Adjustable Spotlight Holder With Friction-Locked Spherical Tilt
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing directable spotlights require additional parts and screws for fixation, making them complex and cumbersome to redirect.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable light source holder with partly spherical inner and outer shells that engage frictionally through rough surfaces, allowing tilting about any axis without screws, and can be manufactured using fused deposition modeling (FDM).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screws or similar fixing means are used to affix the light source, then the spotlight achieves stable fixation and desired directional illumination, but the spotlight system becomes more complex and redirecting becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the screws and additional fixing parts from the spotlight system. The light source holder is designed to be directly mounted to the spotlight housing without any intermediate fastening components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining reliable fixation through the frictional engagement mechanism between the elastic holder and the housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The light source holder serves multiple functions simultaneously: it houses the light source, provides stable fixation through elastic frictional engagement, and enables easy redirection by hand. The elastic material and rough surface portions work together to create a self-fixing mechanism that requires no additional parts or tools for both installation and repositioning.
2Reliability
If screws are used to fix the light source, then the light source is securely held in place, but redirecting the spotlight becomes complicated and requires tools
Solution Approach 1:
The light source holder is made from elastic material that allows dynamic adjustment. The holder can be easily deformed by hand to change the spotlight's direction, and the elastic properties ensure the light source remains securely retained during both static operation and dynamic repositioning. This eliminates the need for tools while maintaining reliable light source holding.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the holder by using elastic material with specific mechanical properties. The elastic modulus and friction characteristics are optimized to allow easy manual deformation for redirection while maintaining sufficient gripping force to securely hold the light source in place during normal operation.
3Ease of operation
If the inner part is made from elastic material with rough surfaces for frictional engagement, then tool-free redirection is enabled and complexity is reduced, but the frictional engagement must be sufficient to maintain orientation stability
Solution Approach 1:
The rough surface portions are localized at specific contact areas between the inner and outer parts of the holder. This local quality enhancement provides concentrated frictional engagement precisely where needed to maintain orientation stability, while the rest of the elastic material remains compliant to allow easy manual deformation for redirection.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder combines elastic material with rough surface portions to create a composite structure that exhibits both flexibility for easy redirection and high friction for stable orientation. The rough surface portions may be made of different material or have different surface treatment to optimize the frictional engagement while maintaining the overall elastic properties of the holder.
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
Enables easy reconfiguration of directional illumination profiles without tools, reducing complexity and enhancing orientation stability through frictional engagement.
Implementation Method 1
An outer surface of the inner part and/or an inner surface of the outer part comprises a rough portion for providing frictional engagement to the other of the surfaces
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The present invention relates to an adjustable light source holder (100), comprising an inner part (110), in the form of a partly spherical shell (214), configured to house a light source; an outer part (120), in the form of a partly spherical shell (324), configured to house and interact with the partly spherical shell of the inner part; wherein the inner part is tiltable relative to the outer part about an arbitrary tilt axis (130); wherein the inner part (110) is made from an elastic material; and wherein an outer surface (212) of the inner part and/or an inner surface (322) of the outer part comprises a rough portion (416, 426). Methods of manufacturing the adjustable light source holder and related directable spotlight systems are also presented.