Vehicle Headlight Cooling via External Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current headlight systems face challenges in achieving efficient cooling, leading to increased size and production costs, while also being sensitive to temperature fluctuations that affect the service life of micromirror components.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle headlight design that generates a cold cooling medium externally, using a detachable connection coupling and a micro-mirror arrangement within the headlamp housing, allowing for shared cooling systems among multiple headlights and efficient temperature control, including a condenser for dehumidification and a throttle valve for regulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If complex and precise cooling is implemented within the headlight, then cooling efficiency is improved, but installation space and production costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling efficiencyVSAvoidinstallation space
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling generator is extracted from the headlight housing and placed in an external location (such as the vehicle engine compartment). Only the necessary cooling duct and detachable connection coupling remain within the headlight, significantly reducing installation space while maintaining cooling efficiency through the external cooling medium generation unit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If complex and precise cooling is implemented within the headlight, then cooling efficiency is improved, but production costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling efficiencyVSAvoidproduction costs
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The complex cooling generator is extracted from the headlight assembly and positioned externally. This eliminates the need for expensive integration of cooling generation components within the headlight housing, reducing production costs while maintaining effective cooling through the duct system and detachable connections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The external cooling generator can serve multiple headlights simultaneously, as well as other vehicle components requiring cooling. This multi-functionality reduces the overall cost per headlight unit and improves manufacturing economics through shared infrastructure.

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

3Reliability

If temperature control is not optimized, then service life of micromirror components decreases, but headlight size increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice life of micromirror componentsVSAvoidheadlight size
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling generator is extracted from the headlight housing, reducing internal volume while maintaining effective temperature control of micromirror components through the external cooling system and thermal conductive connections via the detachable coupling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 results in a smaller, cost-effective headlight system with improved cooling efficiency, extended service life of micromirror components, and reduced fogging issues, enabling multiple headlights to share a common cooling medium and reducing installation space and costs.

Implementation Method 1

The cooling channel (107) is thermally conductively connected to at least one heat source (102, 110), which is located inside the headlight housing (101)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

a condenser (115) for condensing water vapor, which is located inside the headlight housing and is thermally conductively connected to the cooling duct

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCondensation: Condensation

Data Source

PatentEP3382268B1Vehicle headlight and cooling system
Publication Date: 2021.09.01 ZKW GRP GMBH
  • EP3382268B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3382268B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3382268B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Vehicle headlight (100) comprising a headlight housing (101), at least one light source (102), at least one projection optic (104), at least one cooling channel (107), and a cooling medium. The at least one light source (102) is configured to emit light in the form of a light beam (105) towards the at least one projection optic (104) and to project a light image onto the road in front of the vehicle. The at least one light source (102) and the at least one projection optic (104) are located within the headlight housing (101). The at least one cooling channel (107) is thermally connected to at least one heat source and is configured to cool the heat source when the cooling medium flows through it. The at least one cooling channel (107) comprises at least one detachable coupling (108, 109) inserted into the cooling channel (107).