Smart Glass Spotlight Filter for Variable Illumination Effects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spotlights for professional illumination applications, such as PAR, floodlights, and strobes, lack flexibility in generating illumination effects due to the need for voltage application or cumbersome filter replacement, limiting the variety of achievable optical effects.
Innovation Solution
Combining a tintable Smart Glass filter with a zoom optic, allowing adjustable translucency and position of optical elements, enabling flexible illumination effects without filter changes, and providing detachable mounting for easy exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed filter is attached to a conventional spotlight, then the spotlight can generate specific illumination effects, but the variety of achievable optical effects is limited and filter replacement is cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the Dynamics principle by making the filter element dynamically adjustable through voltage application. The Smart Glass filter can continuously change its translucency and color properties in response to applied voltage, allowing the same physical filter to produce multiple different illumination effects without replacement. This resolves the contradiction by enabling effect variety through dynamic property change rather than static filter replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the Parameter changes principle by changing the optical parameters (translucency, color) of the filter material through voltage application. The Smart Glass filter's properties are modified by applying voltage, which changes the electrical, optical, or other properties of the filter element. This allows a single filter to achieve multiple illumination effects by parameter adjustment rather than physical replacement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If filter elements are made exchangeable for greater flexibility, then more variety of optical effects can be achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the Segmentation principle by separating the filter element from the spotlight housing as a detachable module. The filter can be independently mounted or removed, and the mounting system is designed with separate components (connecting portion, contacts, mounting elements) that work together. This modular segmentation enables easy exchange of filter elements while keeping the overall device complexity manageable through standardized interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the Universality principle by designing a mounting system that serves multiple functions: mechanical attachment, electrical contact for voltage application, and optical alignment. The connecting portion and mounting elements are designed to universally accommodate different filter elements while providing all necessary functions through a single integrated interface, reducing the need for separate mechanisms for each function.
3Ease of operation
If a Smart Glass filter is used with adjustable translucency, then continuous color adjustment is possible, but the ability to achieve diverse optical effects is limited without additional optical elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the Merging principle by combining the Smart Glass filter with additional optical elements (zoom optic, lenses, reflectors) within the same spotlight housing. The filter element is integrated with these other optical components, allowing their effects to be combined and multiplied. This resolves the contradiction by merging the continuous adjustment capability of the Smart Glass with the diverse optical effects of additional elements to achieve both ease of operation and high adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the Composite materials principle by creating a composite optical system that combines the Smart Glass filter material with other optical elements. The filter element works in combination with lenses, zoom optics, and reflectors to produce composite optical effects that are greater than the sum of individual components. This enables diverse optical effects while maintaining continuous adjustability through the Smart Glass properties.
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
Enhances the variability and flexibility of illumination effects by combining adjustable Smart Glass and zoom optics, allowing continuous adjustment and easy filter exchange, thereby multiplying achievable effects.
Implementation Method 1
the translucency is changeable in response to the application of an electric voltage
Data Source
AI summary
A spotlight, having a housing. The housing defines a cavity and a light exiting side of the spotlight. The spotlight has a light element provided in the cavity of the housing; a zoom optic provided in the cavity of the housing; and a filter arranged at the light exiting side on the housing. The filter has a tintable glazing (Smart Glass), wherein the translucency of the glazing is changeable by application of an electric voltage.