Vehicle Door Handle Illumination via Optical Waveguide Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing assembly methods for motor vehicle interior door panel illumination devices are complex and error-prone, requiring precise alignment and installation openings that limit design flexibility and increase assembly time.
Innovation Solution
The handle shell and lighting device are designed as separate components with a free path for light, allowing independent assembly and installation of the lighting device before the door panel, eliminating the need for a dedicated installation opening and enabling flexible placement and adjustment of the light beam for optimal illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the lighting device is integrated into the handle shell with a dedicated installation opening, then the illumination function is achieved, but the assembly process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the illumination system into two independent parts: the lighting device and the handle shell. The lighting device can be assembled and tested separately, then mounted onto the handle shell through a simple mounting bracket interface, eliminating the need for complex integrated assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting device is pre-assembled and positioned in the rear area of the door before the handle shell is installed. The mounting bracket is prepared in advance with mounting openings that align with the handle shell, allowing for quick attachment without requiring precise alignment during final assembly.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a dedicated installation opening is provided in the handle shell, then the lighting device can be mounted, but design flexibility is limited and assembly errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket serves as an intermediary component between the lighting device and the handle shell. It provides a standardized interface with mounting openings that simplify the attachment process, reducing the need for precise direct alignment between the lighting device and the handle shell body.
3Productivity
If the lighting device is installed after the door panel, then the assembly sequence is simplified, but the lighting device cannot be placed in inaccessible areas
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting device is installed in the rear area of the door in advance, before the door panel is assembled. The mounting bracket is positioned and secured beforehand, allowing the lighting device to be placed in locations that would be inaccessible if installation were delayed until after door panel assembly.
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 approach simplifies the assembly process, reduces assembly errors, and enhances design freedom by allowing the lighting device to be installed in inaccessible areas, resulting in improved illumination uniformity and aesthetic appearance.
Implementation Method 1
an illumination device of the device that has a light source for coupling light into the transmissive area
Data Source
Figure 1~2c
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) assigned to an interior door moulding (2) of a motor vehicle, comprising a handle shell (3) fixed on an interior door moulding (2), and an illuminating means (5), and also a mounting method therefor. The illuminating means (5) here comprises, in addition to the light source (4), an optical waveguide (6) with a directed light outlet surface (7) for the light. The light coupled into the optical waveguide (6), before being decoupled, impinges against a reflection element (8) which is arranged on the end side at an inclination in relation to the cross-sectional plane of the optical waveguide (6) and serves at the same time for shaping the emerging light beam. In particular, an undesirable scattering of the light in the region of the free distance (9) between the light outlet surface (7) and the handle shell (3) is thereby substantially reduced. The concave handle shell (3) which is intended for receiving a pivotable actuating element (10) has, for the coupling-in of light, a transmissive region (11), the light outlet surface (13) of which is designed as a diffusion lens. According to the invention, a separation of functions is achieved, making it possible, for the first time, to mount the illumination means (5) and the handle shell (3) as separate functional units and independently of each other.