Monolithic Headlight Lens Light Tunnel Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle headlight technologies face challenges in reducing manufacturing costs and achieving compact designs for dipped-beam headlights while maintaining effective light distribution and optical performance.
Innovation Solution
The use of blank-molded monolithic headlight lenses made from transparent materials, featuring light tunnels and passage sections with optically operative surfaces, where light enters through a bend to create a light-dark boundary, allowing for efficient light guidance and distribution with inclined optical axes, reducing the need for secondary optics and minimizing manufacturing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional headlight lens designs are used with multiple separate optical components, then optical performance can be maintained, but manufacturing costs increase and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple optical functions (light guidance, light distribution, and optical imaging) into a single monolithic headlight lens made of transparent material. The lens integrates light tunnels for guiding light from sources and passage sections for distributing light, eliminating the need for separate optical components and reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining optical performance
2Volume of moving object
If compact headlight designs are implemented, then vehicle front end space is reduced, but light distribution effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses three-dimensional light tunnels that bend at specific angles to redirect light from the light source through the monolithic lens. This spatial dimensioning allows compact packaging while maintaining effective light distribution patterns, as the bent light tunnels efficiently guide light through the reduced headlight volume to achieve proper illumination on the road
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple light sources are used for dipped-beam functionality, then light distribution flexibility improves, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monolithic lens design with integrated light tunnels and passage sections serves multiple functions simultaneously: it guides light from multiple light sources, distributes light in different patterns, and creates the dipped-beam light-dark boundary. This multi-functional integration reduces the need for separate optical components for each light source while maintaining light distribution flexibility
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
This solution enables cost-effective production of compact vehicle headlights with improved light distribution and reduced manufacturing complexity, achieving efficient light guidance and maintaining effective optical performance, with a significant portion of light output directed through the central third of the front bumper for enhanced visibility.
Implementation Method 1
a light tunnel (108) comprising at least one optically operative light entry face (101) and, via a bend (107), passing over into a passage section (109)
Implementation Method 2
via a bend (107), passing over into a passage section (109) for imaging the bend as a light-dark-boundary
Data Source
AI summary
An arrangement of headlight lenses for a vehicle headlight, each headlight lens having a monolithic body of transparent material, which monolithic body includes at least one light entry face, a light passage section, and at least one optically operative light exit face.