Fiber panel including noncircular optical fibers

A fiber panel, a light module, and a method for transmitting light using the fiber panel are provided. The fiber panel includes a plurality of optical fibers; and wherein each of the optical fibers have at least one base surface, and the fibers being arranged such that the at least one base surface of each optical fiber have a common orientation with each other.

BACKGROUND

As is well known, vehicles contain numerous types of lighting devices. For example, exterior vehicle lighting devices that perform a stop light function, tail lamp function, head lamp function, daytime running light function, dynamic bending light function, and fog light function are common.

Vehicle manufacturers have made an effort to design vehicle lighting devices in consideration of the styling of a vehicle on which the lighting devices are mounted. Further, vehicle manufacturers may provide optional lighting effects (in addition to the required lighting functionality) to enhance vehicle styling.

In recent years some vehicle manufacturers are utilizing organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) in an effort to meet desired lighting and aesthetic characteristics of vehicle lighting. OLED devices generally take the form of very thin panels that can be formed into three-dimensional shapes. Fiber panel LEDs may have a similar panel form to OLEDs. Fiber panels may include multiple optical fibers having a circular cross section.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the present disclosure includes a fiber panel. The fiber panel includes a plurality of optical fibers. Each of the optical fibers has at least one base surface. The fibers are arranged such that the at least one base surface of each optical fiber have a common orientation with each other.

In one embodiment, the at least one base surface includes a flat section.

In one embodiment, each optical fiber has a polygonal cross section.

In one embodiment, each optical fiber has a hexagonal cross section.

In one embodiment, each optical fiber has a triangular cross section.

In one embodiment, the plurality of optical fibers are arranged in a honeycomb fashion.

In one embodiment, abraded sides of each optical fiber have the same orientation with each other.

A further aspect of the present disclosure includes a light module. The light module includes a light source configured to generate a light; and a fiber panel optically coupled to the light source. The fiber panel includes a plurality of optical fibers in which each of the optical fibers has at least one base surface, and the plurality of optical fibers are arranged such that the at least one base surface of each optical fiber have a common orientation with each other.

A further aspect of the present disclosure includes a method for transmitting light using a fiber panel. The method includes arranging a plurality of optical fibers to define an illumination region and coupling light from a light source to the plurality of optical fibers. Each of the optical fibers have at least one base surface, and the fibers are arranged such that the at least one base surface of each optical fiber have a common orientation with each other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout several views, the following description relates to a fiber panel that includes noncircular optical fibers.

Optical fibers are used to transmit light from one end of a fiber to the other end. This mode of operation based on total internal reflection (TIR) is used for lighting. Optical fibers may also be treated to emit light from the surface of the fibers. The alteration of optical fibers for the purpose of surface emission may involve grinding or abrading the surface of the fibers to produce regular or random surface features that allow some of the transmitted light to escape from the core of the optical fibers.

Fiber panel modules generally include a controller, a coupler, an optical fiber bundle, and a fiber panel (i.e., emitting panel). The fiber panel modules also include a light source that inputs light to the optical fiber bundle having fibers extending therefrom to form the fiber panel. Fiber panels that include optical fibers having a circular cross sectional shape may have several drawbacks such as being unable to be packaged in such a way that all air bubbles are removed. In addition, it may be difficult to put a precisely defined abrasion pattern on the fiber panel.

The fiber panel described herein is formed using noncircular optical fibers (i.e., optical fibers that have a noncircular cross section). By using the optical fibers described herein, the fiber panels may be able to be assembled more uniformly and repeatedly. The optical fibers described herein also provide the advantage of the ability to achieve more precise abrasions which may result in a uniform light output from the fiber panel.

FIG. 1is a schematic view of a fiber optic light panel device102according to one example. The fiber optic light panel device102includes a light source104, a fiber bundle106, and a fiber panel108. The fiber panel108may include a backing and a cover layer.

The fiber bundle106may include a large number of glass or plastic optical fibers110that can be bound together at one end by bundling element114. For example, the fiber bundle106may include a large number of abraded PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate) fibers. The bundling element114may be formed from a brass or plastic ferrule, cable tie, tape, adhesive, or other material that can hold the fiber bundle106in a predetermined shape. Additional bundling elements may be used. The light generated by the light source104may be coupled to the fiber bundle106for transmission to the fiber panel108. In the drawings, only a small number of optical fibers110is shown for simplicity. In one example, the fiber bundle106may be coupled to the light source104via an optical fiber coupler (not shown). Further, the light source104may include a heat sink (not shown).

