Motor Vehicle Lighting Assembly With Movable Beam Occlusion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing front lighting assemblies for motor vehicles are constrained by the shapes of high and low beam surfaces, limiting design flexibility, especially in high-end sporty vehicles, while maintaining operational safety, particularly when parked or in emergency conditions.
Innovation Solution
A lighting assembly with a movable opaque element that can be positioned to obstruct or reveal the low beam surface, controlled by a mechanism involving a motor, transmission assembly, and clutch, allowing for adaptive design without compromising safety, using sensors to adjust based on environmental brightness and vehicle speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the transparent element has fixed surfaces for high beam and low beam transmission, then the lighting function is reliable, but the design flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a movable opaque element that can dynamically change the visibility of the low beam surface. This element can be positioned to either reveal or obstruct the low beam surface, allowing the lighting assembly to adapt between different design states (aesthetic mode vs. functional mode) without changing the physical structure of the transparent element itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting assembly is segmented into distinct functional zones: a high beam surface and a low beam surface, separated by the movable opaque element. This segmentation allows independent control and design of each surface, enabling the high beam surface to maintain its fixed shape while the low beam surface can be dynamically revealed or hidden.
2Shape
If the low beam surface is always visible, then the lighting function is always available, but the aesthetic design is compromised when parked
Solution Approach 1:
The movable opaque element provides dynamic control over the low beam surface visibility. When the vehicle is parked, the opaque element can be positioned to obstruct the low beam surface, revealing the aesthetic design. When driving is detected (via speed sensor or other triggers), the opaque element moves to reveal the low beam surface, ensuring lighting availability is maintained when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic or conditional action where the opaque element moves between obstructing and revealing positions based on detected driving conditions. This periodic adjustment ensures that the aesthetic design is prioritized during parking while lighting reliability is maintained during driving operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a movable opaque element is added to control surface visibility, then design flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical control systems with a simplified mechanism driven by a single motor and transmission assembly. The motor is connected through a transmission mechanism to the opaque element, providing automated control without requiring complex multi-component mechanical systems. This substitution reduces overall device complexity while maintaining design adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission assembly acts as an intermediary between the motor and the opaque element, simplifying the direct drive connection. This intermediary mechanism allows the motor to control the opaque element's position without requiring direct mechanical coupling, reducing the complexity of the control system while maintaining precise control capability.
4Reliability
If sensors and control mechanisms are added to manage visibility based on conditions, then operational safety is maintained, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex sensor arrays and control systems with a simplified sensing approach using basic speed sensors or existing vehicle sensors to detect driving conditions. The control logic is implemented through a straightforward control unit that receives sensor inputs and actuates the motor accordingly, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining operational safety through conditional response to driving states.
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting assembly for a motor vehicle is described, comprising: a first transparent surface, which is configured to transmit, in use, a low beam; and a second transparent surface, which is configured to transmit, in use, a high beam; an opaque element, which is movable between a first operating position, in which it is far from the first and second surfaces, and a second operating position, in which it obstructs at least one of the first and second surfaces.