High-Beam Headlight Honeycomb Condenser Compact Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current high beam headlamps face challenges in achieving a high light output with a small overall length and efficient manufacturability, while also requiring glare-free operation to avoid dazzling oncoming vehicles, which is not effectively addressed by existing systems.
Innovation Solution
A high beam headlight design that combines a light source array with a honeycomb condenser and a collimator, allowing for crosstalk-free and controlled illumination of far-field segments using a honeycomb condenser with irregular and regular lens arrays, enabling individual control of light sources for segmented beam formation and reducing system dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a long-focal-length projection optic is used to project the filler optic output to infinity, then the beam focus is improved, but the overall length of the headlight system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the projection optic functionality directly into the honeycomb condenser structure. The exit-side lenslets of the honeycomb condenser serve dual purposes: they focus light from input-side lenslets and simultaneously project the light to infinity with the required collimation. This nesting of functions eliminates the need for a separate long-focal-length projection optic, achieving proper beam focus while maintaining a compact overall length.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If an achromatically corrected projection optic is used, then color fringing is suppressed, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs monochromatic light sources (laser diodes) that emit light at a single wavelength. Since chromatic aberration and color fringing only occur with polychromatic light containing multiple wavelengths, using monochromatic light eliminates the need for achromatic correction. The honeycomb condenser can be designed with simple spherical or cylindrical lenslets without requiring complex achromatic lens combinations, significantly reducing device complexity and manufacturing difficulty.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the headlight is segmented into individually switchable vertical strips, then glare-free operation is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the light source array into multiple independently controllable laser diodes arranged in vertical columns. Each laser diode corresponds to a specific vertical segment of the headlight beam. By individually switching these laser diodes on or off, the headlight can create segmented beam patterns that illuminate only the necessary road sections while avoiding glare to oncoming traffic. The honeycomb condenser's regular lens array naturally maps each laser diode to a corresponding vertical beam segment, making the segmentation control straightforward despite the increased number of light sources.
4Illumination intensity
If multiple light sources are used to increase light output, then illumination intensity is improved, but the system dimensions and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple laser diodes into a single integrated array that is coupled with a honeycomb condenser. The honeycomb condenser's regular lens array efficiently collects and redirects light from all laser diodes in the array, merging their outputs into a unified beam structure. This combining approach allows the system to achieve high light output from multiple sources while maintaining a compact form factor, as the honeycomb condenser processes all light paths through its regular repeating structure rather than requiring separate optical paths for each light source.
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 achieves a compact high beam headlight with efficient manufacturability, seamless joining of light sources, and adjustable light intensity profiles, reducing glare and enabling energy-saving operation without the need for separate fill optics or achromatic correction.
Implementation Method 1
A collimator, connected between the honeycomb condenser and the light source array, illuminates the honeycomb condenser with collimated light from the majority of the light sources in the array
Implementation Method 2
the collimated light from a first light source results in crosstalk-free transmission through the honeycomb condenser and illumination of a first far-field segment
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a high-beam headlight which can be produced having a low overall length and high efficiency, and specifically also makes effective production possible. To this end, a light source array (1) having a plurality of light sources (1a, 1b, 1c) is combined with a honeycomb condenser (10). A collimator (2), which is connected between the honeycomb condenser (10) and the light source array (1) illuminates the honeycomb condenser (10) with collimated light from the plurality of light sources of the light source array (1). The arrangement of the components is such that the collimated light from a first light source (1a) leads to cross-talk-free transillumination of the honeycomb condenser (10) and the illumination of a first far-field segment (5a). For each of the at least one second light source (1b) of the light source array (1), the collimated light from the respective second light source (1b) leads to transillumination of the honeycomb condenser (10) with channel cross-talk and illumination of a second far-field segment (5b) oriented obliquely relative to the first far-field segment (5a).