Composite Lens Holder for Thermally Stable Vehicle Light Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing holding arrangements for vehicle lighting devices fail to maintain long-term stable and precise positioning of lenses relative to each other and a light source across varying temperatures, necessitating improved thermal stability.
Innovation Solution
A surrounding body composed of plastic material filled with a thermal expansion-reducing additional material, such as fiber or isotropic fillers, and spring elements to ensure precise positioning of lenses and light source units, reducing thermal expansion and maintaining positional accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a plastic material is used for the surrounding body, then ease of manufacture is improved, but thermal expansion increases causing positional inaccuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by filling the plastic material with thermal expansion-reducing additional materials such as glass fibers, carbon fibers, or minerals. This creates a composite structure that combines the ease of plastic manufacturing with the dimensional stability of materials having low thermal expansion coefficients, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and positional accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal expansion parameter of the plastic material by incorporating additional materials with specific thermal expansion properties. By selecting fillers with low or negative thermal expansion coefficients, the overall thermal expansion of the surrounding body is reduced, maintaining positional accuracy while retaining the manufacturing advantages of plastic materials.
2Ease of manufacture
If the surrounding body is made from standard plastic material, then ease of manufacture is improved, but thermal stability deteriorates over temperature ranges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite material system where the plastic matrix provides ease of manufacture while the dispersed additional materials (glass fibers, carbon fibers, minerals) provide thermal stability. This composite structure allows the surrounding body to maintain its shape and dimensions across temperature ranges while retaining the manufacturing benefits of injection molding and other plastic forming processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by distributing thermal expansion-reducing additional materials throughout the plastic matrix. Different regions of the surrounding body contain these reinforcement materials that locally counteract thermal expansion, ensuring uniform thermal stability across the entire structure while maintaining the overall ease of plastic manufacturing.
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
Ensures long-term stable and precise positioning of lenses and light source units by minimizing thermal expansion, maintaining positional accuracy over a specified temperature range.
Implementation Method 1
the plastic material is filled as a thermoplastic or thermosetting material or as a composite material with at least one thermal expansion-reducing additional material
Data Source
AI summary
A holding arrangement for lenses of a lighting device for vehicles with a number of lenses which are arranged axially spaced from one another and which are enclosed by a surrounding body formed of two half shells firmly connected to one another, wherein the surrounding body has a plastic material, wherein the surrounding body has such an axial length and holder that a light source unit of the lighting device is enclosed in an end region of the surrounding body to form a light module and that the plastic material is filled as a thermoplastic or thermosetting material or as a composite material with at least one thermal expansion-reducing additional material.