Exterior Door Handle Illumination Layout to Reduce Glare
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle door handles often suffer from glare or bright spots due to existing lighting solutions, which can compromise the effectiveness of illumination at the door handle and ground areas, especially when a person's hand covers the illumination source while grasping the handle.
Innovation Solution
An illumination module integrated into the door handle assembly, featuring a self-contained design with LEDs or OLEDs, optics, and apertures that provide uniform lighting by directing illumination downward and toward the ground, while avoiding direct illumination of the door or side of the vehicle, thus minimizing glare and maintaining visibility even when the hand is in the pocket region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If existing lighting solutions are used to illuminate the door handle area, then illumination is provided, but glare or bright spots occur that compromise effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination module uses different optical zones within the same housing: an first optical zone with a first aperture that directs light away from the door to avoid glare, and a second optical zone with a second aperture that directs light toward the door handle area for illumination. This local differentiation of light direction resolves the contradiction between providing illumination and avoiding glare.
2Ease of operation
If a person's hand covers the illumination source while grasping the handle, then the handle can be grasped, but visibility is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination module directs light in multiple dimensional directions simultaneously: the first optical zone projects light downward and away from the door, while the second optical zone directs light toward the door handle area. This multi-directional lighting ensures that when a hand grasps the handle and blocks one direction of light, illumination remains available from other directions.
3Illumination intensity
If illumination is directed toward the door or side of the vehicle, then the door handle area is illuminated, but glare is created
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination module is segmented into distinct functional zones: a first optical zone with a first aperture that directs light away from the door, and a second optical zone with a second aperture that directs light toward the door handle. This segmentation allows different portions of the illumination system to perform different functions, resolving the contradiction between illuminating the handle area and avoiding glare on the door.
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 enhanced and uniform illumination at the door handle and ground areas, reducing glare and maintaining visibility without obstructing the illumination source when the hand is grasped, thereby improving safety and convenience during nighttime operations.
Implementation Method 1
An illumination module integrated into the door handle assembly, featuring a self-contained design with LEDs or OLEDs, optics, and apertures that provide uniform lighting by directing illumination downward and toward the ground
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a handle portion and an illumination module having an illumination source that emits light when electrically powered. With the exterior door handle assembly mounted at a door handle region of a vehicle door and when the illumination source is electrically powered to emit light, light emitted by the illumination source illuminates the door handle region of the vehicle door. The illumination module is located and oriented at the vehicular exterior door handle assembly such that, when the illumination source is electrically powered to emit light, a hand grasping the handle portion to open the vehicle door does not block light emitted by the illumination source so that illumination is maintained at the door handle region of the vehicle door.