Grave Lantern Housing With U-Shaped Cross Section
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grave lantern designs are not cost-effective in production and do not provide easy access to the interior for maintenance or candle insertion, with complex shapes making demolding and finishing difficult.
Innovation Solution
A grave lantern with a housing having a channel-like cross-section and a hinged door that opens both the side and top, allowing easy access and production as a one-piece cast part, featuring a U-shaped cross-section with angled sides and a curved door for enhanced accessibility and sealing, and utilizing a magnetic lock for secure closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the housing has a complex cross-sectional shape (e.g., V-shaped or cuboid), then the structural integrity and sealing are improved, but the manufacturing cost increases due to difficult demolding and finishing
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with a U-shaped cross-section featuring continuously curved surfaces without sharp corners or undercuts. The legs and base form smooth transitions that enable easy demolding from casting molds while maintaining structural integrity and sealing capability. This curved geometry eliminates the need for complex mold designs and post-manufacturing finishing operations.
2Strength
If the housing has a complex cross-sectional shape, then the structural integrity is improved, but the surface finishing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The housing features continuously curved surfaces throughout its structure, including the U-shaped cross-section with smooth transitions at all corners and edges. This eliminates sharp inner or outer corners that would be difficult to finish, allowing for easy deburring, painting, or other surface treatments while maintaining structural strength through the continuous curved geometry.
3Ease of operation
If the door only closes the side opening, then the structure is simple, but the accessibility to the interior is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The door is designed to close both the lateral opening and the front opening of the U-shaped housing simultaneously. By extending the door to cover both openings, the design provides comprehensive access control while maintaining a relatively simple single-door structure, improving accessibility without significantly increasing complexity.
4Ease of manufacture
If the legs are arranged parallel to each other, then the manufacturing is easier, but the accessibility from the top is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The legs of the U-shaped housing are arranged at an angle to each other rather than parallel, with the opening facing upward. This angular arrangement, combined with the curved surfaces, creates a wider opening that facilitates easy access from the top for maintenance and candle insertion, while still maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the continuous curved geometry.
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 allows for inexpensive production, easy maintenance, and reliable rain protection while ensuring the interior is accessible for candle insertion and replacement, with the ability to remain open or closed due to its own weight, maintaining a sealed environment.
Implementation Method 1
a magnetic lock is provided between the door and the housing
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The grave lamp (10) has housing (12) and a hinged door (14) arranged at the housing. A channel-like cross section is viewed in longitudinal direction of housing, which has a base and two brackets. The distance between the outer sides of the brackets and inner sides of the brackets is continuously increased with respect to each other towards the open side of the channel-like cross-section.