Flashlight Reflector Uniform Thickness and Inversion Focusing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing flashlights have complex designs with numerous components, leading to increased manufacturing costs and reduced durability, and often suffer from distortion in reflector surfaces due to non-uniform shrinkage during production, affecting the quality of the light beam. Additionally, selecting different operational modes can be cumbersome and requires additional components for focusing, which increases complexity.

Innovation Solution

The design features a simplified flashlight structure with fewer components, using a reflector with uniform thickness to minimize distortion and a focusing mechanism where the reflector moves relative to a stationary light source, engaging through teeth and spiral grooves or threads, and incorporates a printed circuit board for mode control and a heat sink for thermal management, allowing for easier mode selection and improved beam adjustment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a reflector with non-uniform thickness is used in manufacturing, then the reflector can be produced through conventional processes, but the reflector surface becomes distorted due to non-uniform shrinkage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereflector manufacturabilityVSAvoidreflector surface uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the geometric parameter of the reflector from non-uniform thickness to uniform thickness. This parameter change ensures that during the manufacturing process (such as injection molding), the shrinkage is uniform across the entire reflector surface, preventing distortion and maintaining surface precision while remaining compatible with conventional manufacturing processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the light source moves relative to the reflector for focusing, then beam focusing can be achieved, but the number of component parts increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam focusing capabilityVSAvoidnumber of component parts

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of moving the light source relative to the reflector (conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by moving the reflector relative to the stationary light source. This inversion achieves the same beam focusing capability while reducing the number of component parts, as the reflector can be integrated with the housing or positioned using simpler mechanisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple component parts are used in flashlight design, then functional requirements can be met, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctional capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple component parts into fewer integrated components. For example, the reflector is designed with uniform thickness that serves both manufacturing ease and optical function, and the focusing mechanism integrates the reflector movement with the housing structure. This merging reduces assembly complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining all necessary functional capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Adaptability or versatility

If the light source moves relative to the reflector for focusing, then beam collimation can be achieved, but concentricity between light source axis and reflector axis becomes difficult to maintain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam collimation capabilityVSAvoidaxis concentricity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional focusing approach by keeping the light source stationary and moving the reflector instead. This inversion maintains the optical axis alignment more easily, as the stationary light source ensures consistent positioning, while the reflector movement is controlled to maintain concentricity between the reflector axis and the fixed light source axis, achieving beam collimation with better precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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

This approach reduces manufacturing costs, enhances durability, and allows for quicker and more precise beam adjustment while simplifying mode selection, improving the overall performance and reliability of the flashlight.

Implementation Method 1

Many, if not most, current lighting devices use a reflector to direct the beam of light

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Implementation Method 2

incorporates a printed circuit board for mode control and a heat sink for thermal management

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS9829160B2Lighting devices

Publication Date: 2017.11.28 MAG INSTRUMENT INC

AI summary

A flashlight has housing with a first mechanical spiral engagement system, a head assembly with a second mechanical spiral engagement system that engages the first mechanical spiral engagement system when the head assembly is coupled to the housing, an LED light source module fixedly held by a heat sink fixedly held by the housing, a power source held within the housing, and a switch assembly, wherein light provided by the LED light source module may be varied by rotating the head assembly relative to the housing while the heat sink, the switch assembly and the power source remain stationary.