TWM455189U - Light pipe assembly and device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A light pipe assembly is disclosed and comprises: a light pipe array including at least one light pipe to convert direction of light beams; a support mechanism to support said light pipe array; and a joint to connect said support mechanism and to further support said light pipe array. The light pipe assembly may further include a first electrical connector and the joint may further include a second electrical connector to connect said first electrical connector and an external electrical connector. The light pipe is bent to form an angle or is a series of light pipes in different directions. A device using the light pipe assembly is also disclosed.

Description

Light guide column assembly and device using the same

This creation relates to the design of a light guide column assembly, particularly to a light guide column assembly with a built-in light guide array.

In many types of electronic products, the use of LEDs (light-emitting diodes) as a system of operating conditions, there are countless. In this application, the LEDs are usually placed on the board, and the location where the system is operating is at a distance from the board, so the light from the LEDs must be guided to the panel using a light guide.

Figure 1 shows a conventional light guide column assembly for directing light from an LED on a circuit board to a panel. The figure shows that the circuit board 10 is provided with a plurality of LEDs 11, as well as the required electronic components, circuits and wiring (not shown), and the panel 30 is located away from the circuit board 10. A plurality of light guide column arrays 20 are disposed on the inner side of the panel 30 (on one side of the circuit board), and each of the light guide column arrays 20 includes a plurality of light guide columns 21 arranged in a predetermined distribution. A plurality of fixing members 31, such as cassettes, are disposed inside the panel 30 for detachably fixing the light guide post array 20 at a predetermined position. The side surface of the panel 30 is also provided with a fixing member 31 for engaging or fitting with a fitting (not shown) on the circuit board 10 to assemble the panel 30 to the circuit board 10.

An opening 32 is provided on the front surface of the panel 30. The free end 21a of the light guiding rod 21 is used to directly face the LED 11 provided on the circuit board 10. The fixed end 21b of the light guiding rod 21 is an opening for aligning the panel 30. The light guide column 21 is made of a material that allows light or a specific wavelength range to pass through and suppresses the amount of diffusion thereof to guide the light emitted by the LED 11. After the assembly is completed, when the specific LED is illuminated, the emitted light is guided through the facing light guide column, and travels to the fixed end of the light guide column, and the opening 32 displayed on the panel 30 can be used to display specific information.

In this prior art, the light guiding rod 21 is formed in an elongated shape to effectively guide the light emitted by the LED 11. However, because the planes of the panel 30 and the circuit board 10 are parallel to each other, the thickness of the assembled device cannot be reduced, which is a disadvantage.

Figure 2 shows another prior art light guide column assembly. In the second drawing, elements that are the same as or identical to those in Fig. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the apparatus shown in Fig. 2, the panel 30 is disposed on a plane orthogonal to the plane of the circuit board 10. The aim is to reduce the thickness of the device. The panel 30 is disposed on the side of the outer casing 39, and the two may be integrally formed. A fixing member 31 is provided on the inner side of the outer casing 39 (the side facing the circuit board 10) for fixing the circuit board 10. A plurality of LEDs 11 are also disposed on the circuit board 10, but are not directly disposed on the circuit board 10, but are supported by the bracket 12 away from the circuit board 10. The bracket 12 itself may be made of a conductive material or a separate wire for electrically connecting the LED 11 to a circuit on the motherboard 10. The bracket 12 provides a steering function to direct the direction of illumination of the LED 11 toward the panel 30.

An opening 32 is also provided in the panel 30, and a guide groove 33 is provided on the inner side with respect to each opening 32. A light guide column 21 can be placed in the guide groove 33. The end of the guide groove 33 remote from the panel 30 (opening 32) faces the LED 11 on the bracket 12. After the assembly is completed, when the specific LED is illuminated, the emitted light is guided through the facing light guiding column, and travels to the panel end of the light guiding column, and the opening displayed on the panel 30 can be used to display specific information.

