Flat LED Light Device for Automotive Door Steps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light devices for decorative automotive lighting are often bulky and complex, making them difficult to mount in vehicle door steps without compromising aesthetics or structural integrity, and they require cutouts in construction parts for installation.
Innovation Solution
A flat and elongated light device design featuring a light housing with cutouts for a light diffusion panel and a printed circuit with LEDs, where the LEDs emit light into the side edges of the panel, ensuring even diffusion and minimizing thickness, allowing for easy mounting without cutouts and maintaining aesthetic appeal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If traditional light devices are used for decorative automotive lighting, then lighting function is achieved, but the device becomes bulky and complex requiring cutouts in construction parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional three-dimensional stacked light device structures to a two-dimensional planar configuration. The light circuit board and light diffusion panel are arranged side-by-side in the same plane rather than stacking vertically, reducing the thickness dimension and enabling direct mounting on flat surfaces without requiring cutouts.
Solution Approach 2:
The light device is divided into distinct functional modules: a light circuit board containing LED units and circuitry, and a separate light diffusion panel. These segmented components are arranged adjacently in a planar layout, allowing independent optimization of each module and simplified assembly compared to integrated traditional designs.
2Illumination intensity
If light emitting units are mounted on a flexible conducting plate with stacked layers, then lighting function is achieved, but the device thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the vertical stacking arrangement of traditional light devices by implementing a planar side-by-side configuration. The light circuit board and light diffusion panel are positioned adjacently in the horizontal plane, reducing the thickness dimension from multiple stacked layers to a single-plane arrangement with minimal vertical profile.
Solution Approach 2:
A reflective layer is introduced as an intermediary element between the light emitting units and the light diffusion panel. This reflective layer redirects light that would otherwise be lost, improving illumination efficiency while maintaining the thin planar structure without requiring additional stacking layers.
3Illumination intensity
If light emitting units emit light directly, then lighting function is achieved, but light diffusion is uneven
Solution Approach 1:
A dedicated light diffusion panel is introduced as an intermediary component between the light emitting units and the external environment. This panel uniformly scatters and distributes the light from the LED units across its surface, achieving even light diffusion without requiring precise positioning or complex optical design.
Solution Approach 2:
The light diffusion function is extracted as a separate dedicated component (light diffusion panel) rather than being integrated into the light emitting units themselves. This separation allows the diffusion panel to be optimized specifically for uniform light distribution while the light circuit board focuses on efficient light generation.
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 results in a thin, elongated light device that can be easily mounted on vehicle construction parts, providing uniform lighting while reducing complexity and thickness, thus meeting both aesthetic and structural demands without the need for cutouts in the construction parts.
Implementation Method 1
The light emitting units may comprise light emitting diodes (LED's)
Implementation Method 2
The emitted light may be diffused and emitted over approximately the entire surface of the panel
Data Source
AI summary
Light device (1), comprising a light circuit (4) including at least one light emitting unit (6), a light diffusion panel (3), and a light housing (2) for mounting the light circuit (4) and light diffusion panel (3), wherein the thickness of the assembled light device (1) is approximately three millimeters or less, the length of the light device (1) and the length of the light diffusion panel (3) are at least approximately five times the width of the light device and the width of the light diffusion panel (3), respectively, and the light circuit (4) is arranged next to the light diffusion panel (3), the at least one light emitting unit (6) being arranged to emit light into at least one side edge of the light diffusion panel (3).