Automotive Light-Guide Taillight for Uniform Concealed Red Emission
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current central taillights in vehicles are aesthetically unappealing due to visible red components, lack uniform light distribution, and are unsuitable for high-performance cars with inclined or small-sized rear windows.
Innovation Solution
A compact automotive lighting unit with a light-guide plate and diffusing filter that uses LEDs and a converging optical group to emit a uniform red light signal, housed in a concealed container, ensuring aesthetic integration and compatibility with various vehicle designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a traditional central taillight with visible red front half-shell is used, then the light signal function is achieved, but the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the red coloring function from the visible front surface by using a colorless or transparent front half-shell, separating the light emission function (achieved through LEDs and optical elements) from the aesthetic appearance (maintained through transparent materials), thus resolving the contradiction between light signal function and aesthetic appearance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical elements (reflecting bodies, light guides, diffusing elements) as intermediaries between the LEDs and the front half-shell to achieve uniform light distribution and proper light signal emission without requiring a colored front surface, thereby maintaining both aesthetic appearance and light signal function
2Illumination intensity
If a traditional lighting assembly with multiple reflecting bodies and LEDs is used, then the light signal is emitted, but the light intensity distribution along the taillight is non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning LEDs and optical elements at specific locations within the housing to achieve uniform light distribution across the front half-shell. The reflecting bodies and light guides are strategically placed to direct light from specific zones to specific areas of the front surface, ensuring homogeneous illumination without requiring high manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses light guides that extend along the length of the housing, distributing light from a one-dimensional LED source into a two-dimensional uniform illumination pattern across the front half-shell, thereby achieving homogeneous light intensity distribution
3Illumination intensity
If a traditional central taillight with standard dimensions is used, then the light signal function is achieved, but it cannot be installed in vehicles with small or inclined rear windows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a lighting unit with flexible dimensions by allowing the housing length to be adapted to different vehicle requirements. The modular design with distributed LEDs and optical elements enables the same lighting principle to be applied in various sizes, making the taillight compatible with different vehicle types including those with small or inclined rear windows
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs a universal lighting unit that can be adapted to multiple vehicle configurations. The same optical principles and component arrangement can be scaled to fit different space constraints, enabling the taillight to serve various vehicle types from compact cars to larger vehicles
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 uniform light intensity, maintains vehicle aesthetics by concealing visible components, and fits vehicles with small or inclined rear windows, meeting photometric standards.
Implementation Method 1
a light-guide plate with a photoconductive structure, which is adapted to be illuminated by said lighting assembly and is structured so as to guide the light produced by said lighting assembly towards a first lateral sidewall of the light-guide plate
Implementation Method 2
a diffusing filter, which is interposed between said lighting assembly and said light-guide plate, so as to diffuse the light directed towards said rear sidewall
Implementation Method 3
an electrically-powered lighting assembly, which is placed inside said rigid container and is adapted to emit, on command, a red light
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Automotive lighting unit (1) comprising: a rear casing (2), which is adapted to be fixed to the vehicle; a front bezel (3; 30), which is arranged to close the mouth of the rear casing (2) so as to form a rigid container (5), and is centrally provided with a through slit (4) oblong in shape; a light-guide plate (6), which is made of photoconductive material and is inserted in pass-through manner in said slit (4) of the front bezel (3; 30); a lighting assembly (7), which emits light on command and is arranged inside said rigid container (5) facing a rear sidewall (6a) of the light-guide plate (6), so as to direct the light produced within the body of the light-guide plate (6), through said rear sidewall (6a), in such a way that the light travels within the light-guide plate (6) by total internal reflection up to the front sidewall (9b) of the same light-guide plate (6); and a diffusing filter (8), which is interposed between the lighting assembly (7) and the light-guide plate (6) so as to be crossed by the light emitted by said lighting assembly (7), and is structured to diffuse the light directed towards the rear sidewall (6a) of the light-guide plate (6).