Reflective Light Collecting Enclosure for Illuminance Meters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional illuminance meters are inadequate for precise measurements under direct sunlight due to angle sensitivity and instability, leading to high measurement errors when used outdoors, especially near windows, as they are designed for indoor conditions and lack sufficient stability to maintain accurate angle alignment with direct sunlight.
Innovation Solution
An illumination measuring module with a housing made of aluminum, featuring a glass surface surrounded by foam rubber for stability, and a plane white sheet for scattering light, which ensures precise measurement of incident illumination by diffusing and reflecting light internally to stabilize the photo detector's angle and reduce errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a commercial photo detector with plastic housing is used for indoor measurements, then the device is lightweight and easy to manufacture, but the measurement precision deteriorates under direct sunlight due to angle sensitivity and instability
Solution Approach 1:
The housing transitions from plastic to aluminum composite material construction. The aluminum housing provides superior mechanical stability and rigidity to maintain precise angular alignment with direct sunlight, while the composite structure integrates multiple functional elements including the photo detector mounting surface, light guide, and protective components into a unified stable platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a curved light guide surface with specific geometric curvature designed to redirect and diffuse sunlight onto the photo detector. The curved surface optimizes light collection from various angles while maintaining a compact housing form factor, enabling the device to capture diffuse skylight effectively without requiring large angular adjustments.
2Volume of moving object
If the photo detector supporting surface is only millimeter-wide, then the device remains compact and lightweight, but the stability deteriorates causing slipping and angle deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extends the supporting surface from a millimeter-wide flat contact point to a multi-dimensional aluminum housing structure with increased surface area in multiple dimensions. The housing incorporates extended mounting surfaces, side walls, and base structures that provide distributed contact points, dramatically improving stability against slipping while maintaining a compact overall form factor through vertical integration.
3Device complexity
If the measuring device is designed for indoor lighting conditions with low light factors, then the device simplicity is maintained, but the reliability deteriorates when used outdoors under direct sunlight with high light factors
Solution Approach 1:
The aluminum housing is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, ensures thermal management for the photo detector, offers environmental protection against elements, enables precise angular positioning, and integrates the light guide system. This multi-functionality allows the device to reliably operate across both indoor and outdoor conditions without requiring separate specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention modifies key physical parameters of the housing including material composition (aluminum), surface area, thermal conductivity, and mechanical rigidity. These parameter changes enable the device to maintain reliable operation under varying light conditions from 100-200000 Lux, with the aluminum material providing both thermal stability and mechanical precision required for outdoor sunlight measurements.
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
Enables accurate and reproducible illumination measurements under direct sunlight conditions by stabilizing the photo detector and minimizing angle deviations, thus reducing measurement errors and improving the reliability of outdoor light measurements.
Implementation Method 1
The glass surface transmits illumination collected from an external ambience of the housing to one or more inner surfaces corresponding to the plurality of surfaces
Implementation Method 2
The plane white sheet homogenously scatters illumination collected from the external ambience of the housing into the one or more inner surfaces corresponding to the plurality of surfaces of the housing
Implementation Method 3
The one or more of inner surfaces of the housing generates a plurality of reflections of the scattered illumination inside the housing
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides an illumination measuring module which includes a housing and a photo detector. The housing is molded with a plurality of surfaces. Each surface of the housing is affixed with respective side edges of the plurality of the surfaces to form a predetermined shape. Each surface includes an external surface and an inner surface. One surface of the plurality of surfaces is a glass surface. The glass surface transmits illumination collected from an external ambience of the housing to one or more inner surfaces corresponding to the plurality of surfaces. On an inner surface of the glass surface, a plane white sheet is positioned which homogenously scatters illumination collected from the external ambience into the one or more inner surfaces in the housing. The photo detector measures scattered illumination diffused from the one or more inner surfaces corresponding to the plurality of surfaces.