Sign Ventilation System with Vertical Partition and Baffled Vents
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Solution Overview
Problem
LED outdoor signs face challenges in ventilation, particularly when mounted against walls or in enclosed structures, as the airflow to the back or sides is blocked, limiting the effectiveness of existing ventilation designs that pull air from the sides and exhaust out the front, which may not reach the center of larger signs efficiently.
Innovation Solution
The system divides the electronic sign into horizontally adjacent chambers with a vertical partition and electric fans to facilitate airflow between sections, using baffled vent holes to prevent moisture and pests, ensuring adequate ventilation across the sign's width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the sign is divided into multiple chambers with vertical partitions and fans, then airflow reaches the center of larger signs effectively, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sign is divided into multiple chambers separated by vertical partitions, with each chamber containing its own fan. This segmentation allows independent airflow control in each section, ensuring that cool air reaches the center of larger signs effectively while managing heat generation in each module
Solution Approach 2:
Vertical partitions with controlled openings act as intermediaries between chambers, directing airflow from one section to another through regulated paths. These partitions mediate the airflow distribution to ensure centralized cooling while maintaining system organization
2Adaptability or versatility
If air is drawn from the front and exhausted from the back, then ventilation works when sides are blocked, but airflow rate decreases compared to side-intake designs
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilation system uses adjustable or variable airflow mechanisms that can adapt to different mounting configurations. Fans can be positioned or adjusted to optimize airflow paths whether the sign is mounted against a wall or in an enclosed structure, maintaining effectiveness across different installations
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs fans that generate controlled airflow through pneumatic pressure differentials. By creating positive pressure to push air through the sign and negative pressure to draw air in, the system maintains adequate airflow rates even when traditional side-intake methods are blocked by mounting structures
3Productivity
If vent holes are made larger to increase airflow, then ventilation efficiency improves, but moisture and pests can enter more easily
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the vent holes have different properties - the upper portions allow airflow while the lower portions include baffles or filters that block moisture and pests. This local differentiation of vent hole characteristics enables simultaneous achievement of ventilation efficiency and protection against harmful factors
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
This solution effectively cools the middle portion of larger signs by ensuring airflow reaches the center, reducing turbulence and increasing air flow rates, even when signs are mounted in restrictive spaces.
Implementation Method 1
An electric fan is installed in one of the throughholes in order to force air to move from one section to the other section
Implementation Method 2
The vent holes may include baffles to prevent moisture, insects, and animals from entering the sign
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic sign includes a planar lighting module emitting visible light. A cabinet supportingly engages the lighting module. An air chamber is between the cabinet and the lighting module. A vertical partition is within the air chamber and extends between a bottom wall and a top wall of the cabinet, and between the lighting module and a rear wall of the cabinet. The partition divides the air chamber into first and second sections. An electric fan is within the cabinet and transfers air from the first to the second section. The cabinet and/or the lighting module include a plurality of throughholes fluidly interconnecting the air chamber to ambient air. A first subset of the throughholes are more closely fluidly connected to the first section than to the second section. A second subset of the throughholes are more closely fluidly connected to the second section than to the first section.