Flexible Light Guide for Seamless Vehicle Gap Lighting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle lighting systems have gaps between light housings that appear as dark areas, disrupting the continuity of light emission, which can affect visibility and safety.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a light guide or aperture within the light housing to transmit light across the gap between light housings, ensuring continuous illumination by using a flexible light guide or diffusive sources that project light into the gap, thereby obscuring the physical separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If light housings are separated by a gap for design flexibility or assembly reasons, then manufacturing and assembly become easier, but the light appearance becomes discontinuous and visibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide is introduced as an intermediary component between the light source and the gap area. The light guide transmits light from the light source through total internal reflection and directs it into the gap region, effectively mediating the light transmission across the discontinuity created by the gap, thus maintaining visual continuity while preserving the physical separation for assembly purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide is implemented as a thin, flexible component that can be positioned within or across the gap between light housings. This thin-film structure allows it to conform to the gap geometry and efficiently transmit light without adding significant bulk, enabling the light to appear continuous across the gap while maintaining design flexibility.
2Illumination intensity
If a rigid light guide structure is used to transmit light across the gap, then light transmission is efficient, but the system becomes more complex and harder to install
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible light guide instead of a rigid structure. This flexible component can be easily positioned and conform to the gap geometry, reducing installation complexity while maintaining effective light transmission through optical principles such as total internal reflection, thereby achieving good light transmission efficiency without increasing system complexity.
3Illumination intensity
If the gap between light housings is illuminated using a window or aperture, then the gap lighting is achieved, but the structural integrity and sealing of the light housing may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide acts as an intermediary that allows light to reach the gap area without requiring direct openings or compromised sealing in the light housing. The light guide can be positioned to extend into the gap region while maintaining the integrity of the housing structure, as it transmits light through its body rather than requiring transparent windows that would compromise sealing.
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 provides a continuous appearance of light across the gap, enhancing visibility and safety by eliminating dark areas between light housings, creating a seamless lighting effect.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide within the gap, wherein the light guide is configured to transmit the first light from the first light housing to illuminate the gap with the first light
Implementation Method 2
a flexible light guide or diffusive sources that project light into the gap
Data Source
AI summary
A light system of a vehicle includes a first light housing including a first light source configured to emit a first light from a face of the first light housing, a second light housing including a second light source configured to emit a second light from a face of the second light housing, a gap located between the first light housing and the second light housing, and a light guide within the gap, wherein the light guide is configured to transmit the first light from the first light housing to illuminate the gap with the first light.