Vehicle Lighting Guide with Curved Corner for Near-Edge Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle lighting devices face challenges in reducing the distance between adjacent lighting elements while maintaining cost-effectiveness and ensuring uninterrupted illumination near a housing end edge.
Innovation Solution
The lighting device features a planar light-guiding element with a connecting side that arcs towards a corner region, allowing the light source to be positioned at a steep angle relative to the housing end edge, reducing the required installation space and enabling close proximity to adjacent lighting devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the light source is arranged on the side of the light guide facing the housing end edge to reduce deflection angle, then the deflection angle range is optimized, but the distance between the housing end edge and the light guide increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional planar arrangement to a three-dimensional configuration by raising the corner region and first narrow side above the base plane. This vertical dimensionality change allows the light source to be positioned at a steep angle while maintaining close proximity to the housing end edge in the horizontal plane, thus resolving the contradiction between deflection angle optimization and distance minimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting side is designed with an arcuate curvature that raises the corner region, creating a three-dimensional profile. This curvature enables the light guide to approach the housing end edge more closely while maintaining the necessary optical path, thereby reducing the distance without compromising the deflection angle optimization.
2Ease of manufacture
If the connecting side runs straight to simplify manufacturing, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the distance to the housing end edge increases and illumination continuity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting side incorporates an arcuate curvature that raises the corner region, allowing the light guide to be positioned closer to the housing end edge. While this introduces curvature, the overall manufacturing process remains relatively simple as it primarily affects the shape of the connecting side rather than the entire light guide structure, thus balancing manufacturing complexity with distance reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The curvature is applied locally only to the connecting side and corner region, while the rest of the light guide maintains its planar structure. This localized application of curvature minimizes the impact on manufacturing complexity while achieving the goal of reducing the distance to the housing end edge and improving illumination continuity.
3Reliability
If the light guide is positioned closer to the housing end edge to ensure uninterrupted illumination, then illumination continuity is improved, but the installation space depth increases
Solution Approach 1:
By raising the corner region and first narrow side above the base plane, the patent utilizes the vertical dimension to position the light guide closer to the housing end edge in the horizontal plane without increasing the installation space depth. This three-dimensional configuration allows the light guide to achieve better illumination continuity while maintaining a compact installation footprint.
4Ease of manufacture
If a single light source is used to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the light coupling efficiency and illumination uniformity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The arcuate curvature of the connecting side and raised corner region are designed to optimize light coupling from the single light source. The curved geometry helps to distribute light more uniformly along the light guide, compensating for the use of a single light source and maintaining high light coupling efficiency without requiring multiple light sources, thus keeping manufacturing costs low.
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 minimizes the distance between illumination surfaces and housing end edges, facilitating nearly uninterrupted and homogeneous illumination without increasing light loss.
Implementation Method 1
Opposing flat sides extend between the first and second narrow sides, at which the coupled-in light is totally reflected
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a lighting apparatus for vehicles, comprising a planar light-guiding element (8), which has opposing flat sides (10) at which input coupled light experiences total-internal reflection, which has a first narrow side (11) in a light input coupling region for coupling-in the light, which has a second narrow side (12) in a light output coupling region for coupling-out the light in a main emission direction (H) of the lighting apparatus, and which has a connecting side (13, 14) connecting the first narrow side (11) and the second narrow side (12), wherein an elongate light guide (9) that follows the contour of the first narrow side (11) of the planar light-guiding element (8) is provided in arranged fashion with a first end face (15) arranged at one end side and with a second end face (16), between which a lateral surface (17) of the elongate light guide (9) extends, said lateral surface having output coupling elements for diverting the light coupled into the elongate light guide (9) so that the light is output coupled from the elongate light guide (9) in the direction of the first narrow side (11) of the planar light-guiding element (8) from a longitudinal section of the lateral surface (17) facing the first narrow side (11) of the planar light-guiding element (8), wherein the first narrow side (11) and the connecting side (13) of the planar light-guiding element (8) extend in elevated fashion in the direction of a corner region (18) of the planar light-guiding element (8), in relation to a base plane (B) that is spanned by the main emission direction (H) and the direction of extent (E1).