Device for transporting light

It is provided a device for transporting light, comprising at least two light pipes and at least one connection part, the at least two light pipes and the at least one connection part are molded with same material as a single component, wherein each connection part includes a triangular prism having a connection surface for connecting the at least two light pipes and two other surfaces having acute angles with the connection surface.

This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 365 of International Application PCT/CN2014/093058, filed Dec. 4, 2014, which was published in accordance with PCT Article 21(2) on Jun. 9, 2016, in English.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to light transport, and more particularly relates to a device for transporting light.

BACKGROUND

A waveguide is a structure that guides waves, such as electromagnetic waves or sound waves. There are different types of waveguides for each type of wave.

For optical waves, the corresponding waveguide is an optical waveguide. It is a physical structure that guides electromagnetic waves in the optical spectrum. As examples of optical waveguides, light tubes or light pipes are physical structures used for transporting or distributing natural or artificial light for the purpose of illumination.

In electronic devices, molded plastic light tubes are commonly used in the electronics industry to direct illumination from LEDs (light emitting diode) on a circuit board to indicator symbols or buttons in the front panel. These light tubes typically take on a highly complex shape that either uses gentle curving bends as in an optic fiber or has sharp prismatic folds which reflect off the angled corners. Multiple light tubes are often molded from a single piece of plastic, permitting easy device assembly since the long thin light tubes are all parts of a single rigid component that snaps into place.

Light tube indicators make electronics cheaper to manufacture since the old way would be to mount or install a tiny lamp into a small socket directly behind the spot to be illuminated. This often requires extensive hand-labor for installation and wiring. Light tubes permit all lights to be mounted on a single flat circuit board, but the illumination can be directed up and away from the board by several inches, wherever it is required.

Some products require different color LEDs to be closely placed in certain pattern. Thus different light pipes are required for the light transfer. The ideal solution is that light pipe are isolated from each other and mounted separately to avoid light leakage and interference. But this will cause high product cost and complex production process. A common solution in the industry is to add some rectangle bars with the same material as the light pipe (or called rectangular parallelepiped) as bridge to connect all light pipes for low cost. For cost reason, the rectangular bars and the light pipes are molded together as a single component. However, the connection bridges may cause light leakage and interference between different light pipes to which they connect.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, it is provided a device for transporting light, comprising at least two light pipes and at least one connection part, the at least two light pipes and the at least one connection part are molded with same material as a single component, wherein each connection part includes a triangular prism having a connection surface for connecting the at least two light pipes and two other surfaces having acute angles with the connection surface.

It is to be understood that more aspects and advantages of the disclosure will be found in the following detailed description of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described in detail in conjunction with the drawings. In the following description, some detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

FIG. 1is a diagram showing ideal light transfer path10according to prior art. In this example, 2 light pipes12and14and 2 connection bridges16and18(working as a connection part) are molded with same material as a single non-detachable component for the purpose of easing assembly. A first light pipe12is used for transporting a first light20A (or called first beam of light, or first light beam) from one end to another as indicated by solid line, i.e. from a first LED to an indicator, and a second light pipe14is used for transporting a second light20B (or called second beam of light, or second light beam) emitted by a second LED, as indicated by dash line. The connection bridges16and18in the shape of rectangular cuboid (right rectangular prism, rectangular parallelepiped, or orthogonal parallelepiped are also used to designate this polyhedron) are used for supporting and holding the light pipes12and14together. In an ideal case, the first light20A and the second light20B shall be transported in their own light pipes. But in reality, light leakage and interference occurs because of the connection bridges16and18.FIG. 2is a diagram showing actual light transfer according to prior art. As can be seen from theFIG. 2, the first light20A and the second light20B are leaked through the connection bridges16and18to the respective light pipes12and14, in which they are not supposed to be transported.FIG. 3is a diagram showing an example of a product30, in which the light guide including light pipes and connection bridges is used to transport light from several LED emitters (internal to the product30) to the same number of front panel indicators32,34,36and38, in order to indicate the status of the product to the user. In the ideal situation, when an event occurs or the status is changed, the corresponding indicator is illuminated. But in practical situation, because of light leakage from adjacent indicators (due to the connection bridges), which shall be dark, may be illuminated with a lower level of brightness, which may result in user's misjudgment of the product status.

According to the present disclosure, it aims to minimize the light leakage and interference. This is achieved by changing physical shape of the connection bridges between light pipes.

