Integrated Cover Lens Waveguide for Undistorted Vehicle Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting devices for vehicles suffer from light losses and disruptive reflections that distort the desired lighting signature, particularly when using optical waveguides that are not integrated with the cover lens, leading to an undesirable impact on the light distribution.
Innovation Solution
The optical waveguide is integrated with the cover lens, with parts protruding from both inner and outer surfaces, allowing direct emission of light into the environment and preventing disruptive reflections, while being produced in a single injection molding process to reduce components and assembly complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the optical waveguide is not integrated with the cover lens, then the lighting device structure is simpler to manufacture, but light losses and disruptive reflections occur that distort the lighting signature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the optical waveguide directly into the cover lens by forming the waveguide as an integral part of the lens structure. This merging eliminates the interface between separate components, preventing light losses at boundaries and eliminating disruptive reflections that would occur at the junction of separate waveguide and lens components.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the optical waveguide is not integrated with the cover lens, then assembly steps are reduced, but the lighting signature becomes distorted due to reflections
Solution Approach 1:
The waveguide is formed as an integral part of the cover lens through a single injection molding process. This merging eliminates the harmful reflections that would occur at the interface between separate components, while the integrated manufacturing approach actually simplifies production by reducing the number of assembly steps and ensuring precise alignment.
3Productivity
If the optical waveguide protrudes from the cover lens, then light is emitted directly into the environment improving lighting efficiency, but the device thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover lens is designed with locally differentiated regions: the central region contains the protruding optical waveguide that emits light directly into the environment for high lighting efficiency, while the peripheral regions maintain the standard lens thickness for structural integrity and aesthetic appearance. This local quality approach allows the device to achieve optimal lighting performance without uniformly increasing overall thickness.
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
This integration results in a thin, efficient lighting device with a distinct and undistorted lighting signature, reducing light losses and meeting legal requirements for horizontal lighting width without apparent diffusion, while simplifying production and assembly.
Implementation Method 1
the optical waveguide has a light entry surface and a light emitting surface... Parallel surfaces where the light undergoes total internal reflection connect the light entry surface and light emitting surface
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting device for vehicles is provided with a housing, a cover lens covering an opening in the housing, a light module containing a number of light sources, and an optical unit for generating a predefined light distribution. The optical unit contains an optical waveguide that has a light entry surface and a light emitting surface. The optical waveguide is connected to the cover lens. A first section of the optical waveguide, facing the light source, protrudes from the inner surface of the cover lens, or the light entry surface of the optical waveguide is flush with the inner surface of the cover lens. A second section of the optical waveguide, facing away from the light source, protrudes from the outer surface of the cover lens, or the light emitting surface of the optical waveguide is flush with the outer surface of the cover lens.