Illuminating Glazing Light Guide Element Homogenization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing illuminating glazings with integrated inorganic light-emitting diodes suffer from limited luminous efficiency due to light absorption by glass and materials, non-homogeneous light injection, and difficulties in mounting diodes.
Innovation Solution
A transparent glazing system featuring a pierced glass sheet with a light guide element made of a transparent dielectric material, which includes an input face opposite the diode's emission surface, a body, and an output face facing the internal wall of the hole, allowing for improved light homogenization and reduced refraction losses, enabling more flexible diode positioning and larger emission surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If diodes are placed inside a hole in the glass sheet close to the extraction device, then light absorption losses are reduced, but light injection becomes non-homogeneous and mounting becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A light guiding element is introduced as an intermediary component between the diode and the glass sheet. This mediator receives light from the diode through its inlet face, guides it through its body, and delivers it to the extraction means at the output face, thereby solving both the mounting difficulty and light injection homogeneity issues while maintaining low absorption losses
Solution Approach 2:
The optical path is segmented into distinct functional components: the diode, the light guiding element, and the extraction means. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the light guiding element can be designed with specific geometry and material properties to ensure homogeneous light distribution while keeping the diode mounting separate from the glass sheet
2Quantity of substance
If the light path through the glass sheet is lengthened, then more light can be distributed, but light absorption losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The refractive index parameter is changed by introducing a light guiding element with different optical properties than the glass sheet. This parameter change allows for controlled light propagation - the light guiding element can be designed to maintain total internal reflection while minimizing absorption, enabling longer light paths with reduced energy loss
3Illumination intensity
If diodes with larger emission surfaces are used, then light output is increased, but mounting flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The light guiding element acts as an adaptable intermediary that can accommodate diodes of various sizes and emission surface areas. Its inlet face can be designed to match different diode configurations, allowing larger diodes to be used for increased light output while the light guiding element provides the necessary adaptation for mounting and light delivery
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
Enhances light output and mounting flexibility, improving the homogeneity of illumination and reducing light losses, while allowing for the use of multiple diodes with larger emission surfaces and increased thermal management.
Implementation Method 1
The guiding element allows for both the homogenization of light injection and the limitation of refraction within the glass pane
Implementation Method 2
ensuring that light rays enter the glass at a sufficiently high angle of incidence to allow for total internal reflection on the main surfaces of the glass pane
Implementation Method 3
The guiding element is an optical device through which light propagates in a desired direction, which depends primarily on the shape of the guiding element. It allows for both the homogenization of light injection
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
Figure 2~5
Figure 6A~6D
AI summary
The present invention relates to an illuminating glazing (100A) including: a transparent first glass sheet (1) drilled with a through-hole (4) bounded by an internal wall (14); at least one inorganic light-emitting diode (5) comprising an emission surface (51) that emits light in a main emission direction that is substantially orthogonal to the emission surface; the glazing being characterized in that it includes a light-guiding element (6) including an entrance face (61) that is placed facing the emission surface, a body (63), and an exit face (62) that is placed facing the internal wall, said light-emitting diode having an emission cone of at least 80°.