Underbody Lighting System Cross-Illumination for Uniform Ground Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle exterior lighting systems that illuminate the ground beneath a vehicle often create 'hot spots' due to light being emitted directly from underbody-mounted lighting elements, leading to non-uniform illumination and requiring increased numbers of elements to achieve higher intensity, which can be costly.
Innovation Solution
The lighting system mounts lighting elements across the underbody, allowing light to spread before illuminating the ground, reducing hot spots and enabling increased intensity with fewer elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If lighting elements are mounted directly under the vehicle body to illuminate the ground beneath, then illumination intensity is improved, but non-uniform illumination with hot spots occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the vehicle's underbody as an intermediary medium between the lighting element and the ground. Light from the LED mounted on one side of the underbody travels across the underbody surface to illuminate the ground on the opposite side, distributing the light more uniformly and eliminating hot spots that would occur with direct downward illumination.
2Illumination intensity
If increased numbers of lighting elements are used to achieve higher intensity illumination, then illumination intensity is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple lighting elements into a single lighting element by utilizing the vehicle underbody as a light distribution surface. One LED mounted on the underbody illuminates ground areas on both sides of the vehicle, effectively replacing what would traditionally require multiple separate lighting elements, thereby reducing device complexity and cost.
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
This arrangement provides more uniform and intense illumination of the ground beneath the vehicle without the appearance of hot spots, using fewer lighting elements and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
At least one of the one or more first side lighting elements is oriented to emit light across the vehicle's underbody and illuminate the ground beneath the upper body's second side section
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle is constructed to include an upper body and an underbody underlying the upper body. The upper body includes a longitudinal first side section and an opposing longitudinal second side section, and the underbody has a first perimeter portion underlying the upper body's first side section and a second perimeter portion underlying the upper body's second side section. The vehicle further includes a lighting system for illuminating the ground beneath the vehicle. The lighting system includes one or more first side lighting elements mounted at the underbody's first side perimeter portion. At least one of the one or more first side lighting elements is oriented to emit light across the vehicle's underbody and illuminate the ground beneath the upper body's second side section.