Slotted Reflective Circuit Board for LED Light Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing illumination devices struggle to achieve even light distribution and brightness comparable to neon lighting while minimizing weight, fragility, and manufacturing costs, as they often require costly light-reflecting coatings on housing components.
Innovation Solution
A slotted and reflective circuit board with a flexible substrate and conductive traces is used, allowing for light collection and reflection into a light-diffusing member, eliminating the need for costly coatings on housing components and enhancing light-collection efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If light-reflecting coatings are applied to housing components, then light-collection efficiency is improved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit board serves dual functions: electrical connection and light reflection. By making the circuit board itself reflective through slot design rather than adding separate coatings to housing components, the system uses existing components to perform multiple functions, eliminating the need for costly reflective coatings on housing while maintaining light-collection efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit board is designed with slots that create reflective surfaces, transforming it from a single-function electrical component into a multi-functional element that both connects LEDs electrically and reflects light into the light-diffusing member. This eliminates the need for separate reflective coatings on housing components
2Illumination intensity
If traditional illumination devices are used to achieve even light distribution, then brightness uniformity is improved, but weight and fragility increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical neon tubing structures with LED technology combined with optical design elements (light-diffusing member with slots). This substitution maintains the even light distribution characteristic of neon lighting while eliminating the weight and fragility associated with glass tubing and supporting infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental parameters of the lighting system by using LED point sources with specific spatial arrangement and optical diffusion characteristics rather than continuous gas discharge tubing. This allows achieving uniform light distribution through optical design rather than relying on the physical properties of neon glass tubing
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 solution provides improved light-collection efficiency and uniformity without increasing manufacturing costs, making it a competitive alternative to neon lighting with reduced weight and fragility.
Implementation Method 1
a slotted and reflective circuit board for operably connecting the LEDs to a power source and/or control system
Data Source
AI summary
An illumination device generally comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs); a housing for receiving the plurality of LEDs; a light-diffusing member positioned adjacent the housing for receiving light emitted from the LEDs; and a slotted and reflective circuit board for operably connecting the LEDs to a power source and/or control system. The flexible substrate can be manipulated from a first, substantially flat position to a second position by folding the substrate along upper and lower longitudinal axes defined by slots oriented longitudinally and along either side of a central longitudinal axis of the substrate, such that the substrate can be inserted into the housing in an approximate U-shape. By manipulating the substrate from the first position to the second position in this manner, light from the LEDs that is not directly emitted into the light-diffusing member is collected and reflected by the circuit board into the light-diffusing member.