Line Illuminating Device Rod-Shaped Light Guide Flange Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing line illuminating devices suffer from performance deterioration, such as a drop in illuminance, due to damage at the contact points between the light guide's end face and the positioning member, leading to compromised light distribution.
Innovation Solution
A line illuminating device design featuring a rod-shaped light guide with a flange and a case that houses the light guide, incorporating alignment and engagement features like truncated-cone and planar engagement faces, which prevent direct contact between the light guide and the light emitter, maintaining a space for efficient light distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the end face of the light guide and the positioning member are in contact to achieve positioning, then positioning accuracy is improved, but damage to the light guide end face and positioning member occurs leading to performance deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a positioning member that contacts the light guide flange rather than the light guide end face directly. This intermediary positioning arrangement prevents damage to the light guide end face while maintaining positioning accuracy. The positioning member acts as a mediator that transfers the positioning function away from the critical light guide end face.
2Measurement precision
If direct contact is made between light guide and light emitter for positioning, then alignment is improved, but damage occurs at contact points causing illuminance drop
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide flange serves as an intermediary element that enables alignment between the light guide and light emitter without direct contact between the light guide end face and the light emitter. The engagement faces on the flange provide the necessary alignment function while protecting the light guide end face from damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide is segmented into functional parts: the light guide body for light transmission and the light guide flange for positioning and alignment. This segmentation separates the alignment function from the light transmission function, allowing the flange to handle mechanical alignment while the end face maintains optical integrity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If engagement faces are provided on light guide flange and housing for secure positioning, then positioning stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning and alignment functions are merged into the light guide flange structure, which integrates engagement faces for both positioning against the case and alignment with the light emitter. This merging eliminates the need for separate positioning components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining positioning stability.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a line illuminating device including: a light-emitting unit including a light-emitting-unit housing and a light emitter that emits light; a light guide including a light-guide body formed in a rod shape and a light-guide flange provided at a first end portion of the light-guide body; and a case including a case body formed in a rod shape, the case body being partially open when viewed in a longitudinal direction of the case body, the case body housing the light-guide body inside, in which the light-guide flange is interposed between a first end in the longitudinal direction of the case body and the light-emitting-unit housing, and a space is formed between an end of the light-guide body and the light emitter.