Flexible Wall Washer With Pleated PCB And Hinged Holders
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wall washers are inflexible, prone to damage, and have uneven surfaces that affect light emission, making them unsuitable for complex installations and outdoor use, where waterproofing is complex and difficult to control.
Innovation Solution
A flexible wall washer design featuring a strip-shaped PCB with pleated portions, flexible holders forming a chain holder, and lenses mounted flush within the holder, allowing for arbitrary bending and a one-piece extrusion process for waterproofing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional aluminum structure wall washer is used, then the structure is rigid and stable, but it cannot be bent for complex installations
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is divided into multiple small holders connected by hinges, allowing each segment to bend independently while maintaining overall structural integrity. This segmentation enables the wall washer to adapt to complex installations while preserving stability through the modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall washer transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible structure through the introduction of hinges and deformation portions. The small holders can rotate and deform to accommodate various installation angles and shapes, providing adaptability while maintaining structural coherence.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a notch is added to the PCB to achieve bending, then the PCB becomes flexible, but it is easily damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The pleated portions are pre-formed on the PCB to create built-in bending zones that distribute stress evenly. This beforehand cushioning through structural design allows the PCB to bend repeatedly without damage, as the pleats absorb and distribute the mechanical stress that would otherwise concentrate at notch points.
3Adaptability or versatility
If small holders with deformation portions are used to enable multi-directional bending, then the holder becomes flexible, but the middle part is non-deformable making overall deformation效果 undesirable
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple small holders are merged into a chain-like structure where each holder contributes to the overall flexibility. The hinges connecting the small holders allow cumulative multi-directional bending, achieving desirable overall deformation效果 while distributing the complexity across multiple simple, identical components.
4Ease of manufacture
If the lens protrudes from the holder surface, then the mounting structure is simple, but the surface becomes uneven affecting light emission and taking up more space
Solution Approach 1:
The lens is nested within a mounting cavity in the holder rather than protruding from it. This nesting approach maintains a flat external surface for optimal light emission while providing sufficient internal space for lens mounting. The mounting cavity is precisely formed to hold the lens securely without compromising the external aesthetics or light distribution.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a flexible wall washer and a manufacturing process thereof, comprising a strip-shaped PCB, a plurality of LED chips, a plurality of flexible holders, and a plurality of lenses, wherein the PCB is provided with a plurality of pleated portions, the plurality of LED chips are uniformly distributed on the PCB between the two adjacent pleated portions, the plurality of flexible holders are hinged together at the front and the rear in sequence to form a chain holder, the rear side of each of the flexible holders is provided with a mounting cavity and the lens is installed in it. The PCB is provided on the rear side of the chain holder, the plurality of the lenses cover on the LED chips in one-to-one correspondence, and the pleated portion protrudes in the direction of the flexible holder.