Compound Trough Reflector for LED Light Collection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Automotive LED light assemblies face inefficiencies in light distribution, requiring multiple LEDs to achieve sufficient light collection, leading to excessive power consumption and heat dissipation, along with unwanted horizontal light spread and wasted light beyond the driver's field of vision.

Innovation Solution

A compound reflector design featuring a first and second parabolic trough angled relative to a third trough, which can be either parabolic or complex in curvature, allowing for controlled light beam patterns and efficient light collection from a single LED, reducing horizontal spread and eliminating thermal constraints.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a large number of LED's are used to achieve sufficient light collection, then light collection efficiency is improved, but power consumption and heat dissipation increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight collection efficiencyVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The reflector is divided into multiple segmented surfaces including a parabolic trough section, a planar section, and an ellipsoidal section. Each segment is optimized to redirect light from a single LED source in specific directions, achieving sufficient light collection efficiency (60-70%) without requiring multiple LED's, thus reducing power consumption while maintaining effective illumination

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If a wide trough is used to collect sufficient light, then light collection is improved, but horizontal spread of light beam increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight collection efficiencyVSAvoidhorizontal spread control

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Different sections of the reflector have different geometric properties optimized for specific functions: the parabolic trough section collects light efficiently, the planar section controls horizontal spread, and the ellipsoidal section directs light toward the target area. This local optimization allows sufficient light collection while maintaining controlled horizontal spread within acceptable limits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The reflector transitions from a simple two-dimensional trough to a three-dimensional compound structure with parabolic, planar, and ellipsoidal surfaces. This dimensional complexity enables independent control of vertical and horizontal light distribution, achieving both sufficient light collection and controlled horizontal spread

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Ease of operation

If side walls are added to cut down horizontal spread, then horizontal spread is reduced, but light distribution is overly constrained and light waste increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehorizontal spread controlVSAvoidlight waste

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using side walls to block and constrain light (which causes waste), the invention uses a planar reflector section that actively redirects light that would otherwise be wasted. The planar section reflects light at controlled angles to achieve desired horizontal spread while utilizing rather than blocking stray light, reducing energy loss

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Productivity

If multiple LED's are placed at regular intervals to collect sufficient light, then light collection is improved, but horizontal spread and device complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight collection efficiencyVSAvoidnumber of LED's

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The parabolic trough, planar section, and ellipsoidal section are merged into a single integrated compound reflector structure. This unified design consolidates the light collection function that would otherwise require multiple separate LED's and reflectors, achieving sufficient light collection efficiency with a single LED source and reducing overall device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 achieves 60-70% light collection efficiency with 85% reflectivity, limiting horizontal spread to ±25-40 degrees, preventing light waste outside the driver's field of vision and allowing for the use of a single LED, thus reducing power consumption and heat dissipation.

Implementation Method 1

a first parabolic trough reflector portion, a second parabolic trough reflector portion, and an ellipsoidal reflector portion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentUS7585096B2Compound trough reflector for LED light sources

Publication Date: 2009.09.08 VARROC LIGHTING SYST SRO

AI summary

A light assembly and reflector are provided for redirecting light from a light source in a motor vehicle. The reflector generally includes a first parabolic trough, a second parabolic trough, and third trough. The first and second parabolic troughs define first and second trough axes. The third trough has a third trough axis. The first and second parabolic troughs are positioned on opposing sides of the third trough, and the first and second trough axes are angled relative to the third trough axis. In this manner, the reflector collects and reflects a sufficient amount of light while providing control over the beam pattern spread, particularly in the horizontal direction, whereby a single LED may be employed such that constraints imposed by heat dissipation are significantly reduced.