LED Light String Cap With Visibility Ring and Sealed Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional LED light strings lack improved visibility when viewed from multiple orientations, particularly from the sides, and are not well-suited for both indoor and outdoor use due to inadequate sealing of electrical connections.
Innovation Solution
A light string design featuring a non-opaque light cap with a peripheral visibility ring and a transparent filler that directs and reflects light, coupled with sealed electrical connections, enhancing visibility from various angles and ensuring water resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a conventional LED light string uses a simple housing structure, then manufacturing is simple and cost-effective, but visibility from multiple orientations is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into multiple functional components: a main housing body, a light cap with visibility ring, and a filler material. This segmentation allows each component to serve specific functions - the visibility ring enhances peripheral visibility while the filler provides structural support and light guidance, resolving the contradiction between improved illumination and structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The light cap incorporates a non-opaque visibility ring at its periphery, creating local optical enhancement without making the entire housing complex. This localized quality improvement allows light to be visible from multiple orientations while keeping the overall housing structure relatively simple and manufacturable
2Reliability
If electrical connections are not sealed, then manufacturing is easier and faster, but water resistance is insufficient for outdoor use
Solution Approach 1:
The filler material serves multiple functions simultaneously: it seals electrical connections for water resistance, provides structural support, and guides light. This merging of functions achieves reliable outdoor performance without significantly complicating the manufacturing process, as the filler is applied in a single step during assembly
3Illumination intensity
If light is emitted only in the primary direction, then energy efficiency is high, but visibility from side views is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The filler material acts as an intermediary between the LED light source and the external environment. It captures light that would otherwise be lost in non-primary directions and redirects it toward the visibility ring, enabling side view visibility without requiring additional energy input or multiple light sources
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 significantly improves peripheral visibility and durability, making the light string more vibrant and suitable for both indoor and outdoor use by reflecting light in directions different from the primary emission, while ensuring waterproof or water-resistant electrical connections.
Implementation Method 1
The filler defines a light guide that directs light within the light cap to the peripheral visibility ring
Implementation Method 2
The filler defines a light guide that directs light within the light cap to the peripheral visibility ring
Implementation Method 3
the peripheral visibility ring reflects light in a direction different from the light emitted by the light emitting source
Data Source
AI summary
A light string includes a housing, a light cap, and a light assembly. The light cap has a cap body, an upper tip at an upper end of the cap body, and a peripheral visibility ring extending outwardly from the cap body opposite the upper tip. The light cap is coupled to and extends from the housing such that the peripheral visibility ring seats adjacent to an end of the housing proximate the light aperture. The light assembly includes a light emitting source that is positioned such that when energized, light is emitted that is visible from outside the light cap. Moreover, the peripheral visibility ring reflects light in a direction different from the light emitted by the light emitting source such that the light emitted by the light emitting source is visible when an observer is looking at a side view of the cap body.