Elongated Light Guide Housing for Secure Line-Light Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of line lighting devices is challenging due to the light guide's tendency to move out of the case during assembly, leading to difficulties in securing the light guide within the housing.
Innovation Solution
A lighting device design featuring an elongated light guide with held portions on its side surfaces and a housing with a holding portion that sandwiches these held portions to securely position the light guide, preventing it from falling out during assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the light guide is inserted into the case without a holding mechanism, then the assembly process is simple, but the light guide may move in the opposite direction of insertion and fall out of the case
Solution Approach 1:
The holding portion is pre-formed on the case before assembly, creating a retention mechanism that automatically engages with the light guide during insertion. This preliminary preparation ensures the light guide is secured without requiring additional assembly steps or complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding portion acts as an intermediary element between the case and the light guide, providing a mechanical interface that prevents the light guide from falling out while maintaining a simple assembly process. This intermediary structure resolves the conflict between assembly simplicity and retention reliability.
2Ease of operation
If the light guide is secured firmly in the case, then assembly workability is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The holding portion is designed as a separate, distinct feature on the case rather than an integrated complex mechanism. This segmentation allows the holding function to be added without significantly increasing overall structural complexity, while still improving assembly workability by preventing light guide displacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding portion is designed to automatically engage with the light guide during the insertion process without requiring additional manual operations or complex mechanisms. The structure serves itself by utilizing the insertion motion to achieve both positioning and retention, thereby improving assembly workability without proportionally increasing structural complexity.
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
This design enhances assembly workability by securely holding the light guide in place, reducing the risk of misalignment and improving the precision of light emission, while allowing for more design flexibility in the light source unit.
Implementation Method 1
an elongated light guide (3) comprising a first end surface (30) on which the light is incident, a second end surface (31) located opposite to the first end surface (30), an emitting surface (32) which comprises one of longitudinal side surfaces intersecting the first and second end surfaces and from which the light is emitted
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting device includes a light source unit that outputs light, an elongated light guide including a first end surface on which the light is incident, a second end surface located opposite to the first end surface, an emitting surface, and at least one held portion provided on at least one of the longitudinal side surfaces different from the emitting surface, the light guide guiding the light from the first end surface to the second end surface, and a housing including an attachment portion to which the light source unit is attached, a housing portion that is open at an end portion on the attachment portion side and includes a housing recess to house the light guide and an exposure opening exposing the emitting surface, and a holding portion that holds the light guide in the housing recess by sandwiching the at least one held portion.