In this prior art, the light guiding rod 21 is also formed in an elongated shape to effectively guide the light emitted by the LED 11. Since the light-emitting directions of the LEDs 11 are changed by the brackets 12, 12, the panel 30 can be disposed on the side of the outer casing 39, which is sufficient to reduce the volume of the device. However, the bracket 12 to be used must be additionally mounted on the circuit board 30 by soldering or the like, and the steps of adding and connecting the LEDs 11 must be complicated, which complicates the manufacturing process and increases the cost. Moreover, the height and direction of the bracket 12 must be confirmed both at the time of installation and at the time of assembly, and the shape or direction of the bracket that has been positioned may be changed during transportation, so that it is not suitable for mass production. Furthermore, because of the need to use the bracket, it can shrink The small size of the device is extremely limited, which is a disadvantage.

Moreover, in most devices, the LED display typically must correspond to the circuit or power connection state. Therefore, the LED display will accompany the connector of the circuit or power supply. However, in the prior art, there is no technology that can integrate an LED display with an electrical connector or a signal connector.

The purpose of this creation is to provide a novel light guide column assembly for directing light from a light source such as an LED to a predetermined position.

The purpose of this creation is also to provide a novel light guide column assembly that can reduce the size of devices using light sources such as LEDs.

The purpose of this creation is also to provide a light guide column assembly that is easy to manufacture, assemble, and position.

Another object of the present invention is also to provide a light guide column assembly that integrates a signal/electrical connector with an LED display.

The light guide column assembly according to the present invention comprises: an array of light guide columns, comprising at least one light guide column; the light guide column can guide light steering; a support mechanism for supporting the light guide column array; and a joint for The support mechanism combines and supports the array of light guide columns.

Wherein, the joint provides at least one guiding groove for accommodating at least one light guiding column of the light guiding column. The channel can be a sleeve. The light guide column may further include a lens. The light guide column may also include a surface treatment to suppress light from diverging from the inside to the outside. The connector may further include an array of second light guiding columns, including at least one second light guiding column, located in the guiding groove.

The support mechanism may further include a first electrical connector, one end of which includes a conductive piece, and the other end includes a first abutting portion for connecting with an external electrical connector. Wherein the direction of the conductive sheet and the One of the lesser light guides is parallel to one end.

The connector may further include a second electrical connector, one end of which includes a second abutting portion for abutting with the first abutting portion of the first electrical connector to form an electrical connection, and the other end includes a third abutting portion Used to connect with an external electrical connector.

The support mechanism and the joint respectively provide a coupling mechanism to detachably couple the support mechanism to the joint.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the light guiding columns of the array of light guiding columns is curved such that the orientation of one end is orthogonal to the orientation of the other end. In other examples of the present creation, the light guide is formed by a plurality of light guide columns that are different in direction.

The present invention also discloses an apparatus for using the light guide column assembly, the apparatus comprising: a housing including a side surface having an opening; a circuit board located within the housing; and a light guide post assembly; wherein the guide The light column assembly comprises: an array of light guiding columns, comprising at least one light guiding column; the light guiding column can guide the light generated by the light source on the circuit board to be turned to the opening on the side; a supporting mechanism is fixed on the circuit board, And supporting the light guide column array; and a joint detachably fixed on the support member and supporting the light guide column array.

Wherein, the joint is provided with a guiding groove for accommodating the at least one light guiding column. The guide groove may further include a second light guide column.

A preferred example of the present light guide column assembly will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the description of the preferred examples in this case is only used to illustrate the basic architecture and application of the creation. Must not be used to limit the patents of this creation Wai.

Figure 3 shows an exploded view of a device mechanism using the present light guide column assembly. Elements in Figure 3 that are identical or identical in function to Figures 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The device shown in Fig. 3 is an electronic device or an electrical device. The device includes a housing 39 having an opening 39a on its side (the narrower side).

The apparatus further includes a circuit board 10 on which a plurality of circuits and connections (none of which are shown) are formed and connected to a plurality of electronic or electrical components (not shown). A plurality of electrical contacts 13 are provided along one side of the circuit board 10, and LEDs 11 corresponding to the respective contacts. The circuit board 10 is shown separately from the housing 39, but it is known in the art that the circuit board 10 can be assembled inside the housing 39 and secured in various known manners such as screws, soldering, snapping, and the like.

