Simulated Torch Flame Effect via LED and Pneumatic Flutter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current alternatives to open flames for lighting, such as incandescent and LED technologies, fail to replicate the warmth, glow, and charm of real flames while being environmentally friendly, as they consume fossil fuels and emit pollutants.
Innovation Solution
A device simulating flames by using a diffuser lit from underneath by an array of LEDs, with a blower creating a fluttering motion in a flexible filament, mounted on a pivot for oscillation, and controlled by a microcontroller for pseudorandom movement and brightness, powered by a standard landscape lighting circuit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If burning torches are used to provide warmth and atmospheric effect, then the atmospheric and mood-enhancing attributes are achieved, but carbon emissions and environmental pollution increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual copy of real flames using LED lights, transparent panels, and optical elements to replicate the appearance, movement, and warmth of burning torches without actual combustion. The LED-based simulated flame mimics the visual characteristics of real fire while eliminating harmful emissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical combustion process with an electrical-optical system. Instead of burning fuel to produce light and heat, the invention uses LED illumination, transparent diffusing panels, and controlled air flow to create the appearance of flame, substituting a mechanical/electrical system for a chemical one.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If incandescent and LED lighting are used to replace burning torches, then environmental friendliness is improved, but the warmth, glow, and charm of open flame are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses transparent panels with specific optical properties that allow light to pass through while creating the appearance of flame. The selective use of transparent materials at strategic locations enables the simulated flame to exhibit localized warmth and glow characteristics that mimic real fire, while the overall system remains environmentally friendly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs colored LED lights and transparent panels with specific optical transmission properties to replicate the color characteristics of real flames. The combination of warm-white LEDs and selectively transparent materials creates the characteristic orange-yellow glow of fire, maintaining the visual appeal while eliminating emissions.
3Illumination intensity
If a flexible filament is used to simulate flame movement, then realism is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a blower to create air flow that passes through and around the transparent filament, causing it to move and flutter in a manner that simulates real flame dynamics. This pneumatic approach creates realistic flame movement without requiring complex mechanical actuation systems, motors, or electronic control of the filament itself.
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 device provides a realistic, 360-degree simulated flame effect without actual fuel, reducing carbon footprint and safety risks, being low power and silent, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
Implementation Method 1
a blower creates a fluttering motion in a flexible filament
Implementation Method 2
an array of LEDs located at the enclosure's base
Implementation Method 3
The filament is mounted on a pivot that accentuates the flutter effect by allowing the filament to freely oscillate back and forth on the pivot
Data Source
AI summary
An indoor-outdoor novelty device which simulates moving open flame from the upper end of a standing torch. The device provides a realistic illusion of a bright flame changing its shape and brightness pseudorandomly thru a unique combination of lighting, motion, and airflow under microcontroller control. The device can be viewed from a vantage point in a 360-degree perimeter around the device without compromise to the effect.