Vehicle Light Guide Rear End Geometry for Homogeneous Photon Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle lighting devices with light guides require significant longitudinal extension and bulky masks to ensure homogeneous photon distribution and prevent hot spots, limiting design flexibility and increasing overall size.
Innovation Solution
The lighting device features a rear end with a defined shape and surface geometry that induces total internal reflections, allowing for a shorter light guide and a mask design that masks only necessary areas, while maintaining homogeneous photon distribution and stylistic options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the light guide has a significant longitudinal extension to allow homogeneous photon distribution, then the photon distribution becomes homogeneous, but the overall size of the lighting device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transverse dimension solution by implementing reflective surfaces on the lateral sides of the light guide. Instead of extending the light guide longitudinally, photons are reflected from the sides to redistribute light homogeneously across the front face, solving the contradiction by shifting from a longitudinal to a transverse approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved or inclined reflective surfaces on the lateral sides of the light guide. These curved surfaces effectively redirect photons at various angles to achieve homogeneous distribution, replacing the need for long longitudinal extension with geometric surface design.
2Manufacturing precision
If a bulky mask is used to mask the entire light guide except the front face to prevent hot spots, then hot spots are eliminated, but the device complexity and overall size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the light distribution function from the mask and transfers it to the lateral surfaces of the light guide itself. By incorporating reflective surfaces directly on the light guide, the separate bulky mask is eliminated, and the light guide structure performs both guidance and distribution functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the light guiding function and the light distribution function into a single integrated structure. The lateral surfaces of the light guide are designed with reflective properties, combining the roles of the light guide and the mask into one component, thereby reducing device complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the mask covers the entire light guide to prevent stray photons, then stray photons are blocked, but the upper face of the central part cannot be visible for stylistic effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different surface properties to different regions of the light guide. The lateral sides have reflective surfaces for photon redistribution, while the upper face maintains transparency or different optical properties to allow visibility and stylistic effects, achieving local optimization of different functions.
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 reduces the size of the lighting device, eliminates hot spots, and allows for more design flexibility, while maintaining effective photometric performance and stylistic possibilities.
Implementation Method 1
the shape and external surface of which induce at least two total internal reflections of photons which have penetrated through the entry zone ZE so that they reach the central part PC with a predefined general direction dg
Implementation Method 2
the outer surface of at least one of the first and second faces can be arranged to reflect the photons in several different directions in order to obtain a homogeneous distribution of the photons guided on the front face of the front end
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A lighting device (ED) is fitted to a vehicle and includes a light guide (LG) comprising a central part (PC) located between a rear end (E1) having an entry zone (ZE) supplied with photons by at least one photon source (SP), and a front end (E2) having a front face (FV) delivering photons guided by this central part (PC). The rear end (E1) includes an entry zone (ZE) located at a level spaced apart from the level where the central part (PC) is located and has a shape and external surface that induce at least two total internal reflections of photons that have entered through the entry zone (ZE) so that they arrive in the central part (PC) with a predefined general direction.