Vehicle Mirror Head Lighting Layout for Ground and Side Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles, particularly large ones like school buses and commercial vans, require improved illumination in areas under and to the side to enhance visibility for drivers, especially for pedestrians in front or alongside the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A mirror head system with integrated downlighting configurations, including clam shells, lighting pods, and mirror heads, equipped with LED lamps, provides additional illumination to the ground and side areas, enhancing visibility through multiple configurations activated by vehicle conditions or detection systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If traditional mirror heads are used without additional lighting, then the device complexity is low, but the illumination intensity in areas under and to the side of the vehicle is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple lighting functions (downlighting, side lighting, illumination) into a single integrated mirror head assembly. The mirror head incorporates LED lamps, reflectors, and housing structures that provide both mirror reflection and ground illumination simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate lighting devices and reducing overall system complexity despite adding lighting capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The mirror head is designed to perform multiple functions: providing rearview reflection, illuminating the ground beneath the vehicle, lighting side areas, and enhancing pedestrian visibility. This multi-functional design allows a single component to replace what would traditionally require multiple separate devices, addressing the contradiction between improved illumination and device complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple lighting configurations are integrated into the mirror head, then the visibility for detecting pedestrians is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is divided into distinct functional segments: downlighting LEDs with their own reflectors for ground illumination, side lighting LEDs with reflectors for lateral areas, and illumination LEDs for general visibility. Each segment can be independently positioned and adjusted, allowing for optimized lighting coverage without requiring extremely tight tolerances across the entire assembly, thus managing manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different lighting configurations are applied to specific locations within the mirror head assembly. Downlighting LEDs are positioned to illuminate the ground directly beneath the vehicle, side lighting LEDs are oriented toward lateral areas, and illumination LEDs provide general lighting. This localized approach ensures that each lighting element performs its specific function effectively, improving pedestrian detection reliability without requiring uniform high-precision manufacturing across all components.
3Area of stationary object
If LED lamps with reflectors are positioned in the mirror head, then the illumination coverage area is expanded, but the weight of the mirror head increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs LED lamps, which are compact, energy-efficient, and have long operational lifetimes. The use of LEDs allows for multiple lighting elements to be incorporated into the mirror head without proportionally increasing weight, as LEDs provide high luminous output relative to their mass compared to traditional lighting technologies. This enables expanded illumination coverage area while minimizing the weight penalty.
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 system significantly improves night-time visibility and safety by illuminating the ground and side areas, allowing drivers to better detect pedestrians and objects, reducing the risk of accidents.
Implementation Method 1
A mirror head system with integrated downlighting configurations, including clam shells, lighting pods, and mirror heads, equipped with LED lamps
Implementation Method 2
equipped with LED lamps, provides additional illumination to the ground and side areas
Data Source
AI summary
A mirror assembly for vehicle is disclosed. The mirror assembly includes three configurations of extra illumination to the passenger loading area in addition to the typical mirror function for providing the vehicle driver the rear and/or side view of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the mirror assembly comprises two clam shells, and/or a lighting pod and/or two mirror heads that are supported by a supporting arm. In some embodiments, the mirror assembly is mounted on the school bus through the clam shells. In addition, a side lighting device is mounted on the right side of the vehicle for providing extra illumination to the passenger loading area.