Showcase LED Shelf Lighting for Front-Edge Illumination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional showcase illumination using fluorescent lamps inadequately illuminates the centers of shelves, leading to dark spots and reduced display effectiveness, with light being wasted behind pillars and not effectively reaching commodities on foremost parts.

Innovation Solution

The use of LED illumination members with a substrate and heat release passage, attached to the main body with a reflective plate to direct light towards the front parts of shelves, ensuring even illumination and reducing glare for customers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If fluorescent lamps are attached to the rear surface of pillars to illuminate the display chamber, then the illumination device can be installed in a conventional manner, but the centers of the front parts of shelves cannot be irradiated with sufficient light

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation convenienceVSAvoidillumination uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The illumination function is extracted from the pillar structure and integrated into the door assembly. The LED illumination member is mounted on the door rather than on pillars, allowing light to be emitted from a different position that can effectively illuminate the front parts of shelves while maintaining easy installation through standardized mounting structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The illumination approach changes from vertical emission (fluorescent lamps on pillars) to horizontal emission (LEDs on door). By changing the spatial dimension of light emission, the illumination can reach the front parts of shelves that were previously dark spots, achieving both ease of installation and improved illumination uniformity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of manufacture

If fluorescent lamps are used for illumination, then the illumination device can be installed conventionally, but light is wasted behind pillars and cannot reach foremost parts of shelves

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation simplicityVSAvoidlight waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Fluorescent lamps are replaced with LED illumination members that provide more directional light emission. This substitution reduces light waste by directing illumination precisely where needed (front parts of shelves) rather than allowing diffuse emission that is blocked by pillars and wasted behind them.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The illumination characteristics are optimized for specific locations. The LED illumination member is positioned and oriented to concentrate light emission toward the front parts of shelves, providing localized high-intensity illumination where commodities are most visible, rather than uniform diffuse illumination that wastes light in unnecessary areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Strength

If pillars are provided in the display chamber, then structural support is provided, but commodities cannot be displayed on shelves positioned behind the pillars

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural supportVSAvoiddisplay area
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The door assembly serves as an intermediary structure that carries the illumination function. By mounting LED illumination members on the door rather than relying on pillars for both structural and illumination functions, the pillars can remain purely structural while the door provides both access and illumination, eliminating the need for pillars to block commodity display areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

LEDs provide high directivity lighting that effectively illuminates the foremost parts of shelves, improving display and presentation while minimizing light wastage and extending the lifespan of the illumination system.

Implementation Method 1

an illumination device (15) which is vertically attached to the main body on an inner side from an edge of an opening, comprises a plurality of LED elements (17)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight Emitting Diode: Light Emitting Diode

Implementation Method 2

a reflective plate portion (23) which is positioned on a door side of the LED illumination member (16)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Implementation Method 3

a passage for heat release is formed in the holding member so that the passage is positioned on the side of the back surface of the substrate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat dissipation: Heat Sink

Data Source

PatentEP2055211B1Showcase
Publication Date: 2015.03.25 SANYO ELECTRIC CO LTD
  • EP2055211B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2055211B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2055211B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

An object is to provide a showcase capable of effectively illuminating commodities displayed on a shelf in a display chamber, especially commodities in shelf foremost parts. In the showcase in which the shelf for displaying the commodities is disposed in the display chamber constituted in a main body and in which a front-surface opening of the display chamber is openably closed by see-through doors and in which an illumination device is vertically attached to the main body on an inner side from the edge of the opening, the illumination device is constituted of LED elements, and light from the LED elements is emitted toward front parts of the shelf.