Photocell Receptacle Angular Adjustment Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing photocell receptacles for street and parking lot lights are difficult to aim and assemble, leading to inefficient photocell orientation and potential misalignment over time due to cumbersome mounting clips and lack of ease in angular adjustment.
Innovation Solution
A photocell receptacle design featuring a base with locking features and a cap that can be variably positioned and locked at different angular positions, utilizing a biasing member to secure the cap relative to the base, allowing for easy aiming and assembly, with features such as anti-rotation posts and over-rotation limitations to maintain optimal orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If mounting clips are used to allow orienting of the receptacle, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases and reliability deteriorates due to difficulty in installation and manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex mounting clips from the design entirely. Instead, the cap is directly rotatable on the base with integrated locking features, simplifying the structure while maintaining ease of aiming through direct rotational adjustment of the cap to orient the photocell.
Solution Approach 2:
The receptacle is divided into distinct functional components: a base for mounting, a rotatable cap for positioning, and separate locking features. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component's function while reducing overall complexity compared to integrated mounting clips.
2Ease of operation
If mounting clips are used to allow orienting of the receptacle, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates as clips fail over time allowing photocell migration
Solution Approach 1:
The locking features are designed to engage automatically when the cap is rotated to the desired position, preventing future migration before it can occur. The protrusion and recess lock the cap in place immediately upon positioning, eliminating the need for separate securing actions that might fail over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical mounting clip system with a direct rotational locking mechanism using protrusion-recess engagement. This substitution eliminates the flexible but unreliable clip material from the design, using rigid geometric locking features instead that maintain positional stability indefinitely.
3Manufacturing precision
If drilling holes in the light fixture is done to accomplish photocell aiming, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates due to difficulty and time consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is designed to be rotatable on the base, allowing dynamic adjustment of the photocell orientation after assembly. This eliminates the need for precise pre-drilled holes, as the aiming can be accomplished by simply rotating the cap to the correct angular position and locking it in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The aiming function is separated from the mounting function. The base provides mounting while the rotatable cap provides positioning, allowing each to be optimized independently. This segmentation removes the requirement for complex pre-drilled hole patterns, simplifying the manufacturing process.
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
Facilitates easy and precise aiming of photocells, ensuring optimal efficiency by allowing easy angular adjustment and secure locking, reducing the risk of misalignment and improving field usability.
Implementation Method 1
The cap is biased into a locked position in which the locking features are engaged by a biasing member
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A photocell receptacle (100) includes a base (110) configured to be fixedly mounted to a housing (102) of a light fixture (104). The base has an opening (214) providing access to the interior of the housing of the light fixture. The base has a base locking feature (230). The photocell receptacle includes a cap (112) having a cap locking feature (270). The cap locking feature operably engaging the base locking feature to secure the cap to the base. The cap is variably positionable at different angular positions relative to the base. The cap has contact channels (258) holding electrical contacts (260) configured to be electrically connected to corresponding contacts (264) of a photocell (106).