Single-Part Vehicle Light Guide With Interrupted Bezel
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current light guide systems in the automotive field are complex and require high technical complexity to achieve specific light patterns, often necessitating additional components like volume scattering elements and bezels for desired light allocation.
Innovation Solution
A light guide with a single-part design featuring a light incoupling section, outcoupling section, and vision surface, where the light outcoupling structures are oriented transversely and interrupted by a reflecting structure for total internal reflection, eliminating the need for additional bezels and simplifying manufacturing through injection molding or material coating processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If additional components like volume scattering elements and bezels are used to achieve specific light patterns, then the desired light allocation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the light guide body, light outcoupling structures, and light reflecting structures into a single integrated component. The light guide body includes integrated light outcoupling structures with light outcoupling surfaces and light reflecting structures with light reflecting surfaces, eliminating the need for separate bezels and volume scattering elements. This merging achieves the desired light allocation patterns while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide body serves multiple functions simultaneously: it guides light from the light source, creates specific light patterns through integrated light outcoupling structures, and reflects light through integrated light reflecting structures. This multi-functionality replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining light allocation performance.
2Illumination intensity
If additional bezels and components are added for light pattern creation, then specific light patterns are achieved, but manufacturing effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the light outcoupling structures and light reflecting structures directly into the light guide body as a single component. This can be achieved through injection molding processes that create the complex geometries in one step, or through coating processes applied to the light guide body. This eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and assembly of multiple components, significantly reducing manufacturing effort.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are used for light guide system, then light pattern flexibility is improved, but assembly effort and position accuracy requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional elements into a single light guide body component, including the light guiding section, light outcoupling structures, and light reflecting structures. This integration eliminates assembly efforts and the need for precise relative positioning between separate components, while the integrated design maintains the flexibility to create various light patterns through the geometric design of the outcoupling and reflecting structures.
4Volume of moving object
If a compact light guide design is implemented, then space efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates all light control functions into a single compact light guide body, which inherently maintains precise relative positions of all optical structures. The integrated design eliminates positioning tolerances that would exist between separate components, as the light outcoupling structures and light reflecting structures are formed as integral parts of the light guide body through injection molding or coating processes.
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 solution reduces manufacturing effort and complexity while enabling precise and compact creation of specific light patterns with high accuracy, offering enhanced stiffness and flexibility in design, and integrates well with vehicle lighting systems.
Implementation Method 1
the light reflecting structure is adapted to achieve total reflection of light between the light reflecting structure and the lower side of the vision surface
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a light guide (10), integrated with a locally interrupted bezel (42), shielding light (58) inside the light guide 810) from the environment by total reflection inside the light guide (10), in a single-piece design. The invention further refers to a system (20) comprising the light guide (10), a light source (18) and a holding structure (12) for the light guide (10). Further, a vehicle (50) is provided, that comprises the light guide (10) as part of a lighting system (20) of the vehicle (50).