Compact Emergency Lighting with Adjustable LED Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Emergency lighting devices lack sufficient adjustability and aesthetic appeal, particularly in office and business environments, as they often protrude and increase in size due to spherical light sources, limiting their ability to provide uniform lighting coverage.
Innovation Solution
Integration of LED light sources into the side edges of the device's housing in a linear format, combined with free-form optic elements and a support assembly allowing for tilting and turning, to achieve high luminous efficiency and uniformity while maintaining a compact, aesthetically pleasing design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If spherical light sources are used in traditional emergency lighting devices, then the light sources can be easily rotated and adjusted, but the device protrudes from the housing outline, increasing volume and creating an undesirable aesthetic appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from spherical light sources (3D protruding objects) to planar light sources integrated into the housing surface. This dimensional change allows the light sources to be adjusted through rotation within the plane of the housing rather than protruding outward, eliminating the volume increase while maintaining adjustability for lighting coverage optimization.
2Ease of operation
If spherical light sources are used in traditional emergency lighting devices, then the light sources can be easily rotated and adjusted, but the device creates a bug eye appearance that detracts from aesthetic appeal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds planar light sources into the housing surface rather than using protruding spherical sources. This allows the light sources to maintain a flush appearance when not in use, eliminating the bug eye effect while still enabling rotation for adjustment. The planar integration ensures the housing outline remains smooth and aesthetically pleasing.
3Area of stationary object
If traditional emergency lighting devices are mounted at heights from 7.5 to 16 feet, then they can accommodate typical ceiling heights and paths of egress, but the number of devices required increases to illuminate the defined area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements rotatable light sources that can dynamically change their orientation and direction. This dynamic capability allows a single device to illuminate multiple areas by rotating the light sources to different angles, replacing the need for multiple fixed devices. The adjustable planar light sources can be positioned to cover broader areas from higher mounting heights, reducing the total quantity of devices required.
4Volume of moving object
If LED light sources are integrated into the side edges of the housing in a linear format, then the device size and volume are minimized, but the lighting coverage must be optimized to maintain uniform illumination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines compact linear LED arrays with rotatable mounting mechanisms. The linear format minimizes device volume while the rotation capability allows dynamic adjustment of light distribution. By rotating the compact light sources to optimal angles, uniform illumination across the required area is achieved without increasing device size, as the same light output is directed more effectively to cover the illumination area uniformly.
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 enhanced uniformity of lighting coverage over a broad range of needs, minimizing the size and volume of the device, avoiding the 'bug eye' appearance, and accommodating various mounting orientations without compromising compactness or aesthetic appeal.
Implementation Method 1
LED light sources integrated into the side edges of the device's housing
Implementation Method 2
divert and focus the illumination characteristics of each LED by incorporating a free-form optic element for each LED, thereby allowing its emitted light beam to be focused and redirected downward
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting device having small light sources on a movable support assembly. Light sources are integrated into the side edges of the device on an assembly that coincides with the housing shape, to provide a particularly narrow and low-profile arrangement. Lights sources may be arranged in an array on a common printed circuit board. Optic elements are included to redirect and focus light. The light support assembly may be pivotable, translatable and tiltable to allow for adjustment to enhance lighting uniformity in multiple directions. Accordingly, a single device can accommodate a broad range of lighting needs, the undesirable “bug eye” appearance is avoided in many situations, and even when the support assembly is tilted/rotated, the mounting of the lighting arrays on the sides, and the turning and/or tilting of the lighting arrays predominantly within the envelope of the housing contributes to avoidance of an undesirable “bug eye” appearance.