Luminaire Collimator and Diffuser for Glare Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing workplace lamps struggle to minimize glare while maintaining sufficient illumination, and they often have high manufacturing and assembly costs due to complex designs.

Innovation Solution

A lamp design featuring a collimator for directional light emission, a diffuser for diffuse emission, and an optical element with a clear light-emitting element that extends between the diffuser and optical elements, allowing for adjustable light distribution and minimizing glare with a compact structure, using materials like PMMA for the light-emitting element and an integrated lamp cover to reduce costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a compact lamp design is used to reduce manufacturing costs, then production costs are reduced, but glare control becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction costVSAvoidglare
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements nesting by placing the collimator inside the light-emitting element, and the diffuser element inside the collimator structure. This nested arrangement allows multiple optical components to occupy minimal space while maintaining their individual functions for glare control and light distribution, resolving the contradiction between compact design and glare control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes the longitudinal dimension of the lamp by extending the light-emitting element in the longitudinal direction rather than increasing width or height. This dimensional approach allows the lamp to maintain a small cross-sectional area for cost-effective manufacturing while providing sufficient space for optical components to control glare effectively along the length of the lamp.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If optical components are added to minimize glare, then UGR value is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveUGR valueVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple functions into integrated components. The light-emitting element serves both as the light source housing and as the collimator structure. The diffuser element is integrated into the existing lamp geometry rather than being a separate additive component. This merging approach achieves glare control (UGR < 19) while minimizing the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The light-emitting element is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it houses the light source, acts as the collimator for directional light emission, and provides structural support. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, thereby controlling device complexity while still achieving the required glare reduction through its collimating function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Volume of stationary object

If a small construction volume is used, then manufacturing costs are reduced, but light distribution control becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelamp volumeVSAvoidlight distribution control
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements adjustability by allowing the optical element to be positioned at different locations along the longitudinal axis of the lamp. This dynamic positioning capability enables control over light distribution characteristics without increasing the overall lamp volume, as the adjustment occurs within the existing longitudinal space rather than requiring additional volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 design achieves a Unified Glare Rating (UGR) of less than 19 with high luminous efficiency (>70%) and allows for easy adjustment of light distribution, while reducing the lamp's overall volume and production costs.

Implementation Method 1

a collimator (5) for essentially directional light emission of the light emitted by the illuminant (2)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight bundling: Lens

Implementation Method 2

a diffuser element (9) for essentially diffuse light emission of the light emitted by the collimator (5)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight scattering: Scattering

Implementation Method 3

an optical element (13) for defined light emission of the light emitted by the diffuser element (9)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight refraction: Refraction

Data Source

PatentEP3607247B1Luminaire
Publication Date: 2021.08.11 ZUMTOBEL LIGHTING GMBH
  • EP3607247B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3607247B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3607247B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a luminaire (1), in particular a workplace luminaire, having a lighting means (2), a collimator (5) for emitting light emitted by the lighting means (2) in a substantially directed manner, a diffuser element (9) for emitting the light emitted by the collimator (5) in a substantially diffused manner, an optical element (13) for emitting the light emitted by the diffuser element (9) in a defined manner, and a clear light emitting element (10) which extends between the diffuser element (9) and the optical element (13) in order to delimit an area (R) together with the diffuser element and the optical element.