Oven Illumination Lens Cavity for Heat-Shielded LED Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional oven illuminations have short lifetimes due to high temperatures and vibrations, requiring frequent replacements and providing inadequate, dim lighting that is confined to a small area of the baking chamber.
Innovation Solution
An oven illumination system featuring a lens with a cavity to shield light sources from heat, using LEDs and a heat sink for thermal management, and a glass lens that can be shaped and filled with gas to optimize illumination and reduce thermal conduction, ensuring uniform lighting across the baking chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If conventional light sources (incandescent or halogen lamps) are used in oven illuminations, then the illumination can provide sufficient brightness, but the light sources have short lifetimes due to high temperatures and vibrations, requiring frequent replacements
Solution Approach 1:
A lens with an integrated cavity is introduced as an intermediary component between the light source and the high-temperature oven environment. The cavity acts as a thermal barrier that reduces heat conduction to the light source, thereby extending its lifetime while still allowing sufficient light to pass through for illumination
Solution Approach 2:
The lens is constructed as a composite structure combining optical material (for light transmission) with thermal insulation features (the cavity). This composite design allows the lens to simultaneously perform optical function (transmitting light from LED to muffle) and thermal protection function (shielding the light source from high temperatures)
2Device complexity
If conventional light sources are used without thermal shielding, then the structure is simple, but the high temperatures and steamy atmosphere within the baking chamber cause frequent light source failures
Solution Approach 1:
The lens and thermal shielding cavity are merged into a single integrated component. The lens body incorporates the cavity directly, combining the optical element (lens) with the thermal protection element (cavity) into one piece, thereby providing reliable thermal shielding without significantly increasing structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The lens material and cavity design are optimized to achieve specific thermal and optical parameters. The cavity reduces thermal conduction to acceptable levels while the lens material maintains sufficient light transmission, changing the thermal parameters of the illumination system without compromising its optical function
3Duration of action of stationary object
If a lens with cavity is used to shield light sources from heat, then the light source lifetime is extended, but the lens must be designed with specific shape and optical parameters to provide optimal illumination
Solution Approach 1:
The lens is designed with local quality variations - different regions of the lens have different properties optimized for specific functions. The cavity is positioned and sized to provide thermal protection at the light source location, while the lens shape and refractive index are locally optimized to direct and distribute light uniformly across the muffle interior
4Illumination intensity
If the lens is made from glass with optimized shape and surface, then uniform illumination across a large portion of the muffle can be obtained, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The glass lens is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: thermal shielding (through the cavity structure), light transmission, light distribution (through optimized shape and surface), and structural support. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall manufacturing process despite the optimized optical requirements
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 solution extends the lifespan of light sources, reduces maintenance costs, and provides brighter, more uniform illumination for improved visual inspection during baking processes.
Implementation Method 1
A cavity is provided with the lens body at least reducing heat conduction in a direction towards the at least one light source
Implementation Method 2
a lens arranged downstream the at least one light source... optimal and uniform illumination can be obtained for a large portion of the muffle
Data Source
AI summary
The invention in particular relates to an oven illumination (4) for illuminating the interior of a muffle (1) of an oven. Inter alia for improving lifetimes of light sources (6) of the oven illumination (4), a glass lens (7) arranged downstream the at least one light source (6) is provided. The glass lens (7) comprises a cavity (8) at least reducing heat conduction towards the at least one light source (6).