Helical Light Guides for Homogeneous Vehicle Warning Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current motor vehicle light devices using monochromatic LEDs are costly, bulky, and fragile, making them unsuitable for use as warning lights, and they produce inhomogeneous beams, which are not compatible with the sophistication of modern vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A light device comprising at least two light sources with helical-shaped collection guides that penetrate tangentially into a light collector, allowing for a homogeneous mixture of light beams while maintaining a compact size and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If semi-reflecting blades are used to mix light beams, then beam mixing is achieved, but the device becomes costly, fragile, and bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical semi-reflecting blade system with an optical fiber-based light guide system. The light guides transmit and mix light beams through optical total internal reflection rather than mechanical reflection, eliminating fragile moving parts and semi-reflecting blades while maintaining beam mixing capability and improving reliability and ease of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces light guides as intermediary elements between the light sources and the mixing zone. These light guides serve as mediators that transport and combine multiple light beams through their helical configuration, replacing the direct beam interaction approach and enabling reliable, cost-effective beam mixing
2Ease of manufacture
If semi-reflecting blades are used to mix light beams, then beam mixing is achieved, but the device becomes bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs helical-shaped light guides that utilize the third dimension (axial direction) to achieve beam mixing. The helical configuration allows light beams to travel extended optical paths and mix thoroughly within a compact axial space, dramatically reducing device volume compared to planar blade-based systems while maintaining effective beam mixing
3Illumination intensity
If conventional light mixing devices are used, then beam mixing is achieved, but the resulting beams are inhomogeneous
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses helical (curved) light guides instead of straight or planar structures. The helical curvature distributes light rays more uniformly across the beam cross-section through extended optical paths and multiple internal reflections, achieving homogeneous beam output while maintaining relatively simple device structure
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 provides a cost-effective, compact, and solid light device capable of producing homogeneous lighting, suitable for use as a warning light in motor vehicles by increasing the optical path of light rays and improving beam mixing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The light collector and the collection guides are in one piece... the light rays are propagated naturally by total reflection inside the collection guides 32, 34, 36 and the light collector 40
Implementation Method 2
the inlet ends of the pick-up guides penetrating tangentially into the collector, the coupling between these guides and the collector is greatly improved
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a lighting device (10) including: at least two light sources (22, 24, 26); at least two light-sensing guides (32, 34, 36) associated with the light sources, each one of the sensing guides being associated with a separate light source; a light collector (40) associated with the light-sensing guides, characterized in that each one of the sensing guides includes an input end arranged opposite the light source associated therewith and an output end tangentially penetrating the light collector such as to lead a light beam from the associated light source into the collector, and in that the sensing guides are helical between the input and the output ends.