In the example below, the light pipes and the connection bridges between the light pipes, working as physical connection parts, are made of a transparent plastic material by molding into a single non-detachable part. It brings cost reduction for manufacturing and assembling the light guiding device into an apparatus or on the circuit board. In order to achieve the objective, the shapes of the connection bridges are changed to prevent or block a light coming from a light pipe from passing through the connection bridges by reflecting the leaking light back to the light pipe where it comes or by transmitting the light to the outside of the connection bridges. So it minimizes the amount of light passing through the connection bridge from one light pipe to another.

FIG. 4Ais a diagram showing side view of an example according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the example, the light guiding device40A includes two straight light pipes42and44with one connection bridge46. As can be seen from theFIG. 4A, the connection bridge46does not take the shape of rectangular cuboid. Instead, the connection bridge46includes two constitution parts, the first one is a triangular prism48A (having two triangular bases and three rectangular surfaces) and the second one is legs50A and50B. The number of legs is the same as that of light pipes, i.e. two legs in this example. For each light pipe, there is a leg connecting the light pipe to the triangular prism. As to the triangular prism48A, one surface is connected with one end of a leg, and the other two surfaces that don't connect the leg have acute angles with the surface that connects to the leg. The two acute angles can be same or different. In the example ofFIG. 4A, the leg50is rectangular cuboid in geometric shape. As to the shape of the two bases50A and50B of the leg, it is the overlapped part between the surface of the light pipe40A (which connects the leg) and the projected area of the surface of the triangular prism (which connects the leg) on the plane of the surface of the light pipe (which connects the leg). It shall be noted that it is just for the purpose of description in which we take the connection bridge out of the single non-detachable light guiding device and describe it by using two constitution parts. Or otherwise it is hard to describe the shape of the connection bridge. In reality, the light pipes and the connection bridge are a single component.FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5Care diagrams showing front view, top view and right side view, respectively, of an example of a light guiding device60according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The triangular housetop-shaped surfaces68A and68B of the bridge66block a light coming from a light pipe62or64from passing through the bridge66by reflecting the light back to the light pipe from which the light originated or by transmitting the light to the outside of the bridge (See e.g.,FIG. 4A).

It shall be noted that the leg can be in other shape or even be removed.FIG. 4Bis a diagram showing a leg50C whose bases are smaller than the overlapped part (triangular prism)48B according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. It shall also be noted that the shape of the leg50C can be cylinder and other polygonal prisms, for example, quadrangular prism (having two 4-sided polygonal bases), pentangular prism, hexangular prism etc.FIG. 4Cis a diagram showing a light guiding device40C that has no leg according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. In theFIG. 4C, the triangular prism48C traverses all light pipes and connects to them with one surface.

In the above examples, the shape of light pipe is rectangular cuboid. In a variant example, the shape is cylinder.

In a variant example, the light pipes have gross surfaces and connection bridges have rough surfaces, i.e. all surfaces of constitution parts are rough surfaces. The rough surfaces diffuses a light coming into the bridge as well allows the light to leak to the air instead of transfering to the neighbor pipe.

In a variant example, the number of light pipes is more than 2. And a connection bridge having more than 2 legs connects all light pipes.FIG. 6is a diagram showing a light guiding device70having 4 light pipes72,74,76and78. It shall be noted that the number of connection bridges80can be more than 1, for example, 2 connection bridges can be used.

In above examples, the light pipe70is straight in shape. In a variant example, the light pipe has a gentle curving bend.FIGS. 7A and 7Bare diagrams showing a light guiding device90having 2 light pipes82and84with gentle curving bends and two connection bridges86and88.FIG. 7Ashows a final product andFIG. 7Bshows top view, left view, front view, right view and bottom view in a direction from the top to the bottom and from the left to the right. In another variant example, the light pipe has a sharp prismatic fold.FIGS. 8A and 8Bare diagrams showing a light guiding device100having 2 light pipes102and104with sharp prismatic folds103and105and two connection bridges106and108.FIG. 8Ashows a final product andFIG. 8Bshows top view, left view, front view, right view and bottom view in a direction from the top to the bottom and from the left to the right.

It shall be noted that if the number of connection bridges is 2 or more, the connection bridges can be different in size.FIG. 9is a diagram showing a light guiding device110having two connection bridges116and118, one (118) is larger and the other (116) is smaller.