Vehicle Light Guide Structure for Partial Interior Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle decoration parts that require night lighting are structurally limited to emitting light as a whole, making it impossible to implement partial lighting designs.
Innovation Solution
A lighting apparatus for vehicles that uses a light guide member with a transmission member and a shielding member, manufactured through double-injection molding, to achieve partial illumination in specific areas of decoration parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If plating or metal deposition is applied to decoration parts, then a glossy surface of metal is expressed during the day, but light cannot pass through the decoration part at night
Solution Approach 1:
The decoration part is divided into multiple light zones by introducing light blocking patterns (first and second light blocking patterns) within the transparent material. This segmentation allows different regions to have different optical properties - some regions transmit light while others block it, enabling both glossy appearance and selective light transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the decoration part are given different optical characteristics through the light blocking patterns. The transparent base material allows light transmission, while the embedded light blocking patterns create localized areas that block light, achieving partial illumination effects in specific zones while maintaining overall transparency.
2Illumination intensity
If a decoration part emits light as a whole, then night lighting is achieved, but partial illumination in specific sections cannot be implemented
Solution Approach 1:
The uniform light emission is segmented into multiple zones by incorporating light blocking patterns (first light blocking pattern and second light blocking pattern) at specific positions within the decoration part. This allows different sections to be independently controlled for illumination, enabling partial area lighting while maintaining overall light emission capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A light guide member is introduced as an intermediary component between the light source and the decoration part. This light guide member directs and distributes light to specific regions, enabling controlled partial illumination in desired sections while other areas remain illuminated or remain dark based on the light blocking patterns.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate parts are used to achieve partial illumination, then lighting design flexibility is improved, but the number of parts and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions are merged into a single integrated decoration part. The transparent material, light blocking patterns, and light guiding structures are combined into one monolithic component manufactured through injection molding. This eliminates the need for separate assembly of multiple parts while achieving the same partial illumination effect, reducing both part count and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The decoration part uses composite structure within a single material component - a transparent material (such as PC or PMMA) with embedded light blocking patterns and light guide structures formed during injection molding. This composite design achieves multiple optical functions (transmission, blocking, guiding) in a single integrated part rather than requiring separate components.
Data Source
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AI summary
A lighting apparatus for a vehicle, the lighting apparatus including: a rear panel; a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed in front of the rear panel and including a plurality of lighting sources; a rubber pad disposed in front of the PCB and configured to a plurality of through-holes formed based on positions of the plurality of lighting sources; a front panel snap-fitted to the rear panel; and a light guide member coupled to an accommodating space formed between a plurality of first buttons and a plurality of second buttons disposed on the front panel, wherein the light guide member includes a transmission member through which light emitted from the plurality of lighting sources transmits and a shielding member shielding the light.