Parabolic Reflection Surfaces for Vehicle Lamp Light Guide Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle lamps with LEDs experience luminance nonuniformity due to the high directivity of LED light, making it difficult to efficiently guide light into a light guide plate while maintaining a thin profile, and existing solutions either require additional light diffusion components or stringent optical axis alignment.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle lamp design featuring a light guide plate with parabolic reflection surfaces that protrude from the incident surface, allowing light to be efficiently guided and diffused, reducing luminance nonuniformity by arranging LEDs in parallel along one end surface and using a light diffuser with concave stripe sections to diffuse light in a direction crossing the light's advancement path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple LEDs are disposed in parallel along the incident surface of the light guide plate, then the light guide plate can guide light from multiple light sources, but luminance nonuniformity occurs where portions corresponding to LED positions glow strongly in a linear pattern
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curved reflection surfaces (parabolic or arc-shaped) instead of flat surfaces to redirect light. The curved surfaces scatter light from LEDs in multiple directions, transforming the linear light distribution pattern into a more uniform two-dimensional distribution across the light guide plate, thereby eliminating luminance nonuniformity while maintaining efficient light guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces local variations in the reflection surface properties, specifically creating protruding portions with different curvatures at different locations. This local differentiation allows each region of the light guide plate to receive and distribute light appropriately, ensuring uniform luminance output while maintaining high light guidance efficiency from multiple LED sources.
2Length of moving object
If the light guide plate thickness is reduced to achieve a thinner vehicle lamp profile, then the lamp size is reduced, but it becomes more difficult to efficiently guide light through repeated reflections at the main surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses curved reflection surfaces that protrude from the incident surface to redirect light at optimal angles. This curvature allows light to be efficiently reflected and distributed within the thinned light guide plate structure, maintaining high light guidance efficiency despite the reduced thickness that would otherwise make repeated reflections more difficult.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-structures the reflection surfaces with specific parabolic or arc-shaped curvatures before light entry. This preliminary configuration of the optical path ensures that light from LEDs is immediately redirected into efficient reflection patterns, maximizing light guidance efficiency in the thinned structure without requiring complex alignment or adjustment during operation.
3Device complexity
If the optical axis of the light source is aligned parallel to both main surfaces of the light guide plate, then the lamp structure is simplified, but the conditions for total internal reflection become stringent and light guidance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs curved reflection surfaces that protrude from the incident surface to redirect light at optimal angles for total internal reflection. This curvature compensates for the simplified parallel alignment by pre-configuring the light path to meet the stringent reflection conditions, thereby maintaining high light guidance efficiency without complex optical alignment 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
The design achieves efficient light guidance and diffusion, reducing luminance nonuniformity and allowing for a thinner lamp profile while maintaining high output and avoiding heat influence on the light guide plate.
Implementation Method 1
the light guide plate has a first surface, a second surface, and a light reflection section formed at the first surface and configured to reflect light entered from the one end surface toward the second surface
Implementation Method 2
using a light diffuser with concave stripe sections to diffuse light in a direction crossing the light's advancement path
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle lamp includes a plurality of light sources and a light guide plate, the plurality of light sources are disposed in parallel along one end surface of the light guide plate, the light guide plate has a light reflection section formed at a first surface of the light guide plate and configured to reflect light entered from the one end surface toward a second surface of the light guide plate, the light reflection section includes a plurality of parabolic reflection surfaces, and the parabolic reflection surfaces protrude from the first surface and have shapes curved along a direction in which the light entering from the one end surface advances and a direction crossing with the direction in which the light entering from the one end surface advances.