Fiber optic camouflage

• US 5,220,631 A
• Filed: 12/23/1991
• Issued: 06/15/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raymond R. Grippin
• Original Assignee: Raymond R. Grippin
• Inventors: Grippin, Raymond R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGO, HUNG NHAT
• Application Number:
  US07/812,097
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 385/115-121
• US Class Current: 385/115
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/06 the relative position of the fibres being the same at both ends, e.g. for transporting images

Abstract

A camouflage device uses fiber optic cables to conceal an object by routing light around the object using the fiber optic cables. Lenses are used to focus light into and transmit light coming from each end of the fiber optic cables. Each lens is connected to one end of a conical section with the other end connected to one end of a fiber optic cable, while at the other end of the fiber optic cable is another attached conical section and lens. Each lens configuration having a pair of lens and conical sections connected by a fiber optic cable is positioned around the object to be concealed in such a way that any light entering a lens is transmitted around the object to be concealed by the fiber optic cable attached to the lens and then out the other lens of the lens configuration.

Claims

1. A fiber optic camouflage device, comprising:

a first lens group comprising a plurality of first lenses, each being a first part of a lens configuration pair;

a second lens group comprising a plurality of second lenses, each being a second part of a said lens configuration pair;

a plurality of first fiber optic bundles, having a first end and a second end;

a plurality of first lens holders, each having a first end rigidly and securely fastened to one of said plurality of first lenses and a second end rigidly and securely fastened to the first end of one of said plurality of first fiber optic bundles, thereby positioning said one of said plurality of first lenses at the proper focal distance from the first end of said one of said plurality of first fiber optic bundles; and

means for connecting said first lens group and said second lens group so that all light entering into or exiting from any one of said plurality of first lenses belonging to said first part of a particular lens configuration pair is transmitted to or received from, respectively, the one of said plurality of second lenses belonging to the second part of said particular lens configuration pair, wherein the direction of the light entering into said one of said plurality of first lenses is unchanged upon exiting said one of said plurality of second lenses and the direction of the light exiting said one of said plurality of first lenses is unchanged from the light which entered said one of said plurality of second lenses, so that an object located between said first and second lens group is camouflaged when viewed along any direction of light entering or exiting any of the said lenses of the first and second lens groups.

2. A fiber optic camouflage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second lens group further comprises:

a plurality of second lens holders each comprising a first and second end,

wherein said plurality of second lenses are rigidly and securely fastened to said first ends of each of said plurality of second lens holders so as to be at a proper focal distance from said second ends of each of said plurality of second lens holder.

3. A fiber optic camouflage device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for connecting further comprise means for securing the second end of each of said plurality of first fiber optic bundles of said first lens group with the corresponding second end of each of said plurality of second lens holders of said second lens group so as to connect the first and second parts of each lens configuration pair.

4. A fiber optic camouflage device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a suit having an outer material layer; and

means for attaching the lens holders of each lens of both the first and second lens groups to said outer material layer.

5. A fiber optic camouflage device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first lens group is attached to a predetermined half of the outer material layer and the second lens group is attached to a predetermined other half of the material layer, such that there are lenses along every direction in which the suit may be viewed so as to completely conceal the suit and a user wearing the suit.

6. A fiber optic camouflage device as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of said fiber optic bundles comprise image transmitting fiber optic cables.

7. A fiber optic camouflage device as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of said plurality of first lenses belonging to said first part of each lens configuration pair and the corresponding second lens belonging to said second part of each lens configuration pair are identically focused lenses.

8. A fiber optic camouflage device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for connecting further comprise:

a plurality of first connectors attached to the second end of each of said plurality of first fiber optic bundles of said first lens group;

a plurality of second fiber optic bundles each having a first and second end, wherein the first end of each of said plurality of second fiber optic bundles is attached to said second end of each of said plurality of second lens holders; and

a plurality of second connectors attached to the second end of each of said plurality of second fiber optic bundles.

9. A fiber optic camouflage device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said plurality of first fiber optic bundles and said plurality of second fiber optic bundles comprise image transmitting fiber optic cables.

10. A fiber optic camouflage device as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of said plurality of first lenses belonging to said first part of each lens configuration pair and the corresponding second lens belonging to said second part of each lens configuration pair are identically focused lenses.

11. A fiber optic camouflage device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said means for connecting further comprise:

a third connector comprising means for receiving said plurality of first connectors;

a fourth connector comprising means for receiving said plurality of second connectors; and

a plurality of third optic bundles for connecting said third and fourth connectors.