Integrated Rear Light Guide for Full-Width Utility Vehicle Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rear lighting systems for commercial vehicles face challenges such as complex manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance due to separate electrical and signal lines, increased installation space, reduced robustness, inadequate lighting coverage, and safety concerns, along with high costs and inflexibility.
Innovation Solution
A rear light device for commercial vehicles featuring a light guide that spans the entire width of the vehicle, with integrated lighting units and modular components, allowing for simplified assembly, reduced installation depth, and improved visibility, while being adaptable to various vehicle shapes and enhancing safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate electrical supply lines and signal lines are routed for individual lighting components, then each component can be independently controlled and maintained, but manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance become complicated and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple lighting components (taillights, turn signals, brake lights, reversing lights, and work area lighting) into a single integrated rear light device. This merging eliminates the need for separate electrical supply lines and signal lines for each component, simplifying manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance while reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated rear light device performs multiple functions simultaneously - it serves as taillights, turn signals, brake lights, reversing lights, and work area lighting. This multi-functionality allows a single device to replace multiple separate components, reducing electrical line routing complexity while maintaining independent control capabilities through integrated circuitry.
2Reliability
If individual lighting components are used, then specific functions can be independently controlled, but robustness decreases and installation space increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple lighting components into a single integrated rear light device, the patent reduces the total installation space required while improving robustness. The unified structure eliminates gaps and vulnerable points between separate components, creating a more reliable system that occupies less rear vehicle area.
3Illumination intensity
If taillights are mounted close to the ground for better visibility, then recognition is improved, but wear and tear increases due to exposure to external forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the integrated rear light device in the upper rear area of the vehicle, utilizing the vertical dimension to achieve optimal visibility while avoiding ground-level hazards. This dimensional relocation maintains illumination effectiveness for vehicle recognition while protecting the device from wear and tear caused by external forces at ground level.
4Reliability
If a shallow installation depth is used, then robustness may be improved, but the lighting coverage area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs optical elements and light guides that extend the lighting coverage area through optical dimensionality rather than physical depth. This allows the device to maintain a shallow installation depth for improved robustness while achieving adequate lighting coverage through optimized light distribution pathways.
5Reliability
If the entire taillight assembly is replaced in case of defect, then system reliability is maintained, but maintenance difficulty and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated rear light device incorporates modular lighting units that can be independently replaced. This segmentation allows specific defective components to be swapped out without replacing the entire assembly, maintaining system reliability while significantly simplifying maintenance procedures and reducing repair costs.
6Illumination intensity
If a specific adaptation to a particular commercial vehicle is made, then lighting performance is optimized, but flexibility and adaptability to different vehicle designs are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated rear light device is designed with universal mounting capabilities that allow it to be adapted to different commercial vehicle designs while maintaining optimized lighting performance. The device can serve multiple functions and be configured for various vehicle types, providing both performance optimization and design flexibility.
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 optimized costs, flexibility, and robustness, reduces installation space, and enhances safety and visibility by ensuring uniform illumination across the vehicle's rear area, facilitating easier maintenance and adaptation to different vehicle designs.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide (10), in particular designed in one or more parts, which is arranged to be arranged in the rear area over the entire width of a commercial vehicle and preferably to emit light to the rear
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a rear light device (100) for a commercial vehicle (200), in particular a truck, trailer or semi-trailer, which is designed for illumination in the rear area, comprising: - a light guide (10) which is designed to be arranged in the rear area over the entire width of a commercial vehicle (200), - a lighting unit (20) which is designed to illuminate a work area located on the ground in the rear area of the commercial vehicle (200).