Compact Convertible Exit Sign with Annular Side Wall
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exit signs are bulky due to peripheral side wall portions and centrally located electronics, which makes them protrude significantly from walls and can cause shadows or color variations in illumination, particularly when mounted in narrow hallways.
Innovation Solution
A compact exit sign design featuring a main body with an open frontal portion, an annular side wall, and a rear panel with a central opening, using a lighting system within the main body to illuminate inserts or the front plate, allowing for easy conversion between single and double face styles with minimal thickness, enabling flush mounting and uniform illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If peripheral side wall portions and centrally located electronics are included in the exit sign design, then the sign provides structural support and houses all necessary components, but the sign becomes bulky and protrudes significantly from the wall
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the peripheral side wall portions from the traditional exit sign design, extracting only the essential functions. The electronics are consolidated into a minimal central mounting area, and the illumination sources are positioned at the periphery without requiring enclosing side walls. This extraction eliminates unnecessary bulk while maintaining structural integrity and component housing functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The exit sign is segmented into distinct functional zones: a minimal central body for electronics mounting, peripheral mounting surfaces for illumination sources, and separate face portions for the exit indicia. This segmentation allows each component to be optimally positioned without requiring a bulky unified structure, reducing overall projection distance while maintaining all necessary functions.
2Device complexity
If illumination sources are internally mounted in the center of the exit sign, then the sign structure is simplified, but shadows and color variations appear in the illuminated areas
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination sources are repositioned from a central three-dimensional location to a peripheral planar arrangement along the mounting surface. This dimensional repositioning allows light to approach the exit indicia from multiple angles simultaneously, eliminating shadows cast by centrally mounted sources while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the exit sign are assigned different functional qualities: the periphery houses illumination sources optimized for specific viewing angles, the center provides minimal structural support for electronics, and the face portions are designed for optimal light transmission. This local differentiation ensures uniform illumination without requiring complex centralized lighting structures.
3Ease of manufacture
If the exit sign is designed with fixed single-sided or double-sided configuration, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to different mounting requirements is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The exit sign employs dynamic, reconfigurable face portions that can be selectively mounted or removed based on whether single-sided or double-sided operation is required. The peripheral mounting structure allows face portions to be positioned on one or both sides of the central body, enabling the same base unit to adapt to different mounting requirements without requiring separate manufacturing processes for single-sided and double-sided variants.
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 results in a compact exit sign with a maximum thickness of 1 inch, allowing for extremely flat mounting and uniform illumination, eliminating shadows and enhancing aesthetic appeal while maintaining the ability to switch between single and double face configurations.
Implementation Method 1
A lighting system is housed within the main body for illuminating the exit indicia in the insert and/or the front plate
Data Source
AI summary
A compact exit sign includes a main body having an open frontal portion, an annular side wall portion and a rear panel portion including a central opening extending across greater than half of the rear panel, and a front plate including a face portion provided with exit indicia. The exit sign can be selectively converted between single and double face exit signs by snap-connecting a first, solid and non-transparent insert to the main body across the central opening of the rear panel to establish a single face exit sign and snap-connecting a second, exit indicia containing insert to the main body across the central opening of the rear panel to establish a double face exit sign. A lighting system is housed within the main body for illuminating the exit indicia for either of the single or double face configurations.