Electronic Device Semi-Conical Light Guide for Uniform Annular Emission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic devices that emit light uniformly throughout the entire circle require multiple directly-lit light sources, leading to high power consumption or use of expensive side-emitting light sources, which increases cost.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device design featuring directly-lit light sources, a light guide plate with semi-conical surfaces, and a light-shielding rib structure that separates adjacent light sources, allowing light to be reflected and transmitted uniformly across an annular light-emitting area, reducing the number of light sources needed and lowering costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If multiple directly-lit light sources are used to achieve uniform light emission throughout the entire circle, then uniform illumination is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The circular light-emitting area is divided into multiple zones, each served by a separate directly-lit light source. The light guide plate is segmented with multiple recessed structures, each containing a semi-conical surface that directs light from individual light sources to specific zones, achieving uniform overall illumination while using fewer light sources than a fully directly-lit approach
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a planar light guide to a three-dimensional structure with recessed semi-conical surfaces. These semi-conical surfaces redirect light in specific angular directions, creating uniform circular illumination from point light sources positioned at the center, thereby reducing the number of light sources needed while maintaining uniformity
2Use of energy by moving object
If side-emitting light sources are used to reduce the number of light sources, then power consumption is reduced, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces expensive side-emitting light sources with inexpensive directly-lit light sources (such as standard LEDs). The cost increase is offset by using a simple light guide plate structure made from inexpensive materials with recessed semi-conical surfaces, rather than requiring costly specialized light-emitting components
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide plate with recessed semi-conical surfaces acts as an intermediary between the directly-lit light sources and the circular light-emitting area. This intermediary structure redirects and distributes light uniformly across the circular area, enabling the use of cheap directly-lit light sources instead of expensive side-emitting light sources while maintaining uniform illumination
3Ease of manufacture
If directly-lit light sources are used without light guide plate, then cost is reduced, but uniform light emission cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide plate with recessed semi-conical surfaces serves as an intermediary optical element that takes light from simple directly-lit light sources and redistributes it uniformly across the circular light-emitting area. This intermediary structure enables uniform illumination to be achieved using inexpensive directly-lit light sources rather than requiring complex arrays of light sources or expensive side-emitting LEDs
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces vertical dimensionality through recessed semi-conical surfaces in the light guide plate. These three-dimensional structures redirect light at specific angles to achieve uniform circular illumination, transforming the light distribution pattern from a simple radial pattern to a uniform annular pattern without requiring multiple light sources positioned around the perimeter
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 design achieves uniform light emission in an annular shape with reduced power consumption and cost by optimizing the use of directly-lit light sources and a light guide plate with semi-conical surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
Light emitted by the directly-lit light sources enters the light guide plate and is reflected by the semi-conical surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a casing including an annular light-emitting area, a plurality of directly-lit light sources, a light guide plate disposed between the directly-lit light sources and the annular light-emitting area, and a light-shielding rib structure located between the directly-lit light sources, and separating any two adjacent ones of the directly-lit light sources. The light guide plate includes opposite first and second surfaces and a plurality of recessed structures recessed in the second surface. The recessed structure has a corresponding semi-conical surface, and the semi-conical surface faces a zone of the light guide plate. The directly-lit light sources face the first surface and respectively correspond to the semi-conical surfaces. Light emitted by the directly-lit light sources enters the light guide plate and is reflected by the semi-conical surfaces, passes through the zones of the light guide plate, and is transmitted to the annular light-emitting area to emit outwardly.