LED Light Unit With Refractive Chamfer Surfaces
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing LED light units for aircraft require complex optical structures with reflectors and shutters, making them costly and difficult to manufacture, while also failing to meet strict light distribution regulations, particularly in ambient light emission directions.
Innovation Solution
An LED light unit with a refractive optical element featuring chamfer surfaces integrated into its design, which alters the output light intensity distribution without the need for shutters and reflectors, allowing for efficient reduction of light intensity in ambient directions and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If complex optical structures with reflectors and shutters are used, then light distribution regulation is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the shutters and reflectors from the optical structure, retaining only the essential refractive optical element with chamfer surfaces. This removal of unnecessary components directly reduces device complexity while maintaining light distribution control through the chamfer surfaces alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of light direction control and ambient light reduction into a single integrated refractive optical element with chamfer surfaces. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate shutters and reflectors, thereby reducing device complexity and manufacturing cost while achieving the required light distribution regulation.
2Manufacturing precision
If shutters and reflectors are used for light conditioning, then light intensity distribution is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the costly shutters and reflectors from the design, relying solely on the refractive optical element with chamfer surfaces to achieve proper light intensity distribution. This extraction eliminates expensive components while maintaining regulatory compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the design parameters by using chamfer surfaces with specific angles on the refractive optical element to control light intensity distribution. This parameter-based approach replaces expensive mechanical components (shutters and reflectors) with a cost-effective optical geometry solution.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional optical structures are used, then light distribution is achieved, but ambient light intensity is insufficiently reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by adding chamfer surfaces specifically at the portions of the refractive optical element where ambient light is generated. These localized chamfer surfaces with specific angles target and redirect only the harmful ambient light while preserving the necessary forward light distribution for regulatory compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The chamfer surfaces create directional light redirection that effectively 'changes' the emission pattern, directing ambient light away from harmful directions while maintaining proper forward illumination. This optical redirection achieves the effect of reducing harmful ambient light without altering the forward light distribution.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple optical components are used, then light control is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple optical functions (light direction control, ambient light reduction, beam shaping) into a single refractive optical element with chamfer surfaces. This consolidation dramatically improves ease of manufacture by eliminating the need to assemble and align multiple separate components while maintaining accurate light control.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes unnecessary optical components (shutters and reflectors) from the system, leaving only the essential refractive optical element with chamfer surfaces. This extraction simplifies the manufacturing process by reducing the number of parts that need to be produced, assembled, and aligned.
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 chamfer surface design enables efficient reduction of light intensity in ambient directions, simplifies manufacturing, and reduces costs by eliminating the need for additional optical components, while ensuring compliance with stringent light distribution regulations.
Implementation Method 1
a refractive optical element having an inner surface and an outer surface, the refractive optical element being attached to the support portion and being arranged over the light source
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c~1d
Figure 2
AI summary
An LED light unit (2), in particular for a passenger transportation vehicle, such as an aircraft, a road vehicle, a ship or a rail car, has a support portion (4), a light source (6) having at least one LED, the light source (6) being arranged on the support portion (4), and a refractive optical element (8) having an inner surface (82) and an outer surface (84), the refractive optical element (8) being attached to the support portion (4) and being arranged over the light source (6). The refractive optical element (8) has a chamfer portion (90) adjacent the support portion (4), wherein at least one of the inner surface (82) and the outer surface (84) has at least one chamfer surface (92; 94; 96; 98) in the chamfer portion (90).