Lateral illumination fiber optic cable device and method of manufacture
US5617497A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 22, 1994 |
| Grant date | Apr 1, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 22, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S385/901
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A fiber optic cable suitable for lateral illumination lighting installations has a central core, wrapped perimetrically with angularly distributed bundles of optical fibers and covered with a transparent sheath. In one form, the core includes an outer cylindrical surface of reflective material that deflects inwardly directed lateral emissions back outwardly so they can contribute usefully to the visible light. In another form, the core may be reflective or non-reflective and include material enabling the cable to be bent or formed into various shapes. In still another form, the cable includes in combination an outer channel of opaque material with cutout designs formed in the channel for lateral illumination to shine through. In manufacture, the bundles are wound about the core by a cabling machine which simultaneously extrudes the sheath about the winding. In a modified embodiment, a cable includes an arcuate cutout that mates with a complementary track of a mounting strip. In another form of the modified embodiment, the fiber bundles are provided directly within at least one reflective channel formed integrally within the mounting strip.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.