Blow Molding Plastic Envelope with Integrated Optical Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lighting devices, such as those using prismatic optics, face limitations in achieving desired light distribution and optical effects, particularly in terms of uniformity and cost-effectiveness, as they often rely on expensive glass materials and complex manufacturing processes.
Innovation Solution
A method and device utilizing blow molding to create a plastic envelope with integrated optical structures, such as refractive or diffractive patterns, which allows for customizable light distribution and optical effects, reducing costs and improving safety by using less expensive plastic materials and enabling the integration of fine optical features directly into the mold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If glass materials and complex manufacturing processes are used to achieve desired light distribution, then optical precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from glass to plastic, enabling the use of blow molding processes that are more cost-effective while achieving the required optical precision through mold-integrated surface structures
Solution Approach 2:
The optical structures are copied directly into the mold surface, which then transfers these precise optical patterns to the plastic envelope during blow molding, achieving high manufacturing precision through a simplified process
2Illumination intensity
If glass materials are used for the envelope, then optical performance is improved, but safety deteriorates due to breakage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from glass to plastic, fundamentally altering the safety characteristics by eliminating breakage risk while maintaining optical performance through carefully designed mold surface structures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses plastic material that is inherently safer and less fragile than glass, accepting that the material may have different lifecycle characteristics while greatly improving safety by eliminating breakage hazards
3Illumination intensity
If prismatic optics with grooves and protruding members are used, then light distribution uniformity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the optical structure directly with the envelope by integrating the surface patterns into the mold, eliminating separate prismatic optics components and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining light distribution uniformity
Solution Approach 2:
The envelope serves multiple functions: it provides structural containment and simultaneously acts as the optical element for light distribution through the integrated surface structures, eliminating the need for separate optical components
4Ease of manufacture
If plastic material is used instead of glass, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but manufacturing precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter to plastic, which enables blow molding processes that are inherently more cost-effective, while compensating for any potential precision loss through optimized mold surface design and process parameters
Solution Approach 2:
The precise optical structures are copied directly from the mold surface to the plastic envelope during blow molding, ensuring high manufacturing precision is achieved through the molding process itself rather than subsequent manufacturing steps
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 provides a cost-effective and safer lighting device with improved light distribution and optical effects, including collimation, scattering, and branding features, by transferring optical structures from the mold to the plastic envelope during the blow molding process, enabling the use of plastic materials that can be shaped and patterned more affordably and efficiently than glass.
Implementation Method 1
the surface structure is at least partly transferred to the at least partly light transmitting plastic material, thereby forming an optical structure on a portion of an outer surface of the at least partly light transmitting envelope
Implementation Method 2
The optical structure may comprise a light refracting structure adapted to refract light exiting the at least partly light transmitting envelope
Implementation Method 3
The optical structure may be adapted to diffract light from the solid state light source such that a visual pattern is formed in the far field and/or in the near field
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided, wherein a lighting device (200, 300, 400, 500) comprising an at least partly light transmitting envelope (110) and a solid state light source (120) is manufactured. The method comprises arranging (710) an at least partly light transmitting plastic material (140) in a mold (130) having a surface structure (132) arranged on an inner surface portion of the mold and blow molding (720) the plastic material so as to form the envelope. During the blow molding, the surface structure is at least partly transferred to the at least partly light transmitting plastic material, thereby forming an optical structure (150) on a portion of an outer surface of the envelope. The envelope is then removed (730) from the mold and arranged (740) to at least partly enclose the solid state light source. The optical structure may be formed to generate a desired optical effect.