GB2388919A - Fibre optic lighting assembly with movable protection shutter - Google Patents

Fibre optic lighting assembly with movable protection shutter Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB2388919A
GB2388919A GB0305866A GB0305866A GB2388919A GB 2388919 A GB2388919 A GB 2388919A GB 0305866 A GB0305866 A GB 0305866A GB 0305866 A GB0305866 A GB 0305866A GB 2388919 A GB2388919 A GB 2388919A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
harness
shutter
aperture
fibre optic
light
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB0305866A
Other versions
GB0305866D0 (en
Inventor
Stephen Frazer Belafonte
William Louis Heysham
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
SCHOTT FIBRE OPTICS
Original Assignee
SCHOTT FIBRE OPTICS
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by SCHOTT FIBRE OPTICS filed Critical SCHOTT FIBRE OPTICS
Publication of GB0305866D0 publication Critical patent/GB0305866D0/en
Publication of GB2388919A publication Critical patent/GB2388919A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21V—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F21V25/00—Safety devices structurally associated with lighting devices
    • F21V25/02—Safety devices structurally associated with lighting devices coming into action when lighting device is disturbed, dismounted, or broken
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/42—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
    • G02B6/4298—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements coupling with non-coherent light sources and/or radiation detectors, e.g. lamps, incandescent bulbs, scintillation chambers
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/42—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
    • G02B6/4296—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements coupling with sources of high radiant energy, e.g. high power lasers, high temperature light sources
    • G02B2006/4297—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements coupling with sources of high radiant energy, e.g. high power lasers, high temperature light sources having protection means, e.g. protecting humans against accidental exposure to harmful laser radiation
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
    • G02B6/38—Mechanical coupling means having fibre to fibre mating means
    • G02B6/3807—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
    • G02B6/3833—Details of mounting fibres in ferrules; Assembly methods; Manufacture
    • G02B6/3847—Details of mounting fibres in ferrules; Assembly methods; Manufacture with means preventing fibre end damage, e.g. recessed fibre surfaces
    • G02B6/3849—Details of mounting fibres in ferrules; Assembly methods; Manufacture with means preventing fibre end damage, e.g. recessed fibre surfaces using mechanical protective elements, e.g. caps, hoods, sealing membranes

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Non-Portable Lighting Devices Or Systems Thereof (AREA)

Abstract

A light box 10 containing a lamp capsule for providing a source of intense light in order to illuminate a fibre optic harness 14. The light box has an aperture 12 through which a common end of the harness 14 is adapted to be removably received. The light box 10 is provided with a movable shutter 28 which may prevent fragments of exploding lamp capsules from passing through the port and to eliminate UV radiation from the lamp in use when there is no fibre optic harness present. The shutter 28 may include a cam element 30 which is adapted to be engaged by the fibre optic harness 14 as it is passed through the aperture 12. The shutter 28 is then lifted clearly out of the path of the harness common end which is thus disposed adjacent the light source without any interruption of the light therefrom impinging on the fibre optic harness common end. The shutter 28 may be made from metal and be pivotally movable. The shutter 28 may also be spring loaded as to automatically cover the aperture 12 after the fibre optic harness 14 is removed or the shutter 28 may cover the aperture 12 under the influence of gravity after harness 14 removal.

