Resilient Spacer Illumination Device Vibration Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing illumination devices face issues with mechanical damage and luminance fluctuations due to vibrations and heat-related changes, particularly in vehicle-mounted applications, where light sources and light guide panels can come into contact, leading to defective illumination and reduced reliability.

Innovation Solution

The use of resilient spacers between the light guide panel and the light source substrate maintains a non-contact state, reducing mechanical stress and ensuring accurate positioning, while a reflecting member enhances light utilization efficiency by reflecting light beams back into the light guide panel.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the light sources are brought into abutment with the light entrance plane of the light guide panel to reduce luminance fluctuations, then the luminance distribution is improved, but the light sources and light guide panel may be mechanically damaged when subjected to impact or vibrations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveluminance distributionVSAvoidmechanical damage resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A resilient spacer is introduced as an intermediary component between the light source substrate and the light guide panel. This spacer maintains a controlled gap that prevents direct contact between the light sources and light guide panel, thereby avoiding mechanical damage from impacts and vibrations while still ensuring proper optical alignment and luminance distribution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The resilient spacer changes the physical state between the light source substrate and light guide panel from direct contact to separated by a controlled gap. This parameter change (introducing a gap) maintains the optical functionality while providing mechanical protection against damage from vibrations and impacts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If a spacer is interposed between the light source substrate and the light guide panel to maintain gap and prevent mechanical damage, then the reliability is improved, but the light sources and light guide panel may still come into contact repeatedly upon reception of vibrations and impacts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanical damage resistanceVSAvoidpositioning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The resilient spacer is designed with specific material properties and thickness parameters that maintain a consistent gap under vibration and impact conditions. This parameter optimization ensures that the light sources and light guide panel remain separated while maintaining proper optical alignment and positioning accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Temperature

If heat conductive resilient sheets are arranged between the light guide panel and light source substrate to improve heat discharging, then the heat dissipation is improved, but the light sources and light guide panel come into and out of abutment repeatedly upon reception of vibrations and impacts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat discharging propertyVSAvoidmechanical damage resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The resilient spacer serves as a mechanical intermediary that maintains a controlled gap between the light source substrate and light guide panel, preventing repeated contact during vibrations and impacts. This resolves the contradiction by ensuring both heat dissipation functionality and mechanical protection through proper spacing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 reduces the risk of damage to light sources and substrates, stabilizes luminance distribution, and improves the reliability of the illumination device, particularly in environments prone to vibrations and impacts, such as vehicle-mounted equipment.

Implementation Method 1

The spacers are resilient spacers, and are interposed between the end surface of the light guide panel on the side of the light sources and a portion of the light source substrate other than an area on which the light sources are mounted. The light guide panel is urged toward an end surface which opposes the end surface on the side of the light sources by a resilient force of the spacers.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

a reflecting member enhances light utilization efficiency by reflecting light beams back into the light guide panel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentUS7600910B2Illumination device, liquid crystal device, and electronic apparatus

Publication Date: 2009.10.13 MAGNOLIA WHITE CORP

AI summary

An illumination device includes light sources; a light source substrate on which the light sources are mounted; a light guide panel having a light entrance plane to be arranged so as to oppose the light sources on a part of an end surface thereof; and spacers interposed between the end surface of the light guide panel and the light source substrate, wherein the light sources and the light guide panel are kept in a non-contact state by a space formed by the spacers.