Variable Rib Optical Guide for Homogeneous Vehicle Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical guides for motor vehicle lighting and signaling face challenges in maintaining light homogeneity, especially in complex and extended shapes, leading to defects in light distribution.
Innovation Solution
The optical guide features a variable rib shape with varying thickness and inclination along its length, which modulates light quantity and promotes even light distribution, combined with a unitary sheet and a mask with grained windows to ensure consistent light output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a complex and extended optical guide shape is used to create distinctive vehicle signatures, then the visual appeal and adaptability are improved, but light homogeneity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rib thickness is varied locally along the length of the optical guide, being thicker at certain positions and thinner at others. This local variation in rib thickness allows different sections of the guide to have different light transmission characteristics, compensating for light loss in extended areas while maintaining homogeneity in the overall light distribution across the complex shape.
2Area of stationary object
If the optical guide length is increased to extend lighting coverage, then the lighting area is improved, but light quantity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rib thickness parameter is changed along the length of the optical guide. By making the rib thicker at positions where light quantity needs to be increased, the guide compensates for light loss over distance, maintaining adequate illumination intensity across the extended lighting area.
3Illumination intensity
If the rib thickness is increased to improve light transmission, then light quantity is improved, but manufacturing complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rib is segmented into different thickness zones along its length, with each section having a specific thickness value. This segmentation allows the rib to provide varying light transmission characteristics without requiring complex continuous variations, simplifying the manufacturing process while still achieving the desired light distribution.
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 configuration enables homogeneous light signaling across complex shapes, compensating for light reduction and avoiding parallax defects, while being cost-effective and suitable for plastic injection molding.
Implementation Method 1
Light from light sources enters the guide through one of the lateral faces. The light rays then propagate by successive reflections off the two principal faces of the guide. These faces form diopters with the surrounding air, allowing incident rays at an angle greater than the critical angle of refraction to undergo total internal reflection.
Implementation Method 2
The thickness of the rib along the principal direction of the guiding section is variable. The variable shape of the rib includes an inclination of the rib with respect to a direction transverse to the main direction... and/or the thickness e of the rib.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an optical guide (16) made of transparent or translucent material, running in a main direction, and comprising a rounded, tubular guide portion (18.1, 18.2), forming, with the outside environment, a rounded, tubular dioptric interface, said portion being suitable for guiding light along the main direction through successive reflections off the dioptric interface; and a rib (22.1, 22.2) adjacent to the guide portion (18.1, 18.2), suitable for allowing light to exit said portion. The rib (22.1, 22.2) exhibits a variable shape along the main direction so as to modify the amount of light that exits along said direction. The invention also relates to a lighting module comprising the optical guide (16) and a lighting device comprising the lighting module.