Drawer with a lighting device and furniture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing furniture drawer lighting systems with translucent profiles and hollow chambers face challenges in simplifying LED installation and defining light output areas, leading to complex manufacturing processes and potential visual and functional issues.
Innovation Solution
A thrust element with a lighting device featuring a one-piece, closed-cross-section translucent profile with an LED strip inserted from the front, allowing for easy LED installation and flexible light output control through a partially opaque cover and internal reflection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a one-piece, closed-cross-section translucent profile with hollow chamber is used, then the surface is continuous and easy to clean, but LED installation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow chamber is segmented into multiple accessible openings along its length, allowing LED strips to be inserted through these openings without disassembling the entire profile. This segmentation enables easy LED installation while maintaining the one-piece continuous surface structure.
2Illumination intensity
If a translucent profile is used for light emission, then light can be emitted across the entire profile surface, but it is difficult to determine which surfaces are light-emitting surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The profile incorporates optical indicators or color-coded markings that change or highlight the light-emitting surfaces. These visual indicators make it easy to identify which areas will emit light, while the profile remains fully translucent for light emission.
3Device complexity
If LEDs are arranged in a closed hollow chamber, then the profile structure is simplified, but installing LEDs becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow chamber is pre-formed with integrated openings and guide structures during profile manufacturing. LED strips are designed with pre-attached connectors and positioning features that align with these pre-formed structures, enabling easy installation before the chamber is closed sealed.
4Illumination intensity
If a translucent profile is used, then light emission is enhanced, but the profile material must be translucent which may be undesirable for aesthetic reasons
Solution Approach 1:
The furniture piece incorporates translucent profiles in specific locations where light emission is desired, while other areas use opaque materials for aesthetic purposes. This localized application of translucency allows light emission enhancement without compromising the overall aesthetic appearance of the furniture.
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 simple, efficient, and visually appealing lighting system for furniture drawers, offering easy LED installation, flexible light output control, and a continuous, easy-to-clean surface.
Implementation Method 1
the profile is translucent... Light can be emitted primarily to illuminate the interior of the sliding element
Implementation Method 2
due to internal reflection in the profile material, to a lesser extent also on the side of the profile behind the LED strip
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
The invention relates to a lighting device (10) for a sliding element of a piece of furniture having at least one single- or multi-part wall (2, 3), comprising a profile (11) which has at least one hollow chamber (111) in which LEDs (141) are arranged. The lighting device (10) is characterized in that the hollow chamber (111) of the profile (11) is of one-piece design with a closed cross section, wherein the LEDs (141) are arranged on an LED strip (14) which is inserted into the at least one hollow chamber (111) from an end side of the profile (11), and in that the profile (11) is translucent. The invention also relates to a sliding element having at least one such lighting device (10) and to a piece of furniture having such a sliding element.