Fiber optic lighting system
AssigneeTimex Corporation
InventorsHarold Thorgersen, Jose Santana, Andrew C. Ledesma, Surendar K. Bhan, Lyman Daigle
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Abstract
A lighting system utilizing an optical fiber is provided. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, light rays from a light source are focused into an outer end of the optical fiber wound in a spiral shape. The light rays are focused in by a ball lens. In one embodiment, the spiral shape optical fiber is enclosed by a casing having a reflective inner surface along the periphery and the bottom; however, there is an aperture in the casing to permit light rays from the light source to reach the outer end of the spiral shape optical fiber.
Claims8
A lighting system, which comprises:
- an optical fiber comprising a core and cladding, where a refractive index of the core is higher than a refractive index of the cladding;
- the optical fiber being wound in a spiral shape comprising a plurality of turns, where the spiral shape optical fiber has an outer end;
- a light source;
- means for focusing the light from the light source to the core at the outer end of the spiral shape optical fiber;
- and
- a casing enclosing the spiral shape optical fiber along a periphery and a bottom, except for an aperture to permit the core at the outer end of the spiral shape optical fiber to receive light from the light source, the casing having a reflective inner surface.
A backlighting system for illuminating a dial of a timepiece, which comprises:
- an optical fiber wound in a spiral shape comprising a plurality of turns, where each turn is contiguous to at least one other turn, the spiral shape optical fiber having an outer end;
- a light source;
- means for focusing the light from the light source to the outer end of the spiral shape optical fiber;
- a casing enclosing the spiral shape optical fiber along a periphery and a bottom, except for an aperture to permit the outer end of the spiral shape optical fiber to receive light from the light source, the casing having a reflective inner surface;
- and
- the dial of the timepiece being positioned on top of the casing.
A lighting system for illuminating a dial of a timepiece, which comprises:
- an optical fiber wound in a continuously curving spiral shape comprising a plurality of turns, where each turn is contiguous to at least one other turn, the spiral shape optical fiber having an outer end;
- a light source;
- means for focusing the light from the light source to the outer end of the spiral shape optical fiber;
- and
- timekeeping indicia positioned directly on top of the spiral shape optical fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.