The light guide column assembly 40 of the present invention comprises a set of light guide columns 20 comprising the same number of light guides 21 as the LEDs 11 on the circuit board; a support mechanism 41 comprising the same number of electrical connectors as the electrical contacts 13 on the circuit board 10. 42; and a connector 45 comprising the same number of electrical connectors 46 as the electrical connector 42 on the support mechanism 41. In the figure, although the components of the light guide column assembly 40 are separately shown, it will be understood from the figure that the light guide column array 20 will be assembled with the support mechanism 41 such that the light guide post 21 is supported by the support mechanism 41. The manner in which the support mechanism 41 supports the light guiding rod 21 may be in any known manner, including providing a guide groove (41a) to allow the light guiding rod 21 to be inserted therein to be fixed. Other suitable methods for combining the light guide column array 20 with the support mechanism 41 and supporting the support mechanism 41 for the light guide column array can be applied to the present invention.

The support mechanism 41 will be assembled with the joint 45 such that the light guide post 21 is further supported by the joint 45. In addition, after the support mechanism 41 is assembled with the joint 45, the electrical connectors 42 on the support mechanism 41 will be combined with the corresponding electrical connectors 46 on the joint 45 to form an electrical connection.

As can be seen from the figure, the light guide column assembly 40 is separately shown from the outer casing 39 and the circuit board 10. However, in application, the support mechanism 41 will be positioned in the outer casing 39 after assembly, so that the light guide column array 20 One end of each of the light guiding rods 21 respectively faces the corresponding LEDs 11 on the circuit board 10, so that the electrical connectors 42 on the supporting mechanism 41 are electrically connected to the corresponding main substrate 10 by soldering, bonding or other suitable means. The contacts 13 are arranged such that the other end of each of the light guiding columns 21 of the light guiding column array 20 faces the opening 39a on the side of the outer casing 39.

In this case, the support mechanism 41 is located in the opening 39a of the outer casing 39, and the body edge forms a part of the outer casing 39, leaving the connector 42 and the end of the light guiding rod 21 away from the LED 11 from being exposed. Opening 38.

In this case, the electrical connector 42 of the connector 45 can be inserted into the electrical connector 42 in the opening 38 to form an electrical connection with the electrical connector 42 and the connector 45 can be detachably fixed thereto. On the support member 41. At this time, the joint 45 protrudes beyond the outer casing 39 and exposes the other joint end of the electric connector 46 and the end of the guide groove 47 away from the support member 41.

In application, the exposed end of the electrical connector 46 can be used to insert a wire, a signal line or a cable, and the corresponding opening 47 can display the light emitted by the corresponding LED 11 on the circuit board 10.

In detail, with the above design, the light emitted by the LEDs 11 on the circuit board 10 can be guided along the light guiding rod 21 to the opening of the guide groove 47 on the joint 45, and is displayed here. A display window may be further disposed at the opening 32 of the guiding groove 47. The display window can be made of any light-transmissive material such as glass, plastic, resin, and the like. The display windows may be respectively embedded in the guide grooves 47, or may be formed in an array and fixed inside or outside the guide grooves 47. In addition, the contacts 13 on the circuit board 10 can also be electrically connected to the electrical connector 46 of the connector 45. Here you can plug in the required wires, signal lines or cables. In the example of the present creation, the electrical connector may also be an optical connector for conducting light for communication.

The above design is particularly applicable to the state in which the majority of the LEDs 11 are illuminated to indicate the operational state of the corresponding electrical connector 34, such as whether it is energized, whether there is data transmission, or the like. As a result, the panel of the device can be placed on the side of the device and form a narrow, substantially panel that is sufficient to flatten the device itself. The result of flattening does not reduce the electrical connection and display capabilities that the panel can provide.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the support mechanism 41 of the creative light guide column assembly. The figure shows that a plurality of electrical connectors 42 are disposed in the support mechanism 41. The connector can be any form of connector having a conductive strip 43 at one end and abutment 44 at the other end. The conductive sheet 43 can be any conductive material, and the shape is not restricted, but it is preferably a contact 13 that can be contacted and fixed on the circuit board 10. The fixing method can be any method for forming an electrical connection, including welding, adhesion, screwing, and the like. The abutting portion 44 includes a conductive post 44a coupled to the conductive sheet 43 and a chamber 44b formed in the body of the abutting portion 44. The chamber 44b is configured to receive the connector 46 of the connector 45 to electrically contact the conductive post 44a with the connector 46. When the connector 46 of the joint 45 is inserted, the wall of the abutment portion 44 of the support mechanism 41 formed around the chamber 44a can abut against the connector 46 of the joint 45 to form a stable but detachable link.

