Dichroic Coated Lens for Vehicle Lamp Infrared Reflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle lamps experience thermal effects due to focused infrared energy from sunlight, which can diminish their aesthetic appearance and increase costs when trying to mitigate these effects by blocking sunlight or enhancing thermal resistance.
Innovation Solution
A dichroic coating is applied to the exterior surface of the lens to reflect at least a portion of the infrared energy content of sunlight, preventing it from being transmitted, redirected, and focused onto adjacent surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the lens transmits infrared energy from sunlight, then visible light transmission is maintained, but thermal effects occur on adjacent surfaces causing diminished aesthetic appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The solution segments the electromagnetic spectrum into different wavelength components by applying a dichroic coating that selectively reflects infrared energy while transmitting visible light. This allows the lens to handle different spectral components differently, resolving the contradiction between maintaining visible light transmission and preventing thermal effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The dichroic coating applies different optical properties to different wavelengths of light at the same location (the lens exterior surface). The coating has selective reflectivity for infrared wavelengths while maintaining transparency for visible wavelengths, enabling localized quality differentiation to resolve the thermal effect issue without compromising visible light transmission.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If blocking incoming sunlight is used to prevent thermal effects, then thermal effects are reduced, but aesthetic appearance and light transmission are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of completely blocking all sunlight, the dichroic coating applies partial action by selectively reflecting only the harmful infrared portion of the spectrum while allowing the beneficial visible light portion to pass through. This partial filtering approach resolves the contradiction by addressing only the necessary wavelength range.
Solution Approach 2:
The dichroic coating utilizes optical property changes based on wavelength, effectively creating a selective filter that appears transparent to visible light while reflecting infrared radiation. This wavelength-dependent optical behavior enables discrimination between harmful and beneficial light components.
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 dichroic coating effectively reflects infrared energy, preventing thermal effects on adjacent surfaces while allowing visible light to be transmitted, thus maintaining the aesthetic appearance and reducing costs associated with increased thermal resistance.
Implementation Method 1
a dichroic coating on the exterior surface of the lens so that at least a portion of the infrared energy content of sunlight is reflected from entering the lens
Data Source
AI summary
An infrared energy reflecting lens system for a lamp subjectable to sunlight is provided. The lens system includes a lens having an exterior surface and a dichroic coating on the exterior surface of the lens so that at least a portion of the infrared energy content of sunlight is reflected from entering the lens.