Door Switch Sensor Uniform Illumination via V-Shaped Light Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing compact door switch configurations face challenges in achieving uniform light emission over a wide area, with multiple lenses increasing distance from the light source to the display surface and only operation keys emitting light, making it difficult to maintain a compact design while ensuring visibility.
Innovation Solution
A door switch design featuring a sensor with a light source, a collector, a diffuse light guide, and a back surface display part, where the diffuse light guide is V-shaped and bilateral-symmetrical, efficiently guiding detection light to the back and side surfaces for uniform illumination, using a light emitting diode as the light source and resin materials for easy manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If multiple lenses (convex and concave) are used to achieve uniform light emission, then visibility is improved, but the distance from the light source to the display surface increases, making it difficult to maintain a compact design
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex multi-lens system (convex and concave lenses) from the optical path. Instead, it uses a single light guide member with a specific internal structure (light incident portion, light guide portion, and light emitting portion) to achieve uniform light distribution, thereby removing the source of the length problem while maintaining the desired illumination uniformity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a multi-component optical system operating in multiple dimensions to a single integrated light guide member where light propagation is controlled through internal geometry (light incident portion leading to light guide portion leading to light emitting portion). This dimensional simplification reduces the overall distance from light source to display surface while maintaining uniform light emission across the display area
2Device complexity
If only operation keys are caused to emit light, then the light source structure is simplified, but only partial areas are illuminated, making it difficult to achieve wide-range visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide member serves multiple functions: it collects light from the light source, guides the light through its internal structure, and distributes it uniformly across the entire display surface. This single component replaces what would otherwise require separate lighting arrangements for different areas, achieving wide-range illumination while maintaining structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide member acts as an intermediary between the light source and the display surface. It receives light from the light source and transforms it into uniformly distributed illumination across the entire display area, effectively mediating between the point light source and the extended display surface to achieve both simplicity and wide coverage
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 improves visibility of the door switch's state by uniformly illuminating a predetermined area, allowing easy confirmation from the back and side surfaces, while maintaining a compact design by reducing the space required for the light source and collector.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide part comprising a collector for collecting the detection light; a diffuse light guide part formed to be connected to the collector and for transmitting, diffusing and emitting the detection light collected by the collector
Implementation Method 2
a diffuse light guide part formed to be connected to the collector and for transmitting, diffusing and emitting the detection light collected by the collector
Data Source
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AI summary
The door switch (1) includes an actuator (20) and a sensor (10). When a door is closed, a front surface (S1) of the sensor (10) and an opposite surface of the actuator (20) are in contact with each other, and separated when the door is open. The sensor (10) includes a light source part (150) for emitting detection light according to a reception state of a detection signal outputted from the actuator, a collector (122) for collecting the detection light, a diffuse light guide part (123) formed to be connected to the collector and for diffusing and emitting the detection light collected by the collector, and a back surface display part (121) formed on a back surface (B1) side of the sensor to be in contact with the diffuse light guide part and having a main surface (125) for emitting the detection light emitted from the diffuse light guide part.