first focal line FL are incident on the light guide 200 through the light incident surface 210. The dimension of the light guide 200 along the first direction is larger than the dimension of the light guide 200 along the third direction; that is, the light guide 200 is a flat, elongated strip. At this time, the first focal line FL is equivalent to a continuous virtual line light source. The light can be regarded as emitted from the first focal line FL. It emits parallel light in the first direction and controllable divergent light in the third direction. Even if the light guide 200 is flat, it can ensure that most of the light enters the light guide 200. After sufficient internal mixing, it is uniformly emitted from the light-emitting surface 220, so that the light-emitting surface 220 of the light guide 200 can form a highly uniform light band without dark areas or bright spots.

[0053] In other words, the reflector 100 serves to efficiently collect and direct light. Through the bidirectionally differentiated curvature of the reflective surface 110, it reflects the divergent light from the light source 20, converting it into directional light focused on the first focal line FL, thus making the first focal line FL a virtual line light source. The light guide 200 serves to uniformly mix and directionally output light. The light guide 200 receives not the divergent light from the light source 20, but rather the line light that has been initially converged and collimated after reflection by the reflector 100. Therefore, most of the light can enter the light guide 200, propagate orderly and mix fully within it, without worrying about light loss due to large-angle scattering. This helps to achieve an extremely narrow opening for the signal light 1 while reducing light loss and improving luminous efficiency. By using the light guide component 10 of this embodiment, the light output efficiency of the signal light 1 can reach at least 30%.

[0054] Furthermore, in this application, by using LED chips of conventional size (usually above millimeter level) as the light source 20, a signal light strip with an extremely narrow opening can be achieved, which also helps to reduce the production cost of the signal light 1.

[0055] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the light-emitting surface 220 is extremely narrow in the third direction and maintains high luminous efficiency. For example, the size of the light-emitting surface 220 in the third direction is less than or equal to 3 mm, specifically, it can be 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, etc.

[0056] Because the divergent light from light source 20 is reflected and converted into directional light focused on the first focal line FL, the first focal line FL becomes a virtual line light source, emitting parallel light in the first direction and controllable divergent light in the third direction. Therefore, by flexibly setting the relative position between the light guide 200 and the reflector 100, and the curvature of the reflector 100, the light coupling effect between the first focal line FL and the light incident surface 210 of the light guide 200 can be controlled, thereby enabling the light guide 200 to efficiently receive light emitted from the first focal line FL while remaining extremely thin. In this way, the size of the light emitting surface 220 of the light guide 200 in the third direction is minimized, while ensuring efficient utilization of light energy, ultimately achieving a uniform and high-brightness long strip light output with a height not exceeding 3mm. This helps improve the compatibility of the signal light 1 with the overall vehicle design, enhancing the vehicle's premium and technological feel.

[0057] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the light guide 200 includes a first side surface 230 and a second side surface 240. The first side surface 230 and the second side surface 240 are arranged opposite each other along a third direction. Both the first side surface 230 and the second side surface 240 are used to connect the light-emitting surface 220 and the light-incident surface 210. The first side surface 230 and the second side surface 240 are located on both sides of the first focal line FL along a third direction.

[0058] The first side surface 230 and the second side surface 240 are two boundary surfaces of the light guide 200 in the third direction (thickness direction). The first focal line FL is located between the first side surface 230 and the second side surface 240. The light rays converging at the first focal line FL enter the light guide 200 through the light incident surface 210 and then propagate towards the first side surface 230 and the second side surface 240 at an angle greater than or equal to the critical angle. This results in multiple total internal reflections between the inner surfaces of the first side surface 230 and the second side surface 240. Afterward, the light energy is uniformly dispersed throughout the entire light guide 200 and finally emitted from the light emitting surface 220.

