Safety switching apparatus

• US 20050205767A1
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jurgen Menz
• Original Assignee: Jurgen Menz
• Inventors: Menz, Jurgen
• Application Number:
  US11/136,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20050205767A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/227.140
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/431 specially adapted for vehicle windows or roofs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/55 Windows

Abstract

A safety switching apparatus for power-operated equipment, for power-operated machinery and for power-operated windows, doors, sliding equipment and the like, in particular of vehicles, having at least a light source, an optical waveguide (1), a light sensor and an associated control unit that controls the driving of the equipment in dependence on the intensity of light received by the light sensor, the optical waveguide (1) having a light-guiding core (2) with a high refraction coefficient and an outer wall (3) surrounding the light-guiding core (2) and having a lower refraction coefficient than the light guiding core (2), the light-guiding core (2) and/or the outer wall (3) being fabricated from a material that is in a liquid or elastically deformable state in the optical waveguide (1) ready for service.

Claims

1. An optical waveguide for safety switching apparatus controlled by changes in the intensity of light passing through the optical wave guide comprising:

a crystal-clear silicon gel light-guiding core having a refraction coefficient and

a hose shaped outer wall of crystal-clear elastomeric thermoplastic material encompassing said light-guiding core, said outer wall having a lower refraction coefficient than said light-guiding core and said light-guiding core and said outer wall being flexible thereby permitting flexing of said wave guide to change the intensity of light passing through said waveguide.

2. The waveguide of claim 1 wherein said core is an elastically deformable plastic.

3. The waveguide of claim 1 wherein said outer wall is a gel.

4. The waveguide of claim 1 having a protective layer of elastic material surrounding said outer wall, said protective layer preventing radial loss of light from said waveguide.

5. The waveguide of claim 4 wherein upon changes in cross section of either of said core and outer wall said protective layer reflects the reflected light back through the outer wall and to the core.

6. A method of fabricating an optical waveguide comprising the steps of:

providing a hollow outer wall (3);

forming a light guiding core by inserting a gel under pressure into said hollow outer wall (3) and

curing said gel into an elastically deformable mass inside said outer wall.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said light guiding core has a high refraction coefficient and said outer wall is fabricated from a material having a lower refraction coefficient than said light guiding core (2).

8. A method of fabricating tapelike optical waveguides, comprising the steps of:

providing a first film,

applying a light guiding gel material on said first film,

placing a second film on top of said gel material to form a composite,

curing said light guiding gel and

cutting said composite into tapelike strips.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said light guiding film has a high refraction coefficient and said first and second films have a refraction coefficient lower than said refraction coefficient of said light guiding film.

10. The method of claim 9 and further comprising the step of placing an adhesive material on one side of said composite.