Vehicle Light-Guiding Chamber for Uniform Through-Component Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle illumination devices face challenges with mounting complexity due to manufacturing tolerances in vehicle components, particularly when light sources are external, leading to inconsistent light intensity and inefficient wireless energy transfer.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle illumination device with an internal light source and a light-coupling chamber that diffuses light before guiding it through a light-guiding member, using reflective surfaces to ensure homogeneous light emission regardless of component thickness variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the light source is placed on the exterior side of the vehicle component, then the mounting is simpler, but power cables need to pass through the component creating holes and mounting complications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional arrangement by placing the light source on the interior side of the vehicle component instead of the exterior side. This reversal eliminates the need for external power cable routing through holes in the component, as power can be supplied through existing interior wiring harnesses, thereby reducing mounting complexity on the exterior while maintaining illumination functionality.
2Illumination intensity
If the light source is placed on the exterior side of the vehicle component, then the illumination is direct, but wireless energy transfer is less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a light-guiding member as an intermediary element that transfers light from the interior-mounted light source to the exterior surface of the vehicle component. This mediator enables efficient wired power transmission while achieving the desired exterior illumination, avoiding the energy losses associated with wireless energy transfer.
3Device complexity
If the light source is placed on the interior side of the vehicle component, then power cables are not needed externally, but the light intensity depends significantly on component thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The light-guiding member acts as an intermediary that decouples the light source from the exterior surface. It efficiently transports light through the component thickness variation, maintaining consistent light output at the exterior surface regardless of variations in component thickness, thereby solving the intensity consistency problem while keeping the light source on the interior side.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes optical parameters of the light-guiding member (such as refractive index, surface geometry, and material properties) to optimize light transmission through varying thicknesses of the vehicle component. By adjusting these optical parameters, the system maintains consistent illumination intensity despite variations in component thickness.
4Ease of manufacture
If the vehicle component has large manufacturing tolerances for thickness, then assembly is more difficult with external light sources, but internal light sources are more affected by thickness variance
Solution Approach 1:
The light-guiding member serves as a robust intermediary that bridges the interior light source and exterior surface, accommodating manufacturing tolerances in component thickness. Its optical design ensures stable light transmission even when thickness varies, thereby maintaining illumination intensity stability without requiring tight manufacturing tolerances.
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
The solution provides a stable and efficient illumination system that is not affected by component thickness variations, ensuring consistent light output and reducing assembly complexity by eliminating the need for external power cables.
Implementation Method 1
a reflective surface on inner wall of the light-coupling chamber for diffusing light from the light source and coupling it into the input portion of the light-guiding member
Implementation Method 2
a reflective surface on inner wall of the light-coupling chamber for diffusing light from the light source
Implementation Method 3
a light-guiding member (2) having an input portion (3) and an output portion (4), wherein the input portion includes at least one input surface (5) for letting light into the light-guiding member and the output portion includes at least one output surface (6) for emitting light from the light-guiding member
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Vehicle illumination device, assembly for creating the device and a vehicle component with the device. The device comprises a light source (1), a light-guiding member (2), and a reflective light-coupling chamber (7). The light-coupling chamber (7) comprises an output aperture (9), wherein an input portion (3) of the light-guiding member (2) extends through the output aperture (9) to receive light from the chamber and provide it to an output portion (4) of the light-guiding member (2) which is outside of the light-coupling chamber (7).