Recessed Floor Light Galvanic Decoupling and Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Recessed floor lights require cost-effective production while maintaining a high-quality appearance and ensuring effective sealing to prevent water penetration, especially in applications where they are part of roadways or floor coverings, and must withstand mechanical stress and varying weather conditions.

Innovation Solution

A recessed floor light design featuring a housing made of aluminum with a glass pane, a stainless steel closing ring, and a plastic receiving ring that separates and connects the housing and glass pane, allowing for the use of different materials and providing galvanic decoupling, along with a conical sealing ring for easy assembly and secure sealing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If different materials (stainless steel and aluminum) are used in the recessed floor light, then cost-effectiveness is improved, but galvanic corrosion between the materials occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecost-effectivenessVSAvoidgalvanic corrosion resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A plastic receiving ring is introduced as an intermediary component between the aluminum housing and the stainless steel end ring. This plastic ring serves as a galvanic isolator, preventing direct contact between the dissimilar metals and thus eliminating galvanic corrosion, while still allowing the cost benefits of using multiple materials to be realized.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a sealing ring is placed between the glass pane and housing, then sealing performance is improved, but assembly complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing ring is integrated into the receiving ring structure, combining the sealing function with the mounting structure. This merging of functions maintains effective sealing between the glass pane and housing while reducing the number of separate components, thereby simplifying the assembly process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Stability of the object's composition

If the end ring encloses both housing and glass pane, then structural stability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidalignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The plastic receiving ring acts as a flexible mounting structure that can accommodate minor variations in manufacturing tolerances. Its material properties allow it to deform slightly during assembly, making the system more tolerant of dimensional variations and reducing the stringency of manufacturing precision requirements while still providing structural stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 design achieves a cost-effective and corrosion-resistant recessed floor light with enhanced sealing and mechanical durability, ensuring a secure seal and attractive appearance by using stainless steel and aluminum with a plastic receiving ring for galvanic decoupling and a conical sealing ring for easy assembly and effective sealing.

Implementation Method 1

A preferred embodiment provides galvanic decoupling of the housing and the end ring by the receiving ring made of plastic

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGalvanic corrosion prevention:

Implementation Method 2

a conical sealing ring for easy assembly and secure sealing

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSealing:

Implementation Method 3

a stainless steel end ring which connects the housing and the glass pane and presses the sealing ring between the glass pane and the housing

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical compression: Compression

Data Source

PatentEP3693660B1Light installed in the floor
Publication Date: 2021.05.19 BEGA GANTENBRINK LEUCHTEN
  • EP3693660B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

Recessed floor light (1) with a housing (2) made of aluminium, which has a light emission opening (6), with a glass pane (7) for covering the light emission opening (6), a sealing ring (17) arranged between the housing (6) and the glass pane (7) and with a stainless steel end ring (15) which connects the housing (2) and the glass pane (7) and presses the sealing ring (17) between the glass pane (7) and the housing (2), wherein the end ring (15) surrounds the housing (2) and partially the glass pane (7), wherein a plastic receiving ring (24) is arranged between the housing (2) and the end ring (15), which connects and separates the two elements.