Rotating Light Guide for Versatile Vehicle LED Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle lighting devices, particularly LED-based ones, are cumbersome, lack versatility, and require additional reflecting elements, leading to increased costs and complexity due to a lack of standardization.
Innovation Solution
A compact vehicle lighting device featuring a light guide made of a solid, isotropic block of transparent material with curved lateral surfaces and a concave rear face to control and shape light beams, allowing for various lighting functions with minimal component modifications, including a rotating light guide for beam adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If LED lighting devices are used for vehicles, then efficiency and affordability are improved, but device complexity and versatility are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal lighting device where a single LED module with a rotatable optical system can perform multiple lighting functions (dipped beam, high beam, fog light) by rotating the optical system to different angular positions, eliminating the need for separate dedicated devices for each function
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional reflecting elements are added to achieve different lighting functions, then versatility is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple separate lighting devices into a single integrated LED module with a rotatable optical system, combining what would traditionally require multiple reflecting elements and separate devices into one standardized component that achieves different functions through rotation
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate devices are designed for each lighting function, then lighting function versatility is improved, but manufacturing cost and installation complexity are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a standardized universal lighting device that can be manufactured once and used for multiple lighting functions by simply rotating the optical system, achieving standardization while maintaining versatility across different lighting applications
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 enables a versatile, cost-effective, and efficient lighting system that reduces the need for additional reflecting elements, allowing for different lighting functions with standardized components and maintaining high efficiency across various beam orientations.
Implementation Method 1
the opposite curved lateral surfaces (9) are configured to cause a total (or at least partial) internal reflection of the light within the block (6) of material normally pervious to light
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A lighting device (1) including a LED light source (2) and an optical system (3) including a light guide (5) formed by a wedge-shaped block (6) of material pervious to light delimited among an upper face (7), a lower face (8), a first longitudinal end (12) defined by a front face (10), a second longitudinal end (13) defined by a rear face (11) facing the LED light source (2), and opposite reflecting curved lateral surfaces (9), converging towards the second longitudinal end; wherein: the rear face (11) is provided with a concavity (14) delimited by a first curved surface (15), which surrounds the light source (2); the front face (10) is defined by a second curved surface (19) configured to form and emit outside a light beam (4), controlled vertically; a perforation (16) crossing the block (6) of material pervious to light configured to define an air lens between the front (10) and rear faces (11).