Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Optical article shaping or treating – Optical fiber – waveguide – or preform
Patent
1995-01-09
1997-07-29
Vargot, Mathieu D.
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Optical article shaping or treating
Optical fiber, waveguide, or preform
264 127, 264 137, 264 17, 264 27, 264335, 264337, B29D 1100
Patent
active
056519249
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing light panels.
1. Background of the Invention
Providing light conducting fibres in light panels for forming a light-emitting representation requires fixing the ends of these fibres in the desired pattern in a plate-shaped panel, in particular made of plastics. The known methods for this purpose are cumbersome, and do not allow to manufacture large numbers of such panels in an economically acceptable manner.
2. Object of the Invention
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for this purpose, allowing to manufacture such panels in a fast and economic manner in series.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B and 3 show simplified diagrammatical representations of consecutive steps in an embodiment of the method of the invention;
FIGS. 4A and 4B show simplified representations of the panels thus obtained;
FIG. 5 is a partial section at a larger scale of an other embodiment of the bottom of a forming mould to be used in the method according to the invention;
FIGS. 6A and 6B show simplified diagrammatical representations of consecutive steps in an other embodiment of the method according to the invention; and
FIGS. 7(A-K) are diagrammatical representations of successive steps of a method for manufacturing a forming mould to be used in the method according to the preceding Figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B and 3, consecutive steps of a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention are diagrammatically shown.
The device required thereto comprises an open through-shaped forming mould 1, the bottom of which being provided, in the points where light conducting fibres 2 are to be arranged, with holes 3. Above the mould 1 a casting funnel 4 can be arranged for casting a fast setting plastics into the mould 1.
Below the holes 3 fibre guides 5 are present, which serve for guiding the fibres 2 towards these holes, which guides 5 are made sufficiently braking in order to keep said fibres under some tension. These fibres are supplied by spools 6, only one thereof being shown in FIG. 1, and several fibres 2 are being wound on one spool 6, which is favourable for reasons of space economy in the case of large numbers of fibres to be applied. It is of course possible to use one spool 6 for each fibre, which can be provided with a brake for keeping the fibre tensioned, and then the guides 5 might be left out if required.
The plastics cast in the forming mould forms after setting a first panel 7.1, in which the extremities of the fibres 2 are fixed.
In order to remove the panel 7.1 from the mould, compressed air is introduced first through one or more bottom connections 8 as shown at 9 in FIG. 2A. Thereby the set panel 7.1 is loosened from the forming mould 1, and can be pulled away by a gripper shown schematically at 10 in FIG. 2B, and then the fibres 2 will be unwound further from the spools 6 until the fibres 2 below the panel 7.1 have reached the required length. Thereafter plastics can be cast again by means of the funnel 4 into the mould 1 for forming a subsequent panel 7.2.
The fibres 2 are then kept tensioned in such a manner that they will not be sent sidewards by the plastics mass flowing into the mould.
FIG. 3 shows a subsequent step after removing the panel 7.2 from the mould 1 after having set in the meantime. The panels 7.1 and 7.2 are being jointly pulled upwards by means of the gripper 10 until the fibres 2 pulled through the mould 1 have reached again the desired length. Thereafter plastics is cast into the mould 1 for forming the next panel 7.3.
In the meantime the fibres can be taken together near the upper side of the panel 7.2, as shown at 11, and be glued together in order to form a light intake head 12 which is cut from the underlying fibres. At the upper side of the panel 7.1 the extending fibre extremities are cut or sawed off, as indicated at 13.
The cut-off panel has, after removing it from the gripper 10, the form shown in FIG. 4A.
The subsequent steps are
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Tchai Lights B.V.
Vargot Mathieu D.
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