Vehicle Lamp Light Guide Branching for Uniform Line Brightness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle lamps experience brightness unevenness due to differences in optical path length, leading to deteriorated lighting appearance and visibility, particularly in light guide bodies with curved or diverging portions, resulting in stray light and uneven brightness.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle lamp design featuring a light guide body with a first and second light guide part, diverging portion, and protrusions, where the optical axis is shifted to balance light distribution, and connecting portions are positioned to equalize light proportions and cross-sectional areas, utilizing reflecting and emitting sections to uniformly emit light.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a rod-shaped light guide body is used to emit light in a line shape, then the lighting coverage is improved, but brightness unevenness occurs due to different optical path lengths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different structural characteristics to different sections of the light guide body. Specifically, a curved portion is provided in a first section and a diverging portion is provided in a second section, with each portion having specific geometric parameters (curvature radius, divergence angle) optimized to control light propagation locally. This allows the tip section to emit light more broadly while the base section maintains focused light guidance, compensating for the optical path length difference and achieving uniform brightness across the entire light emitting section.
2Illumination intensity
If a curved portion or diverging portion is provided in the light guide body, then light distribution is improved, but stray light is generated causing point light appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spheroidality by providing a curved portion with a specific curvature radius that is optimized to control light propagation. The curved portion has a curvature radius that is not too small (avoiding excessive refraction) and not too large (maintaining effective light guidance). This optimized curvature allows light to be directed toward the tip section while minimizing stray light generation, preventing the point light appearance that would occur with excessive curvature.
3Quantity of substance
If the optical axis is shifted from the boundary of the diverging portion, then light quantity distribution is improved, but brightness unevenness becomes more noticeable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the position of the optical axis relative to the diverging portion boundary. Specifically, the optical axis is positioned at a shifted position that is not at the boundary but at an optimized location. This position change balances the light quantity distribution to the left and right sections while minimizing the visibility of brightness unevenness. The optimized position ensures that light is distributed more evenly across the light emitting section, preventing the appearance of brightness variation.
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
The design prevents brightness unevenness, improving the appearance and uniformity of light emission, ensuring consistent illuminance across the light emitting surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
light emitted from the light source enters the base end side of the light guide body, and is guided toward the tip side of the light guide body while the light is repeatedly reflected inside the light guide body
Implementation Method 2
light is diverged through a diverging portion provided in a light guide body
Data Source
AI summary
A light guide body has first protrusion protruding from first curved portion toward a side opposite to diverging portion, second protrusion protruding from second curved portion toward a side opposite to the diverging portion, optical axis of light emitted from light source is arranged to be shifted to the one side or the other side in first direction with respect to a boundary of the diverging portion, and according to proportion of lights diverged to the side of a second light guide part and the side of a third light guide part via the diverging portion, a position of a first connecting portion, to which the first protrusion and the first curved portion are connected, is different from a position of a second connecting portion, to which the second protrusion and the second curved portion are connected, in a second direction which is perpendicular to at least the first direction.