Elongated Light Guiding Lens with Reflection Surface and Lens Cuts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional light guiding lenses with L-letter shapes have limited light diffusion ranges, making it difficult to illuminate extended end portions and reducing design freedom and marketability in lighting units.

Innovation Solution

A light guiding lens with an incident portion and a light guiding portion that includes a reflection surface and lens cuts, allowing light to be internally reflected and refracted for uniform illumination of the entire elongated light exiting surface, even when the light guiding portion is extended beyond the incident portion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If the light guiding lens is extended to increase the light exiting surface area, then the illumination coverage is improved, but the light diffusion range becomes insufficient to illuminate the extended end portion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight exiting surface areaVSAvoidillumination uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from a conventional 2D light guiding structure to a 3D multi-layered configuration. By stacking multiple light guiding layers with different light incident positions and extending them in the depth direction, the patent achieves comprehensive illumination of the light exiting surface while maintaining uniform light distribution across the extended area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The light guiding lens is divided into multiple independent light guiding layers, each with its own light incident portion and light guiding portion. This segmentation allows each layer to independently guide light from different incident positions, ensuring complete coverage and uniform illumination across the entire extended light exiting surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Illumination intensity

If multiple light sources are disposed at appropriate intervals to overlap light diffusion ranges, then uniform illumination is achieved, but the light diffusion range remains limited and cannot cover extended portions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniform illuminationVSAvoidlight diffusion range
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extends the light guiding structure in the depth direction to create multiple layers. Each layer captures and guides light from different incident positions, effectively expanding the light diffusion range in the depth dimension while maintaining uniform illumination across the entire light exiting surface area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a light reflecting portion as an intermediary element to redirect light that would otherwise be lost. This reflecting portion bounces light back into the light guiding structure, extending the effective light diffusion range and ensuring that even extended end portions receive adequate illumination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the light guiding lens has a largely extended end portion, then design freedom is increased, but the extended end portion cannot be properly illuminated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedesign freedomVSAvoidillumination of extended portion
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

By extending the light guiding structure in the depth direction with multiple layers, the patent achieves both design freedom (largely extended end portion) and proper illumination. Each layer is configured to guide light to specific regions, ensuring the entire extended structure is properly illuminated while maintaining design flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent pre-configures multiple light guiding layers with strategically positioned light incident portions and light guiding portions. This preliminary arrangement ensures that light is captured and guided to all extended portions before the light reaches the light exiting surface, guaranteeing proper illumination of the entire extended structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 configuration ensures proper illumination of the longitudinal end portion and uniform lighting across the entire front surface, overcoming the limitations of conventional designs by projecting light effectively over the entire elongated light exiting surface.

Implementation Method 1

the light guiding portion can have a reflection surface at the rear end portion to be opposite to the incident surface, and the reflection surface can be configured to internally reflect light entering through the incident surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTotal internal reflection: Total Internal Reflection

Implementation Method 2

The side end surface can have a plurality of lens cuts formed therein, so that the lens cuts can internally reflect the light having been internally reflected by the reflection surface to the front surface portion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Data Source

PatentEP3115685B1Light guiding lens and lighting unit
Publication Date: 2018.12.26 STANLEY ELECTRIC CO LTD
  • EP3115685B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3115685B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3115685B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An elongated light guiding lens (3) can be illuminated with light entirely including its end portion. The light guiding lens (3) can include an incident portion (31) and a light guiding portion (32) and extends in a longitudinal direction (X). The incident portion (31) can be erected at a rear end portion of the light guiding portion (32) in a planar shape. The incident portion (31) can have a second incident surface (312) in its upper surface at its left end, for receiving light from a second LED (22) while collimating the light in the vertical direction. The light guiding portion (32) can be formed to extend from the rear end portion to the front surface portion (324) while expanding leftward more than the position corresponding to the second incident surface (312). The light guiding portion (32) can include a second reflection surface (322) provided below the second incident surface (312) to internally reflect the light from the second incident surface (312) toward a side reflection surface (323) of a left end side surface. The side reflection surface (323) can include a plurality of first lens cuts (323a) configured to internally reflect the light having been internally reflected by the second reflection surface (322) to a light exiting surface (324) of the front surface portion (324).