Vehicle Fuse Box Fault Indicator with LED and Luminous Panel
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Solution Overview
Problem
In modern vehicles, it is difficult for drivers to detect and replace a blown fuse, especially in dimly lit or dark environments, due to the often inaccessible location of the fuse box and lack of adequate lighting, which can lead to confusion about the cause of electrical system failures.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a fuse box with a door and inner panel covered in luminous materials, where each fuse includes an LED and a lens to direct light towards the door and panel, indicating a blown fuse through immediate and prolonged glowing, allowing drivers to visually identify the faulty fuse even in dark conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the fuse box is placed in a centralized location for easy access, then the ease of operation is improved, but the vehicle design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse box system is segmented into modular components including the housing, door assembly with luminous material, inner panel with cavities, and individual fuse units with LEDs. This segmentation allows the complex functionality to be distributed across simple, interchangeable parts, improving ease of access while managing design complexity through modularity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuse box incorporates self-illuminating features through luminous materials on the door and inner panel, and LEDs within each fuse that automatically light up when blown. This self-service illumination eliminates the need for external lighting assistance, improving ease of operation in dark environments without adding complex lighting control systems.
2Device complexity
If the fuse box is placed in a hard-to-reach location to optimize vehicle design, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse box utilizes luminous materials on the door and inner panel that emit light when exposed to UV or blacklight. This color change/illumination effect allows the fuse box to be visually located and operated upon even in dark or hard-to-reach areas, compensating for poor accessibility without requiring the fuse box to be in a highly visible location.
Solution Approach 2:
Each fuse contains an LED that automatically illuminates when the fuse blows, providing self-service indication without requiring external lighting. This allows drivers to locate and identify blown fuses even when the fuse box is in a hard-to-reach location, improving ease of operation independently of fuse box placement.
3Device complexity
If traditional fuse indicators are used without additional lighting components, then the device complexity is reduced, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each fuse is equipped with an LED that automatically illuminates when the fuse blows, providing self-service detection without requiring external lighting or complex indicator systems. The LED serves as both the fuse element and the indicator, eliminating the need for separate detection mechanisms and reducing overall device complexity while improving detectability.
Solution Approach 2:
The luminous materials on the door and inner panel change from non-luminous to luminous when exposed to UV light or when adjacent fuses are blown. This color change provides a visual indicator system that is simple in structure but highly effective at detecting blown fuses, even in dark environments, without adding complex electronic indicators.
4Use of energy by moving object
If the fuse box operates without self-illuminating features, then the use of energy is reduced, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse box system uses the electrical energy already present in the circuit to power the LED indicators within the fuses themselves. When a fuse blows, the LED automatically illuminates using the circuit's existing power, providing detection without requiring additional energy-consuming lighting systems or external power sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The luminous materials on the door and inner panel utilize photoluminescence or phosphorescence to convert UV or ambient light into visible illumination. This passive color change mechanism requires no additional energy input beyond the initial light exposure, providing visual detection capabilities while maintaining minimal energy consumption.
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 solution enables drivers to quickly identify and replace blown fuses in any lighting environment, reducing the complexity of diagnosing electrical system failures and facilitating corrective action without external lighting.
Implementation Method 1
Each fuse comprises an LED coupled between terminals of the fuse, configured to emit light when the fuse is tripped
Implementation Method 2
a lens configured to direct light from the LED toward the door and the inner panel
Implementation Method 3
The fuse box includes a door and an inner panel, covered in part with respective luminous materials
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle is disclosed for indicating when a fuse is blown in a vehicle fuse box. An example vehicle includes an electrical system, a fuse box comprising a door and an inner panel, covered in part with respective luminous materials and a plurality of fuses positioned inside the fuse box, coupled to the electrical system. Each fuse comprise an LED coupled between terminals of the fuse, and a lens configured to direct light from the LED toward the door and the inner panel.