Cylindrical Light Guide for Uniform Illumination
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing input devices with rotating operating members and illumination systems require multiple light sources to achieve high-quality, uniform illumination around the operating member and its annular illumination portion, increasing costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
An input device design featuring a cylindrical light guide portion with an annular first illumination portion and a light guide member that emits light over the entire periphery, allowing a single light source to illuminate both the operating member and surrounding areas, integrated with a rotary electrical component and grip ring for rotating operation, reducing the need for separate components and minimizing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If multiple light sources are used to illuminate the operating member and surrounding areas, then illumination quality and uniformity are improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide member is divided into multiple light emitting faces (first light emitting face and second light emitting face) that direct light to different illumination portions. This segmentation allows a single light source to effectively illuminate multiple areas with different brightness requirements, achieving high-quality uniform illumination without adding multiple light sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide member acts as an intermediary between the single light source and multiple illumination portions. It receives light from one source and distributes it through different light emitting faces to the annular first illumination portion and the second illumination portion, enabling uniform illumination across all areas while maintaining device simplicity.
2Reliability
If multiple separate components are provided for light guiding and drive functions, then functional reliability is improved, but device miniaturization is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide portion and drive portion are integrally molded into a single inner shaft body component. This merging reduces the number of separate parts and assembly steps, enabling device miniaturization while maintaining the functional reliability of both the light guiding and drive mechanisms through precise integral 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
This configuration achieves high-quality, uniform illumination of the annular illumination portion with reduced costs by using a single light source and integrating the drive and light guide components, resulting in a miniaturized and simplified device with improved mechanical strength and optical path efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide member that has a light incident face opposing the light source and guides light of the light source to the first and second illumination portions
Data Source
AI summary
An operating knob including a first illumination portion with an annular shape and a second illumination portion, is provided around the operating knob. The operating knob is configured by a combination of an inner shaft body made of a resin and a grip ring body, allowing the inner shaft body to be fitted outward. A light shielding cap is attached to a front end portion of the inner shaft body. A cylindrical light guide portion having the first illumination portion in the front end face and a drive portion to be connected to a rotating shaft are integrally molded in the inner shaft body, and a rear end face of the cylindrical light guide portion opposes a first light emitting face. A light incident face opposes a light source and the first and second illumination portions and are illuminated by light of the light source via the light guide member.