LED Strip Steel Wire Neutral Axis Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
LED strips face stress on their printed circuits when bent due to mismatched curvature between the sheath and internal flexible printed circuit, leading to potential damage, and suffer from misalignments due to differing thermal expansion coefficients of materials during temperature changes, affecting performance and integrity.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a flexible, rigid steel wire element integral with the sheath to align the neutral axis with the printed circuit, preventing unwanted stresses during bending and using materials with closer thermal expansion coefficients to minimize deformations, such as aluminum for the base and silicone plastic for the cover, with embedded steel wires to control thermal deformations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the LED strip is bent to achieve desired shape, then the strip can be installed on curved surfaces, but the printed circuit undergoes stress that may damage soldered joints and components
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible wire element is introduced as an intermediary component between the printed circuit and the sheath. This wire element has specific mechanical properties that allow it to absorb and distribute the stresses generated during bending, acting as a mediator that protects the printed circuit from direct mechanical stress while enabling the strip to achieve the desired curved shape.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the mechanical parameters of the strip structure by introducing a flexible wire element with specific flexibility characteristics. This changes the overall stress distribution parameters of the strip, allowing it to bend without transmitting excessive stress to the printed circuit, thus enabling curvature while maintaining circuit integrity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the sheath and printed circuit are integrally constrained at the ends, then the strip maintains structural integrity, but bending creates pressures and tractions that damage the printed circuit
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible wire element serves as a stress-absorbing intermediary that decouples the mechanical constraint at the ends from the printed circuit. While the sheath and printed circuit remain integrally constrained for structural stability, the wire element absorbs the bending-induced stresses, preventing them from reaching damaging levels at the circuit.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible wire element provides beforehand cushioning by being pre-installed within the sheath to absorb and distribute mechanical stresses before they can reach the printed circuit. This cushioning effect is always present, protecting the circuit from bending-induced pressures and tractions.
3Ease of manufacture
If different materials are used for sheath and base, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but thermal expansion mismatch causes misalignments during temperature changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses thermal expansion mismatch by carefully selecting materials with compatible thermal expansion parameters. The flexible wire element and surrounding structure are chosen to have thermal expansion coefficients that minimize differential expansion, maintaining alignment stability across temperature variations while preserving manufacturing flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction where the sheath, flexible wire element, and base are combined in a way that compensates for thermal expansion differences. This composite structure maintains dimensional stability and alignment under temperature changes while allowing the use of different materials for manufacturing advantages.
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 solution allows the LED strip to bend without stressing the printed circuit and maintains alignment and performance under temperature changes, ensuring the LED strip's integrity and uniform light emission.
Implementation Method 1
Incorporating a flexible, rigid steel wire element integral with the sheath to align the neutral axis with the printed circuit, preventing unwanted stresses during bending
Implementation Method 2
using materials with closer thermal expansion coefficients to minimize deformations, such as aluminum for the base and silicone plastic for the cover, with embedded steel wires to control thermal deformations
Data Source
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AI summary
An LED strip comprising a sheath adapted to allow bending such as not to stress the internal printed circuit board housing the LED devices with undesired tractions or extensions so as to ensure the correct operation even in case of considerable stresses and temperature changes. The LED strip comprises an elongated body (10) comprising, in turn, an inner compartment (11) adapted to house a support for point light emitting devices (13), said elongated body (10) comprising an upper part adapted to diffuse the light emitted by said point light emitting devices (13), and further comprising at least one flexible element (15) arranged within said elongated body (10) and integral therewith, in a position by the side of said support for point light emitting devices (13).