Y-Shaped Light Guide for Uniform Contour Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light guide components struggle to achieve uniform lighting on complex contour surfaces, particularly with small diameters, and require a large number of LEDs for homogeneity, which is inefficient in terms of space and cost.
Innovation Solution
A light guide module with a Y-shaped branching light guide system featuring directional optical elements, including prismatic or conical shapes, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that utilize collimating components to ensure uniform luminous flux across the contour surface, minimizing the number of LEDs required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a linear light guide component is added to one side or both sides, then the lighting direction is controlled, but it cannot be used on complicated contour shapes with relatively small diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide is divided into a primary part and a Y-shaped branch with a secondary part, allowing the light guide to adapt to complicated contour shapes while maintaining effective lighting coverage on small diameter surfaces
2Illumination intensity
If several LEDs are arranged along the entire input surface of a planar light guide, then homogeneity of the emerging beam is attained, but the number of LEDs required is large
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the light guide input surface are assigned different LED luminous flux characteristics, with LEDs in the Y-shaped branch region having higher luminous flux than those in the primary part, achieving homogeneous lighting with fewer total LEDs
Solution Approach 2:
The luminous flux parameter of LEDs is varied according to their position in the light guide structure, with higher luminous flux LEDs placed in the Y-shaped branch region to compensate for light distribution requirements and achieve homogeneity with reduced LED quantity
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 efficient and uniform lighting on complex contour surfaces with minimal space and cost, using LEDs as light sources and directional optical elements to optimize luminous flux and reduce sensitivity to fabrication inaccuracies.
Implementation Method 1
The directional optical elements are formed by planar surfaces, cylindrical surfaces, or non-uniform rational base splines surfaces (NURBS), whose shape is defined by the shape of the entry region S and the incoming illumination F [lx] onto S, and the shape of the exit region T and the required outgoing illumination G [lx] onto T.
Implementation Method 2
The supporting surface of the Y-shaped branch of the light guide is composed of a system of directional optical elements, is of prismatic shape, conical shape, or a combination of these
Implementation Method 3
The first edge of the light guide is provided with a collimating component
Data Source
AI summary
A light guide module with adjustable lighting of a contour surface is composed of light sources and a light guide. The light guide is composed of a primary part, a Y-shaped branch, and a secondary part with a contour surface. The supporting surface of the Y-shaped branch of the light guide is composed of a system of directional optical elements, is of prismatic shape, conical shape, or a combination thereof, and has a vertex on the optical axis of the primary part of the light guide.