Light Ring Assembly Uniform Illumination via Optical Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional light rings struggle to provide uniform light distribution, especially in areas with substantial ambient light, leading to faint or washed-out illumination and discrete lighting elements.
Innovation Solution
A light ring assembly comprising a circuit board with light sources, an optical light ring with input and output surfaces, and a lens, where light from the sources enters the light ring, is reflected and mixed by optical elements, and exits uniformly, increasing path length to distribute light evenly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If illumination devices produce enough light for applications in substantial ambient light, then the light intensity is sufficient for visibility, but the individual lighting elements appear discrete or separate creating dark spots between them
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide component is introduced as an intermediary between the light sources and the external environment. This light guide receives light from multiple discrete LED sources and redistributes it uniformly across its surface, preventing direct viewing of individual light elements while maintaining high overall intensity. The light guide acts as a mediator that transforms discrete point sources into a continuous uniform illumination field.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional point source emission to two-dimensional surface emission by using a light guide. The light sources are arranged in a linear array, but the light guide distributes this light across a two-dimensional surface area, creating uniform illumination in multiple directions and eliminating the discrete appearance of individual sources.
2Device complexity
If conventional light rings use discrete light sources to provide illumination, then the device structure is simple, but the light distribution appears non-uniform with visible individual elements
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide serves as an intermediary component that maintains structural simplicity while achieving uniform light distribution. Instead of complex multi-element assemblies, a single light guide component is used to redistribute light from simple LED sources, preserving device simplicity while solving the uniformity problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical light distribution mechanisms with an optical solution. Rather than using movable parts or complex mechanical arrangements to achieve uniform illumination, the light guide uses optical principles (total internal reflection, light scattering) to automatically distribute light uniformly across its surface.
3Power
If illumination devices use multiple discrete light sources arranged in a ring, then the device can provide sufficient total light output, but the individual sources create dark spots and non-uniform appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide acts as an intermediary that receives high-power light output from multiple discrete sources and homogenizes the distribution. The light guide's optical properties (refractive index, surface geometry) are designed to scramble and redistribute light rays, converting the spatially discrete high-intensity sources into a uniform lower-intensity distributed output that maintains total power while eliminating dark spots.
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 bright, uniform, and homogenized illumination, ensuring visibility in various lighting conditions without discrete dark spots, suitable for both external and internal vehicle applications.
Implementation Method 1
light from the plurality of light sources enters the light ring at the optical input surface of the bottom side, is reflected and mixed within the light ring by the plurality of optical elements
Data Source
AI summary
A light ring assembly that is designed to provide bright, uniform and homogenized illumination and that can be used with any number of vehicle and non-vehicle lighting applications. According to one embodiment, the light ring assembly includes a housing, a circuit board with a number of individual light sources, a light ring and a lens. Light emitted by the light sources enters an optical input surface on a bottom side of the light ring, is reflected within the body of the light ring so as to mix and become more distributed, and then exits an optical output surface on a top side of the light ring.