Laminated Glazing Waveguide for Concealed Vehicle Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automotive glazings with luminous capabilities often require visible light sources positioned at the edge, limiting design flexibility and aesthetic appeal, as well as inefficient light distribution within the vehicle interior and exterior spaces.
Innovation Solution
A laminated glazing system with a light path formed in the glass substrates or polymer interlayer, utilizing a light introduction surface to redirect light into a waveguide and an extraction surface to emit light into the vehicle interior or exterior, allowing for diffused or directed lighting without visible light sources, using materials like LEDs and holographic films for efficient light management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If visible light sources are positioned at the edge of glass to generate luminance, then lighting capability is achieved, but design flexibility and aesthetic appeal are limited and light distribution is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the visible light source from the edge position and replaces it with an ultraviolet light source positioned at the periphery. The UV source is coupled with a waveguide layer containing phosphor particles, separating the excitation function (UV source) from the light emission function (phosphor conversion), thereby improving aesthetic appeal and design flexibility while maintaining lighting capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a waveguide layer with phosphor particles as an intermediary between the UV light source and the visible light output. This mediator converts UV radiation to visible light through photoluminescence, enabling efficient light distribution throughout the glazing while concealing the actual light source, thus resolving the contradiction between lighting capability and aesthetic appeal
2Illumination intensity
If visible light sources are positioned at the edge of glass, then lighting capability is achieved, but light distribution within vehicle interior and exterior spaces is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional direct visible light sources with an ultraviolet light source combined with a phosphor-based waveguide system. This substitution utilizes photoluminescence conversion and optical waveguide principles to achieve more efficient and uniform light distribution across the glazing surface, improving light utilization and reducing energy loss
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the wavelength parameter of the light source from visible light to ultraviolet range, and utilizes phosphor materials with specific emission characteristics. This parameter change enables the waveguide layer to distribute light more uniformly across the glazing, improving light distribution efficiency throughout the vehicle interior and exterior spaces
3Adaptability or versatility
If light sources are concealed within the glazing structure, then aesthetic appeal is improved, but light introduction and extraction paths must be efficiently designed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the waveguide layer to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it serves as the light distribution medium, the phosphor conversion layer, and the optical path structure. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall device complexity while achieving concealed light sources and efficient light introduction/extraction paths
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional two-dimensional edge lighting to three-dimensional volumetric light distribution within the glazing structure. The waveguide layer with dispersed phosphor particles creates light emission throughout the thickness of the glazing, enabling efficient light introduction and extraction in multiple dimensions while maintaining aesthetic appeal
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
Enables flexible and aesthetically pleasing lighting solutions within vehicles, providing ambient, reading, and exterior lighting while concealing light sources, enhancing visibility and communication through improved light distribution and functionality.
Implementation Method 1
The waveguide may guide light along inside the layer, in the plane of the layer, from an introduction position to an extraction position spaced away from the introduction position
Implementation Method 2
The luminance may be achieved by visible light scattering at particles such as indium tin oxide and/or titanium oxide in a glass lamination
Implementation Method 3
a light introduction surface for introducing the light emitted from the light source into the light path
Implementation Method 4
a light extraction surface for extracting the light from the light path, such as especially from the waveguide thereof, to either one or both of an interior and an exterior of the first and second glass substrates
Data Source
AI summary
A laminated glazing having a first glass substrate (104) and a second glass substrate (108) and a polymer interlayer (106) laminated between the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate, being formed with a light path (120) formed in any one or combination of the first and second glass substrates and the polymer interlayer for guiding light emitted from a light source (112), a light introduction surface (110) for introducing the light emitted from the light source into the light path, and a light extraction surface (130,150) for extracting, from the light path, the light to either one or both of an interior and an exterior of the first and second glass substrates.