Lateral illumination fiber optic cable device and method of manufacture

• US 5,617,496 A
• Filed: 07/20/1994
• Issued: 04/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zodiac Pool Systems Incorporated (Fluidra, S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Super Vision International Incorporated
• Inventors: Kingstone, Brett M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bovernick, Rodney B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wise, Robert E.
• Application Number:
  US08/277,887
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 385/100, 385/136, 385/901, 385/108
• US Class Current: 385/100
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/00 Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle which imparts the desired form; Apparatus therefor extrusion blow-moulding B29C49/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/06 Rod-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/10 flexible, e.g. blown foils
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/12 Articles with an irregular circumference when viewed in cross-section, e.g. window profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4415 Cables for special applications G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

A fiber optic cable (10) suitable for lateral illumination lighting installations has a tubular central core (12), wrapped perimetrically with angularly evenly distributed bundles (15) of optical fibers (16) and covered with a transparent sheath (17). The core includes an outer cylindrical surface (14) of reflective material (24) that deflects inwardly directed lateral emissions back outwardly, so they can contribute usefully to the visible light. 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 (10'"'"') includes an arcuate cutout (30) that mates with a complementary track (39, 40) of a mounting strip (35). Strip (35) includes a reflective substance in an area (38) between upper and lower cables (10'"'"') to present a continuous, top to bottom lateral illumination effect. In another form of the modified embodiment, the fiber bundles are provided directly within upper and lower reflective channels (41) formed integrally within the mounting strip.

Claims

1. A lateral illumination fiber optic cable comprising:

a central core extending longitudinally of the cable;

a plurality of optical fibers distributed perimetrically about the core and extending axially along an outer surface of the core, said optical fibers having a plurality of bends in the fibers for enhancing lateral illumination at the expense of axial transmission of light; and

a transparent tubular sheath encompassing the core and the optical fibers and extending along a length of the cable.

2. The lateral illumination fiber optic cable of claim 1 wherein the optical fibers are wound about the core in overlapping patterns to form variable lateral illumination designs.

3. The lateral illumination fiber optic cable of claim 1 wherein the optical fibers are bundled into a plurality of bundles and the bundles are distributed about the core.

4. The lateral illumination fiber optic cable of claim 1 wherein said central core comprises a length of a flexible, memory retentive material enabling said cable to be bent into selected shapes which are maintained by said core.