The support member 41 is additionally provided with a plurality of guide grooves 41a for fixing the light guide rod 21 therein. The guide groove 41a can form, for example, a groove pattern having a flange width on both sides smaller than the diameter or width of the light guide rod 21 for the light guide rod 21 to be inserted.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the joint 45 of the creative light guide column assembly. The connector 45 is shown to include a channel or sleeve 47 for receiving the end of the light guide 21 away from the LED 11. A light guide 22 may be additionally disposed in the guide groove or sleeve 47 to provide a flat surface that can be in contact with the end of the light guide rod 21 away from the LED 11 to form an optical connection. The connector 45 provides an electrical connector 46 having an end 46a formed in a cylindrical shape for receiving the conductive post 44a of the electrical connector 42 of the support mechanism 41. Elastic fasteners 48 are also available. The connection to the electrical connector 42 of the support mechanism 41 is further enhanced. The manner of connecting the electrical connector 42 of the support mechanism 41 to the connector 45 side connector 46 is not limited to the above. Anything that connects the conductive elements on both sides can be applied to this creation. A more suitable method includes detachably connecting the conductive member of the support mechanism 41 and the conductive member of the joint 45 side. Therefore, various forms or sizes of connections in the known art can be applied to the present creation. For example, the combination of the conductive post 44a and the conductive connector 46 is interchangeable.

In the present example, the other end of the electrical connector 46 is a conductive strip 46b disposed within the chamber 46c formed in the joint 45 and extending away from the end 46a. The joint 45 forms an opening 51 for communicating the conductive sheet 46b with the outside, and a power supply line, a signal line or a cable (none of which is shown) is inserted. A fastener 52 is additionally provided to insert the cable or the like, and after fastening the conductive sheet 46b, fasten the cable or the like. The fastener 52 includes a release button 52a for releasing the snap-fit state of the fastener 52 after pressing.

The material of the light guiding rod 21 can be any transparent material, but it is preferably used in the industry for fabricating a light guiding column. The entire length or a part of the surface of the light guiding rod 21 may be subjected to a surface treatment to suppress the diffusion of light from the inside to the outside. The fourth and fifth figures further show that the light guiding rod is bent such that the orientation of one end is orthogonal to the orientation of the other end for guiding the light rays emitted by the LED 11. However, in other examples of the present creation, the light guiding column is formed by a plurality of light guiding column segments having different directions. Also shown in the figure is an end of the light guiding rod 21 facing the LED 11, which can be designed as a condensing shape 53 to concentrate the light emitted by the LED 11 and then enter the light guiding rod 21. After the support mechanism 41 is combined with the joint 45, the light guide rod 21 can enter the guide groove or sleeve 47 of the joint 45, and optically connect with the light guide rod 22 therein, or be free from the free end of the guide groove or sleeve 47. Exposed.

The light guide column assembly having the above features may first combine the light guide column array 20 with the support mechanism 41 to position the light guide post 21 in the guide groove 41a. Next, the connector 42 of the support mechanism 41 will be The conductive sheet 43 is fixed to the joint 13 of the circuit board 10 by soldering, adhesion or the like. In addition, an additional fixing member may be provided to fix the support member 41 to the circuit board 10. Next, the completed assembly is combined with the outer casing 39. The manner includes fixing the circuit board 10 to the outer casing 39 by screws, or fitting the outer casing such that the peripheral edge of the circuit board 10 abuts against the inner wall of the outer casing 39, and the main body of the support member 41 is tightly fitted into the opening 39a of the outer casing 39. Thereafter, the connectors 46, 46 of the joint 45 are coupled to the electrical connector 42 of the support member 41, and the light guides 21 are respectively introduced into the guide grooves or sleeves 47 of the joint 45. That is, the combination of the light guide column assembly of the present invention is completed.

