Vehicle Lamp Light Guide with Blocking Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle lamps with light guides are complex, costly, and cumbersome to integrate into vehicle body panels, leading to reduced light-emitting areas and potential dazzling of occupants due to unblocked light.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle lamp with a light guiding portion integrated into the vehicle body panel, featuring a light blocking inner surface and a diffusing outer surface, which is formed through two-color molding or mechanical connection, preventing light from entering the vehicle interior and enhancing the lamp's appearance by only emitting light when turned on.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a light guide is used to guide light inside the vehicle body panel, then the lamp structure can be simplified and made thinner, but the light-emitting area is reduced due to light blocking by reflection
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle body panel is divided into a light guide section and a non-light guide section. The light guide section contains the light guiding portion with light blocking inner surface and light exiting outer surface, while the non-light guide section allows direct light transmission. This segmentation enables different optical functions in different areas, resolving the contradiction between structural simplification and light-emitting area.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the vehicle body panel are given different optical properties. The light guide section has specific light blocking and light exiting characteristics, while other sections maintain normal light transmission. This local differentiation allows the lamp to achieve simplified structure in the light guide section without compromising the overall light-emitting area.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a separate light guide is incorporated into the vehicle body panel, then the lamp function can be added, but the assembly operation becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The light guiding portion is merged with the vehicle body panel to form an integrated structure. Instead of assembling a separate light guide component into the panel, the light guide function is incorporated directly into the panel's molding process (such as two-color molding or insert molding). This merging eliminates separate assembly operations while maintaining the lamp function.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle body panel serves multiple functions: it provides the vehicle's rear body structure, maintains aesthetic appearance, and simultaneously functions as a light guide for the lamp. By making the panel multi-functional, the need for separate light guide components is eliminated, simplifying assembly while adding lamp functionality.
3Device complexity
If the outer surface of the light guiding portion is configured as a light exiting surface, then the lamp configuration is simplified, but light may exit toward the inside of the vehicle causing dazzle to occupants
Solution Approach 1:
The light guiding portion has different surface properties on its inner and outer surfaces. The inner surface facing the vehicle interior is configured with light blocking characteristics (using light blocking materials or structures), while the outer surface facing the exterior is configured with light exiting characteristics (using light diffusing or transmitting materials). This local differentiation allows light to exit outward for illumination while preventing inward exit that would cause occupant dazzle.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a single-sided light blocking approach, the invention inverts the approach by making the inner surface light-blocking and the outer surface light-exiting. This reversed configuration ensures that light is directed outward for the intended lighting function while the interior-facing surface prevents light from entering the vehicle cabin, eliminating the dazzle problem.
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 simplifies the lamp's structure, reduces manufacturing costs, and prevents occupant dazzling by blocking light internally, while providing an innovative appearance that only reveals the lamp when active, thus enhancing the vehicle's external distinctiveness.
Implementation Method 1
one surface of the light guide reflects a portion of the light guided inside the light guide and such that another portion of the light is allowed to exit to the outside through the light guide. The other surface of the light guide is configured to totally reflect the light guided inside the light guide.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle lamp includes a light guiding portion configured to be provided in at least one section of a vehicle body panel of a vehicle, and a light source arranged to input light into the light guiding portion such that the light is guided inside the light guiding portion. The light guiding portion has an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface is configured to face toward an inside of the vehicle and to serve as a light blocking surface to block the light. The outer surface is configured to face toward an outside of the vehicle and to serve as a light exiting surface from which the light is allowed to exit the light guiding portion. The vehicle body panel may be a vehicle rear panel having a resin molded portion, and the vehicle lamp may be provided integrally with the resin molded portion.