Vehicular LED Light Unit with Multi-Surface Base Plate
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicular lighting units face a challenge in increasing visibility without enlarging their size, as adding more tail and stop lamps would undesirably increase the unit's size.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves using a base plate to mount LED light sources for forward and rearward illumination and a reflection section to direct lateral illumination, allowing for increased visibility without size increase by integrating the reflection section with existing components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the number of tail and stop lamps is increased to provide more intense illumination, then visibility is improved, but the size of the vehicular lighting unit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple light sources (first light source for forward/rearward illumination and second light source for lateral illumination) onto a single base plate, merging what would traditionally be separate lighting functions into one integrated unit. This allows increased visibility through multiple light sources without proportionally increasing the overall unit size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the third dimension by mounting light sources on both the front surface and rear surface of the base plate. This vertical stacking approach allows multiple light sources to be accommodated within a compact footprint, providing intense illumination in multiple directions without expanding the horizontal area of the lighting unit.
2Illumination intensity
If multiple light sources are mounted on the same base plate to increase visibility, then the number of components increases, but the size of the lighting unit can be suppressed
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the lighting unit and acts as a mounting platform for both the first and second light sources. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate mounting structures, thereby suppressing device complexity while accommodating multiple light sources for enhanced visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The reflection section acts as an intermediary element that redirects light from the second light source laterally outward. This single reflection section serves multiple light sources mounted on the base plate, eliminating the need for separate reflectors for each light source and thereby reducing overall component count while maintaining effective illumination.
3Illumination intensity
If a reflection section is added to reflect light laterally outward, then visibility in lateral direction is improved, but the space required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reflection section is designed with specific local optical properties to efficiently redirect light laterally outward. By concentrating the reflective function in a localized area rather than requiring extensive reflective surfaces throughout the unit, the patent achieves improved lateral visibility while minimizing the space consumed within the lighting unit.
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 approach enhances visibility in multiple directions while minimizing the size of the vehicular lighting unit by using a common base plate for different light sources and integrating the reflection section, reducing the number of components and maintaining a compact design.
Implementation Method 1
a reflection section provided near the second light source for reflecting light emitted from the second light source laterally outward of the vehicle body
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular lighting unit includes: a first light source in the form of an LED for providing illumination forward or rearward of a vehicle body, the first light source being mounted on one surface of a base plate in an orientation corresponding to the direction of the illumination; a second light source in the form of an LED for providing illumination laterally outward of the vehicle body, the second light source being mounted on another surface of the base plate; and a reflection section provided near the second light source for reflecting light emitted from the second light source laterally outward of the vehicle body.