After assembly, the device is formed in a flat shape with a plurality of electrical connectors and corresponding LED display windows on the sides. When in use, a cable or the like can be arbitrarily inserted into the electrical connector 46 of the connector 45, and the display window on the connector 45 can display the operational state of the associated electrical connector (cable). Due to the very flat shape of the device, most of the devices can be stacked on the same bracket (not shown) for use in very complex systems to perform complex control. In this complex system, this creation provides modular connectivity and a concise display that is not available for conventional techniques.

The present invention has been shown and described above by way of a preferred embodiment, and those skilled in the art can achieve the above and other variations, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

A preferred example of the present light guide column assembly will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the description of the preferred examples in this case is only used to illustrate the basic architecture and application of the creation. It may not be used to limit the scope of patents in this creation.

Figure 3 shows an exploded view of a device mechanism using the present light guide column assembly. Elements in Figure 3 that are identical or identical in function to Figures 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The device shown in Fig. 3 is an electronic device or an electrical device. The device includes a housing 39 having an opening 39a on its side (the narrower side).

The apparatus further includes a circuit board 10 on which a plurality of circuits and connections (none of which are shown) are formed and connected to a plurality of electronic or electrical components (not shown). A plurality of electrical contacts 13 are provided along one side of the circuit board 10, and LEDs 11 corresponding to the respective contacts. The circuit board 10 is shown separately from the housing 39, but it is known in the art that the circuit board 10 can be assembled inside the housing 39 and secured in various known manners such as screws, soldering, snapping, and the like.

The light guide column assembly 40 of the present invention comprises a set of light guide columns 20 comprising the same number of light guides 21 as the LEDs 11 on the circuit board; a support mechanism 41 comprising the same number of electrical connectors as the electrical contacts 13 on the circuit board 10. 42; and a connector 45 comprising the same number of electrical connectors 46 as the electrical connector 42 on the support mechanism 41. In the figure, although the components of the light guide column assembly 40 are separately shown, it will be understood from the figure that the light guide column array 20 will be assembled with the support mechanism 41 such that the light guide post 21 is supported by the support mechanism 41. The manner in which the support mechanism 41 supports the light guiding rod 21 may be in any known manner, including providing a guide groove (41a) to allow the light guiding rod 21 to be inserted therein to be fixed. Other suitable methods for combining the light guide column array 20 with the support mechanism 41 and supporting the support mechanism 41 for the light guide column array can be applied to the present invention.

The support mechanism 41 will be assembled with the joint 45 such that the light guide post 21 is further supported by the joint 45. In addition, after the support mechanism 41 is assembled with the joint 45, the electrical connectors 42 on the support mechanism 41 will be combined with the corresponding electrical connectors 46 on the joint 45 to form an electrical connection.

As can be seen from the figure, the light guide column assembly 40 is separately shown from the outer casing 39 and the circuit board 10. However, in application, the support mechanism 41 will be positioned in the outer casing 39 after assembly, so that the light guide column array 20 One end of each of the light guiding rods 21 respectively faces the corresponding LEDs 11 on the circuit board 10, so that the electrical connectors 42 on the supporting mechanism 41 are electrically connected to the corresponding main substrate 10 by soldering, bonding or other suitable means. a contact 13 and the other end of each of the light guiding columns 21 of the light guiding column array 20 facing the side of the outer casing 39 Opening 39a.

In this case, the support mechanism 41 is located in the opening 39a of the outer casing 39, and the body edge forms a part of the outer casing 39, leaving the connector 42 and the end of the light guiding rod 21 away from the LED 11 from being exposed. Opening 38.

In this case, the electrical connector 42 of the connector 45 can be inserted into the electrical connector 42 in the opening 38 to form an electrical connection with the electrical connector 42 and the connector 45 can be detachably fixed thereto. On the support member 41. At this time, the joint 45 protrudes beyond the outer casing 39 and exposes the other joint end of the electric connector 46 and the end of the guide groove 47 away from the support member 41.

