LED Panel Ground-Level Installation via Segmented Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing incandescent highway railroad crossing systems are heavy, expensive, and require climbing to install or maintain, as they are bolted to masts 17 feet above the ground, making them unsuitable for LED upgrades which do not need rotational alignment provided by the incandescent hardware.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight LED panel system with self-contained electrical units, pivotable LED modules, and a tool for ground-level installation, using spring-loaded contacts or inductive coupling for secure mounting to a mast without exposed electrical connections, allowing for easy installation and maintenance without climbing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If incandescent assemblies with aluminum junction boxes and cast aluminum arms are used, then rotational alignment and light focus are achieved, but the system becomes too heavy (26 pounds) to be raised from ground level
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate components: a fixed base unit mounted on the mast and removable LED modules that can be handled separately. This segmentation allows the heavy mast structure to remain fixed while only the lightweight LED modules need to be installed and removed, solving the weight problem while maintaining installation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The LED modules are extracted as independent, self-contained units that can be installed and maintained separately from the mast structure. This extraction allows ground-level workers to handle only the lightweight modules without needing to support or climb the heavy mast assembly.
2Ease of operation
If incandescent assemblies are bolted to masts 17 feet above roadway, then proper positioning is achieved, but installation and maintenance require climbing the mast
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system is segmented into a fixed base unit that remains on the mast and removable LED modules. This allows the complex high-altitude mounting task to be reduced to simply attaching lightweight modules to the pre-installed base, eliminating the need to climb the mast for installation or maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The base unit with mounting mechanisms is pre-installed on the mast at the required height before the LED modules are attached. This preliminary action eliminates the need for workers to climb the mast during installation or maintenance, as they only need to attach the lightweight modules from ground level or a safe platform.
3Ease of manufacture
If expensive aluminum junction box and cross arm assemblies are used, then rotational alignment is provided, but the hardware provides no value once LED modules are installed since LEDs do not need rotational alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The expensive aluminum junction box and cross arm assemblies are extracted and replaced with a simpler, fixed mounting base. Since LED modules emit light in fixed patterns that do not require rotational alignment, the complex adjustable mounting hardware is eliminated, reducing costs while maintaining the necessary functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The design parameters for the mounting system are changed to reflect the specific requirements of LED technology. Instead of providing rotational adjustment capability, the system uses a fixed mounting orientation that is optimized for LED light distribution patterns, simplifying the hardware and reducing costs.
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 safe and efficient installation and maintenance of LED panels at ground level, reducing risks and costs associated with heavy incandescent systems, while providing superior light spread and anti-phantom protection.
Implementation Method 1
A typical incandescent assembly contains an aluminum junction box that mounts to the signal mast, up to four cast aluminum arms used to offset the incandescent light heads for alignment, threaded elbows to provide rotational adjustment, and a parabolic shaped aluminum housing that is suspended from each extension arm. This assembly weighs an average of 26 pounds and is therefore unsuitable for raising from the ground level using a telescopic mounting tool.
Data Source
AI summary
A level crossing panel may comprise a frame, a lighting module coupled to the frame, and a connection support coupled to the frame and electrically connected to the lighting module. The connection support may comprise an interface configured to be removably coupled to a connector of a mast and an electrical contact configured to transmit power from the connector of the mast to the lighting module.