Deployable-Base Light Fixture Hinge Locking to Reduce Tipping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Light fixtures, particularly those used by vision-impaired individuals, are prone to tipping due to their adjustable nature and environmental factors, and the assembly process involving a heavy base can be cumbersome for impaired users.
Innovation Solution
A light fixture design featuring a base and an arm coupled via a hinge that allows the arm to move between stowed and deployed positions, with a hinge mechanism that locks in the deployed position to prevent unintended movement, simplifying assembly and reducing tipping risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the base is made heavy and large to prevent tipping, then the stability of the light fixture is improved, but the ease of assembly deteriorates due to the cumbersome nature of handling heavy components
Solution Approach 1:
The light fixture is divided into separate components (base, arm, hinge mechanism) that can be packaged separately and assembled easily. The base is detached from the arm during shipping, allowing users to handle lighter individual components rather than a large heavy assembled unit, while still achieving stable configuration when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge mechanism automatically engages and locks the arm to the base when the arm is positioned vertically, without requiring users to manually secure heavy components. The self-locking feature eliminates the need for complex assembly operations involving heavy parts, improving ease of assembly while maintaining stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the base is made heavy and large to prevent tipping, then the stability of the light fixture is improved, but the packaging volume and storage space increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the fixture into separate base and arm components that ship detached, the overall packaging volume is reduced. The components can be packed more efficiently in smaller boxes compared to shipping a large pre-assembled unit with a bulky base, while the base maintains sufficient weight for stability when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The arm can be positioned vertically and nested against or near the base during packaging, utilizing the space around the heavy base component. This nesting arrangement minimizes the total packaging volume required while preserving the stability-providing mass of the base.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the hinge allows free movement between stowed and deployed positions, then the adaptability of the fixture is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to the risk of unintended movement and tipping
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism provides dynamic behavior by allowing free movement of the arm between stowed and deployed positions during normal operation, enabling adaptability. However, it incorporates an automatic locking feature that engages when the arm reaches the vertical deployed position, preventing unintended movement and ensuring reliability by locking the stable configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The weight of the base, which could potentially cause tipping if the arm is loosely attached, is converted into a beneficial locking mechanism. When the arm is positioned vertically, the base's weight and geometry cause the hinge to automatically engage and lock, transforming the potential harm of heavy base into a reliability-enhancing self-locking feature that prevents unintended movement.
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 enables easy assembly and reduces the risk of tipping, making it suitable for vision-impaired users and minimizing packaging and storage space.
Implementation Method 1
movement of the arm to the deployed position moves the hinge, or enables movement of the hinge, to an engaged position in which the hinge prevents movement of the arm toward, and in some instances away from, the stowed position via bearing surfaces of the hinge contacting one another
Implementation Method 2
an elongated arm having a first end that is pivotally coupled to the base via a hinge such that the arm is movable relative to the base between a stowed position and a deployed position
Data Source
AI summary
Some of the disclosed fixtures include a base defining a plane and an elongated arm having a first end that is pivotally coupled to the base via a hinge such that the arm is movable relative to the base between stowed and deployed positions in which the first end of the arm is substantially parallel and substantially perpendicular, respectively, to the plane, and a second end that is couplable to a light source. In some fixtures, movement of the arm to the deployed position moves or enables movement of the hinge to an engaged position in which the hinge prevents movement of the arm from the deployed position toward the stowed position via contacting hinge bearing surfaces. In some fixtures, only when the arm is in the deployed position, the hinge is in or movable to an engaged position that prevents movement of the arm from the deployed position.