Automotive Rear Light with Integrated Light Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing rear lights for motor vehicles have a complex structure that increases production costs, primarily due to individually fixed LEDs and lengthy, defect-prone metallization processes in reflectors.
Innovation Solution
A rear light design featuring a platelike light-guide body with a curved rear sidewall and transverse slot, incorporating two LEDs or OLEDs positioned within the slot to direct light through semiparabolic portions, simplifying the structure and reducing production complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If individually fixed LEDs with separate support boards and metallized reflectors are used, then the reverse light beam distribution meets type-approval specifications, but the device complexity and production costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate components (LEDs, support boards, reflectors, and light guides) into an integrated lighting assembly. The light guide body incorporates built-in reflector surfaces and houses multiple light sources, eliminating the need for separate support boards and individual reflector assemblies for each LED, thus reducing structural complexity while maintaining beam distribution precision
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide body serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a structural support, a light reflector, a light distributor, and a mounting platform for multiple LEDs. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate components, reducing device complexity while achieving the required reverse light beam distribution across multiple directions
2Manufacturing precision
If individually fixed LEDs with separate support boards are used, then each LED can be precisely positioned for optimal light direction, but the ease of manufacture decreases due to assembly complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The support board function is merged into the light guide body structure itself. The light guide body incorporates mounting features and positioning structures directly into its design, allowing LEDs to be mounted directly on the light guide rather than requiring separate support boards, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining precise LED positioning
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting assembly is segmented into functional zones within the light guide body, with specific regions designated for LED mounting, light reflection, and light distribution. This segmentation allows for standardized manufacturing processes and simplified assembly while maintaining precise positioning of each LED relative to the light guide optical paths
3Manufacturing precision
If metallization processes are applied to reflectors, then the reflectors can effectively direct and collimate light, but the productivity decreases due to lengthy and defect-prone industrial processes
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide body is made from composite materials that inherently possess high light reflectivity and light-guiding properties. This eliminates the need for separate metallization processes on reflector surfaces, as the material itself provides the necessary optical properties, thereby significantly improving production speed and reducing defects associated with metallization processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive and time-consuming metallization processes with cost-effective alternative materials (such as white pigmented plastics or specialized optical polymers) that provide sufficient reflectivity for the application. This substitution reduces production time and eliminates defects related to metallization while maintaining adequate light reflection and collimation performance
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
The design achieves a compact, economically advantageous structure that reduces overall costs and meets type-approval specifications for reverse light beam distribution, while simplifying assembly and production.
Implementation Method 1
the rear sidewall (7) of the platelike light-guide body (5) has a curved profile having a substantially parabolic shape... structured so as to direct the light produced within the platelike light-guide body (5), in such a way that the light can reach, and exit from, the front sidewall (6)
Implementation Method 2
the rear sidewall (7) of the platelike light-guide body (5) has a curved profile having a substantially parabolic shape, with the concavity facing the front sidewall (6)... shaped in such a way as to direct the light rays coming from the light source (10) towards the front sidewall (6) in such a way that the light rays exiting from the front sidewall (6) are collimated
Data Source
AI summary
An automotive light including: a rear casing, which is substantially basin-shaped and is structured in such a way as to be fixed on the vehicle body; a front half-shell, which is arranged to close the mouth of the rear casing and is provided with at least a transparent or semitransparent portion; and at least one lighting assembly, in turn including a platelike light-guide body, which extends within the rear casing in such a way as to place a front sidewall thereof so that it faces the transparent or semitransparent portion of the front half-shell and a rear sidewall thereof so that it faces the bottom of the rear casing; and a light-emitting device, which is located within a transverse slot that extends within the platelike light-guide body, from the rear sidewall to the front sidewall, remaining substantially perpendicular to the midplane of the platelike light-guide body and substantially parallel to the optical axis of the automotive light.