Vehicle Light Module Safety Bracket for Laser Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle headlight systems using laser light sources face safety risks due to potentially hazardous unconverted laser light escaping if the wavelength converter is damaged, and current safety devices require additional optical and electronic components for detection and control.
Innovation Solution
A light module design featuring a laser light source, a wavelength converter, and a safety bracket that suppresses primary laser light beams within the module, ensuring they do not escape, even if the wavelength converter is damaged, without the need for additional mechanical or electronic components, by using a support component with a safety bracket that covers the primary solid angle range and absorbs or deflects the laser light.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a wavelength converter is used to convert laser light into white light for motor vehicle headlights, then the luminance and lighting efficiency are improved, but the risk of hazardous unconverted laser light escaping increases if the converter is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The support component is divided into functional zones: a first region that holds the wavelength converter and a second region that extends into the primary beam path to suppress unconverted laser light. This segmentation allows the same component to serve both support and safety functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The second region of the support component acts as an intermediary element between the laser light source and the external environment, absorbing or deflecting hazardous laser light before it can escape, while allowing converted white light to pass through to the optical emission device.
2Reliability
If additional optical and electronic components are added to detect radiation intensity and switch off the laser, then the safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety function is merged into the existing support component that holds the wavelength converter. The support component's second region directly suppresses laser light in the primary beam path, eliminating the need for separate detection devices, controllers, and electronic safety systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The support component performs its primary support function while simultaneously providing safety protection through its second region that suppresses hazardous laser light. The structure serves itself by integrating the safety function into the existing mechanical support, avoiding additional complexity.
3Reliability
If a screen is arranged in the beam path to suppress laser light, then the safety is improved, but the alignment precision and stability requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The safety bracket is integrated as part of the support component that holds the wavelength converter, ensuring fixed relative positioning. This merging eliminates the need for separate alignment procedures and ensures stable positioning without requiring high manufacturing precision for separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The second region of the support component is designed in advance to extend into the primary beam path, providing automatic suppression of hazardous laser light before it can escape. This preliminary design ensures safety functionality is built-in from the start, eliminating the need for subsequent alignment adjustments.
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 design effectively prevents hazardous laser light from escaping, ensuring safe operation and minimizing power loss in the emission light distribution, with a high level of functional reliability and no significant impact on normal operation, as the safety bracket is precisely aligned and integrated into the carrier component.
Implementation Method 1
The wavelength converter has a photoluminescence dye which, when excited to photoluminescence by means of laser light, emits light with different wavelengths
Implementation Method 2
the safety bracket is designed in such a way that hazardous radiation in the primary solid angle range is absorbed or deflected by the safety bracket
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~3b
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a light module (10) for a headlamp of a motor vehicle, comprising at least one laser light source (12) for radiating a primary beam of light (14), a wavelength converter (20) for converting the primary beam of light (4) into a secondary light pattern (24), and an optical radiation device (26) for rearranging the secondary light pattern (24) into a radiation light pattern (28) of the light module (10). The laser light source (12) is designed such that the primary beam of light (14) is radiated in a primary solid angle region around a primary radiation direction (16), and such that the wavelength converter (20) is designed in such a way that the primary beam of light (14) is incident on the wavelength converter (20) in the primary solid angle region around the primary radiation direction (16), and such that a carrier component (22) is provided to hold the wavelength converter (20) and that the carrier component (22) comprises a safety guard (32) which, viewed from the wavelength converter (20), covers the primary solid angle region around the primary radiation direction (16).