Modular Inspection Tunnel with Elastic LED Sheets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inspection tunnels are typically stationary and cumbersome, requiring objects to be brought to the tunnel for inspection, and lack the flexibility to be easily assembled, disassembled, and transported in a compact form.
Innovation Solution
A mobile inspection tunnel composed of modular elements with elastically bent LED support sheets and light scattering sheets, which can be easily transported and assembled to form a double-walled tunnel with a homogeneous and programmable sinusoidal light intensity distribution, allowing for flexible and efficient illumination of reflective surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stationary inspection tunnel is used, then the illumination of reflective surfaces is stable and reliable, but the tunnel is cumbersome and cannot be easily transported or repositioned
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection tunnel is divided into modular tunnel elements that can be connected in series. Each module contains integrated illumination devices with LED support sheets and light scattering sheets. This segmentation allows the tunnel to be assembled and disassembled easily for transportation while maintaining stable illumination when assembled, resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If traditional illumination devices are integrated into the tunnel wall, then the structure is stable, but the assembly and disassembly process is complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination devices are designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing them to be easily installed and removed from the tunnel wall. The LED support sheets can be elastically bent during assembly and then fixed in position, enabling quick setup and teardown while maintaining structural stability during operation.
3Illumination intensity
If the tunnel wall forms itself as an illumination device, then the illumination is homogeneous, but the tunnel wall structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system uses thin LED support sheets that can be elastically bent to conform to the tunnel wall curvature. These flexible sheets carry LED arrays that illuminate the tunnel uniformly. The light scattering sheets diffuse the light evenly across the inspection area. This approach achieves homogeneous illumination without requiring complex structural modifications to the tunnel 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
The mobile inspection tunnel provides a flexible, efficient, and easy-to-assemble solution for illuminating reflective surfaces, enabling precise inspection of objects at any location with minimal setup effort and scalable illumination based on the number of tunnel elements used.
Implementation Method 1
at least one LED support sheet, the at least one LED support sheet forming the exterior wall of the double-walled tunnel wall, the at least one LED support sheet being at least partially curved, preferably at least in its upper part being curved in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal extension, the at least one LED support sheet supporting a plurality of electrically controllable light sources arranged on the interior surface of the sheet
Implementation Method 2
at least one translucent, preferably opaque light scattering sheet, the at least one light scattering sheet forming the interior wall of the double-walled tunnel wall, the at least one light scattering sheet being at least partially curved, preferably at least in its upper part being curved in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal extension, the at least one light scattering sheet being configured to be illuminated by the light emitted from the light sources of the LED support sheet and to scatter the light towards the inspection area
Implementation Method 3
the curved area of the LED support sheet is formed into the material of the LED support sheet by elastically bending the LED support sheet from a relaxed planar shape into a bent curved state and the curved area of the light scattering sheet is formed into the material of the light scattering sheet by elastically bending the light scattering sheet from a relaxed planar shape into a bent curved state
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a mobile inspection tunnel for illuminating reflective surfaces of objects positioned in the inner inspection area of the tunnel, particularly for illuminating the reflective surfaces of vehicles, the tunnel having opposite openings on both ends, the openings being spaced along the longitudinal extension of the tunnel, the tunnel comprising at least one modular tunnel element between the openings, preferably comprising several modular tunnel elements connected in a row between the openings, each modular tunnel element having a double-walled tunnel wall spanning the inner inspection area, the tunnel wall comprising: at least one LED support sheet, the at least one LED support sheet forming the exterior wall of the double-walled tunnel wall, the at least one LED support sheet being at least partially curved, preferably at least in its upper part being curved in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal extension, the at least one LED support sheet supporting a plurality of electrically controllable light sources arranged on the interior surface of the sheet, particularly the light sources being arranged in rows and columns, and configured to emit light towards the inner inspection area, at least one translucent, preferably opaque light scattering sheet, the at least one light scattering sheet forming the interior wall of the double-walled tunnel wall, the at least one light scattering sheet being at least partially curved, preferably at least in its upper part being curved in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal extension, the at least one light scattering sheet being arranged on the inside of the LED support sheet in a distance to the LED support sheet along its entire extension, the at least one light scattering sheet being configured to be illuminated by the light emitted from the light sources of the LED support sheet and to scatter the light towards the inspection area. The invention furthermore relates to a method of assembling a mobil inspection tunnel sheet.