Vehicle Headlamp Diaphragm Elevation for Dynamic Cornering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle headlight systems experience undesirable light distribution effects, particularly blinding oncoming traffic, due to the pivoting of the lens, which leads to shading of a larger part of the light distribution on the side of oncoming traffic.

Innovation Solution

The diaphragm shaft is designed with a lateral surface that forms focal line regions for dimmed light, featuring an elevation that increases towards the edge, allowing the unwanted light effects to be masked out when the lens is pivoted, ensuring a legally compliant light image by adjusting the focal line sections and their distances from the axis of rotation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the lens is made pivotable to generate dynamic cornering light, then the ability to illuminate curves is improved, but unwanted light effects occur that blind oncoming traffic

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedynamic cornering light capabilityVSAvoidblinding of oncoming traffic
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The elevation on the diaphragm shaft is designed to preemptively counteract the harmful light effects that occur during lens pivoting. By creating an asymmetric focal line configuration before pivoting occurs, the elevation pre-masks the problematic light areas, preventing them from reaching the road and blinding oncoming traffic while allowing cornering light functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

2Area of stationary object

If the lens is pivoted at larger angles, then cornering light coverage is improved, but the disruption in light image increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecornering light coverage areaVSAvoidlight image quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The diaphragm shaft is designed with non-uniform local qualities through the elevation feature. The elevation creates different focal line characteristics at different radial positions, with the distance from the axis of rotation varying locally. This allows the system to maintain acceptable light image quality across a range of pivoting angles by having different parts of the focal line perform different functions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 design compensates for the increasing disruption in light image with the swivel angle of the lens, providing a clear and compliant light distribution even when cornering, and can be applied to both right-hand and left-hand traffic scenarios.

Implementation Method 1

the elevation can mask out unwanted light resulting from the pivoting, so that a legally compliant light image is produced even when the lens is pivoted

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOptical masking: Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentEP2381166B1Headlamp for vehicles
Publication Date: 2013.08.07 ZIZALA LICHTSYST
  • EP2381166B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2381166B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3c
  • EP2381166B1 patent drawingFigure 4a~4c

AI summary

The headlight has a reflector, a lens and a screen shaft arranged between the reflector and the lens. The screen shaft has a lateral area with an arrangement for forming a caustic line area for two or multiple caustic lines for dimmed light in circumferential direction, i.e. in rotational direction, in a defined rotational angle area. The screen shaft has an elevation unit (80) opposite to a caustic line sections of neighboring caustic lines for dimmed light in an area of the caustic line section of the caustic line for dimmed light.