[0059] With this configuration, firstly, the light rays converging at the first focal line FL undergo multiple total internal reflections between the relatively positioned first side 230 and second side 240. Total internal reflection is a highly efficient light transmission method that reduces absorption and scattering losses during light transmission through the side walls, thereby improving light utilization, reducing light loss, and increasing luminous efficiency. Secondly, through multiple total internal reflections on the first side 230 and second side 240, the light rays can achieve sufficient mixing: when the light source 20 is a single light source, it helps improve the uniformity and consistency of the signal light 1 after it is lit; when the light source 20 includes multiple sub-light sources of different colors, it allows the light rays of different colors to blend fully, avoiding the appearance of single color blocks or color shifts in some areas, ensuring that the mixed light emitted from the light-emitting surface 220 has a uniform and consistent color. This helps to improve the diversity of the lighting effect and functionality of the signal light 1 while ensuring uniformity. For example, when using red (620nm), green (520nm), and blue (470nm) LED chips as multiple sub-light sources of light source 20, controlling the brightness ratio of the three sub-light sources can achieve static and dynamic display of different colors.

[0060] Furthermore, total internal reflection does not rely on side reflective coatings. The first side 230 and the second side 240 only need to remain flat to achieve efficient light transmission, avoiding the coating thickness from occupying the space in the third direction, which is conducive to further reducing the opening size of the signal light 1.

[0061] Optionally, in some embodiments, a light-shielding layer can be provided on the outer surfaces of the first side 230 and the second side 240. Although light undergoes total internal reflection on the inner surfaces of the first side 230 and the second side 240, in practice, light leakage may occur due to surface scratches, dust, or an incident angle less than the critical angle. Therefore, by providing a light-shielding layer, the leaked stray light can be blocked, preventing it from scattering from the sides and ensuring that light can only be emitted from the light-emitting surface 220. This helps to eliminate stray light, improve the light emission effect and the purity of the light band, and prevent light crosstalk. In addition, if stray light is not absorbed, it may illuminate the surrounding mounting structure and reduce the overall contrast. Thus, the light-shielding layer can ensure that the non-light-emitting area of ​​the signal light 1 appears as a deep black, forming a sharp contrast with the bright light band, which also helps to improve the contrast and enhance the visual effect.

[0062] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the distance between the first side 230 and the second side 240 is equal everywhere. "Equal everywhere" means that the first side 230 and the second side 240 are parallel or approximately parallel, allowing for errors caused by processing, etc.

[0063] In other words, the light guide 200 is a light guide plate of uniform thickness. This design ensures that, firstly, the angle of incidence of light on the first side 230 and the second side 240 will not fluctuate due to changes in the thickness of the light guide, preventing total internal reflection failure and thus improving the stability and reliability of total internal reflection transmission, further reducing light loss. Secondly, uniform thickness indicates that the total internal reflection path length within the light guide 200 is consistent, which also helps improve the uniformity of light output. Furthermore, the light guide 200 can be integrated into narrow areas such as gaps in the vehicle body, fitting the mainstream design of concealed lighting units, thereby improving the compatibility and assembly convenience of the signal light 1 with the entire vehicle, enhancing the overall technological and design aesthetics of the vehicle. In addition, the uniform thickness of the planar light guide also improves processing convenience, saves materials, and reduces costs.

[0064] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the first side surface 230 includes a first sub-surface 231 and a second sub-surface 232 connected to each other, and the second side surface 240 includes a third sub-surface 241 and a fourth sub-surface 242 connected to each other. The first sub-surface 231 is located on the side of the second sub-surface 232 away from the light-incident surface 210, and the third sub-surface 241 is located on the side of the fourth sub-surface 242 away from the light-incident surface 210. The distance between the third sub-surface 241 and the first sub-surface 231 is equal everywhere. From the light-incident surface 210 to the light-exit surface 220, the distance between the second sub-surface 232 and the fourth sub-surface 242 gradually decreases.

[0065] In this embodiment, the light guide 200 has a segmented structure, wherein the second sub-surface 232 and the fourth sub-surface 242 constitute the gradient segment of the light guide 200, and the third sub-surface 241 and the first sub-surface 231 constitute the equal thickness segment of the light guide 200.

[0066] Specifically, from the light-incident surface 210 to the light-exit surface 220, the distance between the second sub-surface 232 and the fourth sub-surface 242 gradually decreases. This arrangement allows the light-incident surface 210 to have a large area, ensuring a sufficient light-incident aperture, thereby collecting as much light as possible from the first focal line FL, which in turn helps to further reduce light loss and improve light efficiency.