Description

l ( 1 2388919
Fibre Optic Lighting Assembler This invention relates to a light assembly for a fibre optic lighting system and concerns an arrangement wherein the optical output of the lighting system is improved whilst retaining the usual safeguards in the system in order to prevent fragments from an exploding lamp capsule from causing injury to persons proximate the fitting and blocking UV emissions directly from the lamp.
Basically, fibre optic lighting systems to which the present invention relates include three items as follows.
1. 1\ light box, projector or assembly containing a lamp, an electrical control system, and a reflector or equivalent to collect the light from the lamp and to focus it onto an output port for coupling to the input end of a hbre optic harness.
2. '\ fibre optic harness of which the input end plugs into the output port of the light box, projector or assembly. The harness typically includes strands of glass which transmit light through the harness whilst virtually eliminating harmful U.V. and infrared wave length.
3. Optical components, such as fibre optic spotlights, fixed to the output tails or output legs of the fibre optic harness.
The output port of the light assembly is an aperture, typically circular of the order of 6-30 mm in diameter. The diameter depends upon the lamp type and the type of fibre optic cable used in the harness. As a result of efficient focussing of the lamps or capsules in the light assembly, the optical power at the output port can be very high, so much so that safety regulations in general usually require that a transparent glass protective
( 2 window is installed between the lamp and the output port to prevent fragments of the lamp from being propelled through the port as a result of lamp explosions, when there is no fibre optic harness located in the port. It is also a legal requirement that this window precludes the majority of UV radiation emanation from the lamp, which can be harmful. This window, as it has to be present under the regulations' is usually also chosen to be an optical filter so as to selectively filter certain wavelengths of the radiation from the lamp before the radiation is injected into the fibre optic harness. In all cases, the presence of the window results in significant light loss. The present invention seeks to address these disadvantages.
According to a first aspect Of the present invention there is Erc>vided a light assembly, said light assembly having an aperture provided in a surface thereof for receiving an end of a fibre optic harness and lighting means located on a first side of the assembly for providing a source of intense light to illuminate said fibre optic harness end and wherein said light assembly is provided with a movable shutter for location over said aperture when said fibre optic harness end is not received in or is removed from said aperture.
T bus, in accordance with the solution of the invention' instead of the loss creating window, the movable shutter is provided to prevent fragments of exploding lighting means, such as a lamp capsule, from passing through the port and to eliminate UV radiation from the lighting means in use when there is no fibre optic harness present. Interconnecting means are provided which link the shutter to the presence of the fibre optic harness and which provides that when the harness is in position in the aperture or output port of the light assembly, the shutter is moved to an out of the way position, typically a spaced distance
apart from the aperture, and permits the fibre optic lighting system to function as intended.
By this means, the light output from the system is maximised and there is no loss resulting from the presence of a window through which a light must pass in emanating from the lighting means and falling on an input end of the fibre optic harness.
The lighting means is typically in the form of one or more lamp capsules located on the first side of the light assembly. The fibrc optic harness is typically located on a second and opposite side of the light assembly.
Preferably the shutter is pivotally mounted on said light assembly to allow the shutter to be pivotally movable from said out of the way position, wherein the shutter is moved clear of the aperture, to a covered or blocking position, wherein the shutter is located over the aperture.
The shutter may be of a robust material such as steel or aluminium, and of course need not be transparent. It may be spring loaded so as to cover the aperture or take up the protecting or blocking position when the fibre harness is not present in the output port or aperture. The shutter automatically returns to this closed or covered position once a fibre harness located in the aperture is subsequently removed. Alternatively, the shutter may be arranged tr' fall to the protecting or blocking position under gravity when the fibre harness is removed. The former arrangement is preferred.
Preferably the interconnecting means on the shutter includes a cam lifting device. When the harness is located in the output port/aperture, the harness engages the cam lifting device and pivots the shutter to the out of the way position. C)ppositely,
( 4 when it is removed, the shutter will be moved immediately back to the blocking or covered position under the action of the spring or gravity. 'I he movements, even in this arrangement, may lie assistel by spring loading.
I'referably the light assembly is in the form of a light box, the light box containing lighting means for providing the source of intense light and the aperture or output pc>rt for receiving the end of the fibre optic harness being defined in at least one of the walls off said light box.
According tc> a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a light box for receiving a common end of a fibre optic harness and containing a lamp capsule for providing a source of intense light to illuminate said fibre optic harness common end when in position within said light box, said light box having an aperture through which the common end of the harness is received, wherein said light lox is provided with a movable shutter to prevent fragments of exploding lamp capsules from passing through the aperture and to eliminate UV radiation from the lamp in use when there is no fibre optic harness present.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein: I;ig. 1 is a perspective computer generated drawing of the embodiment; and I7igs. 2 and 3 are side elevations illustrating in respective positions, the working operations.
Referring to I7ig. 1, reference 10 indicates a wall of a light box and reference 12 shows an output port defined in a wall thereof.
( s Reference 14 indicates the fibre optic harness and reference 16 indicates the light input end thereof. C)ther parts of the system have been omitted from the drawings in the interests of clarity but it will be understood that the lamp of the light box is arranged to cause light emanating therefrom to fall onto the input end 16 of the fibre optic harness.
In lig. l, input end 16 of harness 14 is located in the output port 12. Light box 10 is provided with a pair of lugs or apertures 18 and 20 which are provided with an axle rod 22 located therewith. This rod 22 in turn supports a pivotable flap or shutter 24 which can rotate or swing about the rod as indicated by the arrow 2G. The shutter has a blanking plate portion 28, on the face of which is provided a lifting cam device 30. In Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2 the lifting cam device 30 engages with the top side or edge of harness portion 32 as it is located in output port 12, whereby the blocking plate 28 is moved to and held in an out calf the way position so that the system can function as intended with the entire light output from the lamp falling on the face or input end 16.
From the description thus far, it will be clear to the reader as to
how the arrangement cooperates. Referring to l;igs. 2 and 3, Fig. 2 corresponds to the position shown in Fig. 1, but if the harocss 14 is removed from the light box as indicated by arrow 36 in laid. 3, harness portion 32 will no longer engage the cam lifting device 30, and the shutter 24 will simply close under the action of the spring (or gravity) to the position shown in Fig. 3 in which the locking E,ortion 28 covers the output port 12. Thus, if there is any exploding of the lamp due to the high power, the fragments of the lamp will not pass through the port 12.
( 6 The invention provides simple and effective means of blocking the OtltpUt port without requiring the use of a permanently mounted glass window.
It should be mentioned that other coupling arrangements for ensuring that the flap 28 moves to the out of the way position of Fig. 2, when the harness is inserted, can be provided.
It will also be understood furthermore that when the harness 14 is inserted into the port, the portion 32 engages the cam lifting device 30 and moves the blocking plate portion 28 out of the way. The blocking plate portion 28 is typically formed from a substantially planar sheet like material and the cam lifting device located thereon typically has a cam element in the form of a tapered or angled surface with which harness portion 32 engages in use.
In a further embodiment of the invention, an attachment broadly identical to that shown in Figure I is provided for securing in front of or adjacently of a light source. 'this embodiment covers the situation of providing attachments with all the various features of the invention as opposed to an entire light box, typically referred to herein as a light assembly.

