Rotating Slide Disc Module With Adjustable Axial Stop

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing light signaling modules for motor vehicles require multiple projection lenses, leading to high manufacturing costs and limited performance due to lens size restrictions, and suffer from significant manufacturing and assembly tolerances that affect optical quality.

Innovation Solution

A luminous module with a fixed optical projection device and an adjustable stop mechanism that compensates for manufacturing and assembly tolerances, using an elastic force to maintain precise axial positioning of a rotating disc relative to the projection device, allowing for high optical quality and reduced costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple projection lenses are used in each micro-optical device, then image projection capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage projection capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple micro-optical devices with different masks onto a single rotating disc, allowing one fixed projection lens to serve multiple imaging functions. This merging approach eliminates the need for separate projection lenses for each mask, significantly reducing component count and manufacturing cost while maintaining the capability to project multiple distinct images.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The single projection lens is designed to work universally with multiple masks on the rotating disc, enabling one optical component to perform multiple imaging functions. This multi-functionality approach allows the system to project various luminous images (such as different lighting patterns or information displays) using the same projection lens, thereby reducing overall system cost.

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

2Ease of manufacture

If projection lenses are made smaller to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but optical performance is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidoptical performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By merging multiple masks onto a single rotating disc and using one fixed projection lens, the patent allows the projection lens to be optimized for high optical performance without the constraint of needing multiple smaller lenses. This single lens can be manufactured with larger dimensions and higher precision, improving optical quality while reducing overall manufacturing cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of manufacture

If manufacturing and assembly tolerances are relaxed to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but optical quality deteriorates due to positioning errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidoptical quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a pre-adjusted mechanical structure where the rotating disc and projection lens are positioned with precise mechanical tolerances built into the design. This preliminary mechanical precision compensates for variations in mask positioning, allowing the system to maintain high optical quality even when individual component tolerances are relaxed during manufacturing and assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Device complexity

If thermal expansion effects are not compensated to simplify design, then device complexity decreases, but defocusing and optical quality deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedesign complexityVSAvoidoptical quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates thermal expansion compensation through the mechanical design of the rotating disc and projection lens mounting structure. The mechanical tolerances and elastic support are designed to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction of components, maintaining the axial positioning between the disc and projection lens within acceptable ranges across varying temperatures, thereby preventing defocusing and maintaining optical quality without complex active compensation systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #37Thermal expansion

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 selective projection of multiple luminous images with improved optical quality by minimizing manufacturing and thermal expansion effects, reducing relative axial positioning tolerances and defocusing issues.

Implementation Method 1

the disc is supported, by an elastic force along the axis of rotation, on an adjustable stop

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic force: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4483241B1Light image projection module with rotating disc and adjustable axial stop
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 VALEO VISION SA
  • EP4483241B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

The invention relates to a light module (2) comprising a light source (6); a disc (8) having a plurality of slides (8.1) capable of being arranged, selectively, by rotation of the disc about an axis of rotation opposite the light source (6); an optical projection device (10) configured to project an image of the slide (8.1) opposite said light source (6); wherein the optical projection device (10) is fixedly arranged opposite the light source (6); and the disc (8) bears on an adjustable stop (18) by an elastic force along the axis of rotation.