Glove-box Illumination Between Partitions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing glove box lighting solutions face challenges with bulky lighting devices inside sealed enclosures, which limit space and complicate maintenance, while external lighting suffers from mediocre quality due to reflections on partitions.

Innovation Solution

A glove box design with a light source housed between the polycarbonate and biological protection partitions, minimizing reflections and allowing easy maintenance, using a fluorescent tube with an electronic ballast and a U-shaped support body for light diffusion and direction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If light sources are placed inside the sealed enclosure, then lighting quality is improved, but device complexity and maintenance difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting qualityVSAvoidlighting device bulk
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The light source is extracted from the sealed enclosure and placed in the inter-partition space between the polycarbonate partition and the biological protection partition. This extraction eliminates the need for bulky lighting devices inside the enclosure while maintaining high lighting quality, and simplifies maintenance as the light source is now externally accessible.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of repair

If light sources are placed outside the enclosure, then maintenance ease is improved, but lighting quality deteriorates due to reflections

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance easeVSAvoidlighting quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The polycarbonate partition acts as an intermediary medium between the light source and the sealed enclosure. By placing the light source in the inter-partition space, the partition transmits light effectively into the enclosure while the close proximity of the source to the partition minimizes reflections, thus maintaining high lighting quality while preserving maintenance ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If light sources are placed in the inter-partition space, then reflections are reduced, but space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight reflectionsVSAvoidinter-partition space
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The spacing between the polycarbonate partition and the biological protection partition is optimized to a specific range (4-10 cm) that balances two objectives: it provides sufficient space for the light source while ensuring close proximity to the polycarbonate partition to minimize reflections. This parameter optimization allows the system to achieve low reflections without requiring excessive inter-partition space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 configuration provides high-quality lighting comparable to internal lighting solutions, with reduced reflections and simplified maintenance and waste treatment, maintaining low operating temperatures and production costs.

Implementation Method 1

a low pressure mercury vapor lamp in which most of the light is emitted by one or more layers of fluorescent substances excited by ultraviolet radiation from the discharge

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluorescence: Fluorescence

Data Source

PatentEP2097227B1Glove-box with sealed illuminated containment
Publication Date: 2010.05.12 AREVA NC
  • EP2097227B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2097227B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a glove-box with a sealed containment defined at least partially by a wall comprising a polycarbonate partition (6) and a biological-protection partition (8) spaced apart from the polycarbonate partition and located outside relative thereto, the glove-box further comprising means for illuminating the containment, said illumination means comprising a light source (20). According to the invention, the light source (20) is provided between the polycarbonate partition (6) and the biological-protection partition (8).