Vehicle Headlight Beam Shaper Structure for Stable Low-Beam Cutoff

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle headlights struggle to form precise low and high beam light distribution patterns without forming unintended dark or bright regions, and maintaining the shape of the cutoff line in the low beam pattern when the beam shaper is thinned.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle headlight design featuring a beam shaper with a plate-shaped main member and reinforcing member, where the main member includes a base portion with a fixed reinforcing member, and a position regulating portion to prevent deformation and misalignment, ensuring the formation of precise cutoff lines in the low beam pattern.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a conventional headlight assembly with separate reflector and lens components is used, then the headlight can provide illumination function, but the assembly becomes complex and difficult to manufacture

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheadlight assembly complexityVSAvoidmanufacturing difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the reflector and lens into a single integrated headlight assembly where the reflector is formed as an integral part of the lens structure. This eliminates the need for separate reflector and lens components, reducing assembly complexity and manufacturing difficulty while maintaining the headlight's illumination function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The lens structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both the lens for focusing light and the reflector for directing light. This multi-functional design reduces the number of components needed and simplifies the overall headlight assembly structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple separate components (reflector, lens, housing) are used in headlight assembly, then each component can be optimized independently, but the overall assembly becomes more complex and requires more installation steps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent optimization flexibilityVSAvoidinstallation ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

By combining the reflector and lens into a single integrated component, the patent reduces the number of parts that need to be installed. The integrated design maintains optimization capabilities while significantly simplifying the installation process, as fewer components need to be assembled and aligned.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional headlight materials are used, then the headlight can be manufactured with standard processes, but the light transmission and reflection efficiency is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing process standardizationVSAvoidlight transmission efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a composite material structure where the lens is made from a material with specific optical properties that enable both efficient light transmission and integrated reflector functionality. This composite approach allows for optimized light efficiency while maintaining manufacturability through adapted standard processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 design allows for the formation of accurate low and high beam light distribution patterns by preventing deformation and misalignment, thereby suppressing the formation of unintended dark or bright regions, and maintaining the shape of the cutoff line.

Implementation Method 1

an upper surface of the base portion reflects a part of the first light toward the projection lens in such a way as to form a cutoff line of the low beam light distribution pattern

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentEP4411219B1Vehicle headlight
Publication Date: 2025.09.03 KOITO MFG CO LTD
  • EP4411219B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4411219B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4411219B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle headlight (1) includes: a first light emitting optical system (LE1) that emits first light (L1) from a first part; a second light emitting optical system (LE2) that emits second light (L2) from a second part positioned below the first part; a projection lens (35); and a beam shaper (50), in which the beam shaper (50) includes a plate-shaped main member (110) and a plate-shaped reinforcing member (120) overlapping the main member (110), the main member (110) includes a base portion (53) having a part that includes a front end of the main member (110) and does not overlap the reinforcing member (120) and a part that overlaps the reinforcing member (120) and to which the reinforcing member (120) is fixed, and an upper surface of the base portion (53) reflects a part of the first light (L1) toward the projection lens (35) in such a way as to form a cutoff line (CL) of a low beam light distribution pattern (PL).