Modular Lamp with Retro-Reflective Lens for Day-Night Customization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle lamps require complete redesign and are only visibly customizable under specific conditions, such as night-time illumination or vehicle operations like braking or signaling, failing to provide permanent identification both day and night.

Innovation Solution

A modular lamp design featuring a customizable outer lens with a recessed retro-reflective and inner LED-lit module, allowing customization to be visible both during the day and at night through the outer lens and illuminated inner lens respectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If complete lamp assembly is redesigned for customization, then personalization is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and resource requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomization capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lamp assembly is divided into modular components: a standard lamp housing and interchangeable customizable modules. Each module contains its own lens, reflector, and LED arrangement, allowing customization without redesigning the entire lamp assembly. The module can be easily removed and replaced with different customized modules.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The customizable elements are extracted into a separate removable module that can be independently manufactured and customized. This separates the customization function from the main lamp assembly, allowing the standard housing to remain unchanged while only the specific module needs customization for each application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Adaptability or versatility

If customization is achieved through complete lamp redesign, then personalization is permanent, but production time and resource allocation increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepermanent identificationVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The customizable modules are pre-manufactured with specific customizations (logos, patterns, text) before being integrated into the standard lamp housing. This allows customization to be done in advance during module production, rather than requiring complete lamp assembly redesign for each customization request, thereby maintaining high production efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If standard lamp design is used, then manufacturing is efficient, but personalization is not visible during daytime

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing efficiencyVSAvoidvisibility of customization
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The customizable module incorporates a retro-reflective lens that specifically enhances the visibility of the customized surface during daytime. The retro-reflective material reflects light back toward its source, making the customized logo or pattern clearly visible in daylight conditions, while the rest of the lamp maintains standard manufacturing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Loss of information

If retro-reflective material is added to enhance daytime visibility, then personalization is visible during day, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedaytime visibilityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The retro-reflective lens is merged with the customizable module as an integrated component rather than a separate addition. The retro-reflective material is applied directly to the module's lens or housing during module manufacturing, combining the daytime visibility enhancement with the customization function in a single integrated component that does not significantly increase overall manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Enables easy customization without full assembly redesign, ensures constant visibility of personalization, enhances safety through redundancy, and is suitable for industrial-scale production with limited stock management.

Implementation Method 1

a retro-reflective lens (3), under which there is an inner customized lens (4)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRetro-reflection: Retroreflector

Implementation Method 2

under which there is a printed circuit board with LEDs (5)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight emission from LED: Light Emitting Diode

Data Source

PatentEP3174760B1Customizable modular lamp
Publication Date: 2019.12.18 HELLA ROMANIA
  • EP3174760B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3174760B1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP3174760B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Customizable modular lamp is made up of an outer lens (1) customized by known per se techniques, which covers a housing (2) provided with at least one recess in which is mounted a customizable module consisting of a retro-reflective lens (3) under which there is an inner customized lens (4) personalized by known per se techniques, under which there is a printed circuit board with LEDs (5) that is held in a holder (6) fastened to a cover (7) provided with at least one element (8) for ventilation. During the daylight, personalization is visible on the outer customized lens (1); in the darkness and - depending on the recipient's request - when activating the lights for changing direction, position or braking, customization becomes evident by lighting inside the lamp, on the surface of the inner customized lens (4).