Dark Translucent Light-Guiding Body for Vehicle Instrument Graduations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle instrument graduations appear cloudy when the ignition is OFF due to reflection, reducing the lighting effect and appearance, and when the ignition is ON, they appear insufficiently lit due to excessive transmittance, compromising visibility and representation.
Innovation Solution
A structure featuring a light-guiding body made of a translucent dark material with three-dimensionally designed protrusions on the meter dial plate, a grained surface for light diffusion, and a light source that illuminates the graduations in a different color when ON, preventing cloudiness and enhancing contrast between ON and OFF states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the graduation is made of transparent acrylic material, then the lighting effect when ignition is ON is improved, but the graduation appears cloudy due to reflection when ignition is OFF
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes by using a dark-colored translucent material for the graduation instead of transparent material. This dark color absorbs extraneous light and prevents reflection-induced cloudiness when the ignition is OFF, while still allowing the graduation to be illuminated when the ignition is ON, thus resolving the contradiction between lighting effect and cloudiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the graduation material by selecting a dark-colored translucent material with specific light absorption properties. This parameter change allows the material to maintain translucency for effective lighting when ON while simultaneously absorbing extraneous light to prevent cloudiness when OFF, thus resolving the technical contradiction.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the transmittance of the transparent member is reduced to mitigate cloudiness, then the cloudiness is reduced, but the lighting effect when ignition is ON is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by using a dark-colored translucent material that maintains high transmittance for the intended illumination while simultaneously absorbing extraneous light. The dark color selectively interacts with light - allowing the intended light source to illuminate the graduation effectively while absorbing ambient light that would cause cloudiness, thus resolving the trade-off between lighting effect and cloudiness reduction.
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 ensures clear contrast and improved appearance by making graduations appear dark when OFF and light when ON, preventing cloudiness and maintaining effective lighting representation, while the grained surface diffuses light evenly and reflects extraneous light as a dark color.
Implementation Method 1
a light-guiding body made of a translucent material in a dark color
Implementation Method 2
a grained surface for light diffusion
Implementation Method 3
a grained surface for light diffusion
Implementation Method 4
the grained surface diffuses light evenly and reflects extraneous light as a dark color
Data Source
AI summary
A structure of a scale graduation includes: a meter dial plate, a light-guiding body made of a translucent material in a dark color, a three-dimensional graduation disposed in a protruding manner on a front surface of the light-guiding body and made of a translucent material in the dark color disposed on the front side of the meter dial plate, and a light source that makes light enter the three-dimensional graduation through the light-guiding body. When the light source emits outgoing light, the three-dimensional graduation lights on in a light color different from the dark color.