Light-Transmitting Carrier for Road Flares
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Solution Overview
Problem
First responders face safety risks during the deployment and retrieval of electric road flares as they are often unlit in dark environments, and existing carriers do not effectively transmit light to alert oncoming drivers or secure the lights to prevent temporary blindness.
Innovation Solution
A light-transmitting carrier designed to hold and secure multiple energized lighting devices, allowing light to emerge through its translucent material or openings to create a visible safety beacon, while maintaining light beams horizontally to maximize visibility and prevent blinding the responder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If lights are placed in a dark roadway to alert drivers, then visibility to oncoming drivers is improved, but the first responder becomes vulnerable to oncoming traffic because they are unlighted
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier acts as an intermediary device that holds the lighting devices and provides illumination for the first responder. The carrier includes a light source that illuminates the responder during deployment and retrieval operations, while the lighting devices within the carrier provide visibility to oncoming drivers. This intermediary structure resolves the contradiction by simultaneously addressing both the responder's visibility and the lights' visibility without requiring the responder to be directly exposed to oncoming traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting devices are pre-installed in the carrier in a ready-to-deploy configuration. The carrier is designed to be activated before the first responder enters the roadway, so that illumination is already in place when the responder needs to deploy the lights. This preliminary preparation ensures that the responder is always illuminated during deployment operations, eliminating the safety hazard of being unlighted in dark environments.
2Reliability
If opaque cases are used to transport lights, then the lights are securely enclosed, but light cannot emerge to alert oncoming drivers or illuminate the responder
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier is designed with different optical properties in different locations. The body of the carrier is made of light-transmitting material that allows light to pass through, while specific openings are provided in strategic locations to allow light to emerge in horizontal directions. This local differentiation of optical properties enables the carrier to simultaneously provide secure enclosure and light transmission, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier utilizes composite construction combining light-transmitting materials with structural enclosures. The body is formed from light-transmitting resin or plastic that maintains structural integrity while allowing light passage. This composite approach enables the carrier to function as both a secure enclosure and a light-transmitting structure, eliminating the need to choose between these two functions.
3Ease of operation
If lights are deployed individually from a pouch or case, then deployment is flexible, but the responder must be unlighted during the deployment process creating safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier merges multiple lighting devices into a single integrated unit that can be deployed together. Instead of deploying lights individually from a pouch or case, the responder deploys the entire carrier with all lights already installed and configured. This merging of functions into a single unit eliminates the need for the responder to be unlighted during deployment, as the carrier provides illumination throughout the deployment process.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier is designed to be self-illuminating through its own light source, eliminating the need for the responder to carry separate illumination devices. The carrier's integrated lighting system automatically provides illumination during deployment and retrieval operations, making the responder visible to oncoming drivers without requiring additional equipment or procedures.
4Illumination intensity
If horizontal light beams are directed throughout the azimuth, then visibility to oncoming drivers is maximized, but light may enter the responder's eyes causing temporary blindness
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier segments the light emission into different directional components. Openings are strategically positioned to allow horizontal light beams to emerge in forward directions toward oncoming drivers, while the carrier body and opening placement prevent light from entering the responder's eyes. This segmentation of light paths resolves the contradiction by directing light only where needed while blocking harmful light from reaching the responder.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of allowing light to escape in all directions and then blocking harmful light with shields or filters, the design inverts the approach by strategically placing openings to allow light to emerge only in safe horizontal directions while preventing light from reaching the responder's eyes through the carrier body's geometry. This inverted approach to light management simultaneously achieves both visibility and protection.
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 carrier enhances the visibility of first responders, reduces accidents by making them more visible to oncoming drivers, and allows for quicker deployment and retrieval of lights without opening the case, minimizing exposure to hazardous conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The carrier is constructed of a nonopaque light transmitting resin to form a first means for the light emitted by the held lights to emerge. The resin, which is usually partially translucent, diffuses the light making the entire carrier glow
Implementation Method 2
In addition the carrier permits additional light from the held lights to emerge through openings in the carrier unattenuated
Data Source
AI summary
A visible light transporter (1) having a carrier (25) for holding a plurality of lighting devices (L1 through L4). The lighting devices frequently employed as road flares emit a light usually concentrated into a horizontal light beam (HB) and pulsing. Carrier (25) has body 9 constructed of a light transmitting resin which permits light from the held lighting devices to be transmitted with attenuation through body 9 of the carrier. Carrier (25) also includes openings (01 through 04) which permit lighting devices (L1 through L4) to be removeably installed in pockets (S1 through S4) provided for holding the lighting devices. Openings also permit some light to pass unattenuated exterior to carrier (25). The unattenuated light (HBU) and the transmitted light (HBT) each combine exterior to carrier 25 to make it appear as a large pulsing light source and to illuminate the first responder holding the visible light transporter (1) making him visible and thereby protecting him from being injured by approaching vehicles as he deploys the lights.