Motor Vehicle Radiator Grille Light Diffusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle radiator grille designs can cause dazzling of other road users due to direct light emission, especially when chrome-plated or with strongly reflecting lacquers, and may appear dirty with additional lamps, affecting vehicle identification and design aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
A radiator grille with spaced illuminants and reflector units, where baffles prevent direct light emission and reflect light indirectly through the grille, ensuring safety and design enhancement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If additional lamps are arranged on the outside region of the vehicle to irradiate the radiator grille, then vehicle identification at night is improved, but dazzling of other road users occurs and the lamp gets dirty causing unwanted appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a radiator grille as an intermediary element between the illuminant and the outside environment. The grille's reflective surface diffuses the light from the illuminant, preventing direct beam emission that causes dazzling while still providing sufficient illumination for vehicle identification. The grille acts as a mediator that transforms the direct light into a diffuse reflection pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the reflective properties and surface characteristics of the radiator grille to modify light emission. By leveraging the grille's surface properties (chrome plating or strongly reflecting lacquers), the system transforms the light characteristics from direct emission to reflected diffusion, achieving both identification and anti-dazzling objectives.
2Loss of information
If chrome plating or strongly reflecting lacquers are applied to the radiator grille, then vehicle identification is enhanced, but direct light emission causes dazzling of other road users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the light emission function by separating the illuminant from the direct emission path. The radiator grille is divided into multiple reflective surfaces that collectively diffuse the light. This segmentation prevents concentrated direct beams while maintaining overall illumination effectiveness for identification purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful direct light emission into a beneficial diffuse reflection. The chrome plating or strongly reflecting lacquers, which could cause dazzling, are utilized to create a diffuse reflection pattern that enhances identification while eliminating the harmful direct beam effect. The harmful reflective property is transformed into a beneficial diffusion mechanism.
3Loss of information
If additional lamps are arranged on the front bumper, then night identification is improved, but the lamp easily gets dirty causing jagged appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the identification function with the existing radiator grille structure. Instead of placing additional lamps on the front bumper as separate components, the illuminant is integrated with the radiator grille assembly. This merging eliminates the need for separate external lamps that would accumulate dirt, while the grille's inherent structure maintains the identification function.
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 effectively prevents dazzling of other road users while maintaining a design-defining aesthetic, adhering to legal illumination standards and ensuring the radiator grille remains clean and visually appealing.
Implementation Method 1
A reflector unit is assigned to each illuminant. The reflector unit is embodied and arranged in such a way that light of the illuminant or illuminants is reflected in each case by the assigned reflector unit such that light is emitted from the motor vehicle to the outside
Implementation Method 2
A baffle is disposed upstream of each illuminant, in particular in the direction of travel, said baffles preferably preventing direct emission of light from the motor vehicle to the outside
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle has a radiator grille with a plurality of mutually spaced lighting elements. In the grille, a baffle is mounted in front of each lighting element in the direction of travel and a reflector unit is associated with each lighting element. The reflector unit is configured and arranged such that light from each lighting element is reflected by the associated reflector unit so that light is emitted through the radiator grille out of the motor vehicle to the exterior.