In application, the exposed ends of the electrical connectors 46, 46 can be used to insert wires, signal wires or cables, and the corresponding guide slots 47 can display the light emitted by the corresponding LEDs 11 on the circuit board 10. .

In detail, with the above design, the light emitted by the LEDs 11 on the circuit board 10 can be guided along the light guiding rod 21 to the opening of the guide groove 47 on the joint 45, and is displayed here. A display window may be further disposed at the opening 32 of the guiding groove 47. The display window can be made of any light-transmissive material such as glass, plastic, resin, and the like. The display windows may be respectively embedded in the guide grooves 47, or may be formed in an array and fixed inside or outside the guide grooves 47. In addition, the contacts 13 on the circuit board 10 can also be electrically connected to the electrical connector 46 of the connector 45. Here you can plug in the required wires, signal lines or cables. In the example of the present creation, the electrical connector may also be an optical connector for conducting light for communication.

The above design is particularly applicable to the state in which the majority of the LEDs 11 are illuminated to indicate the operational status of the corresponding electrical connectors 34, 34, such as whether power is on, whether there is data transmission, or the like. As a result, the panel of the device can be placed on the side of the device and form a narrow, substantially panel that is sufficient to flatten the device itself. The result of flattening does not reduce the electrical connection and display capabilities that the panel can provide.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the support mechanism 41 of the creative light guide column assembly. The figure shows the support mechanism A plurality of electrical connectors 42 are provided in 41. The connector can be any form of connector having a conductive strip 43 at one end and abutment 44 at the other end. The conductive sheet 43 can be any conductive material, and the shape is not restricted, but it is preferably a contact 13 that can be contacted and fixed on the circuit board 10. The fixing method can be any method for forming an electrical connection, including welding, adhesion, screwing, and the like. The abutting portion 44 includes a conductive post 44a coupled to the conductive sheet 43 and a chamber 44b formed in the body of the abutting portion 44. The chamber 44b is configured to receive the connector 46 of the connector 45 to electrically contact the conductive post 44a with the connector 46. When the connector 46 of the joint 45 is inserted, the wall of the abutment portion 44 of the support mechanism 41 formed around the chamber 44a can abut against the connector 46 of the joint 45 to form a stable but detachable link.

The support member 41 is additionally provided with a plurality of guide grooves 41a for fixing the light guide rod 21 therein. The guide groove 41a can form, for example, a groove pattern having a flange width on both sides smaller than the diameter or width of the light guide rod 21 for the light guide rod 21 to be inserted.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the joint 45 of the creative light guide column assembly. The connector 45 is shown to include a channel or sleeve 47 for receiving the end of the light guide 21 away from the LED 11. A light guide 22 may be additionally disposed in the guide groove or sleeve 47 to provide a flat surface that can be in contact with the end of the light guide rod 21 away from the LED 11 to form an optical connection. The connector 45 provides an electrical connector 46 having an end 46a formed in a cylindrical shape for receiving the conductive post 44a of the electrical connector 42 of the support mechanism 41. An elastic fixing member 48 may be provided to further strengthen the connection with the electrical connector 42 of the support mechanism 41. The manner of connecting the electrical connector 42 of the support mechanism 41 to the connector 45 side connector 46 is not limited to the above. Anything that connects the conductive elements on both sides can be applied to this creation. A more suitable method includes detachably connecting the conductive member of the support mechanism 41 and the conductive member of the joint 45 side. Therefore, various forms or sizes of connections in the known art can be applied to the present creation. For example, the conductive post 44a is connected to the conductive The combination of connectors 46 is interchangeable.

In the present example, the other end of the electrical connector 46 is a conductive strip 46b disposed within the chamber 46c formed in the joint 45 and extending away from the end 46a. The joint 45 forms an opening 51 for communicating the conductive sheet 46b with the outside, and a power supply line, a signal line or a cable (none of which is shown) is inserted. A fastener 52 is additionally provided to insert the cable or the like, and after fastening the conductive sheet 46b, fasten the cable or the like. The fastener 52 includes a release button 52a for releasing the snap-fit state of the fastener 52 after pressing.

