Illuminated Switch Light Guide for Uniform Brightness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing illuminated switch devices suffer from light beam dispersion and uneven brightness due to the differing directions of light beams passing through the translucent indicator side guide, leading to reduced brightness and peripheral light deficiencies.
Innovation Solution
The illuminated switch incorporates a first light guide member with an inclined light incident surface, a reflection surface, and a light exit surface, which refracts, reflects, and transmits light beams to ensure even illumination across the operation surface, using a second light guide member with a collimating part to convert emitted light into parallel beams that are then directed and focused by the first light guide member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If light beams pass through the translucent indicator side guide in different directions, then the light can be distributed across the indicator, but the light beams become dispersed in several directions causing reduced brightness
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide member incorporates different surface structures at different locations: a light incident surface with an inclined surface that refracts light beams, a reflection surface that reflects light beams, and a light exit surface. This local differentiation of optical properties ensures that light beams are systematically directed rather than randomly dispersed, maintaining brightness while achieving uniform illumination distribution.
2Illumination intensity
If a triangular prism is used to propagate light beams in a desired direction, then light direction control is improved, but the amount of light is reduced at the peripheral portion of the light exit surface causing brightness unevenness
Solution Approach 1:
The light incident surface is designed as an inclined surface that operates in a different dimensional approach compared to conventional triangular prisms. By tilting the incident surface relative to the optical axis, light beams are refracted at angles that direct them toward the reflection surface, creating a multi-stage optical path that distributes light more evenly across the exit surface including peripheral areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The reflection surface acts as an intermediary element between the light incident surface and the light exit surface. Light beams are first refracted by the inclined incident surface, then reflected by the reflection surface, and finally transmitted through the exit surface. This intermediary reflection mechanism redirects light beams to illuminate peripheral portions of the exit surface, resolving the brightness unevenness problem.
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 provides sufficient light to the peripheral areas of the light exit surface, preventing unevenness and ensuring the light is easily visible from various angles, such as from both the driver's and passenger's seats in vehicle-mounted electronic devices.
Implementation Method 1
a light incident surface formed of inclined surface that refracts light beams entering along the optical axis in a first direction
Implementation Method 2
a reflection surface that reflects light beams refracted at the light incident surface in a second direction different from the first direction
Implementation Method 3
a light exit surface that transmits light beams reflected by the reflection surface
Data Source
AI summary
An illuminated switch includes an operation knob that includes an operation surface, a light source that emits light beams using a predetermined direction as an optical axis, and a first light guide member that is provided in the operation knob and guides the light beams emitted from the light source to the operation surface. The first light guide member includes a light incident surface formed of inclined surface that refracts light beams entering along the optical axis in a first direction, a reflection surface that reflects light beams refracted at the light incident surface in a second direction different from the first direction, and a light exit surface that transmits light beams reflected by the reflection surface.