Luminous Vehicle Glazing with Sealed Diode Cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle glazing technologies using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) face challenges in durability, compactness, and cost-effectiveness, particularly in ensuring moisture resistance and ease of maintenance, while also requiring complex integration processes that can be costly and prone to damage.
Innovation Solution
A luminous vehicle glazing system featuring a first sheet of inorganic or organic glass with a peripheral light source of LEDs, a protective layer against humidity, and a removable cover with interfacial sealing for easy maintenance and modular design, allowing for flexible lighting configurations and reduced production complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the diode support is integrated directly into the glazing structure, then the manufacturing process becomes more complex and prone to damage, but the structural integrity is improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the luminous glazing system into separate functional modules: the glazing element, the diode support assembly, and the sealing cover. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and tested independently, reducing integration complexity while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary sealing cover that mediates between the diode support and the external environment. This cover provides a standardized interface for mounting diodes while protecting the glazing structure, thereby simplifying the overall integration process without compromising structural strength.
2Reliability
If the glazing is sealed completely to protect against moisture, then moisture resistance is improved, but maintenance and repair become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic sealing solution where the cover can be reversibly attached and detached. This allows the system to transition between a sealed state (for moisture protection during operation) and an open state (for maintenance and repair), resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates preliminary sealing design where the cover and glazing are equipped with pre-designed sealing interfaces and gaskets. This preliminary action ensures moisture resistance is built-in from the design stage, while the modular nature of these seals allows for easy replacement during maintenance without requiring complete disassembly.
3Reliability
If a protective layer is added to protect diodes from humidity, then durability is improved, but production cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the protective function into the sealing cover itself, which combines both the sealing interface for moisture protection and the mounting structure for diodes. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate protective layers on each diode, reducing production complexity and cost while maintaining durability through the collective sealing system.
4Strength
If the light source is permanently integrated into the glazing, then structural robustness is improved, but adaptability and ease of replacement are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the light source assembly from the glazing structure by mounting diodes on a separate support that attaches to the sealing cover. This segmentation maintains structural robustness through standardized mounting interfaces while enabling easy replacement and adaptation of different light source configurations without modifying the glazing itself.
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 durable, cost-effective, and easily maintainable luminous vehicle glazing with enhanced moisture resistance and modular lighting capabilities, reducing production complexity and scrap costs while ensuring long-term performance.
Implementation Method 1
the emitting face facing an edge of the second face so-called injection (in contact or not with the second face) for propagation of the visible and/or ultraviolet so-called UV injected light in the thickness of the first sheet, the first sheet then acting as a guide for the injected light
Implementation Method 2
when the injected light is (in particular) UV, means for converting the UV light into visible light via the first and/or the second main face, which are phosphors in particular on the first and/or the second main face
Implementation Method 3
means for extending reaction of the light guided via the first and/or the second main face, which are surface diffusion means of the first and/or second main face or volume diffusion means in the first sheet
Data Source
Figure 1~1bis
Figure 2~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The present invention relates to a luminous glazing unit (100) for a vehicle, comprising: a first pane made of organic or mineral glass (1) having a first main face (11), a second main face (12) and an edge face (10); a diode holder, the diodes facing an edge of the second face (12), called the injection face of the first pane; means for extracting the guided light; a cap (4) covering the diodes, the cap being fluid-tight, especially to liquid water and even water vapour; the cap (4) is prominent, with respect to the second face, being associated with an interfacial element in order to seal the interface against fluid(s), and/or the diode holder at least is provided with at least one layer for protecting from moisture and/or an encapsulation such as a silicone, epoxy or acrylic resin.