LED Light Source with Removable Cartridge and Longitudinal Light Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing LED light sources face challenges in providing uniform illumination and efficient light distribution, particularly in designs that require directional emission and integration with heat management and replaceable cartridges.
Innovation Solution
The LED light source incorporates a longitudinally extending light guide with a removable cartridge, a housing that includes a biasing member for cartridge insertion, and optional features like a heat sink and reflector for efficient light emission and heat dissipation, along with a diffuser for softened light distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional fixed LED light source design is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but adaptability and ease of repair are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The LED light source is divided into separate functional modules: a removable cartridge containing LEDs and a housing containing the light guide and power supply. This segmentation allows the cartridge to be easily replaced while maintaining the overall system structure, thereby improving adaptability without significantly increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is designed to accommodate multiple cartridges through a standardized interface system, allowing a single housing to support different LED configurations. This universal design enables the same housing to serve multiple functions with different cartridges, enhancing adaptability while keeping the base structure simple.
2Productivity
If LEDs are positioned to provide directional emission, then light distribution efficiency is improved, but uniformity of illumination is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide incorporates varying refractive indices or surface characteristics at different locations to optimize light extraction. By adjusting the local optical properties of the light guide, the system maintains efficient directional emission from LEDs while achieving more uniform light distribution across the illuminated surface.
3Ease of repair
If a removable cartridge design is implemented, then ease of repair is improved, but device complexity and potential reliability issues are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge is pre-assembled with all necessary LED components and electrical connections before installation into the housing. This preliminary assembly ensures proper alignment and connection integrity, reducing the risk of installation errors while maintaining ease of replacement. The pre-configured interface minimizes potential reliability issues during cartridge installation and removal.
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 ensures directional and uniform light emission, effective heat management, and ease of cartridge replacement, enhancing the efficiency and longevity of the LED light source.
Implementation Method 1
a longitudinally extending first light guide... having a longitudinally extending light emitting face
Implementation Method 2
the cartridge further includes a heat sink
Implementation Method 3
effective heat management
Data Source
AI summary
A LED light source includes a longitudinally extending first light guide, a housing, and a cartridge. The first light guide has a longitudinally extending light emitting face. The light emitting face has a first end face and a longitudinally spaced apart second end face. The housing has a first side proximate the first end face of the first light guide. The cartridge is mountable to the first side of the housing and has at least one LED on a first face of the cartridge. The first face extends generally transverse to the first light guide when the cartridge has been mounted to the housing. When the cartridge is mounted to the first side of the housing, the first face of the cartridge is adjacent the first end face. A LED light bulb is also disclosed.