Vehicle Backlit Trim Element With Mirror Layer Depth Effect
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing backlit decorative elements for vehicles lack improved visibility and are often complex and costly to produce, while current technologies focus on uniform illumination without creating a significant attention-grabbing effect.
Innovation Solution
A backlit decorative element featuring a transparent light guide with local design structures produced using a laser and a mirror layer on its back to create a depth effect, enhancing visibility and attention through multiple reflections of light effects, which can be applied to various vehicle components like door sills and control elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a light guide with local design structures is used to create uniform illumination, then illumination uniformity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing local design structures (such as textured regions, recesses, or varying refractive indices) at specific locations within the light guide. These localized modifications selectively influence light propagation paths to achieve uniform illumination distribution across the decorative element surface, while the rest of the light guide maintains its simple transparent structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a mirror layer as an intermediary component positioned behind the light guide. This mirror layer reflects light that would otherwise be lost or unevenly distributed, redirecting it through the light guide to enhance overall illumination uniformity. The mirror layer acts as a mediating element that simplifies the light guide design by providing passive light redistribution.
2Illumination intensity
If multiple light sources are used to achieve uniform illumination, then illumination uniformity is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mirror layer serves as a cost-effective intermediary that enables uniform illumination using minimal light sources. By positioning the mirror layer behind the light guide, light from a single or few sources is reflected and redistributed throughout the system, achieving uniform illumination without requiring multiple expensive light sources or complex multi-source control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies optical parameters within the light guide through local design structures (such as refractive index variations, surface texturing, or thickness variations) to redirect and distribute light uniformly. These parameter changes enable a single light source to achieve uniform illumination across the entire decorative element, eliminating the need for multiple light sources and reducing manufacturing costs.
3Illumination intensity
If a mirror layer is added to create depth effect, then visual appeal is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mirror layer functions as an intermediary optical element that creates depth perception and visual appeal without requiring complex multi-layer structures or additional active components. By strategically positioning a simple reflective layer behind the light guide, the system generates optical illusions of depth and dimensionality through light reflection paths, maintaining overall device simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mirror layer creates optical copies or reflections of the light patterns and decorative features viewed through the light guide. This copying effect produces the perception of depth and three-dimensionality, as viewers see both the actual light patterns and their reflected images, effectively doubling the visual information without adding physical depth to the structure.
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 solution provides enhanced visibility and a striking three-dimensional effect, improving the attention-grabbing capability of the decorative elements while being relatively simple and cost-effective to produce, ensuring uniform backlighting and durability.
Implementation Method 1
a mirror layer with an area arranged on the rear side of the light guide in order to reflect light arriving from the light guide towards the visible side and thereby create a sense of depth for a viewer
Implementation Method 2
a light guide, particularly a transparent one, arranged on the rear side of the decorative element, with local design structures for locally influencing the light transport from a light source to the visible side of the decorative element
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The invention relates to a trim element (1) which can be backlit, for a vehicle, in particular for a motor vehicle. The trim element (1) has a layer-like structure which is formed at least by a decorative element (2) and a light guide (3) which is situated on the rear side of the decorative element (2) and has local design structures (33) for locally influencing the light transport from a light source (51) to the visible side (11) of the trim element (1). The layer-like structure is also formed by a reflective layer (4) having a region (41) situated on the rear side of the light guide (3) to reflect light incident from the light guide (3) towards the visible side (11) and thereby to produce a depth effect for a viewer.