Quick-Disconnect Lighting Plug With Latch Release for Canopy Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation and removal of electrical fixtures, such as lighting fixtures and fans, typically require the assistance of a qualified electrician and involve time-consuming and hazardous procedures, including hand-wiring and mechanical connections, which can be cumbersome and unsafe.
Innovation Solution
A plug and socket combination with a releasable latch mechanism and integrated auxiliary lighting, where the plug is fixed to the fixture and insertable into a socket with concentric ring-shaped openings, allowing for tool-less connection and mounting, and featuring a housing with an electronic circuit for controlling LED lights that can change color and intensity based on sensed conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional electrical fixture installation methods are used, then reliable electrical connection is achieved, but the installation process becomes time-consuming and requires qualified electricians with specialized tools
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connection system is segmented into separate plug and socket components. The socket is installed in the electrical box while the plug attaches to the fixture, allowing independent installation of each component and eliminating the need for complex hand-wiring during fixture installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug acts as an intermediary component between the fixed socket in the electrical box and the removable fixture. This mediator enables tool-less connection by providing a standardized interface that mechanically and electrically connects the fixture to the power supply without requiring specialized wiring skills.
2Reliability
If traditional hand-wiring methods are used, then secure electrical connection is established, but the procedure becomes hazardous and requires qualified personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connections are pre-established through the socket installed in the electrical box before the fixture is mounted. This preliminary action eliminates the need for electricians to perform hazardous wiring operations during fixture installation, as the electrical pathway is already prepared and waiting for the plug connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug and socket design enables homeowners to safely install and remove fixtures themselves without requiring qualified electricians. The self-contained mechanical and electrical connection system performs the protective functions normally requiring professional expertise, allowing end-users to service their own fixtures safely.
3Strength
If mechanical support connections are made separately from electrical connections, then secure mounting is achieved, but the overall installation process becomes cumbersome and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The plug combines both mechanical support function and electrical connection function into a single integrated component. The body of the plug provides structural support while the contacts provide electrical connectivity, eliminating the need for separate mechanical and electrical installation steps and simplifying the overall mounting process.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support for the fixture, establishes electrical power connections, and enables tool-less installation and removal. This multi-functionality consolidates what would traditionally require separate components and installation procedures into a single universal interface.
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
Enables safe, efficient, and tool-less installation and removal of electrical fixtures by establishing a secure electrical connection and providing a safe and efficient method for mounting, while the integrated lighting system can communicate information through color, intensity, and timing based on sensed conditions, enhancing safety and usability.
Implementation Method 1
a light source connected to the electronic circuit, the light source positioned to emit light circumferentially about the exterior perimeter; the light source controllable by the electronic circuit to emit light at a selected color of a plurality of colors
Data Source
AI summary
A quick connect plug and socket connect an electrical fixture to an electrical socket. The socket has concentric ring-shaped openings with adjacent internal contact terminals which are electrically connected to an electrical power supply wiring. The plug is insertable into the socket and has ring-shaped connectors that mate with the contact terminals within the socket. The plug and socket become latched when mated, and a latch release is pushed to allow them to be separated. A housing encloses portions of the plug and encloses a plurality of peripheral LEDs. A peripheral lens attached to the housing allows light from the LEDs to pass. The intensity and color of the LEDs are controlled by an electronic circuit based upon a signal. The latch release moves transversely to a central axis extending through the concentric rings, so that it can be pressed when the plug and socket are within an enclosing canopy.