Vehicle Headlight Lens Light Tunnel Total Internal Reflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current headlight lenses for vehicles face challenges in efficiently transmitting radiant flux from the light entry face to the light exit face, particularly in imaging bends as bright-dark boundaries, with existing technologies often resulting in significant light loss.
Innovation Solution
A monolithic headlight lens made of transparent material, such as glass, featuring a light tunnel that forms a transition into a light passage section via a bend, where the optical axes of the light passage section and tunnel intersect at a specific angle, ensuring that at least 80% of the radiant flux entering through the light entry face is maintained and exits through the light exit face, with surfaces optimized for total reflection and press-molding to minimize post-treatment needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional headlight lens designs are used, then the structure is simpler, but the radiant flux transmission efficiency deteriorates with significant light loss
Solution Approach 1:
The headlight lens is divided into functionally distinct sections: a light tunnel with total internal reflection surfaces, a bend region, and a light passage section with imaging functionality. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized for its specific function, minimizing overall light loss while managing structural complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The light tunnel incorporates curved surfaces with specific radii of curvature to achieve total internal reflection and guide light efficiently through the bend region. The curved geometry of the tunnel and passage sections optimizes light path control, maintaining high radiant flux transmission through the complex bent structure
2Productivity
If the light tunnel uses total internal reflection surfaces, then light guidance efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The design specifies precise parameter ranges for the light tunnel, including radius of curvature (5mm to 50mm) and angles (1° to 10°), that balance optical performance with manufacturability. These parameter optimizations ensure total internal reflection occurs effectively while remaining achievable through conventional glass molding processes
Solution Approach 2:
The light tunnel structure is designed to achieve total internal reflection through its inherent geometry rather than requiring additional reflective coatings or complex optical elements. The curved surfaces themselves provide the light guidance function, eliminating the need for separate reflective components and reducing manufacturing complexity
3Loss of energy
If the bend angle is optimized for light transmission, then radiant flux maintenance is improved, but the imaging quality of bright-dark boundaries deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different sections of the headlight lens have different optical properties optimized for their specific functions: the light tunnel section has curved surfaces for total internal reflection and high light transmission, while the light passage section has imaging-optimized surfaces that sharply define bright-dark boundaries. This local optimization resolves the contradiction between transmission efficiency and imaging 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
The solution effectively maintains a high percentage of radiant flux, ensuring efficient light transmission and imaging of bends as bright-dark boundaries, with the headlight lens design enhancing light guidance and reducing the need for additional optical elements.
Implementation Method 1
with surfaces optimized for total reflection
Implementation Method 2
for imaging the bend as a bright-dark-boundary
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a headlight lens for a vehicle headlight for a motor vehicle headlight wherein the headlight lens includes a optionally press-molded body of transparent material, including at least one light entry face and at least one optically effective light exit face, wherein the particularly monolithic body comprises a light tunnel which, via a bend, forms a transition into a light passage section for imaging the bend as a bright-dark-boundary.