Narrow Light Emitting Area Lighting Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting devices with elongated housings have a minimum width of the light-emitting area limited by the width of the light-emitting elements, which can be too wide for certain applications, and result in inhomogeneous illumination due to the lack of additional optical elements, leading to increased light loss and reduced homogeneity.
Innovation Solution
A lighting device with a housing featuring reflective side walls and a cavity that includes a diffusor layer and a reflective element, where the reflective element reduces the width of the light-emitting area by reflecting light back into the cavity, enhancing homogeneity and reducing light loss while maintaining intensity, and allowing for flexible shaping and various applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the width of the light-emitting area is reduced below the width of the light-emitting elements, then the lighting device can be used in applications requiring narrow light emission, but additional optical elements are needed which increases device complexity and production costs
Solution Approach 1:
A reflective element is introduced as an intermediary component between the light-emitting elements and the light-emitting area. This reflective element reflects light back into the cavity, effectively reducing the width of the light-emitting area without requiring additional light-emitting elements or complex optical systems. The reflective element serves as a simple mediator that achieves the desired light distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The reflective element converts what would otherwise be lost light (light that would escape from the sides of the cavity) into a beneficial effect by reflecting it back into the cavity. This reflected light contributes to the homogeneous illumination and effectively reduces the width of the light-emitting area, turning a potential loss into a useful function.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple light-emitting elements are arranged along the length of the strip to reduce the width of the light-emitting area, then narrower light emission is achieved, but the arrangement becomes more complex and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of arranging multiple light-emitting elements in complex patterns, a single reflective element is used as an intermediary to achieve the desired light distribution. This simplifies the manufacturing process while still achieving narrow light emission, as the reflective element can be easily integrated into the existing housing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The reflective element serves multiple functions: it reduces the width of the light-emitting area, maintains light intensity, and contributes to homogeneous illumination. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for complex arrangements of multiple light-emitting elements, simplifying both design and manufacturing.
3Illumination intensity
If the cavity is configured to expand from the light-emitting elements towards the light-emitting area to improve light homogeneity, then illumination homogeneity is improved, but the minimum width of the light-emitting area is limited by the width of the light-emitting elements
Solution Approach 1:
The reflective element acts as an intermediary that decouples the width of the light-emitting area from the width of the light-emitting elements. By reflecting light back into the cavity, it enables the light to be distributed more narrowly at the emission area while maintaining homogeneous illumination through multiple reflections within the expanded cavity.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution addresses the width constraint by utilizing the third dimension (depth of the cavity) rather than reducing the width of the light-emitting elements themselves. The expanded cavity allows light to travel and reflect in the depth dimension, achieving homogeneous illumination while the reflective element controls the effective emission width.
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 effectively reduces the width of the light-emitting area without increasing light loss, improves illumination homogeneity, and allows for flexible shaping and use in applications like automotive lighting, where a narrower light-emitting area is desired without compromising light intensity or homogeneity.
Implementation Method 1
The reflective element is configured to reflect a part of light emitted from the light-emitting elements towards the cavity
Implementation Method 2
significant parts of the housing may be based on highly reflective material and/or may contain optical elements to allow for a reduction of light loss in the lighting device
Implementation Method 3
a cavity that includes a diffusor layer
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting device contains light-emitting elements and has an elongated shape. The lighting device has a housing that has reflective side walls extending in a longitudinal direction of the housing; a cavity formed between the reflective side walls; and light-emitting elements arranged at least partially along the longitudinal direction relative to each other in the cavity. An opening of the cavity forms a light-emitting area, A width of the cavity expands from the light-emitting elements towards the opening at least in sections. A reflective element covers at least a section of the opening and reflects a part of light emitted from the light-emitting elements towards the cavity and reduces a width of the light-emitting area compared to a width of the opening.