Flexible Light Strip Umbrella with Groove Diffuser
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing umbrellas with light guides suffer from shadows in the middle of long light strips, inadequate brightness, and manufacturing limitations, making them unsuitable for both atmosphere construction and illumination.
Innovation Solution
An umbrella with a flexible light strip made of silicone material, featuring a connecting portion with a long groove, a light tape, and a diffused portion, which allows for even lighting and flexibility in shape and application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If conventional acrylic light guide strips are used with light emitted at two ends, then the structure is simple and manufacturing is easier, but shadow areas appear in the middle of long light strips and brightness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a light transmitting member (diffusing plate) as an intermediary component between the light guide strip and the environment. This diffusing plate has light transmitting portions and light diffusing portions that work together to eliminate shadow areas while maintaining structural simplicity. The light diffusing portions scatter light uniformly across the surface, solving the shadow problem without complicating the light guide strip structure itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The diffusing plate is designed with different local properties: light transmitting portions that allow direct light passage and light diffusing portions that scatter light. This local differentiation enables the system to maintain simplicity in the light guide structure while achieving uniform illumination across the entire surface, eliminating shadow areas in long light strips.
2Adaptability or versatility
If hard acrylic material is used for light guide strips, then manufacturing process is established, but the material is easily broken, limited by shape, and cannot be bent for illumination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional hard acrylic light guide strip with a flexible light guide strip made of bendable material. This flexible strip can be bent and shaped to fit different configurations without breaking, while still effectively guiding light. The flexibility enables adaptation to various shapes and installation scenarios while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses composite material construction where the flexible light guide strip is combined with a light transmitting member (diffusing plate). This composite structure leverages the light-guiding properties of the flexible strip and the light-diffusing properties of the plate, achieving both shape flexibility and effective illumination.
3Productivity
If conventional acrylic light guide strips are used, then the structure is established, but the manufacturing process is complicated and yield is low
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is segmented into distinct functional components: a flexible light guide strip and a light transmitting member with light diffusing portions. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using simpler processes, improving overall manufacturing yield and reducing complexity compared to integrating all functions into a single hard acrylic component.
4Area of stationary object
If light guide strips are made long to cover larger areas, then the illumination area increases, but shadow areas appear in the middle and light cannot be diffused effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The light transmitting member acts as an intermediary that receives light from the light guide strip and redistributes it uniformly across a larger area. The light diffusing portions of this intermediary component scatter light in multiple directions, eliminating shadow areas and ensuring uniform illumination even over large areas, thus decoupling illumination area from uniformity issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The light transmitting member features local light diffusing portions strategically positioned to address shadow areas. These local diffusing zones ensure that even in long light strips covering large areas, light is effectively scattered to eliminate shadows and maintain uniform illumination across the entire illuminated surface.
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 flexible light strip provides uniform illumination without shadows, enhances brightness, and can be easily bent and cut to fit various needs, offering improved functionality and convenience compared to conventional umbrellas.
Implementation Method 1
the light tape is arranged in the groove extending along the flexible light strip and has a power connector, a battery pack is disposed on a column to supply power to the power connector
Implementation Method 2
the diffused portion is connected to the connecting portion and is in a certain shape to diffuse the light of the light tape
Implementation Method 3
a solar rechargeable panel can also be arranged on the column, and the battery pack is charged by the solar rechargeable panel
Data Source
AI summary
An umbrella with a flexible light strip of the present invention has an umbrella body and a flexible light strip. The flexible light strip comprises a connecting portion, a light tape and a diffused portion; the flexible light strip is connected to the umbrella body via the connecting portion and has a long groove inside the connecting portion; the light tape is disposed in the groove; the diffused portion is connected to the connecting portion and is in a certain shape to diffuse the light of the light tape. The umbrella with a flexible light strip of the present invention realizes atmosphere construction and illumination, the flexible light strip has the long groove inside the connecting portion, and the flexible light tape passes through the groove to realize the lighting of the whole diffused portion, so that the whole flexible light strip emits light in a diffusion manner.