In a paper published by ATZ magazine, Hella’s Dr Kleinkes presents the three-dimensional rear lighting systems his company is working on. Kleinkes says future car light designs will incorporate “bold geometries and clear depth effects. Light is becoming three dimensional”.
Such lighting systems with a visible appearance of depth must nonetheless be designed flat so that they can be integrated into the limited installation spaces of the chassis. There are various approaches to meeting this constraint. Multiple flat light guides can be installed in a combination rear lamp in three dimensions, overlapping in some areas, to create the appearance of depth, thus keeping packaging slim.
Other functions can be positioned behind the light guides. The light guide profile, the optical design and the number of light guides can be adapted to design requirements and offer a high degree of variation for a differentiated, brand-identifying design.
|
Overlapping of flat light guide elements |
New developments in flat, contoured light guides will produce a three-dimensional light guide. Entirely new light guide designs will be possible with three dimensional profiles. As complex 3D light guides present a geometry that partially overlaps, they cannot be made as a single piece via plastic injection moulding.
A modular approach, therefore, is used to create 3D light guides.
Any desired light guide profile is achieved with a set of single modules that are eventually incorporated into a three-dimensional light guide in the combination rear lamp. The required light intensity and the illumination of the signal function are controlled by a light feed into each module and by the optical design of the light guide. 3D light guides offer the observer a dynamic appearance uniformly from different perspectives, day and night, thanks to their spatial and sculptural design, glowing bodies will develop further in two ways.
 A modular three dimensional light guide helix |