LED Mounting System with Self-Service Optical Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

The use of light-emitting diodes in vehicle headlight systems poses higher demands on tolerances and installation situations compared to conventional headlights, making it time-consuming and cumbersome to adjust optical components and maintain legal light image requirements, especially when changing light-emitting diodes.

Innovation Solution

A mounting system where optical elements can pivot about a pivot axis and are coupled with an adjusting element, allowing for translational movement to be converted into pivoting, with coupling elements that maintain optical settings when the mounting element is removed or replaced, using an adjusting screw for precise positioning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If light-emitting diodes are used in vehicle headlight systems, then energy efficiency and lifespan are improved, but tolerance requirements and installation complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovelifespanVSAvoidtolerance requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The adjustment element automatically maintains the optical settings when the mounting element is removed and reinstalled. The memory function allows the system to self-retain the adjusted position without requiring manual re-adjustment, thus resolving the contradiction by reducing the impact of tolerance requirements through automatic position retention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the state of the adjustment element from fixed to movable during adjustment, and back to fixed when retaining settings. This parameter change allows the system to adapt between precise positioning mode and setting retention mode, addressing the tolerance issue while maintaining LED lifespan benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If optical components are adjusted to meet legal light image requirements, then lighting performance is improved, but adjustment time and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting performanceVSAvoidadjustment time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The adjustment element with memory function automatically retains the optical settings, allowing the system to self-maintain compliant lighting performance without requiring repeated manual adjustments. This eliminates time loss when changing mounting elements while ensuring lighting performance requirements are met.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs the adjustment action in advance and stores the setting in the adjustment element. When the mounting element is replaced, the pre-stored settings are automatically applied, eliminating the need for time-consuming re-adjustment while maintaining legal light image requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of repair

If the mounting element is removed and replaced, then light-emitting diode replacement is enabled, but optical settings are lost and must be re-adjusted

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveLED replacementVSAvoidre-adjustment effort
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The adjustment element automatically retains and restores optical settings without human intervention. When the mounting element is replaced, the system self-restores the previous settings, enabling easy LED replacement while eliminating the cumbersome re-adjustment process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The adjustment element creates a memory copy of the optical settings. When the mounting element is replaced, this copied setting information is transferred back to the optical element, allowing LED replacement without loss of optical configuration and eliminating re-adjustment effort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

4Ease of repair

If coupling elements are designed to be detachable for mounting element replacement, then ease of replacement is improved, but maintaining precise optical alignment becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting element replacementVSAvoidoptical alignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The adjustment element with memory function automatically compensates for potential misalignment when detachable coupling elements are used. The system self-restores the precise optical alignment by recalling the stored settings, thus maintaining alignment precision while preserving the ease of replacement benefit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The adjustment element acts as an intermediary that stores and transfers alignment information between the mounting element and the optical element. This mediator ensures that precise optical alignment is maintained during detachable coupling operations, resolving the contradiction between ease of replacement and alignment precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 the change of light-emitting diodes without re-adjusting lighting settings, ensuring that optical settings are preserved and easily transferred to new assembly elements, simplifying the process and maintaining precise alignment.

Implementation Method 1

coupled to at least one adjusting element in such a way that a translational movement of the at least one adjusting element results in a pivoting movement of the at least one optical element about its pivot axis

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical Advantage: Mechanical Advantage

Data Source

PatentEP1936259B1Mounting system for mounting LEDs in the casing of a lamp unit or vehicle headlamp
Publication Date: 2009.05.13 ZIZALA LICHTSYST
  • EP1936259B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP1936259B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP1936259B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a mounting system for mounting light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in a housing (GEH) of a lighting unit or a vehicle headlight, wherein the mounting system (SYS) comprises a mounting element (MON) on which the LEDs (LEDs) and an optical element (SPI) are arranged, through which light from the LEDs (LEDs) is emitted into the external space of the lighting unit/headlight. The optical element (SPI) is pivotable about a pivot axis (ACH) relative to an adjustment element (KOP), wherein a translational movement of the adjustment element (KOP) is converted into a pivot movement of the optical element (SPI) about its pivot axis (ACH), and wherein the optical element (SPI) can be fixed such that when the mounting element (MON) is removed, the first coupling element (KOP1) remains in the coupled position.