Illuminable Component Light Border Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing illuminable components for vehicle interiors lack the ability to create a unique visual impact by effectively utilizing light to emphasize specific areas, such as door sills or paneling, with subdued and undamped light effects.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a recessed illuminable insert with a carrier component and a translucent outer layer, featuring a decorative surface and light-emitting foil, where the outer layer's embossed surface and beveled sections enhance light damping and alignment, creating a contrasting light border effect.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If the illuminable component uses a translucent outer layer with a recessed illuminable insert, then the light emerges in a subdued manner from the surface, but the ability to create a bright light border is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesubdued surface lightVSAvoidlight border structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The illuminable component is divided into distinct functional zones: a recessed illuminable insert for subdued surface light and a surrounding gap structure for bright light border. This segmentation allows each zone to serve its specific lighting function independently, resolving the contradiction between subdued surface light and bright border capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the illuminable component are assigned different optical properties. The recessed insert area provides subdued light transmission through the translucent outer layer, while the surrounding gap region allows undamped light emergence to create a bright border. This local differentiation of light properties resolves the contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If the illuminable insert is precisely fitted into the recess, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the light border gap is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsert alignmentVSAvoidlight border illumination
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The illuminable insert is extracted from a precise fit into the recess and positioned within the recessed area, leaving a deliberate gap between the outer layer and base support. This extraction from tight fitting allows the light border gap to form, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and light border illumination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 configuration produces a striking visual effect by emphasizing the illuminated area with a brighter light border, while the subdued light from the surface creates a balanced aesthetic, enhancing the component's visual appeal.

Implementation Method 1

the outer surface of the outer cover layer of the illuminable component has a decorative surface and/or a decorative layer... the outer surface of the outer layer has an embossed surface... the translucent outer layer is a plastic

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight damping: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 2

the light source is advantageously a light foil that has an onboard or offboard inverter (converter)... the luminous film being arranged on a surface of the carrier component

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight emission: Light Emitting Diode

Data Source

PatentEP2064692B1Illuminable component
Publication Date: 2011.05.25 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG
  • EP2064692B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2064692B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

DE 44 21 942 discloses an illuminable component in which an illuminable insert is incorporated in a cutout of a carrier through which illumination cannot be transmitted, letters, words, symbols and the like being able to be generated by said insert. It is an object of the invention to provide an illuminable component which can be used to generate a particular optical impression. This is achieved due to the fact that the outer layer (25) is formed in such a way that a light (45b) generated by the luminous means (42) emerges in attenuated fashion from an outer area (36) of the outer layer (25), that a gap (34, 35) is formed between at least one side wall section (21, 22) of the outer layer (25) and a side wall section (26, 27) - opposite the latter - of a side wall (28, 29) of the basic carrier (2) with dimensions such that the light (45a) of the luminous means (42) can emerge in unattenuated fashion, such that the gap (34, 35) is illuminated more brightly than the outer area (36) of the outer layer (25).