Vehicle Exterior Solar Panel With Integrated LED Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle external structures with solar panels lack an integrated and efficient solution for combining energy generation with lighting needs, often requiring separate components and complex installations.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle exterior structure that incorporates monocrystalline solar cells or thin-layer photovoltaics with integrated lighting elements, where LEDs are placed within openings between solar cells or in recesses of the photovoltaic layers, and can be controlled individually for display purposes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If solar panels are installed as individual cells with open strips or zones between them, then lighting elements can be installed in these zones, but the structural complexity and installation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines solar cells and lighting elements into a single integrated module where both functions coexist in the same structural unit. The lighting elements are embedded within the solar panel structure itself, merging energy generation and illumination functions into one component that reduces installation complexity while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The solar panel structure is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: generating electrical energy through photovoltaic cells and providing lighting through integrated LED elements. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate lighting installations and reduces overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If a complete protective layer/cover layer is designed for solar panels, then solar cells are protected, but painting the outer surface becomes more complex and cannot be done in one pass
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thin-film photovoltaic technology where the active layer itself is extremely thin and flexible, allowing it to be painted over in a single pass. The thin-film structure maintains sufficient protective properties while enabling complete surface coating without complex multi-step processes.
3Use of energy by moving object
If separate batteries are installed close to solar panels, then energy storage is optimized, but the number of components and installation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the battery storage function directly into the solar panel assembly, creating a unified energy management unit. This merging of energy generation and storage functions into a single integrated component reduces the total number of separate components while optimizing energy storage efficiency through proximity.
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 solution enables efficient energy generation from solar panels while providing integrated lighting that can be controlled individually, enhancing both energy management and visual display capabilities for vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
a base plate which carries a layer of monocrystalline solar cells or a thin-film photovoltaic system
Implementation Method 2
lighting elements are installed in one of the layers in the layer structure of the solar panel
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
Vehicle outer structure (12) with solar panel (1), wherein a base plate is formed either by the vehicle outer structure or by a separate base plate (2) which carries a layer of monocrystalline solar cells (4) or a thin-film photovoltaic (4) which are covered towards the vehicle outer surface, wherein lighting elements are incorporated in one of the layers of the solar panel (1).