JP2004510207A - Fiber optic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

A low-cost optical fiber device having a simple structure is provided.
An optical fiber device is mounted on a printed circuit board and is configured to have a base including an indicator surface and a printed circuit board mating surface. Further, the optical fiber device includes a plurality of optical fibers configured to be mounted on the base.
[Selection diagram] FIG.

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an indicator for determining an operating state of an electronic device, and more particularly, to the transmission of light, which is an operating state indicator.
[0002]
Generally, indicators such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) are used to indicate the state and power of many different types of devices and the required operation. When mounting an LED on a printed circuit board, it may be difficult to arrange the LED so that an operator can easily check the energized state of the LED by looking at the LED. For example, a printed circuit board is typically located within the housing on a surface substantially perpendicular to the housing display surface.
[0003]
Attempts to overcome the above problems have included mounting the LEDs on separate small boards and electrically connecting the LEDs to components on the main circuit board by a bundle of wires. Since the small LED circuit board can be arranged in a selected orientation near the housing display surface, the light signal emitted from the LED can be easily seen. Of course, adding a separate LED circuit board and wiring bundle adds cost and complexity.
[0004]
An optical signal can be transmitted from the LED mounted on the main circuit board using an optical fiber instead of an independent LED circuit board and a wiring bundle. It is known that when an optical fiber includes a plurality of optical paths, even when a plurality of LEDs are required, an optical signal from each LED can be transmitted through each path of the optical fiber. To avoid optical crosstalk, the optical fiber has multiple reflective surfaces to redirect light to the appropriate path. The need for such multiple reflective surfaces further complicates the shape of the optical fiber.
[0005]
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect, the present invention contemplates a fiber optic device, one exemplary embodiment of which includes a printed circuit board and a circuit board mount configured to be mounted on a support. With a base. The support has an indicator surface.
[0006]
In one exemplary embodiment, a plurality of optical fibers extend from the substrate mount to the support. Further, one end of each optical fiber is located in the opening of the circuit board mounting portion and is aligned with each LED, and one end is located in the opening of the support portion, and each indicator on the indicator surface, that is, the legend, Associated.
[0007]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows an overview of an exemplary embodiment of an optical fiber device 10 that includes a base 12 and a plurality of optical fibers 14. In an exemplary embodiment, optical fibers 14 are formed in a mold set. Each optical fiber 14 includes one or more plugs 16 that serve to plug the first end of each optical fiber 14 at a suitable mechanical location with respect to the base 12.
[0008]
The base 12 of one embodiment is molded as one unit and includes a support 18. The support 18 includes an indicator surface 20 and a clip 22 for retaining a legend (described below). The support 18 also has an optical fiber opening 24 for inserting the second end of the optical fiber 14 when mounting the second end on the base 12. An opening 25 of one fiber, which will be described in detail below, is included in the support 18.
[0009]
The base 12 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 includes a mating or mounting portion 26 of the printed circuit board, an end 28, and a plurality of openings (not shown) passing through the portion 26 from the top surface 30 to the bottom surface 32. When mounting the first ends of the optical fibers 14 on the base 12, they are inserted into the upper surface 30. Further, at the bottom 32 of the printed circuit board mating section 26, there are a plurality of mounting guides 34 used when mounting the device 10 on a circuit board (not shown).
[0010]
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the circuit board mounting portion 26 of the base 12 (shown in FIG. 1), showing an upper portion 42 and a lower portion 44. The upper portion 42 of the opening 40 is configured to be slidable and engageable with the first end of the optical fiber 14 (shown in FIG. 1). The bottom 44 of the opening 40 is configured such that the circuit board mounting portion 26 fits, ie, is positioned adjacent, the surface mounted LEDs on a printed circuit board (not shown). The mounting guide 34 protrudes from the bottom surface 32.
[0011]
FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the legend 50. The legend 50 has a plurality of slots 52 from which a plurality of clips 22 (shown in FIG. 1) project to hold the legend 50 near the indicator surface 20 (shown in FIG. 1). Legend 50 in one embodiment is constructed from a black matte finish material, except for the transparent letters and numbers. Light sent through one of each optical fiber 14 to the second end of optical fiber 14 illuminates the corresponding alphanumeric character of legend 50.
[0012]
FIG. 4 is a side view of optical fibers 14 connected by a plurality of mold connectors of the exemplary embodiment. The mold connector 60 holds the plurality of optical fibers 14 so that they have a fixed relationship with each other so that the plurality of optical fibers 14 can be inserted into the base as one unit. In one embodiment, optical fiber 14 is molded from a transparent plastic material, such as Lexan® plastic, along with mold connection 60. The trademark Lexan is a registered trademark of General Electric Company.
[0013]
FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the bottom of the optical fiber device 10 including the base 12 and the optical fiber 14. The base 12 is configured for two sets of a plurality of optical fibers 14. The base 12 can be configured for any number of optical fibers and optical fiber sets. The device 10 also functions similarly to the optical fiber 14, but comprises an optical fiber 70 that is one stand-alone optical fiber and is not connected to other optical fibers by a mold connection (described above). The fiber 70 is adjacent to an opening 72 similar to the opening 40 described above, but light enters one fiber 70 from a side 74 of the opening 72.
[0014]
FIG. 6, for example, is a side view of a fiber 70 with a first end 82 that receives light from an LED in the aperture 72 (shown in FIG. 5). Also, one fiber 70 has a second end 84 that directs light to the one fiber aperture 25 in base 12 (both are shown in FIG. 1). A retaining tab 86 is molded over one of the fibers 70 and is configured to engage with a similarly shaped opening in the base 12 to maintain the position of one of the fibers 70.
[0015]
Although the invention has been described in various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications may be made to the invention within the spirit and scope of the claims.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an optical fiber device.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a circuit board mounting portion of the base.
FIG. 3
FIG. 3 shows an exemplary legend.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4 is a side view of a set of optical fibers.
FIG. 5
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the optical fiber shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 6
FIG. 6 is a side view of the optical fiber.

