Illumination Unit with Spiral Spring Contacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting units for electrical installation devices are costly to produce and time-consuming to install, as they require soldering of line connections and complex assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
A lighting unit with a housing featuring spiral spring receptacles and grooves for cable connections, allowing for easy and cost-effective assembly by eliminating the need for soldering, with the spiral springs making electrical contact and the cable connections being protected within the housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional line connections with soldering are used, then reliable electrical contact is achieved, but production costs increase and assembly time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical soldering process with a spring-based mechanical contact system. The spiral spring elements (28, 29) provide electrical contact through elastic deformation and mechanical pressure, eliminating the need for thermal soldering processes. This substitution maintains reliable electrical contact while dramatically reducing assembly time and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The spiral springs (28, 29) are designed to automatically establish and maintain electrical contact through their elastic properties. When the housing (1) is assembled, the springs self-compress and self-position to create reliable electrical connections without requiring external soldering equipment or complex assembly procedures. The system serves itself by using the spring's inherent elastic energy to maintain contact pressure.
2Reliability
If traditional lighting unit assembly processes are used, then stable electrical connections are achieved, but production costs and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The housing (1) is divided into separate modular components including a central web (2), side webs (7, 10, 13, 16), and distinct receptacles for lighting elements and spiral springs. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently and assembled through simple insertion operations, reducing overall assembly complexity while maintaining connection stability through the modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The spiral springs (28, 29) are pre-formed and pre-positioned within the housing structure during manufacturing. The cable connections are pre-routed through grooves (3, 8, 11, 14, 17) before final assembly. This preliminary preparation eliminates complex on-site assembly steps and ensures stable electrical connections are established automatically when components are inserted.
3Ease of operation
If cable connections are exposed, then electrical contact is established, but safety and protection are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cable connections are nested within protective grooves (3, 8, 11, 14, 17) that are integrated into the housing structure. The spiral springs (28, 29) are nested within spiral spring receptacles (9, 12, 15, 18) that provide both mechanical support and electrical insulation. This nested arrangement protects exposed conductive elements while maintaining ease of assembly through the integrated protective structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing material acts as an intermediary protective barrier between exposed cable connections and external hazards. The grooves (3, 8, 11, 14, 17) and receptacles serve as intermediary structures that contain and protect the electrical connections while allowing necessary electrical contact to occur. This intermediary protection maintains assembly simplicity while eliminating electrical hazards.
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 solution reduces production costs, simplifies assembly and disassembly, and allows for flexibility in contact implementation using the same structural components, resulting in a quick and easy installation process.
Implementation Method 1
at least two spiral springs are plugged into the spiral spring receptacles, the cable connections of the lighting fixture come into electrical contact with the spiral springs within the spiral spring receptacles
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
An illumination unit is proposed for an electrical installation device comprising a housing (1) with at least one lamp receptacle (5, 6) and at least two spiral spring receptacles (9, 12, 15, 18), wherein at least one lamp (24) is inserted into the lamp receptacle (5, 6), at least two spiral springs (28, 29) are inserted into the spiral spring receptacles (9, 12, 15, 18), the line connections (25, 26) of the lamp (24) inside the spiral spring receptacles (9, 12, 15, 18) come into electrical contact with the spiral springs (28, 29), and the line connections (25, 26) lie protected in grooves (3, 8, 11, 14, 17) of the housing (1).