Vehicle Light Guide Body with Cylindrical Recesses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle lighting devices with flat light guide bodies face inefficiencies in light coupling and illumination due to the arrangement of lighting elements, leading to darkened areas and reduced luminance between elements.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an ellipsoidal light coupling element on the light coupling side, cylindrical recesses, and cylindrical bulges to improve light scattering and guidance, allowing for more efficient light entry and distribution, and the use of parabolic or step-shaped indentations to enhance luminance alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If lighting elements are arranged in rows on a narrow side of the flat light guide body at a constant distance, then the light guide body provides a relatively homogeneous large light surface, but darkened areas with reduced luminance are created between the luminous elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating uneven configurations (cylindrical recesses and bulges) at specific light coupling sections rather than uniformly across the entire narrow side. These localized structural modifications concentrate light scattering at specific points, thereby improving luminance in dark areas between luminous elements while maintaining the overall homogeneous light surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs cylindrical recesses and bulges with curved surfaces at the light coupling sections. These curved geometries effectively scatter light in multiple directions, reducing the formation of dark areas between luminous elements and improving overall luminance distribution across the light guide body.
2Ease of operation
If a front panel is used to cover darkened areas of the narrow side, then homogeneous appearance of illumination is achieved, but the structural complexity and device size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the light coupling function from a separate front panel component and integrates it directly into the light guide body structure through cylindrical recesses and bulges. This integration eliminates the need for additional covering panels while achieving homogeneous illumination, thereby reducing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the light coupling function with the light guide body structure by forming cylindrical recesses and bulges directly on the narrow side. This combination integrates multiple functions (light coupling, scattering, and homogeneous illumination) into a single structure, reducing the number of components and overall device complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If light elements are arranged at a distance from one another, then each element can be individually positioned, but light coupling efficiency decreases and dark areas are formed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring cylindrical recesses and bulges at specific light coupling sections before light enters the guide body. These pre-formed structures proactively scatter and redirect light paths, ensuring efficient light coupling even when luminous elements are spaced apart, thereby maintaining high light coupling efficiency while preserving positioning flexibility.
4Ease of manufacture
If the narrow side is kept flat, then manufacturing is simplified, but light scattering and guidance efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains the overall flat structure of the narrow side for manufacturing simplicity, but introduces localized cylindrical recesses and bulges at specific light coupling sections. This approach preserves ease of manufacture while significantly improving light scattering and guidance efficiency through these localized structural modifications.
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 enhances light guidance and illumination, reducing dark areas and improving overall luminance, enabling a more homogeneous and efficient lighting solution for vehicle lighting devices.
Implementation Method 1
an ellipsoidal light coupling element is formed on the light coupling section, which protrudes perpendicularly from the plane of extent of the narrow side. This allows a relatively concentrated scattering of the light into the narrow side of the light guide body.
Implementation Method 2
a narrow side of the light guide body arranged on the light coupling side has a recess with a freely shaped coupling surface or a cylindrical recess in a light coupling section... A light component emitted in the axial direction at the light coupling section can be refracted towards the flat sides
Implementation Method 3
The flat sides have a total reflection of the coupled-in light, which is coupled out to the surroundings at the light-decoupling side.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~8
AI summary
The invention relates to a lighting device for vehicles with a planar light guide body (2) comprising two opposing flat sides (6, 6') on which light is transferred by total internal reflection from a light coupling side (7) of the light guide body (2) to a light coupling side (8) thereof, a narrow side (4) arranged on the light coupling side (7) to which a plurality of luminaire elements (3) arranged spaced apart from each other along the narrow side (4) are assigned for coupling the light into the light guide body (2), wherein the narrow side (4) extends in at least one plane of extension perpendicular to the flat sides (6, 6'), wherein the narrow side (4) is unevenly formed at least in a light coupling section (12) forming a light coupling point (10).