Side-Emitting Light Guide for Uniform Safety Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety clothing and line irradiation technologies face limitations in energy efficiency, flexibility, durability, and applicability, particularly under low-light conditions, due to high energy consumption, bulkiness, and dependency on power sources, leading to inadequate visibility and safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A side-emitting light guide enclosed in a textile sheath with an LED or laser diode connected to an aluminum board and printed circuit, providing a waterproof and configurable light source with minimal energy consumption, uniform illumination, and resistance to damage, allowing for flexible attachment to clothing or surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If actively light-emitting elements (LEDs, bulbs) are used to ensure visibility under low-light conditions, then visibility and functionality are improved, but energy consumption increases and power supply requirements become more demanding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a light guide as an intermediary component between the light source and the surrounding environment. The light guide distributes light along its length, creating a line light source that illuminates a larger area more uniformly, thereby improving visibility while allowing the use of lower-power light sources compared to direct point-source illumination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from point-source illumination (0D) to line-source illumination (1D) by using a light guide. This dimensional change allows the light to be distributed along a linear path, increasing the illuminated area and improving visibility without requiring proportionally higher energy input from multiple discrete light sources.
2Area of stationary object
If groups of LEDs are arranged in a band to highlight larger areas, then illumination coverage is improved, but the arrangement becomes bulky and flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible light guide that can be conformally attached to clothing surfaces. This flexible structure provides line illumination over extended areas while maintaining the flexibility and wearability required for clothing applications, avoiding the bulkiness associated with rigid LED arrays.
Solution Approach 2:
By transitioning from a two-dimensional array of LEDs to a one-dimensional light guide, the patent achieves efficient light distribution over an area while minimizing the structural footprint and maintaining flexibility for integration into clothing.
3Use of energy by moving object
If conventional bulbs or fluorescent tubes are used for line illumination, then energy efficiency is improved, but mechanical resistance and rigidity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining a light guide with a textile sheath. The light guide provides the optical function with good mechanical properties, while the textile sheath offers protection and flexibility. This composite construction achieves both mechanical resistance and flexibility, overcoming the limitations of conventional bulbs and fluorescent tubes.
Solution Approach 2:
The textile sheath acts as a flexible protective shell that encloses the light guide, providing mechanical resistance while maintaining flexibility. This allows the illumination device to withstand mechanical stresses and environmental conditions better than conventional brittle bulbs or fragile fluorescent tubes.
4Illumination intensity
If point light sources are used, then local illumination intensity is improved, but uniformity of light distribution deteriorates and local over-illumination occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide serves as an intermediary that receives light from a compact source and redistributes it uniformly along its length. This mediation transforms the concentrated light output into a distributed line source, achieving uniform illumination without local over-illumination while maintaining high overall illumination intensity.
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 energy-efficient, flexible, and durable active safety clothing and line irradiation with uniform light distribution, reducing local over-illumination and glare, while maintaining long life and ease of replacement, suitable for various applications including emergency marking and increased visibility in low-light conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a side-emitting light guide (1), in particular a light guide made of plastic material
Implementation Method 2
The light source (3) comprises an LED (30) with the maximum radiating angle of 50° (FWHM), which maximizes light transmission
Implementation Method 3
an LED or laser diode connected to an aluminum board
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 3a~3c
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Active safety clothing equipment or a means of line irradiation comprising a light source connectable to a source of electrical energy. The equipment or the means further comprises a side-emitting light guide (1) which is connected to a light source (3) with a portable source of electrical energy and enclosed in a textile sheath (2) which is provided on at least part of the length of the light guide (1) with at least one fastening means for attachment to a carrier element or garment.