Modular Light Fixture With Detachable Power Supply

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing lighting systems with LED modules are difficult to maintain and repair due to the encapsulated and inaccessible LED circuit boards, which poses safety risks and requires professional intervention for replacing defective components.

Innovation Solution

A lamp design featuring an elongate carrier element with detachable lamp modules and a preassembled power supply unit, where the operating device and contacting means are arranged on a device mount that can be easily attached to the carrier element, allowing for modular and tool-free assembly and maintenance, with spring contacts or plug systems ensuring electrical connection without direct access to the power supply components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If LED circuit boards are installed in a shielded or encapsulated manner for safety, then safety is improved, but accessibility for maintenance and repair deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidaccessibility for maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting system is divided into separate functional modules: encapsulated LED modules for safety and a separate operating device for power supply and control. This segmentation allows the LED modules to remain safely encapsulated while the operating device provides accessible maintenance points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The operating device acts as an intermediary between the power supply and the encapsulated LED modules. It contains the contacting means that extend through recesses in the support element, providing accessible electrical connection points without requiring access to the encapsulated LED circuit boards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If individual cable laying is performed for each lighting module, then electrical connection is ensured, but device complexity and assembly difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical connectionVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple cable connections are merged into a single operating device that contains all contacting means. This consolidates the electrical connection function into one preassembled unit that attaches to the support element, eliminating the need for individual cable routing to each LED module.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The operating device with all contacting means and electrical connections is preassembled before installation. This preliminary preparation ensures all electrical connections are properly configured in advance, simplifying the final assembly process where only the operating device needs to be attached to the support element.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of repair

If LED modules are made detachable for easy replacement, then ease of maintenance is improved, but structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemodule replaceabilityVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting system is segmented into detachable LED modules and a separate operating device, with the LED modules designed for easy removal and replacement from the support element while the operating device remains fixed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Stability of the object's composition

If the operating device is integrated directly into the support element, then structural unity is improved, but maintenance accessibility and safety deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural unityVSAvoidmaintenance accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The system is segmented into the support element, detachable LED modules, and a separate operating device. This segmentation maintains structural unity through coordinated design while enabling easy removal of LED modules and providing safe access to electrical connections through the operating device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The operating device is extracted from direct integration with the support element and positioned separately with contacting means that extend through recesses. This extraction provides accessible maintenance points and safety features while maintaining functional integration through the electrical connections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3114403B1Light fixture comprising interchangeable lighting modules
Publication Date: 2018.05.09 ZUMTOBEL LIGHTING GMBH
  • EP3114403B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3114403B1 patent drawingFigure 3~6
  • EP3114403B1 patent drawingFigure 7~8

AI summary

The invention relates to a light fixture (1) comprising an elongated carrier element (5), a number of lighting modules (20), which can be detachably secured to the carrier element (5), and means for supplying power to the lighting module (20), said means comprising an operating device (100) and contacting means (40, 41) which are connected to said operating device (100) and to which the lighting modules (20) can be electrically connected. In said light fixture, the operating device (100) and the contacting means (40, 41) are arranged on a device carrier (50) that can be detachably secured to the carrier element (5).