Ultrasonic Sensor Light Guide for Bumper Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultrasonic sensors mounted on vehicle bumpers have a reduced bezel area, resulting in limited visibility of projected light, making it difficult to notify pedestrians and other vehicles of the vehicle's presence and operation.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic sensor design that includes a transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, with light sources mounted behind the bumper and an optical element exposed on the bumper's surface to project light prominently outside the vehicle, enhancing visibility and notification of the sensor's operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the bezel area is reduced to make the ultrasonic sensor unnoticeable, then the sensor's aesthetic integration is improved, but the visibility of projected light is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a light guide that extends the light projection path from the interior to the exterior of the bumper, utilizing the third dimension (depth) to overcome the area limitation. The light guide acts as an optical waveguide, transporting light from the LED source through the bumper thickness to the front surface, thereby achieving visible light projection without requiring a large bezel area.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide serves as an intermediary optical element between the LED light source and the external environment. It mediates the light transmission by confining and directing light rays through total internal reflection, enabling the light to travel from the mounting location behind the bumper to the front surface where it becomes visible to pedestrians and other road users.
2Volume of moving object
If the bezel area is reduced for unnoticeable mounting, then the sensor profile is minimized, but the notification effectiveness to pedestrians is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide enables light to be projected from the rear mounting location to the front surface of the bumper, utilizing the depth dimension to achieve effective notification. This allows the sensor to maintain a minimal profile while still providing visible light output at the optimal location for pedestrian awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide is pre-installed within the bumper structure during manufacturing, preparing the optical pathway in advance. This preliminary action ensures that when the LED is activated, the light is immediately and efficiently directed to the front surface, providing instant notification to pedestrians without requiring additional assembly or adjustment.
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 improves the visibility and prominence of the projected light, effectively notifying pedestrians and other vehicles of the vehicle's presence and operation, thereby enhancing safety by making the ultrasonic sensor's functionality more apparent.
Implementation Method 1
an optical element configured in such a manner that at least a part of the optical element is exposed on a front surface of the bumper, wherein the optical element is configured to guide light emitted by the one or more light sources to a front surface of the bumper and to project the light to an outside of the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
a transducer for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave
Data Source
AI summary
An ultrasonic sensor (10) includes a transmission and reception unit (11) for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave, a holder (12) and an attachment (13) for fixing the transmission and reception unit (11) to the bumper (1) of a vehicle, and light source units (14a, 14b) mounted in a back side of the bumper (1). The holder (12) is shaped so as to be exposed on a surface of the bumper (1), and guides light beams emitted by the light source units (14a, 14b) to the surface of the bumper (1), to project the light beams from a light projecting surface (12a) to the outside of the vehicle.