Blind Spot Indicator Assembly With PCB Pin Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blind spot indicators in motor vehicles often direct illumination in unintended directions, leading to inefficiencies and increased assembly costs.
Innovation Solution
A blind spot indicator assembly with a housing, lens assembly, and printed circuit board (PCB) configuration that ensures proper alignment and secure connection of components, allowing efficient illumination direction towards the driver while minimizing assembly complexity and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the blind spot indicator assembly uses a conventional housing and PCB configuration, then the assembly can be manufactured, but the illumination is partially directed in wrong directions and assembly costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the PCB with connection pins protruding at specific angles (15-45 degrees) and positioning the lens assembly with precise longitudinal and transverse offsets before final assembly. This pre-positioning ensures correct illumination direction is built into the component geometry itself, eliminating the need for costly post-assembly alignment adjustments and reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes geometric parameters of the assembly configuration - specifically the connection pin angle (15-45 degrees), the lens longitudinal offset (5-20mm), and the lens transverse offset (5-15mm). By optimizing these parameters, the patent achieves correct illumination direction while maintaining ease of manufacture, as the fixed geometric relationships simplify the assembly process compared to conventional adjustable configurations.
2Illumination intensity
If the blind spot indicator assembly uses precise alignment of PCB and lens assembly, then illumination direction accuracy improves, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces assembly complexity through preliminary action by incorporating alignment features directly into the components - the PCB has connection pins with predetermined angles, and the lens assembly has predetermined longitudinal and transverse offsets. These pre-built geometric relationships automatically ensure correct illumination direction when components are assembled, eliminating the need for complex alignment procedures, adjustable mechanisms, or post-assembly calibration.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly configuration enables self-service alignment where the geometric parameters themselves (connection pin angles, lens offsets) perform the alignment function. The components are designed to self-align through their predetermined geometric relationships, with the connection pins naturally guiding the PCB orientation and the lens offsets automatically positioning the illumination beam correctly, without requiring external alignment tools or procedures.
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 assembly ensures focused illumination towards the driver, reducing misdirection and assembly costs, and allows for a streamlined, automatic assembly process.
Implementation Method 1
At least one light emitting diode is provided on the printed circuit board
Implementation Method 2
The light emitted by the light emitting diodes bounces on the metalized surface of the protective case emitting light indirectly passing through the surface of the reflecting element
Data Source
AI summary
The blind spot indicator assembly 100 comprises a housing 110 including a first side having an aperture 145 closed by a lens assembly 170 and a cavity 120 with an interior surface. A printed circuit board (PCB) 180 has at least two connection pins 200 extending laterally such that when not protruding outward an edge of the PCB 180, a longitudinal dimension d1 of the aperture 145 is equal to or greater than the longitudinal dimension d3 of the PCB 180, and when connection pins 200 protrude outward an edge of the PCB 180, the longitudinal dimension d1 of aperture 145 is equal to or greater than a total dimension de comprising the longitudinal dimension d3 of the of the PCB 180 plus a projecting distance d4 the connection pins 200 project beyond the longitudinal dimension d3 of the of the PCB 180.