Claims (8)

1.;\ light assembly, said light assembly having an aperture provided in a surface thereof for receiving an end of a fibre optic harness and lighting means located on a first side of the assembly for providing a source of intense light to illuminate said fibre optic harness end and wherein said light assembly is provided with a movable shutter for location over said aperture when said fibre optic harness end is not received in or is removed from said aperture.
2. A light assembly according to claim 1 wherein interconnecting means are provided with the shutter which communicate with the fibre optic harness such that when the harness is received in the aperture, the shutter is out of the way allowing an uninterrupted light path from the lighting means to the light receiving portion of the fibre optic harness cod.
3. A light assembly according to claim 1 car 2 wherein the shutter is of a robust metal material such as steel or aluminium.
4. A light assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the shutter is pivotally movable.
5. A light assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the shutter is spring loaded so as to cover the aperture when the end of the fibre optic harness is not present in the aperture, said shutter automatically returning to this position as the harness is removed.
6..\ light assembly according to any of claims 1-3 wherein the shutter is arranged to move to the protecting or blocking position under gravity on removal of the fibrc harness from the aperture.
( 8
7.,\ light assembly according to any of the preceding claims wherein the interconnecting means includes a cam lifting device so that when the harness is received in the aperture, the harness cngayes the cam lifting device and moves clear of the aperture.
8. A light box according to any preceding claim.
GB0305866A 2002-04-12 2003-03-14 Fibre optic lighting assembly with movable protection shutter Withdrawn GB2388919A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0208464A GB0208464D0 (en) 2002-04-12 2002-04-12 Fibre optic lighting systems

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0305866D0 GB0305866D0 (en) 2003-04-16
GB2388919A true GB2388919A (en) 2003-11-26

Family

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Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0208464A Ceased GB0208464D0 (en) 2002-04-12 2002-04-12 Fibre optic lighting systems
GB0305866A Withdrawn GB2388919A (en) 2002-04-12 2003-03-14 Fibre optic lighting assembly with movable protection shutter

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0208464A Ceased GB0208464D0 (en) 2002-04-12 2002-04-12 Fibre optic lighting systems

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (2) GB0208464D0 (en)

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5570445A (en) * 1994-06-22 1996-10-29 Xintec Corporation Reusable optical fiber connector adapter with plurality of optical barriers for all fiber delivery laser sources
EP0772063A2 (en) * 1995-10-31 1997-05-07 Indigo Medical, Incorporated Fiber optic radiation transmission system, connector system for an optical fiber, and methods of using same
US5708745A (en) * 1994-10-20 1998-01-13 Fujitsu Limited Device for preventing laser beam leakage
US5956444A (en) * 1997-02-13 1999-09-21 Amphenol Corporation Radiation absorbing shield for fiber optic systems
US6004043A (en) * 1997-12-19 1999-12-21 The Whitaker Corporation Shuttered connector receptacle
EP1122565A1 (en) * 2000-02-04 2001-08-08 Molex Incorporated Fiber optic connector receptacle
US6302592B1 (en) * 1998-07-27 2001-10-16 Huber & Suhner Ag Connector for optical waveguides
EP1237024A1 (en) * 2001-02-15 2002-09-04 FITEL USA CORPORATION (a Delaware Corporation) Optical connector receptacle having electrical switching capability

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5570445A (en) * 1994-06-22 1996-10-29 Xintec Corporation Reusable optical fiber connector adapter with plurality of optical barriers for all fiber delivery laser sources
US5708745A (en) * 1994-10-20 1998-01-13 Fujitsu Limited Device for preventing laser beam leakage
EP0772063A2 (en) * 1995-10-31 1997-05-07 Indigo Medical, Incorporated Fiber optic radiation transmission system, connector system for an optical fiber, and methods of using same
US5956444A (en) * 1997-02-13 1999-09-21 Amphenol Corporation Radiation absorbing shield for fiber optic systems
US6004043A (en) * 1997-12-19 1999-12-21 The Whitaker Corporation Shuttered connector receptacle
US6302592B1 (en) * 1998-07-27 2001-10-16 Huber & Suhner Ag Connector for optical waveguides
EP1122565A1 (en) * 2000-02-04 2001-08-08 Molex Incorporated Fiber optic connector receptacle
EP1237024A1 (en) * 2001-02-15 2002-09-04 FITEL USA CORPORATION (a Delaware Corporation) Optical connector receptacle having electrical switching capability

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0208464D0 (en) 2002-05-22
GB0305866D0 (en) 2003-04-16

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
732E Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977)
732E Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977)
WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)