Awning LED Lighting Dimming Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional awnings with incandescent lamps have high power consumption and size limitations, leading to inefficient lighting and reliability issues, as the failure of a single LED in series-connected lighting devices can cause the entire system to fail.

Innovation Solution

The awning employs multiple light-emitting diodes with a control device for continuous dimming via pulse width modulation, allowing for reduced power consumption, increased design flexibility, and reliability, with integrated electronics for voltage limitation and overload detection, and remote control operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If conventional incandescent lamps or halogen spotlights are used for awning lighting, then sufficient light intensity can be achieved, but the power consumption is high and the size is large

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight intensityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the light source from incandescent/halogen to LED technology. This parameter change enables achieving sufficient illumination intensity with significantly lower power consumption, as LEDs are inherently more energy-efficient converters of electrical energy to light energy compared to incandescent lamps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the thermal radiation mechanism of incandescent lamps with the electroluminescence mechanism of LEDs. This substitution eliminates the need for high-temperature operation and allows for compact, low-power lighting solutions that can be integrated directly into the awning structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Illumination intensity

If conventional incandescent lamps or halogen spotlights are used for awning lighting, then sufficient light intensity can be achieved, but the size of the lighting device is large

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight intensityVSAvoidsize of lighting device
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical parameters of the light source by adopting LEDs, which have much smaller dimensions than incandescent lamps. This allows the lighting device to be compact and integrated directly into the awning housing or extension profile without requiring separate housings or large mounting spaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from bulky three-dimensional incandescent lamp structures to flat, surface-mountable LED components. This dimensional change enables integration into the two-dimensional surface of the awning housing or extension profile, eliminating the need for protruding lamp housings.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Use of energy by moving object

If light-emitting diodes are used in series connection for awning lighting, then the overall size and power consumption are reduced, but the reliability decreases as failure of a single LED causes failure of the entire lighting device

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidreliability of lighting device
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the lighting device into multiple independent LED modules, each with its own control circuitry. This segmentation allows individual modules to be controlled independently, so that failure of one module does not affect the operation of other modules, thereby maintaining overall system reliability while preserving the low-power benefits of LED technology.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic control capability through individual addressing of LED modules via control circuits. This dynamic control enables selective operation of different modules, dimming, and sequencing, while also providing a mechanism to bypass or replace failed modules without shutting down the entire lighting system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 provides efficient, flexible, and reliable lighting with reduced power consumption, allowing for continuous brightness adjustment and remote control, while preventing system failure due to individual LED failures through bypass diodes.

Implementation Method 1

the lighting device has one or more light emitting diodes

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight emitting diode: Light Emitting Diode

Implementation Method 2

the light-emitting diodes of the lighting device can be continuously dimmed by pulse width modulation of the current supply

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPulse width modulation: Phase Modulation

Data Source

PatentEP2631386B1Awning with illumination device
Publication Date: 2016.08.10 WEINOR GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2631386B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2631386B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2631386B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to an awning (10) with a rotatably mounted fabric roller from which a fabric can be unwound, the front end of which is attached to an extension profile (12), wherein the awning has a lighting device (20), wherein the lighting device (20) has one or more light-emitting diodes and the awning (10) has a control device (15) for controlling and energizing the light-emitting diodes, wherein the control device (15) is configured such that the light-emitting diodes of the lighting device (20) can be continuously dimmed by pulse width modulation of the energizing current.