Vehicle Light Lamella Layer for Dark Off-State Appearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle light devices struggle to maintain a dark or colored appearance in the off state without significantly restricting or dampening light intensity and visibility, especially in automotive applications where visibility requirements must be met.
Innovation Solution
A light device featuring a translucent cover, an optical unit with a lamella layer composed of alternating transparent and non-transparent lamellas, and an optical filter to direct and homogenize light, ensuring minimal light restriction and a dark appearance when the light is off, while maintaining efficient lighting functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a semipermeable layer and partly transparent element are used to achieve a dark appearance, then the dark appearance requirement is met, but light efficiency and consumption are significantly affected
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is divided into multiple lamellas arranged in alternating patterns of transparent and non-transparent materials. This segmentation allows different regions to perform different functions: transparent lamellas transmit light when the light is on, while non-transparent lamellas provide dark appearance when the light is off, resolving the contradiction between dark appearance and light efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the cover have different optical properties. The non-transparent lamellas (made of materials like metal, ceramic, or dark plastic) provide dark appearance in specific areas, while transparent lamellas (made of clear plastic or glass) maintain light transmission in other areas. This local differentiation allows the light device to achieve dark appearance without significantly compromising overall light efficiency.
2Illumination intensity
If a lamella layer with non-transparent elements is used to achieve dark appearance, then privacy is improved, but visibility in the horizontal direction is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The lamella layer can be designed to rotate or adjust its orientation, allowing the transparent and non-transparent lamellas to change their angular positions. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to provide dark appearance at certain angles while maintaining visibility in horizontal directions, resolving the contradiction between privacy and visibility requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution extends the problem from a two-dimensional plane to three-dimensional space by arranging lamellas in specific three-dimensional configurations. The alternating transparent and non-transparent lamellas create angular selectivity, providing dark appearance from certain viewing angles while maintaining visibility from horizontal directions, thus resolving the visibility restriction issue.
3Illumination intensity
If non-transparent lamellas are used to block daylight, then dark appearance is achieved, but light transmission when activated is dampened
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is segmented into alternating transparent and non-transparent lamellas. The transparent lamellas are strategically positioned to ensure unobstructed light transmission paths when the light is activated, while non-transparent lamellas are positioned to block daylight when the light is off. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by ensuring that light transmission efficiency is maintained through the transparent segments while dark appearance is achieved through the non-transparent segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The transparent lamellas provide continuous light transmission paths from the light source to the external environment, ensuring that the useful light action is not interrupted or dampened. Meanwhile, the non-transparent lamellas provide continuous dark appearance when the light is off. This continuity in both states resolves the contradiction between dark appearance and light transmission efficiency.
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 effectively provides a dark or colored appearance of the light device when off, ensuring minimal light restriction and maintaining high light efficiency and visibility requirements, thus addressing the limitations of previous technologies.
Implementation Method 1
The first lamellas are arranged to enable passage of light rays, entering the first lamellas through the input surface, through the first lamellas, and to enable exit of these rays from the first lamellas through the output surface to fulfill the lighting function of the light device
Implementation Method 2
The second lamellas are configured, with the light source off, not to reflect the daylight, which falls onto the second lamellas from the said external environment, out of the light device to the external environment. The second lamellas are configured to absorb at least a part of the said daylight.
Implementation Method 3
The second lamellas are configured to reflect at least a part of the daylight in the direction from the cover and towards the optical unit.
Implementation Method 4
the light device further comprises an optical filter having the shape of a layer parallel to the functional plate member, adapted to homogenize and/or direct light rays passing through the filter
Data Source
AI summary
The light device of a vehicle comprises a housing (5), covered with a translucent cover (1), a light unit (4) arranged in the housing (5) comprising at least one light source, and a functional plate member (12) comprising a lamella layer (6) configured to bind light rays (10) exiting from the optical unit (4). The lamella layer (6) comprises the first lamellas (6a), which are transparent for light, and the second lamellas (6b), which are non-transparent for light, and extend across the thickness of the lamella layer (6), are in a mutual contact and alternate with each other. The first lamellas (6a) are arranged for the passage of light rays (10) and the second lamellas (6b) are configured in such a way, when the light source is off, not to reflect the daylight (DS) that falls onto the second lamellas (6b) from the said external environment out of the light device into the external environment.