Bendable Light Strip with Deformable PCB and Flexible Bracket
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bendable light strips face issues with PCB damage during bending, complex manufacturing processes, and challenging waterproofing, especially when used outdoors.
Innovation Solution
A seamlessly illuminating bendable light strip with a deformable PCB and a one-piece molded flexible bracket, featuring arc-shaped openings and flexible connecting strips for multi-directional bending, combined with a simplified manufacturing process and one-piece extrusion for effective waterproofing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional PCB is used with notches for bending, then the PCB can be bent left and right, but it is difficult to achieve bending in the up and down direction and the PCB is easily damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The PCB is divided into rigid sections and flexible sections, where the flexible sections contain deformation portions that can bend in multiple directions. This segmentation allows the PCB to achieve multi-directional bending while maintaining structural integrity in rigid areas, resolving the contradiction between bending adaptability and damage resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformation portions are designed with specific geometric parameters (arc-shaped openings, U-shaped bends) that change the mechanical properties of the PCB in those regions. These parameter changes enable the PCB to flex in multiple directions without damage, while other areas maintain their original strength and rigidity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a bendable bracket is formed by hinging multiple small brackets, then the bracket can achieve flexible bending, but the manufacturing process becomes time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple bracket units that would traditionally be separate and hinged together are merged into a single one-piece molded structure. This integration maintains the bending flexibility through the flexible connecting strip while dramatically simplifying the manufacturing process, as the entire bracket can be produced in one injection molding operation rather than assembling multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket incorporates a flexible connecting strip with elastic properties that enables dynamic bending motion. This flexible element allows the bracket to adapt to various bending configurations while maintaining structural integrity, achieving the same functional result as hinged brackets but with a simpler monolithic structure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional wall washers are used outdoors, then they require potting for waterproofing, but the process becomes complicated and difficult to control
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible lamp housing is used to enclose and protect the PCB and bracket assembly from water and environmental factors. This flexible shell provides effective waterproofing while allowing the entire assembly to maintain its bendable characteristics, eliminating the need for complex potting processes and providing a simpler, more controllable waterproofing solution.
4Ease of manufacture
If the flexible bracket uses a one-piece molded structure, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it must achieve multi-directional bending capability
Solution Approach 1:
The one-piece molded bracket incorporates a flexible connecting strip with elastic properties that enables dynamic bending motion in multiple directions. This flexible element is strategically positioned to allow the bracket to adapt to various bending configurations while maintaining structural integrity, achieving multi-directional flexibility within a monolithic structure that is simple to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket design incorporates specific geometric parameters in the flexible connecting strip (width, thickness, material properties) that are optimized to provide the required multi-directional bending capability. These parameter changes enable the single-piece structure to achieve the same functional flexibility as complex hinged assemblies while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a seamlessly illuminating bendable light strip and manufacturing process thereof, comprising a strip-shaped PCB, a plurality of LED chips, and a flexible bracket; wherein the PCB is provided with a plurality of deformation portions capable of being deformed in different directions, and an arc-shaped opening is provided on the deformation portions; the plurality of the LED chips are uniformly distributed on the PCB between the two adjacent deformation portions; and the flexible bracket is a one-piece molded structure comprising a plurality of bracket units connected in sequence, and two adjacent bracket units are connected to each other by means of a flexible connecting strip, wherein the PCB is snap-fitted to the flexible bracket while the flexible connecting strip passes through the arc-shaped openings in a transverse direction.