The material of the light guiding rod 21 can be any transparent material, but it is preferably used in the industry for fabricating a light guiding column. The entire length or a part of the surface of the light guiding rod 21 may be subjected to a surface treatment to suppress the diffusion of light from the inside to the outside. The fourth and fifth figures further show that the light guiding rod is bent such that the orientation of one end is orthogonal to the orientation of the other end for guiding the light rays emitted by the LED 11. However, in other examples of the present creation, the light guiding column is formed by a plurality of light guiding column segments having different directions. Also shown in the figure is an end of the light guiding rod 21 facing the LED 11, which can be designed as a condensing shape 53 to concentrate the light emitted by the LED 11 and then enter the light guiding rod 21. After the support mechanism 41 is combined with the joint 45, the light guide rod 21 can enter the guide groove or sleeve 47 of the joint 45, and optically connect with the light guide rod 22 therein, or be free from the free end of the guide groove or sleeve 47. Exposed.

The light guide column assembly having the above features may first combine the light guide column array 20 with the support mechanism 41 to position the light guide post 21 in the guide groove 41a. Next, the conductive sheet 43 of the connector 42 of the support mechanism 41 is fixed to the joint 13 of the circuit board 10 by soldering, adhesion or the like. In addition, an additional fixing member may be provided to fix the support member 41 to the circuit board 10. Next, the completed assembly is combined with the outer casing 39. The manner includes fixing the circuit board 10 to the outer casing 39 by screws, or fitting the outer casing such that the peripheral edge of the circuit board 10 abuts against the inner wall of the outer casing 39, and the main body of the support member 41 is tightly fitted into the opening 39a of the outer casing 39. Thereafter, the connector 46 of the joint 45 is coupled to the electrical connector 42 of the support member 41, The light guides 21 are brought into the guides or sleeves 47 of the joint 45, respectively. That is, the combination of the light guide column assembly of the present invention is completed.

After assembly, the device is formed in a flat shape with a plurality of electrical connectors and corresponding LED display windows on the sides. When in use, a cable or the like can be arbitrarily inserted into the electrical connector 46 of the connector 45, and the display window on the connector 45 can display the operational state of the associated electrical connector (cable). Due to the very flat shape of the device, most of the devices can be stacked on the same bracket (not shown) for use in very complex systems to perform complex control. In this complex system, this creation provides modular connectivity and a concise display that is not available for conventional techniques.

The present invention has been shown and described above by way of a preferred embodiment, and those skilled in the art can achieve the above and other variations, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

10‧‧‧ boards

11‧‧‧LED

12‧‧‧ bracket

13‧‧‧Electrical contacts

20‧‧‧Light guide array

21‧‧‧Light guide

21a‧‧‧Free end

21b‧‧‧Fixed end

22‧‧‧Light guide

30‧‧‧ panel

31‧‧‧Fixed parts

32‧‧‧ openings

33‧‧‧ Guide slot

34‧‧‧Electrical connector

38‧‧‧ openings

39‧‧‧Shell

39a‧‧‧ Opening

40‧‧‧Light column assembly

41‧‧‧Support institutions

41a‧‧‧ Guide slot

42‧‧‧Electrical connector

43‧‧‧Conductor

44‧‧‧Docking Department

44a‧‧‧conductive column

44b‧‧‧室

45‧‧‧Connectors

46‧‧‧Electrical connector

46a‧‧‧End

46b‧‧‧Conductor

47‧‧‧Guide or casing

48‧‧‧Fixed parts

51‧‧‧ openings

52‧‧‧fasteners

52a‧‧‧ release button

53‧‧‧ shapes

Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a conventional light guide column assembly.

Figure 2 shows a block diagram of another conventional light guide column assembly.

Figure 3 shows an exploded view of a device mechanism using the present light guide column assembly.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the support mechanism 41 of the creative light guide column assembly.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the joint 45 of the creative light guide column assembly.

