Vehicle Rear Lamp Light Guide and Reflector Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rear lamps for vehicles face challenges in achieving high light emission with a small number of light sources, leading to uniform design and increased manufacturing costs and weight.
Innovation Solution
The use of multiple reflectors with a light guide made of acrylic material inside the rear lamp housing to reflect light at various angles, combined with LEDs as light sources positioned on the contact line of adjacent reflectors, and an auxiliary light guide with additional LEDs, allowing for efficient light distribution and a three-dimensional image creation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the mount number of bulbs is increased to heighten the light emission effects, then the light emission intensity is improved, but the manufacturing cost and the weight of the rear lamp are increased
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide member is introduced as an intermediary component between the bulb and the external environment. The light guide member transmits light from a single bulb through total internal reflection, distributing the light across multiple directions and creating the effect of multiple light sources without actually installing multiple bulbs, thereby maintaining high illumination intensity while reducing weight
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of using multiple physical bulbs with an optical system consisting of a light guide member and a single bulb. The light guide member uses optical principles (total internal reflection) to multiply and distribute light, substituting the mechanical solution of adding more light sources with an optical multiplication method that reduces overall weight
2Illumination intensity
If the mount number of bulbs is increased to heighten the light emission effects, then the light emission intensity is improved, but the manufacturing cost is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide member serves as an intermediary that allows a single bulb to produce light emission effects equivalent to multiple bulbs. This reduces the number of bulb purchases, installation steps, and associated manufacturing costs while maintaining the desired light emission intensity through optical multiplication and distribution
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide member creates optical copies of the light source by transmitting and distributing light from a single bulb across multiple directions and positions. This optical copying effect allows the system to achieve the appearance and effect of multiple light sources without the cost of actually installing multiple bulbs
3Device complexity
If light emission and reflection are performed simply by the bulb and the reflector, then the device complexity is reduced, but the design of the rear lamp becomes uniform and lacks discrimination
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide member is introduced as an intermediary component that adds design complexity and visual interest to the rear lamp. This component creates unique light distribution patterns and three-dimensional lighting effects that differentiate the design from conventional simple bulb-and-reflector configurations, while the overall device complexity remains manageable due to the modular nature of the light guide integration
4Weight of stationary object
If a small number of light sources are used, then the manufacturing cost and weight are reduced, but the light emission amount is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of using multiple light sources with an optical system using a light guide member. The light guide member uses total internal reflection to multiply and distribute light from a single source across multiple directions, creating the effect of multiple light sources with the actual benefit of reduced weight and cost associated with using fewer bulbs
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
This configuration enhances light emission while reducing the number of light sources and reflectors, lowering manufacturing costs and weight, and improving the rear lamp's design for better merchantability and visibility.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide provided inside the reflectors and having end portions on which the light sources are mounted to guide the light emitted from the light sources through the light guide
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of reflectors mounted in a rear lamp housing of the vehicle to reflect light emitted from light sources at various angles
Data Source
AI summary
A rear lamp apparatus for a vehicle may include a plurality of reflectors mounted in a rear lamp housing of the vehicle to reflect light emitted from light sources at various angles and a light guide provided inside the reflectors and having end portions on which the light sources are mounted to guide the light emitted from the light sources through the light guide.