Vehicle Lighting Device Lid Opening for Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lighting devices for vehicles face challenges in heat radiation due to the temperature fluctuations they operate in, particularly from -40°C to 85°C, and the need for miniaturization which limits effective heat dissipation.
Innovation Solution
A lighting device design featuring a socket unit, a light emitting unit, and a lid unit with an opening portion that allows for improved heat radiation by forming a slope face with a large inner peripheral width towards the opposite side, ensuring the light emitting unit's end face overlaps with the opening portion, and an opening angle that is equal to or greater than the half-value angle of the light intensity, facilitating both heat dissipation and light emission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the lighting device is miniaturized to meet vehicle lighting requirements, then the device size is reduced, but the heat radiation area is insufficient causing temperature rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the thickness direction (Z-axis) of the lid unit to create an opening portion, transforming the heat dissipation approach from lateral surface area to vertical through-opening. This dimensional change allows heat to escape directly through the lid's thickness, effectively adding a third-dimensional heat egress path that does not increase the device's footprint area.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid unit is segmented into distinct functional zones: a light emission region with the opening portion for heat dissipation, and a light blocking region with reflective surfaces. This segmentation allows the same component (lid unit) to simultaneously perform multiple functions: structural enclosure, light guidance, and thermal management, without requiring additional dedicated heat dissipation components.
2Volume of moving object
If the light emitting element operates at high temperature, then the device can be compact, but light emitting efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful heat generated by the light emitting element into a beneficial driving force for natural convection current. The opening portion in the lid unit creates a thermal pathway where hot air rises and escapes, drawing cooler air in to replace it, thereby establishing a continuous cooling flow that actively removes heat without requiring external power.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is self-regulating and requires no external control or power source. The opening portion's geometry and positioning enable automatic thermal management through buoyancy-driven convection, where the system adjusts its cooling rate based on the actual heat generation of the light emitting element, providing adaptive thermal control.
3Volume of moving object
If the lid unit fully covers the substrate, then the device is compact and protected, but heat radiation is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The lid unit employs local quality differentiation by creating distinct regions with different optical and thermal properties: a transparent opening portion located at the light emission area that permits both light and heat passage, and an opaque light blocking region with reflective surfaces for light redirection. This localized variation in material properties enables simultaneous light guidance and thermal management functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The opening portion acts as an intermediary structure that mediates between the conflicting requirements of light emission and heat dissipation. By positioning the opening at the light emission area, it serves as a dual-function gateway that allows visible light to exit the device while simultaneously providing a thermal pathway for heat to escape, resolving the conflict between optical and thermal requirements.
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 design enhances heat radiation properties, preventing temperature-related efficiency drops in the light emitting elements, maintaining high light emitting efficiency, and allowing for miniaturization without increasing the device's size, making it suitable for vehicle lighting applications.
Implementation Method 1
an opening portion 41 which causes light radiated from the light emitting element 31 to pass through
Implementation Method 2
a light emitting unit 3, and a lid unit 4. The light emitting unit 3 is provided in an accommodation unit 21 of the socket unit 2, and includes a light emitting element 31
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting device according to an embodiment includes a socket unit, a light emitting unit, and a lid unit. The light emitting unit is provided in an accommodation unit of the socket unit, and includes a light emitting element. The lid unit closes the accommodation unit of the socket unit, and is formed with an opening portion which causes light radiated from the light emitting element to pass through. An end face of the light emitting unit on the opening portion side overlaps with the opening portion in the thickness direction of the lid unit, and is located on the light emitting unit side rather than an end face of the lid unit on a side opposite to the light emitting unit side.