Projection Headlight Light Guide for Dark Zone Illuminance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional ellipsoidal reflector headlamps with curved housing walls suffer from insufficient illuminance in the dark zone due to light refraction, posing safety risks and aesthetic challenges in achieving compliant light patterns.

Innovation Solution

The projection headlamp incorporates a reflecting mirror, a light shield, a reflector, and a lens with multiple reflective surface units, including an upper and lower reflecting portion and a heat dissipating unit, to effectively distribute light beams and compensate for illuminance in the dark zone, ensuring compliance with regulations and aesthetic design.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If curved housing wall structures are used for aesthetic appearance and versatility, then the aesthetic appearance and versatility are improved, but light refraction occurs causing insufficient illuminance in the dark zone

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaesthetic appearanceVSAvoidilluminance in dark zone
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

A light guide member is introduced as an intermediary component between the curved housing wall and the light source. This light guide member has a light emitting surface that faces the curved housing wall, and through optical coupling, it transfers light in a manner that compensates for the refraction effects caused by the curved housing wall, thereby maintaining both aesthetic appearance and sufficient illuminance in the dark zone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs light emitting elements with adjustable emission parameters (intensity, direction, wavelength) to adapt to the curved housing wall structure. By dynamically changing the light emission parameters, the system compensates for refraction losses and ensures adequate illuminance in the dark zone while preserving the curved aesthetic design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Shape

If conventional headlamp modules with curved housing walls are used, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but light patterns are adversely affected and sufficient illuminance cannot be achieved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaesthetic appearanceVSAvoidlight pattern compliance
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The light guide member serves as an intermediary optical element that decouples the light source from the curved housing wall. It maintains the desired light patterns by controlling light distribution independently of the curved housing geometry, ensuring regulatory compliance while preserving aesthetic design freedom.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates controllable light emitting elements that can dynamically adjust their emission characteristics. This dynamic control allows the headlamp to maintain reliable light patterns under various operating conditions while accommodating the curved housing wall design for aesthetic purposes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Manufacturing precision

If stationary light shields with specific structures are used for light reflection and pattern projection, then light pattern formation is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight pattern formationVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The light guide member performs multiple functions: it guides light from the source, compensates for refraction effects, and contributes to light pattern formation. This multi-functional component reduces the need for separate complex reflective structures, thereby simplifying the overall device while maintaining manufacturing precision for light patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 provides enhanced illuminance in the dark zone, improving safety and flexibility in light pattern adjustment, while maintaining an aesthetic appearance by minimizing light refraction through the curved housing and allowing for easy optical stability control.

Implementation Method 1

The reflective mirror and the light shield are usually provided to reflect light beams emitted from the light source to project light through the lens for light compensation at the dark region

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Implementation Method 2

The light shield can be categorized into a movable light shield that is electrically controlled to move and a stationary light shield that is mounted fixedly. A stationary light shield is designed to have a specific structure to reflect light and to project light patterns such as high beam and low beam as required

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Implementation Method 3

light beams are refracted by the curved housing wall and the light patterns thus formed are adversely affected

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Data Source

PatentEP3792548B1Projection headlight
Publication Date: 2022.11.16 T Y C BROTHER IND CO LTD
  • EP3792548B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3792548B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3792548B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A projection headlight includes a reflecting mirror (2), a light shield (3), a reflector (5), a lens (6) and a light emitting unit (7). The reflecting mirror (2) includes a first reflective surface unit (23). The light shield (3) is disposed in the reflecting mirror (2) and includes a second reflective surface unit (31) facing rearwardly. The reflector (5) is disposed behind the light shield (3) and includes a third reflective surface unit (51) facing forwardly. The light emitting unit (7) is disposed behind the light shield (3), and emits a light beam reflected by the first reflective surface unit (23) toward the second reflective surface unit (31), and then reflected by the second reflective surface unit (31) toward the third reflective surface unit (51) to be projected forwardly through the lens (6) .