Flame simulating assembly with flicker element including paddle elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional electric fireplaces create unrealistic flame images due to uniform light intensity and transverse light flashes, failing to mimic the intensity variations and directional flicker of real flames.
Innovation Solution
A flame simulating assembly with a rotatable flicker element featuring an elongate rod and paddle elements with reflective surfaces, positioned to intermittently reflect light across a screen, creating varying intensity and directional flicker patterns to simulate realistic flames.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If uniform light intensity is used across flame images, then the flame simulation is simple to implement, but the realism is poor because it does not mimic natural flame intensity variations
Solution Approach 1:
The paddle element is designed with non-uniform reflective properties across its surface. The central region has different reflective characteristics than the perimeter region, causing light reflected from the center to have different intensity than light reflected from the edges. This creates natural-looking intensity variations within the flame image, improving realism while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Device complexity
If transverse light flashes are used, then the light reflection mechanism is simple, but the flame simulation is unrealistic because real flames flicker in a upward direction, not transversely
Solution Approach 1:
The paddle element is positioned to rotate about an axis that is substantially parallel to the screen. This rotational motion dynamically changes which portions of the paddle element reflect light to the screen at any given moment, creating an upward flickering motion that mimics natural flame behavior. The dynamic rotation replaces static transverse flashes with realistic upward flicker while keeping the mechanical mechanism relatively simple.
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 assembly effectively produces images of flickering flames with varying intensity and direction, enhancing the realism of the flame simulation by mimicking the behavior of real fires.
Implementation Method 1
The paddle elements are located to position the perimeter plane substantially parallel to the axis, for intermittently reflecting the light from the light source from the reflective surface to predetermined regions on the screen respectively as the flicker element rotates about the axis
Data Source
AI summary
A flame simulating assembly including one or more light sources, a screen to which the light from the light source is directed, to provide images of flickering flames thereon, and a rotatable flicker element. The flicker element includes a rod defined by an axis and a number of paddle elements located in respective predetermined locations on the rod. Each paddle element includes one or more body portions having one or more reflective surfaces thereon. The reflective surface includes a central region and a perimeter region substantially defining a perimeter plane at least partially located around the central region. Each perimeter plane is substantially parallel to the axis. The light from the light source is reflected intermittently to respective predetermined regions on the screen.