Vehicle Light Housing Aperture for Seamless Gap Illumination
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle lighting systems have gaps between light housings that appear as dark areas, disrupting the continuity of light emission, which affects visibility and safety.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a light guide or aperture within the light housing to transmit light across the gap between light housings, ensuring continuous illumination by using a flexible light guide or diffusive sources that project light into the gap, thereby obscuring the physical separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If light housings are separated by a gap for structural or functional reasons, then assembly flexibility and functional independence are improved, but visual continuity and aesthetic appearance deteriorate due to dark gaps between housings
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide is introduced as an intermediary component between the light source in the first light housing and the gap area. The light guide transmits light from the light source and directs it into the gap, illuminating the area between housings and creating visual continuity while maintaining the physical separation for assembly flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution addresses the two-dimensional visual continuity problem by extending light transmission into the third dimension through the gap space. The light guide projects light laterally into the gap area, filling the dark space between housings and creating apparent continuity without compromising the physical separation.
2Illumination intensity
If a light guide is added to illuminate the gap, then visual continuity is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional optical components
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide serves multiple functions: it transmits light from the light source, directs light into the gap for illumination, and potentially acts as a structural element within the lighting assembly. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated gap illumination components, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
3Reliability
If traditional lighting systems use separate light housings for different lighting functions, then functional independence and heat dissipation are improved, but aesthetic appearance and perceived continuity deteriorate due to visible gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide acts as a mediator that bridges the visual gap between functionally independent light housings. It allows the housings to remain physically separate for functional independence and heat management while creating an optical illusion of continuity that improves aesthetic appearance.
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 seamless and continuous lighting effect across the vehicle's exterior, enhancing visibility and safety by eliminating dark gaps between light housings.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide within the gap, wherein the light guide is configured to transmit the first light from the first light housing to illuminate the gap with the first light
Implementation Method 2
an aperture within the first light housing, wherein gap light travels from the aperture into the gap to illuminate the gap
Data Source
AI summary
A light system of a vehicle includes a first light housing including a first light source configured to emit first light from a face of the first light housing, a second light housing including a second light source configured to emit second light from a face of the second light housing, a gap located between the first light housing and the second light housing, and an aperture within the first light housing, wherein gap light travels from the aperture into the gap to illuminate the gap.