Sliding LED Strips with Dynamic Current Control for Uniform Illumination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing LED lighting strips have fixed lengths, making them inflexible and requiring cutting to fit specific applications, which can lead to non-uniform light distribution and increased energy consumption when overlapping strips are used to achieve the desired length.

Innovation Solution

A lighting device comprising two slidable LED strips with overlapping regions, where the light intensity in the overlap area is adjusted to match the intensity outside the overlap, allowing for reversible extension and retraction without cutting, ensuring a constant light output and energy efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If LED lighting strips are manufactured with fixed lengths to simplify production, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the lighting device cannot be adjusted to fit different application lengths

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadjustability to different lengthsVSAvoidproduction complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting device is divided into multiple identical modular lighting strips that can be connected in series. Each module contains the same LED pitch configuration, and they can be arranged in different quantities to achieve different total lengths, providing adaptability without requiring custom manufacturing for each length.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The same standardized lighting strip module serves multiple functions and applications by simply changing the number of modules connected. A single module design with fixed LED pitch can be used for various applications by adjusting the quantity of modules, making the system universal across different length requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple LED lighting strips are overlapped to achieve desired length, then the lighting device can fit different lengths, but the light intensity becomes non-uniform in the overlap area

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadjustability to different lengthsVSAvoiduniformity of light distribution
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting system dynamically adjusts the operating current of LEDs based on their position. LEDs in overlapping regions receive a different current than LEDs in non-overlapping regions, allowing the system to maintain uniform light intensity across the entire lighting device regardless of the number of modules or overlap configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the lighting device receive different operating conditions. LEDs in overlap areas are operated at different current levels compared to LEDs in non-overlap areas, creating local quality variations that compensate for the physical overlap and result in uniform overall light distribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Illumination intensity

If LED lighting strips are cut to exact length to eliminate overlap, then light uniformity is improved, but the lighting device cannot be reused or repositioned

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniformity of light distributionVSAvoidreusability and repositioning capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting device is constructed from discrete modular segments that can be connected and disconnected. This segmentation allows the lighting device to be assembled to exact lengths without cutting, maintaining both light uniformity through proper module selection and the ability to disassemble and reuse modules in different configurations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The lighting system provides dynamic control over which modules are active and how they are configured. Modules can be dynamically connected or disconnected to achieve exact length requirements, and the system can adapt its configuration for different applications, maintaining both uniformity and reusability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Adaptability or versatility

If overlapping LED strips are used to reduce overall length, then the lighting device can achieve shorter lengths, but energy consumption increases due to multiple LEDs illuminating the same area

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadjustability to different lengthsVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting system dynamically adjusts the operating current of LEDs in overlapping regions to reduce their light output. This dynamic current control compensates for the overlap effect, allowing the system to achieve the desired length reduction while maintaining energy efficiency by preventing excessive brightness in overlap areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operating parameters (current) of LEDs based on their position in the overlapping region. By adjusting the current parameter, the system optimizes energy consumption while maintaining uniform light output, preventing the energy waste that would otherwise occur in overlapping regions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3464997B1Lighting device and method
Publication Date: 2019.09.11 SIGNIFY HOLDING BV
  • EP3464997B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3464997B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3464997B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A lighting device has at least two lighting strips, which are slidable relative to each other and overlap in a region of overlap so that the overall length may be adjusted. The combined light intensity per unit length of the lighting strips in the region of overlap corresponds to the light intensity per unit length of the first and second lighting strips outside the region of overlap.. This arrangement makes sure the combined light output in the region of overlap is the same as where the lighting strips do not overlap. In this way, the overall device is reversibly and repeatedly extendable and retractable and maintains a relatively constant light output per unit length.