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Lamps On Marble or Stone Countertops

4.3K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  adivol  
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I'm doing a design/build of a built-in cabinet for a customer who wants to use table lamps on it. They want a marble or granite top and we need to decide how to get the cords into the cabinet as unobtrusively as possible.

The simplest solution is holes thru the top, but that's also very permanent. Anyone ever had to do this and have a better solution?
 
#2 ·
If the cabinet is built in does the electric code in the customer's area allow for an outlet inside a cabinet? That is rather unusual.
 
#7 ·
I don't know how tech savvy you are (or how well heeled your clients are), but I instantly thought that some of the new wireless power technologies, like eCoupled, paired with some LED bulbs, could get you lights that worked if they were on the right place on the shelf.

If I were chasing this down, I'd see if I could get some sample coils from Leggett & Platt - eCoupled and put something together. Heck, if you play it right you might even be able to take this to them as a product need.

Oooh, here we go: the WiTricity Developer's Kit, comes with an LED light, assumes the antenna 15-30cm from the receiver. If the LED isn't enough, it looks like it comes with a couple of "Wireless energy capture modules". If you can't source enough current to get as much light as you'd like, maybe you can just assume a lower duty cycle (ie: the lamps are only on a few hours every day) and charge batteries the rest of the time that the lights use when they're on…

(Yes, I am a geek who's willing to go way over the top to find absurd solutions to problems…)
 
#8 ·
Looking further, those dev kit receivers appear to have Mini- or Micro-USB jacks on them. That suggests that you might be able to source up to 500mA from them. Looks like a 3v 20cd white LED sinks about 350mA, so their receiver pad, a 47 Ohm resistor and one of those would be a light. Or you could buy complete USB light assemblies for a few bucks and use 'em in whatever lamps you had in mind…