Bidirectional Fiber Panel for Vehicle Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle lighting technologies, such as OLEDs and fiber panel LEDs, primarily emit light from a single side, limiting their ability to provide aesthetically enhanced, bidirectional lighting solutions that meet both functional and styling requirements.
Innovation Solution
A light module featuring a fiber panel with a plurality of optical fibers, configured to emit light from both sides, allowing for controlled light output in diametrically opposite directions, which can be planar, ribbon-shaped, or helical, and includes reflective surfaces to direct light effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fiber panel LEDs emit light from a single face, then the device complexity is reduced, but the lighting versatility and aesthetic flexibility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber panel is segmented into multiple independent illumination regions (first illumination region and second illumination region) that can emit light in diametrically opposite directions. Each region can be controlled independently, allowing the same fiber panel structure to provide multiple lighting functions (tail lamp, stop lamp, turn signal) simultaneously or separately, thereby increasing lighting versatility without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The fiber panel is designed to perform multiple lighting functions through a single device structure. By configuring optical fibers to emit light from opposite faces, the same panel can serve as tail lamp, stop lamp, and turn signal indicator, eliminating the need for separate lighting devices and achieving multi-functionality
2Adaptability or versatility
If optical fibers are abraded on both sides to enable bidirectional emission, then the lighting functionality is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The abrasion process is segmented into two distinct operations: abrading the first side of optical fibers and abrading the second side. This segmentation allows each abrasion operation to be optimized independently, with each side receiving precise controlled abrasion to create the desired light extraction characteristics while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
Different abrasion characteristics are applied to different sides of the optical fibers based on local requirements. The first illumination region and second illumination region can have different abrasion patterns, depths, or densities optimized for their specific lighting functions, allowing tailored light extraction properties for each face while maintaining overall manufacturing precision
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
Enables bidirectional light emission for enhanced vehicle lighting functions like tail, stop, and turn signals, while also serving as a styling element, offering improved light output and aesthetic flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
a fiber panel optically coupled to the light source. The fiber panel includes a plurality of optical fibers
Implementation Method 2
each optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers includes a first plurality of reflective surfaces and a second plurality of reflective surfaces diametrically opposite to the first plurality of reflective surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
A light module, a light panel, and a method for transmitting light are provided. The light module includes a light source configured to generate a light and a fiber panel optically coupled to the light source. The fiber panel includes a plurality of optical fibers. The plurality of optical fibers are configured to define two illumination regions such that a controlled light is output from the two illumination regions in diametrically opposite directions.