[0067] Furthermore, the distance between the third sub-surface 241 and the first sub-surface 231 is equidistant everywhere. This arrangement provides a stable transmission environment for subsequent multiple total internal reflections of light, improving the stability of total internal reflection propagation on the third sub-surface 241 and the first sub-surface 231, thereby further reducing optical loss. Simultaneously, it also improves processing convenience, saves materials, and reduces costs.

[0068] Optionally, along the second direction, the length of the gradient section does not exceed 1 / 5 of the total length of the light guide 200, thereby ensuring that the light incident surface 210 has sufficient area and that all light rays enter the equal-thickness section to participate in total internal reflection.

[0069] like Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the distance between the light-incident surface 210 and the first focal line FL along the second direction is L, and the dimension of the light guide 200 along the third direction is T, where L≤3T.

[0070] When light rays are emitted from the first focal line FL and propagate towards the incident light surface 210, they naturally diverge. The distance L is the distance of the light path propagating along the second direction, and T is the thickness of the light guide 200. When the light guide 200 has a segmented structure, T is defined as the average thickness.

[0071] After the light beam along the first focal line FL propagates a distance L in the second direction, its divergence width in the third direction increases. If L is too long, firstly, the light beam reaching the incident surface 210 will diverge excessively, and the size of the beam along the third direction in the incident surface 210 will be much larger than the thickness T of the light guide. That is, the upper and lower parts of the beam will illuminate outside the incident surface 210 of the light guide 200. In other words, a portion of the reflective area of ​​the reflective surface 110 is wasted, and light cannot be guided into the light guide 200, reducing the effective contribution area of ​​the reflective surface 110. As a result, the usable light is reduced, a large amount of light energy is lost, and the light energy coupling efficiency of light propagating from the reflective surface 110 to the light guide 200 is low. Secondly, the light diverging to the outside will undergo unintended scattering, illuminating other structures inside the lamp housing and generating stray light. To solve the above problems, the thickness T of the light guide 200 needs to be increased to match its thickness with the distance L. This would result in material waste and make it difficult to meet the requirements of an extremely narrow opening. In addition, it will make the distance between the first focal line FL and the incident light surface 210 larger, and the total size of the light guide 200 and the reflector 100 in the second direction will increase, which is not conducive to improving the structural compactness of the light guide assembly 10.

[0072] In this embodiment, L is limited to ≤3T to match the thickness of the light guide 200, and L is not too long. First, the core beam emitted from the first focal line FL can be guided into the light guide 200 to the maximum extent, ensuring the effective contribution area of ​​the reflecting surface 110, thereby reducing light loss, improving light energy coupling efficiency, and increasing luminous efficiency. Second, it can reduce the light rays overflowing outward at the incident light surface 210, thereby improving stray light problems and increasing the proportion of effective optical output. Under the above-mentioned effects of low stray light and high luminous efficiency, a uniform light band with clear boundaries, no haloing, and no bright spots can be formed on the extremely narrow light emitting surface 220. Furthermore, it is also beneficial to control the distance between the light guide 200 and the reflector 100 to be reasonable, improving the structural compactness of the light guide assembly 10.

[0073] like Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the reflecting surface 110 of the reflector 100 includes a first end 101 close to the light-incident surface 210 and a second end 102 away from the light-incident surface 210, and the distance D between the second end 102 and the light-incident surface 210 is greater than 3 mm.

[0074] If the distance between the second end 102 of the reflecting surface 110 of the reflector 100 and the incident surface 210 is too small, the size of the reflecting surface 110 will be reduced, making it difficult to collect more light. In addition, it will reduce the space of the reflecting surface 110 on the side close to the light source 20, affecting the convenience of assembling the various components.

[0075] Therefore, this embodiment, through the above-mentioned limitations, firstly, helps to ensure that the reflective surface 110 has sufficient size, thereby improving the light-gathering efficiency of the reflective surface 110, which in turn helps to reduce light loss and improve light efficiency. Secondly, it can increase the space on one side of the reflective surface 110, which also helps to improve the convenience of assembling various components.

