Extruded Flexible Lighting Housing With Integrated Hinges
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of existing lighting assemblies increases manufacturing costs due to multiple components and processes involved in their production.
Innovation Solution
A lighting assembly with a housing manufactured in a single extrusion process, incorporating translucent walls, flexible hinges, and locking mechanisms, allowing the housing to be opened and closed, and ensuring the lighting element is protected while maintaining a simple structure and low manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If multiple separate components (housing, hinges, locking means) are manufactured separately and assembled, then the lighting assembly can be easily repaired and maintained, but the device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the housing, hinges, and locking means into a single integrated extruded profile. The housing walls are formed as continuous extrusions with hinges and locking mechanisms built-in, eliminating the need for separate assembly of these components and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining repairability through modular lighting element replacement
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple separate components are manufactured and assembled, then each component can be optimized independently, but the manufacturing costs and production time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The housing walls, hinges, and locking means are manufactured as a single integrated extrusion, reducing the number of manufacturing steps from multiple separate productions and assemblies to one continuous extrusion process, thereby lowering manufacturing costs and production time while maintaining precision through standardized extrusion tooling
Solution Approach 2:
The extruded housing profile serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, optical diffusion (when made from translucent material), mechanical articulation (through built-in hinges), and security (through integrated locking means), eliminating the need for separate components for each function
3Illumination intensity
If a translucent housing is used to allow light transmission, then the lighting effect is improved, but the housing strength and protection capability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The housing can be manufactured with different material properties in different regions - translucent in areas requiring light transmission and potentially more opaque or reinforced in areas requiring structural strength, all within the same extrusion process, allowing optimization of both light transmission and strength in their respective locations
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 structurally simpler and less expensive lighting assembly with reduced manufacturing costs, while maintaining effective protection and light transmission through the use of a translucent housing.
Implementation Method 1
The housing (2) has been manufactured by extrusion from a flexible material
Implementation Method 2
The material of the housing (2) is translucent
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
A lighting assembly, comprising a housing (2) and a lighting element (6). The housing (2) is manufactured by extrusion from at least one flexible material, and comprises a first housing wall (21), a second housing wall (22) and a third housing wall (23). The first housing wall (21) is pivotably connected to the second housing wall (22) by means of a first flexible hinge (31), and the second housing wall (22) is pivotably connected to the third housing wall (23) by means of a second flexible hinge (32). The lighting element (6) is located inside the housing (2), and arranged to emit light out from the housing (2). The housing (2) comprises locking means for releasably locking a free edge of the first housing wall (21) to a free edge of the third housing wall (23) to arrange the housing (2) in an operating position, the locking means comprising a first locking member (81) formed in the first housing wall (21), and a second locking member (82) formed in the third housing wall (23) and arranged to cooperate with the first locking member (81). The housing (2) is manufactured in one extrusion process, the material of the third housing wall (23) is translucent, and the lighting element (6) is arranged to emit light out from the housing (2) through the third housing wall (23).