LED Lighting Unit for Cigarette Lighter Uniform Illumination
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric cigarette lighters in motor vehicles face issues with complex assembly processes leading to damage, short service life, and non-uniform illumination due to incandescent lamps, which are sensitive to mechanical and electrical influences and difficult to dim.
Innovation Solution
A cigarette lighter design featuring a base unit with a cylindrical heating insert and a ring-shaped attachment made of transparent light-conducting material, incorporating a lighting unit with a printed circuit board and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that allows for precise assembly and uniform illumination of the cigarette lighter and ashtray, with adjustable brightness and longer service life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If an incandescent lamp is used for backlighting the cigarette lighter, then the assembly process becomes complex and prone to damage, but the illumination is achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical incandescent lamp system with an LED-based lighting unit. The LED is mounted on a printed circuit board that integrates directly into the cigarette lighter housing, eliminating the need for separate lamp holders, contacts, and complex assembly procedures. This substitution of the illumination source and its mounting system resolves the contradiction between achieving illumination and avoiding assembly complexity.
2Illumination intensity
If an incandescent lamp is used for backlighting, then illumination is provided, but the service life is short and sensitivity to mechanical and electrical influences increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the fragile incandescent lamp with an LED mounted on a printed circuit board. LEDs are solid-state devices with no filaments or glass envelopes, making them highly resistant to mechanical shock and vibration. The integrated PCB mounting provides robust electrical connections, eliminating the sensitivity to electrical influences associated with incandescent lamp contacts. This substitution directly addresses the reliability and service life concerns.
3Illumination intensity
If an incandescent lamp is used for backlighting, then illumination is achieved, but uniform appearance with display elements becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the light source from incandescent to LED technology. LEDs offer superior control over illumination characteristics including color temperature, intensity, and distribution. The LED can be positioned and oriented to provide uniform backlighting that matches the appearance of other LED-based display elements in the vehicle interior, achieving the homogeneous overall appearance that is difficult to obtain with incandescent lamps.
4Illumination intensity
If an incandescent lamp is used for backlighting, then illumination is provided, but dimming capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the light source to an LED, which enables wide-ranging brightness adjustment through pulse-width modulation (PWM) or current control. LEDs can be dimmed from full brightness to very low levels without the critical threshold voltage problem that plagues incandescent lamps. This provides the adaptability and versatility in brightness control that is required for different driving conditions and driver preferences.
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 solution provides a durable, easy-to-assemble cigarette lighter with uniform illumination and adjustable brightness, contributing to a cohesive interior design and extended LED lifespan, enhancing the ergonomic and functional backlighting of vehicle display and control elements.
Implementation Method 1
a lighting unit (1) attached to the attachment (2) with a receiving unit (3) for receiving a lighting insert (4), designed as a printed circuit board, having at least one light source; the at least one light source is a light-emitting diode (LED) (5)
Implementation Method 2
a substantially ring-shaped attachment (2) made of transparent and light-conducting material pushed onto the base unit (A) to illuminate a cigarette lighter in the installed state for an observer visible area of the same
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The lighter has a firing body for accommodating a heating insert of a base unit (A). A ring-shaped attachment (B) is made from transparent and light-conducting material. A lighting unit (1) has a retaining unit (3) for retaining a lighting insert provided with an illuminant e.g. LED. The unit (3) is provided with a recess serving as light emitting opening (LO), and the lighting insert is arranged in the unit (3) between a lighting entering opening of the attachment and the light emitting opening. The illuminant faces the light entering opening and/or the light emitting opening.