Cleanroom Door Lighting with Parallel Light Guidance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing clean room door devices lack uniform and variable illumination, which is essential for effective lighting and information display, and often require complex configurations that are difficult to clean and maintain.

Innovation Solution

A clean room door device with a frame unit and a partially translucent door leaf, featuring a lighting unit with linear optics that directs light substantially parallel to the door leaf's main extension plane, integrated into the frame unit, and a cover with a TPE seal to prevent contamination, allowing for efficient and uniform illumination and easy cleaning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If conventional lighting units are used in door devices, then the door leaf can be illuminated, but the illumination is non-uniform and lacks variability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniformity and variability of illuminationVSAvoidcomplexity of lighting configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting unit incorporates variable color temperature LEDs that can dynamically adjust between warm white (2700K) and cool white (6504K) illumination, providing variable lighting conditions without requiring multiple separate lighting systems. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction by achieving illumination variability through a single integrated device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The lighting unit integrates multiple LED types (warm white and cool white) into a single unified lighting assembly that is embedded in the door frame. This merging of multiple lighting functions into one device achieves uniform illumination across the door leaf while avoiding the complexity of installing and maintaining separate lighting systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Loss of information

If the door device includes cleaning-relevant information display, then information can be communicated, but the device structure becomes more complex and harder to clean

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation display capabilityVSAvoidease of cleaning
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting unit uses color temperature variation (between 2700K and 6504K) to convey different information states about the door and cleanroom status. This color-based information display method communicates cleaning-relevant information without requiring additional physical displays, buttons, or indicators that would complicate the device structure and hinder cleaning operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated lighting unit serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides illumination for visibility, displays information through color temperature variation, and maintains a simple smooth surface for easy cleaning. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need for separate information display components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Illumination intensity

If the lighting unit directs light perpendicular to the door leaf, then light can be introduced, but the illumination distribution is non-uniform

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniformity of light distributionVSAvoidcomplexity of optical system
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting unit directs light parallel to the main extension plane of the door leaf rather than perpendicular to it, introducing light from the side. This dimensional change in light direction, combined with the specific orientation of LEDs along the door height, achieves uniform illumination distribution across the door surface without requiring complex optical elements like lenses or reflectors.

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

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 advantageously uniform and variable illumination, enhances light control efficiency, and ensures the door device is easy to clean and maintain, meeting GMP compliance standards while eliminating the need for additional displays.

Implementation Method 1

the lighting unit has at least one linear optic designed to introduce light from the light source into the door leaf at least substantially parallel to the main plane of extension of the door leaf

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight guidance through linear optic: Optical Fibre

Implementation Method 2

a cover with a TPE seal to prevent contamination

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSealing:

Data Source

PatentEP3447227B1Door device, in particular clean room door device, with an integrated lighting unit
Publication Date: 2020.03.25 SCHILLING ENG
  • EP3447227B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3447227B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3447227B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a door device, in particular a cleanroom door device, comprising at least one frame unit (12), at least one at least partially translucent door leaf (14), and at least one lighting unit (16) integrated at least partially into the frame unit (12), which includes at least one light source (18) and is designed to at least partially illuminate, in particular illuminate, the door leaf (14). It is proposed that the lighting unit (16) be designed to introduce light from the light source (18) into the door leaf (14) at least substantially parallel to a main extension plane (20) of the door leaf (14).