Claims (16)

An optical fiber configured to be mounted on a printed circuit board,
A printed circuit board mating portion configured to be mounted on a printed circuit board, and a base including a support portion having an indicator surface,
An apparatus comprising a plurality of optical fibers configured to be mounted on the base. The device of claim 1, further comprising a legend mounted on the base and configured to filter light from the optical fiber. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the legend includes at least one alphanumeric character for filtering light from the optical fiber. The base may include a plurality of openings at a bottom of the printed circuit board mating portion, each of the openings configured to be positioned adjacent a light source mounted on a printed circuit board. Equipment. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the aperture extends through an upper surface of the printed circuit board mating so that the optical fiber can provide an optical interface to light emitted from the light source. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least two of the optical fibers are molded together as a unit and configured to be mounted within the base as a unit. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus comprises at least two independent units of the optical fiber. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical fiber is molded from a transparent plastic material. An optical indicator system for mounting on a printed circuit board,
A plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to be mounted on the printed circuit board;
A printed circuit board mating portion configured to be mounted on the printed circuit board, and a base including a support portion having an indicator surface,
An optical indicator system comprising: a plurality of optical fibers mounted on the base, the plurality of optical fibers configured to send light from the LED to the indicator surface. 10. The optical indicator system of claim 9, further comprising a legend mounted on the legend surface of the legend on the support and configured to filter light from the optical fiber. The optical indicator system of claim 10, wherein the legend comprises at least one alphanumeric character for filtering light from the optical fiber. The base includes a plurality of openings at a bottom of the printed circuit board mating portion, the openings being disposed adjacent to one of the light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted on the printed circuit board. The optical indicator system of claim 9, wherein the optical indicator system is configured to: The opening may extend through the printed circuit board mating portion such that the optical fiber provides an optical interface to light emitted from the light source. The opening may include a top surface of the printed circuit board mating portion. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the optical fiber can provide an optical interface to light emitted from the light emitting diode by extending therethrough. 10. The optical indicator system of claim 9, wherein at least two of said optical fibers comprise a unit and are configured to be mounted as a unit in said base. 15. The optical indicator system of claim 14, wherein said optical fiber device comprises at least two individual units of said optical fiber. The optical indicator system of claim 9, wherein the optical fiber is molded from a transparent plastic material.