Vehicle Mirror Light Guide With Scattering Particles for Uniform Luminance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional indirect vision devices for vehicles suffer from low luminance due to light escaping between refractive strips or prisms, resulting in a non-homogeneous light distribution and complex, expensive designs.
Innovation Solution
A light guide made of a matrix material with embedded scattering particles, which scatters light for a homogeneous appearance and increased luminance, eliminating the need for reflective strips or prisms, and combined with a reflective back housing and printed circuit board to enhance light distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If light refractive strips or prisms are used in the light guide, then light can be directed out of the light guide, but light escapes in between the strips or prisms causing low luminance and non-homogeneous light distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the light guide material by incorporating scattering particles with different refractive indices than the matrix material. This modifies how light propagates and exits the guide, achieving homogeneous luminance without discrete strips or prisms. The scattering particles cause light to exit uniformly across the entire surface rather than at discrete locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide is constructed as a composite material system consisting of a transparent or translucent matrix material embedded with scattering particles. This composite structure combines the light-guiding properties of the matrix with the light-scattering properties of the particles, creating a material that inherently produces homogeneous light distribution without requiring additional structural elements like strips or prisms.
2Illumination intensity
If multiple light sources are used to increase luminance, then brightness is improved, but the number of light sources and design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the light guide into multiple zones with different concentrations of scattering particles. By controlling the spatial distribution of particles, different regions of the light guide can be optimized for different luminance requirements, allowing a single light source to effectively illuminate the entire structure with appropriate brightness distribution across zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent varies the concentration and distribution parameters of scattering particles throughout the light guide structure. By adjusting particle density in different regions, the light extraction efficiency is optimized across the entire guide, enabling high luminance output from a single light source rather than requiring multiple sources.
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 improved light homogeneity and increased luminance along the entire light guide, reducing the number of light sources and complexity in design while maintaining a uniform appearance.
Implementation Method 1
the light guide has scattering particles embedded therein, and the light guide is done by admixing scattering particles to the plastic matrix. The refractive index of the scattering particles and the plastic matrix are different. Due to the scattering particles admixing in the matrix, light guided by the light guide, when the light source is emitting light, is scattered by the scattering particles in different directions
Implementation Method 2
The lighting device comprises a back housing having an outer surface and an inner surface which is preferably, at least in part, a light reflective surface. The light guide is placed on or above the back housing's inner surface, such that light scattered out of the light guide is in turn reflected by the back housing's inner surface
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention refers to an indirect vision device for vehicles integrating a lighting unit, like light indicators or light decorative elements, preferably for vehicles. The lighting device (1) comprises: a light source (2), a light guide (5) for guiding light emitted by the light source (2). The light guide (5) comprises a light guide material and scattering particles (10) admixed therein, and the refractive index of the scattering particles (10) is different than the refractive index of the light guide matrix material, such that light guided by the light guide (5), can be scattered by the scattering particles (10) out of the light guide (5). The invention provides an indirect vision device with enhanced homogeneous luminance and increased luminance.