Lighting Control Console with Movable Cover for Compact Ergonomics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lighting control consoles face a trade-off between achieving a compact design and incorporating a sufficient number of control elements and hand rests, making it difficult to balance functionality and user comfort.
Innovation Solution
A lighting control console with a cover that can be adjusted between closed and open positions to protect and expose additional control elements, such as an alphanumeric keyboard, while also serving as a hand rest, and a display device that pivots for optimal viewing and compactness, utilizing a motorized adjustment system with a weight-compensating element to maintain ease of use and transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If more control elements are provided on the top of the casing, then the control functionality is improved, but the size of the lighting control console increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the cover movable between closed and open positions. When closed, the cover protects the alphanumeric keyboard and maintains a compact profile; when open, it exposes the keyboard for input operations. This dynamic configuration allows the console to adapt its functional capacity based on operational needs without permanently increasing its footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes another dimension by transitioning the control element access from a two-dimensional surface constraint to a three-dimensional solution. The cover can be opened vertically or laterally, allowing the alphanumeric keyboard to be accessed from above or the side, effectively adding a spatial dimension to the control interface without expanding the base console area.
2Adaptability or versatility
If more control elements are provided on the top of the casing, then the control functionality is improved, but the space for hand rest is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the top surface of the console into distinct functional zones: a hand rest area and a control element area covered by the movable cover. This spatial segmentation allows both functions to coexist without interference, as the hand rest maintains continuous access while the cover can be opened to expose control elements when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic cover mechanism allows the control elements to be concealed during hand rest periods and exposed during operation. This temporal-dynamic separation ensures that hand rest space is always available when not in use, while control functionality is accessible when required, resolving the conflict between permanent space allocation and functional versatility.
3Area of stationary object
If a compact design is achieved, then the size of the console is reduced, but the number of control elements is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the nesting principle by placing the alphanumeric keyboard and its cover within the existing console structure. The cover nests over the keyboard when closed, and the keyboard nests within the console body when the cover is open. This nested configuration allows additional control elements to be integrated into the compact console without permanently increasing its external dimensions.
4Ease of operation
If control elements are exposed for operation, then the ease of use is improved, but the protection against external influences is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The movable cover provides dynamic protection, transitioning between a protective closed state that shields the alphanumeric keyboard from dust and accidental activation, and an open state that exposes the keyboard for operation. This dynamic protection allows the system to prioritize security when needed and accessibility when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover acts as an intermediary element between the external environment and the control elements. When closed, it mediates by blocking external influences from reaching the keyboard; when open, it mediates by allowing controlled access. This intermediary function resolves the contradiction between permanent protection and operational accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting control console for controlling a lighting control system including a digital processor and a digital storage unit. The lighting control console can comprise several control elements, in particular keys, linear regulators and/or induction regulators, which are arranged on the top of the casing and can be used to enter operating commands. The lighting control console encompasses a display device with at least one screen that is arranged on the top of the casing. The data for the user can be graphically displayed on the screen. The lighting control console can include a casing provided with at least one cover, which can be adjusted between a closed position and an open position, wherein the cover covers at least one extra control element arranged in or on the casing in its closed position, thereby protecting the extra control element against external influences in its closed position.