10‧‧‧ boards

11‧‧‧LED

13‧‧‧Electrical contacts

20‧‧‧Light guide array

21‧‧‧Light guide

39‧‧‧Shell

39a‧‧‧ Opening

40‧‧‧Light column assembly

41‧‧‧Support institutions

41a‧‧‧ Guide slot

42‧‧‧Electrical connector

45‧‧‧Connectors

46‧‧‧Electrical connector

47‧‧‧Guide or casing

Claims (24)

A light guide column assembly comprising: an array of light guide columns, comprising at least one light guide column; the light guide column can guide light steering; a support mechanism for supporting the light guide column array; and a joint for coupling with the support mechanism And supporting the array of light guides. The light guide column assembly of claim 1, wherein the support mechanism further comprises a first electrical connector, one end of which includes a conductive piece, and the other end includes a first abutting portion for connecting with an external electrical connector Connecting; wherein the direction of the conductive sheet is parallel to a direction of one end of the at least one light guiding rod. The light guide column assembly of claim 2, wherein the joint further comprises a second electrical connector, the one end of which includes a second abutting portion for abutting with the first mating portion of the first electrical connector to form The other end includes a third abutting portion for connecting with an external electrical connector. The light guide column assembly of claim 2, wherein the joint further comprises a second electrical connector, the one end of which includes a second abutting portion for abutting with the first mating portion of the first electrical connector to form The other end includes a third abutting portion for connecting with an external electrical connector. The light guide column assembly of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the joint provides at least one guide groove for receiving at least one light guide column of the light guide column. The light guide column assembly of claim 5, wherein the guide groove is a sleeve. The light guide column assembly of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light guide column further comprises a shape having a collecting effect. The light guide column assembly of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light guide column further comprises a surface treatment to suppress light from diverging from the inside to the outside. The light guide column assembly of claim 5, wherein the joint further comprises a second light guide array. The at least one second light guiding column is included in the guiding groove. The light guide column assembly of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support mechanism and the joint respectively provide a coupling mechanism to detachably couple the support mechanism to the joint. The light guide column assembly of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the light guide columns of the array of light guides is curved such that the orientation of one end is orthogonal to the orientation of the other end. The light guide column assembly of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light guide column is formed by a plurality of light guide column segments having different directions. An apparatus for using the light guide column assembly, comprising: a casing comprising a side surface having an opening; a circuit board located in the casing; and a light guiding column assembly; wherein the light guiding column assembly comprises: a guide The light column array includes at least one light guiding column; the light guiding column can guide the light generated by the light source on the circuit board to be turned to the opening on the side; a supporting mechanism is fixed on the circuit board for supporting the light guiding column array And a connector detachably fixed to the support member and supporting the light guide column array. The device of claim 13 , wherein the support mechanism further comprises a first electrical connector, the one end of which includes a conductive piece, and the other end includes a first abutting portion for The external electrical connector is connected; wherein the direction of the conductive strip is parallel to the direction of one end of the at least one light guiding rod. The device of claim 14 , wherein the connector further comprises a second electrical connector, the one end of which includes a second abutting portion for the first interface with the first electrical connector The part is butted to form an electrical connection, and the other end includes a third abutting portion for connecting with an external electrical connector. The device of claim 14 , wherein the connector further comprises a second electrical connector, the one end of which includes a second abutting portion for the first interface with the first electrical connector The part is butted to form an electrical connection, and the other end includes a third abutting portion for connecting with an external electrical connector. The apparatus for using the light guide column assembly according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the joint provides at least one guide groove for accommodating at least one light guide column of the light guide column. The apparatus for using the light guide column assembly of claim 17, wherein the guide groove is a sleeve. The apparatus for using the light guide column assembly according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the light guide column further comprises a shape having a collecting effect. A device using the light guide column assembly according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the light guide column further comprises a surface treatment to suppress light from diverging from the inside to the outside. The device for using the light guide column assembly of claim 17, wherein the joint further comprises a second light guide column array, comprising at least one second light guide column, located in the guide groove. The apparatus for using the light guide column assembly according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the support mechanism and the joint respectively provide a coupling mechanism to detachably couple the support mechanism to the joint. The apparatus for using the light guide column assembly according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein at least one of the light guide columns of the light guide column array is curved such that an orientation of one end is orthogonal to an orientation of the other end. The apparatus for using the light guide column assembly according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the light guide column is formed by a light guide column section having a plurality of directions.