Tail Light Assembly with Opaque Lens Extension for Trunk Gutter Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tail light assemblies for motor vehicles lack flexibility in design options, particularly in extending into the trunk gutter to maintain visibility and styling when the trunk lid is open or closed, limiting their aesthetic and functional performance.
Innovation Solution
A tail light assembly design featuring a housing with a bracket, inner and outer lenses, and an opaque lens extension that obscures the bracket and housing from rearward view, allowing the assembly to be integrated into the trunk gutter, ensuring visibility and a seamless appearance regardless of the trunk lid position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the tail light assembly is extended into the trunk gutter to improve design flexibility and visibility, then the visibility field of view is improved to 180°, but the structural complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tail light assembly is divided into multiple segments including a housing, an inner lens with multiple sections, an opaque lens extension, and an outer lens. Each segment serves specific functions and can be manufactured separately, allowing the complex overall structure to be managed through modular construction while achieving the desired 180° visibility and aesthetic integration into the trunk gutter
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested lens structure where the inner lens is positioned within the housing, the opaque lens extension extends from the inner lens, and the outer lens overlays both the inner lens and opaque extension. This nested arrangement allows multiple functional elements to be integrated in a compact configuration, managing structural complexity while achieving the extended visibility requirement
2Shape
If the tail light assembly is extended into the trunk gutter to improve styling and visibility, then the aesthetic appearance is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Different sections of the inner lens are designed with different optical properties - the first section overlays the light source for primary illumination, while the second section overlays the opaque lens extension to create the desired aesthetic appearance. This local differentiation allows each zone to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall manufacturing feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The opaque lens extension is designed with an asymmetric configuration that extends specifically into the trunk gutter area, creating a non-uniform appearance that enhances aesthetic appeal. The extension has different dimensions and positioning relative to the housing, allowing it to integrate seamlessly with the vehicle's trunk gutter while maintaining manufacturability through precise but achievable tolerances
3Shape
If the opaque lens extension is used to obscure the bracket and housing, then the visual appearance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The opaque lens extension serves multiple functions simultaneously: it extends the aesthetic appearance into the trunk gutter area, obscures the bracket and housing from rearward view, and provides structural support for the outer lens. By combining these functions into a single component, the design achieves improved visual appearance without proportionally increasing device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle includes a body component defining a trunk and a trunk gutter, a weather strip attached is a distal end of the trunk gutter, a trunk lid adapted to be disposed in the trunk gutter when in a closed position, and a tail light assembly affixed to the body component. The tail light assembly includes a housing defining an inner surface of the tail light assembly affixed to the body of the motor vehicle by a fastener, a bracket disposed in the housing, a light source affixed to the bracket, an inner lens overlaying the light source, an opaque lens extension extending from a distal end of the inner lens obscuring the bracket and housing from a view rearward of the motor vehicle, and an outer lens overlaying the inner lens and the opaque lens extension.