Vehicle Lighting Fork Area Uniform Luminance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle lighting arrangements face issues with uniform luminance, particularly at the fork area, leading to uncontrollable light spots and dark spots due to inhomogeneities, which affect the aesthetic appeal and compliance with regulatory standards.

Innovation Solution

A wedge-shaped lighting body is integrated in the fork area, with sides adapted to the curvature and diameter of the light guides, leaving an air gap, and featuring toroidal emission points and imperfections like prisms to ensure even light distribution and compliance with regulations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If a light guide is forked into two branches, then the desired contours can be achieved, but inhomogeneities in luminance occur especially in the beam splitting area

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecontourVSAvoidluminance uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

An air prism is introduced as an intermediary component in the fork area of the light guide. This air prism acts as a mediator that redirects light from one light guide branch to the other, ensuring that the luminance in the fork area matches the luminance in the remaining light guide sections, thus achieving uniform illumination while maintaining the desired contour shape.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Illumination intensity

If an air prism is used to split the beam, then light distribution is improved, but efficiency is reduced by losses due to incomplete deflection of light

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight distributionVSAvoidlight loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The air prism is designed with specific geometric parameters (refractive angles and dimensions) that are optimized to achieve complete or near-complete deflection of light at the fork area. By carefully selecting these parameters, the system maximizes light distribution while minimizing energy losses due to incomplete deflection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Illumination intensity

If the fork area is flattened, then light transmission is improved, but mechanical strength is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight transmissionVSAvoidmechanical strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The light guide is designed with local quality variations: the fork area is flattened only in the specific region where light transmission is critical, while other areas of the light guide maintain their original structural properties. This localized modification ensures improved light transmission in the fork area without compromising the overall mechanical strength of the light guide.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 achieves uniform luminance and a pleasing appearance by optimizing light emission in the critical bifurcation area, ensuring compliance with legal standards like ECE, SAE, and CC, while maintaining mechanical strength and production feasibility.

Implementation Method 1

the light guides being designed to guide the light and to emit light due to imperfections provided on the insides of the light guides

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight guidance through imperfections: Refraction

Implementation Method 2

the beam is split by an air prism... the efficiency is reduced by losses due to the incomplete deflection of the light by 90° at the Air Prism

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight deflection by air prism: Refraction

Implementation Method 3

a wedge-shaped lighting body is arranged in the fork, with two sides of the lighting body being adapted to the curvature and the diameter of the light guides and nestled against them while leaving an air gap

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight redirection through wedge-shaped body: Refraction

Data Source

PatentEP2620790B1Lighting arrangement for vehicles
Publication Date: 2016.11.16 ZKW GRP GMBH
  • EP2620790B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2620790B1 patent drawingFigure 3~6
  • EP2620790B1 patent drawingFigure 7~8

AI summary

The lighting assembly (1) has light source (4) which supply light to light conductors (2,3) which are used for guiding the light. The light conductors are branched from the common light entrance surface (7) in a forking region (G). The inner sides of the light conductors are provided with impurities (6). The outer surfaces of the light conductors facing the region of forking portion are provided with toric radiation beads (8).