HUD Light Source with Integrated Dichroic Beam Splitter and Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing HUD light sources for picture generation units face challenges with large size, space occupation, installation complexity, and inadequate cooling solutions, which affect the picture display effect.
Innovation Solution
The proposed light source integrates intensively arranged light emitting assemblies with a light combining assembly, including a dichroic beam splitter and combiner mirror, a half-wave plate, and a polarizing beam splitter mirror, to reduce size, facilitate cooling, and enhance brightness and temperature monitoring precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a laser light source is arranged separately with corresponding beam splitter and combiner prism, then the light source can function properly, but the installation size becomes large and occupies too much space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple light sources (red, green, blue laser diodes) and optical components (beam splitter, combiner prism) into a single integrated light source assembly. This merging of previously separate components directly reduces the installation size and simplifies the overall structure, resolving the contradiction between compact size and functional completeness.
2Ease of manufacture
If the light source occupies a large space, then cooling solutions can be introduced, but the installation size becomes large and inconvenient for installation and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested cooling structure where cooling channels are integrated within the light source housing, and heat dissipation components are nested around the laser diodes. This nesting approach enables effective cooling solutions to be incorporated into the compact integrated light source without increasing its external dimensions, thus resolving the contradiction between cooling capability and compact size.
3Illumination intensity
If the light source is focused with intensively arranged light emitting assemblies, then the light emitting brightness is improved, but the heat becomes concentrated causing temperature imbalance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different thermal management strategies to different regions within the light source assembly. The red, green, and blue laser diodes are positioned with varying spacing from the heat dissipation structure, and the cooling channels are designed to provide localized cooling intensity matched to the heat generation characteristics of each light emitting assembly. This local quality approach enables effective heat dissipation for each component while maintaining high light emitting brightness, resolving the contradiction between brightness and temperature balance.
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 solution reduces the installation size of the light source, improves cooling efficiency, enhances light brightness, and maintains temperature balance, making the light source more compact, convenient to install and maintain, and practical for HUD applications.
Implementation Method 1
the dichroic beam splitter and combiner mirror is arranged on light emitting paths of the light emitting assemblies and configured to combine the at least three colors of light emitted by each of the light emitting assemblies into combined light
Implementation Method 2
the half-wave plate is arranged on a light emitting path of one ray of the combined light and configured to change a polarization characteristic of the combined light
Implementation Method 3
the polarizing beam splitter mirror is configured to combine the combined light emitted from the half-wave plate with another ray of the combined light
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a light source for a picture generation unit in a head up display (HUD), including: at least two light emitting assemblies, each configured to emit at least three colors of light; and a light combining assembly, including a dichroic beam splitter and combiner mirror, a half-wave plate, and a polarizing beam splitter mirror, where the dichroic beam splitter and combiner mirror is arranged on light emitting paths of the light emitting assemblies and configured to combine the at least three colors of light emitted by each of the light emitting assemblies into combined light, the half-wave plate is arranged on a light emitting path of one ray of the combined light and configured to change a polarization characteristic of the combined light.