Light Guide with Prismatic Grooves for Compact Vehicle Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Saddle-riding type vehicles face challenges in achieving sufficient light emission without increasing the size of the front cover, while minimizing brightness unevenness between adjacent emission faces.
Innovation Solution
A light guide is used that extends diagonally downward from the position light, with a structured face having prismatic grooves that reflect light both upward and forward, allowing for a smaller front cover size while increasing the emission surface area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the illumination lamps are made smaller to reduce the front cover size, then the front cover size is reduced, but the light emission surface area becomes smaller resulting in inadequate light quantity
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide extends in multiple directions (width direction, front-back direction, and up-down direction) to create a three-dimensional light emission structure. This allows light to be emitted not only forward but also upward and sideways, effectively increasing the light emission surface area without proportionally increasing the front cover size.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide acts as an intermediary between the illumination lamp and the surrounding space. It receives light from the lamp and redistributes it across multiple emission faces (front end face, upper side face, lower side face), thereby amplifying the effective light emission area without requiring a larger lamp or front cover.
2Illumination intensity
If a light guide and reflectors are used to increase light emission in multiple directions, then the light emission surface area increases, but the front cover size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide integrates multiple functions into a single component: it guides light from the illumination lamp, distributes light across multiple emission faces, and replaces the need for separate reflectors. This merging of functions achieves multi-directional light emission without requiring additional space for separate optical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide serves multiple purposes simultaneously: it acts as a light guide, a light distributor, and a light emitter with multiple faces. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve complex light emission patterns using a single component, thereby avoiding the space requirements of multiple separate components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the front cover size is reduced to improve aerodynamics, then aerodynamics are improved, but the space available for disposing illumination lamps and optical components is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide utilizes three-dimensional space efficiently by extending in multiple directions (width, front-back, and up-down directions). This allows the illumination system to maintain adequate component space within a compact front cover, preserving aerodynamic performance while accommodating the necessary optical components.
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 configuration ensures sufficient illumination is provided without enlarging the front cover, maintaining a compact size and reducing brightness unevenness between emission faces.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide (37) which receives light from the position light (33) and guides the light to emit in multiple directions
Implementation Method 2
a linear light emitter having a translucent rod-shaped body which has a light incident portion at least at one end thereof and which has, on a peripheral side surface running along an axial direction, light reflecting grooves reflecting incident light from the light incident portion
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A position light (33) and light guide (37) that serve as a light source are disposed on a front cover (10). The light guide (37) extends in the width direction of the chassis and receives light moving from the position light (33) in the width direction of the chassis. The light guide (37) has a structured face (37B) and emission faces (37U) and (37F). The structured face (37B) has a plurality of optical structures (370). The emission face (37U) is disposed on the opposite side from the structured face (37B), and emits light reflected by the structured face (37B). The emission face (37F) emits light reflected by the structured face (37B). The optical structures (370) are grooves inclined with respect to a width direction (WD), and of the two ends of the optical structures (370), the one disposed on the emission face (37F) side is disposed farther away from the position light (33) than the other end.