PCB LED Optical Assembly for Stable 3D Vehicle Lamp Images
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle lamps using halogen bulbs suffer from high heat generation, low brightness, short lifespan, and increased component count leading to maintenance and cost issues, while LED lamps face discoloration and deformation of light guides, necessitating a more efficient and cost-effective solution for implementing three-dimensional luminous images.
Innovation Solution
An optical device comprising a printed circuit board with spaced LEDs, a light guide layer, and a pattern layer that uses top-emitting and side-emitting LEDs to create three-dimensional luminescent images without a separate light guide, utilizing a pattern layer with pattern holes to expose the light guide layer and adjust light diffusion through different refractive indices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional halogen bulbs are used with reflectors, then the structure is simple and inexpensive, but heat generation is high, brightness is low, and lifespan is short
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical thermal radiation system (halogen bulb with reflector) with an electroluminescence system (LEDs with light guide layer). This substitution eliminates the need for thermal conversion, directly converting electrical energy to light, thereby resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and heat generation by using a fundamentally different physical mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameters of the lighting system by switching from high-temperature thermal radiation to low-temperature electroluminescence. By using LEDs operating at much lower temperatures with higher luminous efficiency, the system achieves reduced heat generation while maintaining or improving brightness, thus resolving the technical contradiction.
2Adaptability or versatility
If light guides are used to form three-dimensional luminous images, then various shapes can be realized, but discoloration and deformation occur during continuous operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the light guiding function from a separate component and integrates it directly into the LED structure through the light guide layer. By embedding the light guide function within the LED assembly rather than using a separate external light guide, the system eliminates the reliability issues of separate light guides while maintaining the ability to form three-dimensional luminous images.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the LED light source and light guide into a single integrated structure. The light guide layer is directly coupled to the LEDs, combining the functions of light emission and light distribution in one component. This integration eliminates the interface between separate components that causes discoloration and deformation, thereby improving reliability while maintaining shape versatility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are used to create three-dimensional luminous images, then various functions can be realized, but the number of components increases leading to higher cost and maintenance complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional components (LEDs, light guide, pattern layer) into a single integrated optical device structure. The pattern layer is directly formed on the light guide layer, and both are coupled to the LEDs, creating a unified component that performs multiple functions (light emission, light distribution, and three-dimensional image formation) without requiring separate external components, thus reducing overall device complexity and maintenance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional optical device where the integrated structure serves multiple purposes: the LEDs provide light emission, the light guide layer distributes light and forms three-dimensional images, and the pattern layer controls light output patterns. This universal design allows a single component to replace multiple separate components, reducing the number of parts while maintaining functional versatility.
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 creation of diverse three-dimensional luminescent images with reduced component count, improving repairability and reducing maintenance and cost, while maintaining high brightness and longevity.
Implementation Method 1
The light guide layer may include a first optical resin configured to diffuse the light from the plurality of LEDs
Implementation Method 2
The pattern layer may include a second optical resin shielding the light from the plurality of LEDs
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to be spaced apart from each other on the PCB
Data Source
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AI summary
An optical device, a method of manufacturing same, and a vehicle therefor are provided. The optical device includes a printed circuit board (110); light emitting diodes (120) spaced apart from each other on the PCB, a light guide layer (131) with the LEDs embedded therein, and a pattern layer (140) stacked on a side surface of the light guide layer to implement a three-dimensional luminescent image using light from the LEDs. The LEDs include at least top-emitting LEDs and/or side-emitting LEDs.