Single-Piece Light-Guide Device with Opaque Coating for Vehicle Control Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light-guide devices for vehicle control panels require lengthy assembly and quality control due to numerous separate light-guide elements, and existing methods for reducing light leakage are unsatisfactory.
Innovation Solution
A single-piece light-guide device with integrated light-guide elements and supporting elements, featuring an opaque coating to absorb light and prevent transmission between elements, allowing for efficient and cost-effective lighting of indicators while maintaining independent light beam transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate light-guide elements are used, then light transmission to indicators is achieved, but assembly time and quality control time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple separate light-guide elements are merged into a single integrated light-guide body with multiple light-guide fingers. This consolidation maintains the light transmission function while dramatically reducing the number of components from multiple separate pieces to one single piece, thereby reducing assembly time and quality control time.
Solution Approach 2:
The single light-guide body is segmented into multiple light-guide fingers that are functionally independent but structurally integrated. Each finger transmits light to a specific indicator, maintaining the functional separation needed for independent light transmission while eliminating the need for separate mounting of multiple discrete components.
2Area of stationary object
If light-guide elements are positioned close to indicators, then space is optimized, but light leaks between adjacent indicators
Solution Approach 1:
The light-guide body incorporates light-blocking portions at specific locations where light leakage would occur between adjacent light-guide fingers. These localized light-blocking structures are positioned precisely to prevent light from one finger from leaking into adjacent fingers, while maintaining the overall compact structure and close positioning of fingers to indicators.
Solution Approach 2:
Light-blocking portions act as intermediary elements between adjacent light-guide fingers. These structures serve as barriers that prevent direct light transmission between neighboring fingers, effectively blocking light leakage while allowing each finger to maintain its close proximity to the corresponding indicator for space optimization.
3Reliability
If multiple separate light-guide elements are used, then independent light transmission to each indicator is achieved, but the number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple separate light-guide elements are combined into a single integrated light-guide body that contains multiple light-guide fingers. This merging reduces the component count from multiple separate pieces to one single piece, simplifying the device while maintaining the functional independence of each light transmission path through the segmented finger structure.
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 significantly reduces assembly and quality control time while maintaining effective light transmission and indication quality, and is simpler to manufacture with a single molding operation.
Implementation Method 1
An opaque coating adheres onto the outer surface of the support element and acts to absorb the light exiting, in use, from the light-guide elements in the supporting element
Data Source
AI summary
A light-guide device has a single piece body including a plurality of light guiding elements joined together by at least one supporting element. An opaque coating is provided on an outer surface of the at least one supporting element, to absorb the light entering into the supporting element from the light-guide elements.