Button Light Guide Member for Uniform Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
The uneven placement of light sources relative to button surfaces in electronic devices leads to uneven light reflection and transport, resulting in suboptimal visual effects.
Innovation Solution
A button structure incorporating a light guide member with an arc-shaped surface and a reflective layer to evenly guide and reflect light from LEDs to the button surface, ensuring uniform illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If light sources are located below the buttons, then the button structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the light distribution across the button surface becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide member is introduced as an intermediary component between the light source and the button surface. This light guide member includes a light guide body with a light guide surface that receives light from the light source and transports it to illuminate the button surface uniformly, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and light distribution uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide surface is configured with specific geometric features including an inclined surface and a light guide surface extending in a second direction different from the first direction (where light travels). This dimensional configuration allows light to be distributed evenly across the button surface while maintaining the simple below-button light source placement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If light sources are placed at different distances from the button surface, then the button structure allows flexible design, but the light reflection becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide member acts as a mediator that decouples the light source position from the button surface illumination. Even though light sources are at different distances, the light guide body receives and redistributes light through its light guide surface, ensuring uniform illumination regardless of the initial light source positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide surface has different geometric characteristics in different regions - an inclined surface for receiving light and a light guide surface extending in another direction for distributing light. This local quality variation ensures that light from sources at different distances is uniformly distributed across the button surface.
3Illumination intensity
If a light guide member with arc-shaped surface and reflective layer is added, then light distribution uniformity is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide member integrates multiple functions into a single component: the light guide body transports light, the light guide surface distributes light uniformly, and the reflective layer (formed by coating reflective material on the outer surface) redirects light. This merging reduces the need for separate components for each function, mitigating the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer surface of the light guide member is coated with reflective material, changing the optical parameters of the surface. This parameter change (adding reflectivity) enhances light distribution uniformity without requiring complex mechanical structures, as the optical property modification achieves the desired light redistribution.
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 even and enhanced light distribution across the button surface, improving the aesthetic appeal and functionality of electronic device buttons.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide member (41) made of transparent or translucent material
Implementation Method 2
Each light guide surface (416) is configured to guide the light from the light source module (30) to the periphery wall (413)
Implementation Method 3
an outer surface of the periphery wall (413) forms at least one light guide surface (416)
Data Source
AI summary
A button structure includes a circuit board, a switch module, a light source module, and a button body. The button body includes a substantially cylindrical shaped light guide member and a pressing member. The light guide member includes a periphery wall having at least one light guide surface. The pressing member is movably mounted in the light guide member and faces the switch module. When the pressing member is pressed, the pressing member activates the switch module and the switch module is activated to control the light source module to irradiate light, so that the light from the light source module enters the light guide member through the at least one light guide surface and is emitted out from a top portion of the periphery wall.