Composite Film Light Guide for Homogeneous Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing equipment parts with integrated light guides face challenges such as thickness limitations, damage risks, and high production costs due to the need for thick and rigid light guides, as well as limitations in shape adaptability and installation space, which restrict their use and increase production costs.
Innovation Solution
A composite film comprising a light-conducting layer, a scatter layer, and paint layers is used, where the light source couples light into the light-conducting layer, and the scatter layer influences light propagation, allowing for thinner designs and improved mechanical stability, enabling flexible arrangement on a carrier without adapting its geometry, and allowing for decorative and illuminating functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the light guide surface is roughened by mechanical processing to achieve homogeneous light outcoupling, then light scattering and outcoupling are improved, but the light guide must be sufficiently thick to avoid damage due to insufficient rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide is segmented into a transparent carrier component and a separate composite film with scatter elements. The composite film contains light-scattering particles distributed within a transparent matrix, allowing light scattering functionality without requiring mechanical roughening of a thick light guide. This segmentation enables the carrier to maintain structural integrity while the composite film provides the light diffusion function.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite film consisting of a transparent matrix material (such as acrylic resin or silicone resin) embedded with light-scattering particles (such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or glass beads). This composite structure provides both the mechanical flexibility needed for thin designs and the light scattering capability for homogeneous outcoupling, eliminating the need for thick rigid light guides.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate molds are kept for each light guide shape to achieve shape adaptability, then customization for different equipment parts is possible, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The composite film is designed as a universal component that can be applied to various carrier shapes and equipment parts. The film itself is produced in a standard format, and its adaptability to different shapes is achieved through the conformal wrapping and bonding process rather than requiring shape-specific molds. This multi-functional design allows the same composite film product to serve multiple equipment part applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a flexible thin film structure that can conform to different carrier geometries. The composite film is thin and pliable, allowing it to be wrapped around and bonded to carriers of various shapes without requiring custom molds for each configuration. This flexibility enables cost-effective adaptation to different equipment parts while maintaining production efficiency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the light guide is disposed beneath the visible side to create arrangement flexibility, then shape freedom is improved, but the visible side layer may be weakened or thinned, and installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the light guide function with the visible side装饰 layer by integrating the composite film directly onto the carrier's visible surface. The composite film serves dual purposes: it provides the light scattering function for homogeneous outcoupling and simultaneously acts as the decorative visible layer. This integration eliminates the need for a separate visible side layer that could be weakened, and the thin film structure does not significantly increase installation space requirements.
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 enables the production of thinner, more flexible light guides that are less prone to damage, simplifying integration and reducing production costs while maintaining homogeneous light outcoupling and aesthetic appeal, allowing for a wider range of applications in equipment parts.
Implementation Method 1
a light-conducting layer (5) into which light rays (9) can be coupled. The light rays (9) may be generated and emitted by the light source (3)
Implementation Method 2
The scatter layer (6) may comprise light-scattering elements, which may influence the propagation direction of the light rays (9)
Implementation Method 3
The first paint layer (7) may be used to increase total reflections of the light rays (9) at the interface between the scatter layer (6) and the first paint layer (7) and may have a defined refractive index
Data Source
AI summary
An equipment part may comprise a carrier, a composite film, and a light source. The composite film may be disposed on the carrier and may form a visible side of the equipment part. The composite film may comprise a light-conducting layer into which the light rays emitted by the light source are coupled. A scatter layer may be disposed on a side of the light-conducting layer facing the carrier, with the light rays coupled into the light-conducting layer emitting through said scatter layer. The composite film may comprise a first and a second paint layer, where the first paint layer may be disposed on a side of the scatter layer facing the carrier, and the second paint layer may be disposed on a side of the light-conducting layer facing away from the carrier. The equipment part may be produced via a method for production of such an equipment part.