[0076] In some embodiments of this application, there are multiple reflective surfaces 110, which are arranged along a first direction and are all opposite to the light incident surface 210 of the light guide 200.

[0077] In this embodiment, each reflective surface 110 can independently collect the light emitted from its corresponding light source 20. That is, the multiple reflective surfaces 110 of the reflector 100 are arranged along the first direction to form a reflective array, and each reflective surface 110 independently undertakes the light-gathering task of its corresponding area. All reflective surfaces 110 focus the light uniformly onto the first focal line FL. Furthermore, the multiple reflective surfaces 110 are all opposite to the light-incident surface 210 of the light guide 200. That is, in the first direction, the size of the light-incident surface 210 matches the total size of the multiple reflective surfaces 110, ensuring that the light gathered by each reflective surface 110 can be incident on the corresponding area of ​​the light-incident surface 210.

[0078] In this way, the corresponding areas of each light source 20, reflective surface 110, and incident surface 210 can constitute a reflective optical channel. This configuration, firstly, reduces crosstalk between different light sources 20 when different control signals, such as sequential lighting / extinguishing or brightness gradients, are sent to the various light sources 20 arranged along the first direction. This allows the signal light 1 to achieve complex dynamic lighting effects, improving its functional versatility and enhancing the vehicle's technological and premium feel. Secondly, this embodiment distributes the total luminous flux requirement to each reflective optical channel, achieving a consistent brightness in the first direction and ensuring the longitudinal (first direction) uniformity of the ultra-long light strip. Furthermore, the above structure can form a standardized module. By increasing or decreasing the number of reflective surfaces 110 and correspondingly increasing or decreasing the dimensions of the light guide 200 in the first direction, the signal light 1 can be adapted to different vehicle models, thus improving its versatility and standardization.

[0079] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, there are multiple light sources 20, with each reflective surface 110 positioned opposite to one light source 20. The multiple light sources 20 are configured to emit light of a single color, or at least some of the light sources 20 are configured to emit light of at least two different colors. For example, at least some of the light sources 20 are composed of multiple sub-light sources, and the sub-light sources can emit light of different colors. Therefore, the emitted light color and effect of the light-emitting surface 220 can be flexibly configured according to actual needs, such as to achieve monochrome display, static or dynamic RGB display, dynamic flow, function reuse, welcome, and warning functions, thereby further improving the functional diversity and interactive intelligence of the traffic light 1.

[0080] Specifically, in some embodiments, controlling each light source 20 to light up sequentially along a first direction can achieve a dynamic, flowing lighting effect. In other embodiments, controlling the lighting of light sources 20 of different colors in a time-division manner can achieve a lighting effect with color changes, such as RGB flashing, and so on.

[0081] In some embodiments of this application, the light-incident surface 210 and / or the light-exit surface 220 are provided with microstructures (not shown in the figures). The microstructures may be, for example, microlens arrays, concave-convex structures, groove structures, microprism structures, texture structures, etc. The microstructures can be formed by various means such as bonding, laser engraving, machining, chemical etching, etc., and this application does not limit them.

[0082] By forming a microstructure on the light-incident surface 210, it is beneficial to improve the light collection efficiency of the light-incident surface 210. On the other hand, it is possible to adjust the incident angle of the incident light so that the incident angle is greater than or equal to the critical angle of total internal reflection, thereby further improving the reliability and stability of total internal reflection, reducing light loss, and improving light efficiency.

[0083] By forming a microstructure on the light-emitting surface 220, the emitted light can be diffused and homogenized, which helps to further improve the uniformity of light emission.

[0084] Of course, the light-incident surface 210 and the light-exit surface 220 can also be smooth surfaces, and the specific settings can be flexibly configured according to actual conditions and needs.

[0085] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, in a second aspect, this application provides a signal light 1, including a light source 20 and a light guide assembly 10 as described in the first aspect, with a reflective surface 110 disposed opposite to the light source 20.

