LED Lighting Device for Pattern Projection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional lighting devices for projecting patterns are complex, reduce light quantity, and suffer from blurring issues when projecting patterns over long distances, requiring additional lenses and complicating the structure, and are not easily adaptable to changes in pattern design.

Innovation Solution

A lighting device configuration using an LED light source, a first refractive element, and a casing with a light outgoing aperture, allowing for the formation of a predetermined light shape without additional members between the light source and lens, enabling easy adjustment and combination of devices to project patterns over long distances without a magnifying lens, and featuring a distance variable mechanism to maintain clear contours.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a shading mask is placed in the side of the light source of the projection lens to form a pattern, then the pattern can be projected, but the structure becomes complicated and light quantity is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepattern projection capabilityVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the shading mask from the optical path between the light source and projection lens. Instead, the LED light source itself is designed with a patterned light emitting surface that directly forms the desired pattern, eliminating the need for additional masking components and simplifying the overall structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The LED light source is designed to inherently emit light in the desired pattern shape through its light emitting surface geometry. The light source serves its own pattern-forming function without requiring external pattern-defining components, thereby reducing system complexity and light loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of manufacture

If a shading mask is used to form a pattern, then the pattern can be projected, but the image becomes blurred when projected far away

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepattern projection capabilityVSAvoidimage clarity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The shading mask is removed from the system. The pattern is instead formed by the LED's light emitting surface itself, which acts as the pattern template. This eliminates the intermediate masking step that causes image degradation over distance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using a shading mask to block light and form a pattern, the invention inverts the approach by using a light-emitting surface shaped to directly emit light in the desired pattern. This positive formation method maintains image clarity at distance better than negative masking methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Area of stationary object

If a magnifying lens is added to magnify the pattern for distant projection, then the pattern size increases, but the structure becomes further complicated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepattern sizeVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs an adjustable positioning mechanism that allows the LED light source to be moved along the optical axis. By changing the distance between the light source and the projection lens, the pattern size can be dynamically adjusted without adding magnifying lenses, maintaining structural simplicity while achieving variable pattern dimensions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Ease of manufacture

If a shading mask is used to form a pattern, then the pattern can be projected, but it is necessary to disassemble the irradiating device to replace the shading mask when the pattern changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepattern projection capabilityVSAvoidpattern change workability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the fundamental parameter of pattern formation from external masking to intrinsic light source geometry. The LED light source is designed with different light emitting surface shapes to directly produce different patterns. This allows pattern changes without disassembly, as the pattern is determined by the light source configuration rather than removable masks.

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

Enables simple and efficient projection of desired figures, characters, or patterns onto distant objects with clear contours, allowing for easy configuration and adaptation of light shapes without the need for complex structures or additional lenses.

Implementation Method 1

a LED light source using a LED light emitting element

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight Emitting Diode: Light Emitting Diode

Implementation Method 2

a first refractive element adapted to refract light emitted from the LED light source to form an enlarged image of a light emitting shape

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Data Source

PatentEP2479742B1Lighting device for pattern formation
Publication Date: 2019.05.01 PI PHOTONICS
  • EP2479742B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2479742B1 patent drawingFigure 2(A)~2(B)
  • EP2479742B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The present invention is capable of irradiating a desired figure, a character and the like onto an object with a simple configuration and further capable of easily changing the figure, the character and the like, and includes an LED light source 3, a first refractive element 4 adapted to refract light emitted from the LED light source 3 to form an image of a light emitting shape when viewed in an optical axis direction of the LED light source at a predetermined position and a casing 2 accommodating the LED light source 3 and the first refractive element 4 and having a light outgoing aperture 2A for emitting the light applied from the first refractive element 4 to the outside.