Asymmetric Light Guide for Segmented High Beam
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting devices for motor vehicle headlights face design restrictions due to statutory ECE regulations, particularly in achieving a segmented high beam distribution where the intersection of the horizontal and vertical lines for measuring light distribution must be within an isolux line for 80% of the maximum illuminance.
Innovation Solution
The lighting device incorporates an optics body with multiple light conducting bodies arranged in a specific configuration to generate a segmented high beam distribution. The first and second light emission bodies, each with offset entrance surfaces, contribute to the first and second illuminance maxima, respectively, ensuring that the intersection of the measuring screen is within the required isolux line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the lighting device uses a conventional symmetric light guide configuration, then the manufacturing is simpler, but the illuminance between the first and second illuminance maxima is insufficient, causing the intersection point HV to fall outside the required isolux line
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces asymmetric design elements into the light guide configuration. Specifically, the first light guide body has a convex lateral side surface while the second light guide body has a concave lateral side surface. This asymmetric configuration creates different light reflection and refraction patterns, directing light more effectively toward the optical axis and increasing the illuminance in the region between the two illuminance maxima, thereby ensuring the intersection point HV falls within the required isolux line.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by giving different geometric properties to different parts of the light guide bodies. The convex and concave lateral side surfaces are localized features that specifically affect light distribution in certain regions. By concentrating light-directing features in specific locations (the lateral side surfaces adjacent to the virtual vertical plane), the design increases illuminance where needed without requiring complete redesign of the entire light guide system.
2Reliability
If the lighting device increases illuminance between illuminance maxima using convex and concave surfaces, then the ECE regulation compliance is achieved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs curved surfaces (convex and concave lateral side surfaces) instead of flat surfaces to achieve the desired light distribution. These curvatures are designed to work with the offset entrance surfaces to direct light toward the optical axis. The curved geometry provides smooth light redirection that is more tolerant to manufacturing variations compared to sharp edges or complex multi-faceted surfaces, while still achieving the required illuminance increase for ECE compliance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the lighting device uses offset entrance surfaces with horizontal and vertical offsets, then the light distribution control is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces offsets in multiple dimensions - both horizontal offset (along the first axis) and vertical offset (along the second axis) of the entrance surfaces relative to the exit surfaces. This multi-dimensional offset configuration allows independent control of light distribution in horizontal and vertical planes, providing versatile control over the segmented high beam pattern while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that integrates well with the projection optic.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively increases the illuminance between the illuminance maxima, ensuring that the intersection of the measuring screen is within the isolux line for 80% of the maximum illuminance, thus complying with ECE regulations while providing enhanced design flexibility for segmented high beam distributions.
Implementation Method 1
an optical body (100) comprising a base body (110) and several light guides (200) projecting from the base body (110) for forming the definable segmented high-beam distribution from the light of light sources (50)
Implementation Method 2
a projection optic downstream of the beam path of the optical body with an optical axis, which projection optic is configured that light emerging from the common exit surface is imaged in front of the lighting device
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
A lighting device (10) for a motor vehicle headlight for generating a segmented high-beam light distribution (FL), the lighting device (10) comprising the following for this purpose: – an optical body (100), comprising light guiding bodies (200) for shaping the definable segmented high-beam light distribution (FL), which light guiding bodies (200) each have a light entrance surface (210) and an exit surface (220), – a projection optical unit (300) disposed downstream of the beam path of the optical body (100) and having an optical axis (A), which projection optical unit (300) is configured to image the light emerging from the common exit surface (200a) in front of the lighting device (10) in the direction of a main emission direction (X), and each light guiding body (200) having two lateral side surfaces (230a, 230b) and also an upper and a lower side surface (240a, 240b), the optical body (100) having a first and a second light emission half (L1, L2), which are delimitable from one another by a virtual vertical plane (VE), the first light guiding body (200a) of the first light emission half (L1) participating in the generation of the first illuminance maximum (M1), and the first light guiding body (200b) of the second light emission half (L2) participating in the generation of the second illuminance maximum (M2), the center of area (FM2) of the entrance surface (210) having a horizontal offset (H-off) and a downwardly directed vertical offset (V-off) with respect to the center of area (FM1) of the associated exit surface (220), and the lateral side surface (230a) of these first light guiding bodies (200a, 200b) that faces away from the virtual vertical plane (VE) being embodied in convex fashion and, in combination with the offset of the entrance surfaces (210), being configured to direct light from the corresponding light source (50) in the direction of the optical axis (A) in order to increase the illuminance between the first and the second illuminance maxima (M1, M2) in the high-beam light distribution (FL), such that the intersection point HV of a measuring screen is arranged within the isolux line for 80% of the maximum illuminance of the high-beam light distribution (FL).