Automotive Light Guide Layout for Color-Switching Lamp Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automotive lamps lack the ability to switch colors and control the size and position of the light-emitting portion, limiting their functionality and added value in modern vehicles.
Innovation Solution
An automotive lamp design featuring a light guide unit with first and second light-emitting units, each containing light sources emitting different colors, and a controller to manage these units, allowing for color switching, size, and position control of the light-emitting portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional light bulbs are used as power supply, then the structure is simple, but the ability to switch colors and control light-emitting portion is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The light source is divided into multiple independent LED units, each capable of emitting different colors. This segmentation allows selective activation of specific LED units to achieve color switching and control of light-emitting portions without requiring complex mechanical components
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple LED units with different emission colors are integrated into a single light source assembly, enabling the system to perform multiple functions (color switching, pattern control, intensity modulation) using a unified structure that combines several light sources
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple light sources of different colors are integrated, then color switching capability is improved, but luminance unevenness occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide unit is designed with spatially varying optical properties, including position-dependent extraction structures and refractive index gradients, to compensate for the different emission characteristics of individual LED units and achieve uniform overall luminance distribution
Solution Approach 2:
A light guide unit is introduced as an intermediary component between the multiple LED light sources and the external environment. This light guide unit uniformly distributes and extracts light from different LED units, eliminating luminance unevenness while preserving color switching capability
3Adaptability or versatility
If light sources are arranged along end face, then color control flexibility is improved, but light guiding efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide unit incorporates position-dependent optical parameters, including varying extraction efficiency and refractive index profiles along the end face, to optimize both light guiding efficiency and color emission control flexibility simultaneously
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 automotive lamp to switch colors, control the light-emitting portion's size and position, reducing luminance unevenness, and providing customizable lighting patterns for various vehicle functions, such as autonomous driving indication, Daytime Running Lamp, or welcome functions.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide unit; multiple first light-emitting units arranged along a first end face of the light guide unit
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Multiple light sources 10 are arranged in an array. A light guide member 20 receives light emitted from the multiple light sources 10 on its back face, and outputs the light thus received from its front face. The light guide member 20 has a base portion 22 such that its back face 22a faces the multiple light sources 10 and such that it extends in the array direction of the multiple light sources 10. Multiple back-face protrusions 24 and multiple front-face protrusions 26 are formed such that they protrude from the back face 22a and the front face 22b of the base portion 22. The front-face protrusion 26 has multiple continuous faces in the circumferential direction along the front face 22b of the base portion 22.