Oblique Vehicle Light Guide Lens with Segmented Cut Portions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle lighting devices fail to forwardly emit light from a light guide lens when it is arranged obliquely, as the sharp reflection angle required for light from LEDs positioned on the front side of the lens makes it difficult to direct light forwardly, leading to light escape through lens cut portions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle lighting device with a light guide lens extending obliquely, featuring lens cut portions arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction, which internally reflect light from a first LED and refract light from a second LED to direct both forwardly, with the lens cut portions formed in a saw-tooth shape and having prism faces to optimize light reflection and refraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the light guide lens is arranged obliquely to the front-back direction, then the device can achieve a compact layout and oblique light emission, but the light from LEDs on the front side cannot be internally reflected forwardly due to the sharp reflection angle requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The back surface of the light guide lens is divided into multiple lens cut portions arranged in the longitudinal direction. Each lens cut portion functions as an independent reflection element, allowing light from different LED positions to be reflected at appropriate angles. This segmentation enables the system to handle oblique LED arrangements while maintaining effective light reflection.
Solution Approach 2:
The lens cut portions are positioned at specific locations along the back surface to match the oblique arrangement of LEDs. By locally adapting the reflection surfaces to the specific angular requirements of each LED position, the system optimizes light reflection efficiency for the oblique configuration without requiring uniform treatment across the entire lens surface.
2Reliability
If lens cut portions are formed to internally reflect light at sharp angles, then light from front-side LEDs can be directed forwardly, but the manufacturing complexity and precision requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The lens cut portions are formed with curved reflection surfaces rather than sharp angular facets. This curvature allows light rays from obliquely arranged LEDs to be reflected forwardly through gradual angle changes, reducing the need for extremely precise angular manufacturing while achieving the desired light direction control.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of relying solely on precise angular orientation in the horizontal plane, the invention introduces vertical dimension considerations by forming lens cut portions that extend in the longitudinal direction. This dimensional approach distributes the reflection function across multiple elements, reducing the angular precision requirement for each individual element.
3Illumination intensity
If the light guide lens is curved to be forwardly convexed, then the aesthetic appearance and light distribution are improved, but the reflection angle required for front-side LEDs becomes even sharper, exacerbating the light escape problem
Solution Approach 1:
The curved forwardly convexed lens is combined with segmented lens cut portions on the back surface. This segmentation allows each reflection element to be independently optimized for the curved geometry, maintaining the aesthetic and illumination benefits of the convex shape while managing the reflection angle requirements through distributed elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the reflection mechanism from sharp angular reflection to curved surface reflection. By modifying the reflection parameter from discrete angles to continuous curved surfaces, the system can accommodate the forwardly convexed lens shape while reducing sensitivity to manufacturing precision requirements.
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 the forward emission of light from both LEDs, even when positioned obliquely, by optimizing the reflection and refraction of light through the lens cut portions, reducing light attenuation and enhancing the overall light output from the front surface of the lens.
Implementation Method 1
the lens cut portions are formed to internally reflect the light, which is emitted from the first light source and enters into the light guide lens through the back end portion, to a forward direction of the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
are formed to refract the light, which is emitted from the second light source and enters into the light guide lens to be internally reflected to the forward direction of the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle lighting device includes first and second light sources and a light guide lens that is elongate and extending along a direction oblique to a front-back direction of a vehicle. The first light source faces with a back end portion of the lens in a longitudinal direction of the lens. The second light source is arranged close to a front end portion of the lens in the longitudinal direction to emit light toward a back surface of the lens. The lens has a plurality of cut portions in the back surface. The cut portions are arranged parallel with each other in the longitudinal direction, internally reflect the light emitted from the first light source and enters the lens through the back end portion to a forward direction of the vehicle, and refract the light emitted from the second light source and enters the lens to the forward direction.