Vehicle Lamp Light Guide Body with Total Reflection End Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle lamps with plate-shaped light guide plates between rod-shaped light guide bodies may experience non-uniform light emission due to light leakage from the end side surfaces, leading to increased light emission intensity and reduced visibility.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle lamp design featuring a light guide body with a plate-shaped portion between two rod-shaped portions, where the end side surface of the plate-shaped portion is configured to totally reflect light towards the rod-shaped portions, and the rod-shaped portions are curved and formed with specific surface features to enhance light reflection and reduce leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a plate-shaped light guide portion is formed between two rod-shaped light guide portions to increase light-emitting area, then visibility is improved, but light emission intensity of the end side surfaces increases due to light leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The end side surface of the plate-shaped light guide portion is given a specific reflective property (total reflection) that is different from other surfaces. This local quality change ensures that light reaching the end side surface is reflected back into the light guide body rather than leaking out, thereby suppressing excessive light emission intensity at the end surfaces while maintaining the increased light-emitting area benefit
Solution Approach 2:
The light that would otherwise leak harmfully from the end side surfaces is converted into a beneficial resource by using total reflection to redirect it back into the light guide body. This reflected light can then be utilized for its intended purpose of illuminating the road, improving overall light utilization efficiency while eliminating the harmful light leakage
2Ease of manufacture
If the end side surface is made flat, then manufacturing is simple, but light leakage occurs and uniform light emission cannot be realized
Solution Approach 1:
The end side surface is designed with a curved shape (concave toward the light source) rather than a flat surface. This curvature helps to redirect light rays at various angles toward the rod-shaped light guide portions through total reflection, preventing light leakage and achieving uniform light emission while remaining manufacturable
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 design suppresses the light emission intensity of the end side surfaces, improving the uniformity of light emission and enhancing visibility by redirecting light away from the plate-shaped portion, thus achieving more efficient light utilization and distribution.
Implementation Method 1
The plate-shaped light guide portion has an end side surface that totally reflects at least a portion of light, traveling in the plate-shaped light guide portion, toward the first rod-shaped light guide portion and/or the second rod-shaped light guide portion
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle lamp includes a light source and a light guide body configured to guide light from the light source therein and emit the light toward a front side of the lamp. The light guide body includes a first rod-shaped light guide portion configured to guide light incident from an incident end surface, a second rod-shaped light guide portion configured to guide the incident light, and a plate-shaped light guide portion formed in an area between the first rod-shaped light guide portion and the second rod-shaped light guide portion. The plate-shaped light guide portion has an end side surface configured to totally reflect at least a portion of light, which travels in the plate-shaped light guide portion, toward the first rod-shaped light guide portion and/or the second rod-shaped light guide portion.