[0086] The traffic light 1 in this embodiment uses the light guide component 10 described in the first aspect. The reflector 100 serves to efficiently collect and guide light in a directional manner. Through the reflective surface 110 with its two-way differential curvature, the divergent light from the light source 20 is reflected and converted into directional light focused on the first focal line FL, making the first focal line FL a virtual line light source. The light guide 200 serves to uniformly mix and directionally emit light. The light guide 200 receives not the divergent light from the light source 20, but the line light that has been initially converged and collimated after being reflected by the reflector 100. Therefore, the light can propagate orderly and be fully mixed within the light guide 200 without worrying about light loss caused by large-angle scattering. This helps to achieve an extremely narrow opening in the traffic light 1 while reducing light loss and improving luminous efficiency. By using the light guide component 10 of this embodiment, the light output efficiency of the traffic light 1 can reach at least 30%.

[0087] Furthermore, in this application, by using LED chips of conventional size (usually above millimeter level) as the light source 20, a signal light strip with an extremely narrow opening can be achieved, which also helps to reduce the production cost of the signal light 1.

[0088] Please refer to Figure 6a , Figure 6b , Figure 6a and Figure 6b The diagram shows two effects when the signal light 1 of this application is lit. Using the signal light 1 of this application, a highly uniform light band without dark areas or bright spots can be formed.

[0089] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a vehicle including the traffic light 1 described in the second aspect.

[0090] The vehicle in this embodiment is based on the same inventive concept as the signal light 1 and light guide assembly 10 in the above embodiments. Therefore, the vehicle can obtain the beneficial effects of the light guide assembly 10 in the corresponding embodiment.

[0091] The vehicle can be a fuel vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a pure electric vehicle, etc., and the signal light 1 can be used as the vehicle's taillight, daytime running light, turn signal, brake light, etc., adapting to different installation positions and functional requirements.

[0092] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A light guide component, characterized in that, include: A reflector, comprising a reflective surface opposite to the emitting surface of a light source, the reflective surface being used to reflect light rays from the light source and converge the light rays to a first focal line, the first focal line extending along a first direction; and A light guide is disposed on one side of the reflector. The light guide includes an incident surface and an exit surface disposed opposite to each other along a second direction. The exit surface is located on the side of the incident surface away from the reflector. The light rays converging at the first focal line enter the light guide through the incident surface and exit through the exit surface. The dimension of the light guide along the first direction is larger than the dimension of the light guide along a third direction. The first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are perpendicular to each other.

2. The light guide assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light guide includes a first side and a second side, which are disposed opposite to each other along the third direction. Both the first side and the second side are used to connect the light-emitting surface and the light-incident surface. The first side and the second side are located on both sides of the first focal line along the third direction.

3. The light guide assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The distance between the first side and the second side is equal everywhere.

4. The light guide assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first side surface includes a first sub-surface and a second sub-surface that are connected to each other, and the second side surface includes a third sub-surface and a fourth sub-surface that are connected to each other. The first sub-surface is located on the side of the second sub-surface that is away from the light-incident surface, and the third sub-surface is located on the side of the fourth sub-surface that is away from the light-incident surface. The distance between the third sub-face and the first sub-face is equal everywhere, and the distance between the second sub-face and the fourth sub-face gradually decreases from the light-incident surface to the light-exit surface.

5. The light guide assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distance between the light-incident surface and the first focal line along the second direction is L, and the dimension of the light guide along the third direction is T, where L≤3T.

6. The light guide assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reflective surface includes a first end close to the light-incident surface and a second end away from the light-incident surface; The distance between the second end and the incident light surface is greater than 3 mm.

7. The light guide assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the reflective surfaces is multiple, and the multiple reflective surfaces are arranged along the first direction; The plurality of reflective surfaces are all opposite to the light incident surface of the light guide.

8. The light guide assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dimension of the light-emitting surface along the third direction is less than or equal to 3 mm.

9. A signal light, characterized in that, It includes a light source and a light guide assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the reflective surface is disposed opposite to the light source.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, Including the traffic lights as described in claim 9.

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