Monolithic Headlight Lens with Integrated Alignment Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle headlight lenses face challenges in achieving optimal light distribution and alignment with light sources, leading to inefficiencies in light irradiation and imaging of the bend as a bright-dark boundary.
Innovation Solution
A monolithic headlight lens with a press-molded transparent body, featuring a light tunnel that transitions into a light passage section via a bend, includes an alignment structure for precise alignment with the light source, utilizing a surface that is either partially or entirely ellipsoidal, and a flange to enhance light exit and entry efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a monolithic headlight lens with alignment structure is used, then alignment precision with the light source is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment structure is integrated directly into the monolithic body of the headlight lens, merging the alignment function with the optical component. This eliminates separate alignment mechanisms and reduces assembly steps while maintaining precise alignment between the light source and lens.
Solution Approach 2:
The monolithic body serves multiple functions: it acts as the optical lens, contains the alignment structure for positioning, and provides mechanical support. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed while achieving both optical performance and alignment precision.
2Illumination intensity
If a light tunnel with bend is used to image the bend as a bright-dark boundary, then light distribution performance is improved, but optical path complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light tunnel incorporates a bend with curved geometry to redirect light and create the bright-dark boundary effect. The curved surface of the bend refracts and reflects light to form the desired optical pattern, utilizing curvature to achieve complex optical functions with simpler geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The bend acts as an intermediary element within the light tunnel that transforms the light path. It mediates between the light entry face and the exit face, creating the bright-dark boundary effect by controlling light reflection and refraction at the curved interface.
3Productivity
If press-molding is used to create the monolithic body, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but surface finish quality may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The press-molding process uses controlled pressure and temperature parameters to form the monolithic body while achieving the required surface finish. By optimizing molding parameters such as pressure distribution and cooling rates, the process produces both efficient manufacturing and high surface quality without post-processing.
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 achieves high irradiation performance, with at least 80% of entering light being effectively irradiated and exiting as a bright-dark boundary, improving light distribution and alignment with the light source, thereby enhancing the vehicle headlight's performance.
Implementation Method 1
A light tunnel is, in particular, characterised in that essentially total reflection will occur at its lateral (e.g. at the top, at the bottom, on the right and/or on the left) surfaces, so that light entering through the light entry face is conducted through the tunnel acting as a light guide (conductor)
Implementation Method 2
An optically effective surface is, in particular, a surface of the transparent body, at which surface, when using the headlight lens according to its purpose, the light will be refracted
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a headlamp lens for a vehicle headlamp, in particular a motor vehicle headlamp. The headlamp lens comprises a body made of a transparent material and having at least one light inlet surface and at least one optically effective light exit surface. The body comprises a light tunnel which transitions into a light-conducting element while making a bend for imaging the bend as a light-shadow line. The body further comprises an orientation structure for orienting the headlamp lens in a vehicle headlamp and/or for orienting the headlamp lens towards a light source for irradiating light onto the light inlet surface.