Handheld Personal Care Device Light Guide Watertight Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Handheld personal care devices face challenges in ensuring that the light system is easily and continuously visible during use while maintaining reliable shielding of the light source against liquids and dust at a low cost.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an optically transparent wall portion adjacent to the light source within a watertight chamber, with the light guide positioned outside the chamber, allowing light to be transmitted through this wall portion to a light receiving surface, which then directs the light to a visible location on the device's surface, eliminating the need for openings and sealing members and providing flexibility in light source placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the light guide extends into the watertight chamber through an opening, then the light can be transmitted to the receiving surface, but sealing members are required to shield the light source against liquids and dust
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide is extracted from the watertight chamber, with only its light receiving surface portion positioned inside the chamber adjacent to the light source. The main body of the light guide extends outside the chamber, eliminating the need for complex sealing arrangements while maintaining light transmission functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The optically transparent wall portion of the watertight chamber serves as an intermediary medium, allowing light to pass from the light source through the wall to the light receiving surface of the light guide, thereby eliminating the need for direct optical coupling that would require openings and sealing members.
2Illumination intensity
If the light source is positioned close to the light emitting surface, then the light is easily visible, but the light source cannot be adequately shielded from liquids and dust
Solution Approach 1:
The light transmission path is extended in the spatial dimension by using the light guide to conduct light from a distance. This allows the light source to be positioned deep within the watertight chamber for reliable shielding, while the light is transmitted along the light guide to a receiving surface positioned closer to the exterior for visibility.
3Illumination intensity
If openings are provided in the watertight chamber for the light guide, then light transmission is enabled, but the shielding against liquids and dust is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide is extracted from the watertight chamber such that only its light receiving surface portion remains inside. This extraction eliminates the need for openings in the watertight chamber, thereby maintaining complete shielding against liquids and dust while preserving light transmission through the optically transparent wall.
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 solution ensures the light source is effectively shielded from liquids and dust, remains visible from various angles, and allows for a high degree of design freedom, enhancing user experience and device functionality.
Implementation Method 1
an optically transparent wall portion arranged adjacent to the light source and bounding the watertight chamber... light from the light source passes through the openings in the plate via the light guides and is emitted inwardly of the external and internal cutter members
Implementation Method 2
the light guide can guide light, generated by the light source and leaving the watertight chamber via the optically transparent wall portion, along a distance to a position where the light is to be emitted or to be made visible for the user
Data Source
AI summary
A hand held personal care device (1) with an operative unit (3) connected to a main housing (2), a light source (24), and an optically transparent light guide (23) having a light receiving surface (27), a light emitting surface (6) and a light guiding member (31) extending from the light receiving surface to the light emitting surface for guiding light from the light receiving surface to the light emitting surface. The light source is arranged in a watertight chamber (51) of the main housing. The main housing includes an optically transparent wall portion (52) arranged adjacent to the light source and bounding the watertight chamber. The light guide is arranged outside the watertight chamber and the light receiving surface is arranged adjacent to the optically transparent wall portion in a position for receiving light from the light source via the optically transparent wall portion.