The fiber bundle106described herein may include from several tens of fibers to thousands of fibers. All or a part of the optical fibers110may be extended therefrom to form one or more fiber panels108. In one implementation, the fiber bundle106may include approximately between 250 and 350 fibers.

Light source104may include one or more light emitting devices or solid state light sources. The term “solid state” generally refers to light emitted by solid-state electroluminescence, as distinct from light emitted by a source of incandescence or fluorescence. For example, light source104may include an inorganic semiconductor light emitting diode (LED) or laser diode, an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a polymer light emitting diode (PLED), an LED lamp package, a LED chip or LED die, or an array of one or more of these devices. When a plurality of devices of LEDs is used, the LEDs may have the same or different colors. The light source104may be an LED, multiple discrete LEDs, or an LED light bar. In one example, the light source104may be an LED providing approximately 2 W, 140 lm output at 2.65 Volts and 750 mA of current. The light source104may be controlled using a controller116.

Optical fibers110can be arranged in a generally parallel relationship with respect to one another, parallel with longitudinal axis LA of the fiber panel108. However, it should be understood that optical fibers110may assume similar or different positions (e.g., parallel, non-parallel, curved, accurate or serpentine). Optical fibers110may have different sizes or dimensions, such as different parameters.

FIG. 2Ashows a cross-section of a conventional fiber panel having two layers of optical fibers. As described previously herein, the circular optical fibers may not be easily arranged and air gaps between the optical fibers may not be mitigated.

The optical fibers110have a noncircular shape. Each optical fiber of the fiber panel108has a base surface202(i.e., base side). The base surface202may contact another surface by at least two spaced apart contact surfaces. The base surface202may include multiple sections. At least one section of the multiple sections has a noncircular shape. In one configuration, the base surface202may be flat. The optical fibers are arranged such that the base surface202of each optical fiber110has a common orientation with other base surfaces of the other optical fibers. For example, the optical fibers110may be arranged in a honeycomb configuration to form multiple layers.

In one implementation, all sides of the optical fiber110may have a shape similar to the base surface202. For example, the optical fiber110may have a polygonal shape. In one example, the optical fibers may have a convex polygonal shape such as a triangular shape, a square shape, a pentagonal shape, a hexagonal shape, a heptagonal shape, an octagonal shape, a nonagonal shape, a decagonal shape, a trapezoid shape, a parallelogram shape, and the like. Further, the polygonal shape may be regular such as an equilateral triangle as shown inFIG. 2C.

In one configuration, the optical fiber110may have a square shape. The cross-section of the fiber panel formed using square optical fibers is shown inFIG. 2B. Each side may be of 0.23 mm. The cross section of the fiber can range from 250 μm to 3000 μm.

The optical fiber110may have a triangular cross-section as shown inFIG. 2C. The triangular may be isosceles. The optical fiber110may be arranged such as the base surface202of each optical fiber110is parallel to a top surface of the fiber panel108.

The optical fibers110having a triangular cross-section may be arranged in two or more layers to form the fiber panel108.FIG. 2Dshows optical fibers arranged in two layers. The base surface202of each of the optical fibers in the two layers are arranged parallel to the top surface of the fiber panel108. The optical fibers in a second layer may be arranged in an opposite direction (i.e., upside-down with respect to the optical fibers in the first layer) such as to complement the first layer and minimize air gaps between the optical fibers.

In one implementation, the optical fiber110may have a rectangular cross-section as shown inFIG. 2E. Square and rectangular shaped-optical fibers can help in better packing and in achieving different looks. In addition, square and rectangular shaped-optical fiber have difference in performance.

The optical fiber110may have an octagonal cross-section as shown inFIG. 2F. In one configuration, the octagonal optical fibers are arranged such that each side of the optical fiber110has a common orientation with a corresponding side of the other optical fibers.

FIG. 2Gshows a cross-sectional of the fiber panel108according to one example. The optical fiber110may have a hexagonal shape. The optical fibers may be arranged in multiple layers in a honeycomb fashion which results in a maximum packing density. The optimized shapes and arrangements provide a uniform panel and better efficiency compared to fiber panels formed using circular optical fibers.

The utilization of noncircular optical fibers may allow for additional methods of abrasion. Current techniques are purely mechanical and only accomplish an overall effect. By aligning the optical fibers described herein together, it is possible to use laser ablation techniques to create very finely controlled patterns on the fibers. Abrasion patterns and their orientations can be easily controlled by using the fiber shapes described herein.FIG. 3Ashows a cross section of a conventional abraded fiber panel. As shown inFIG. 3A, abrasions may be random as the optical fibers may rotate during the assembly of the fiber panel. For example, after abrading the optical fibers and before gluing the optical fibers together to form the fiber panel the optical fibers may shift. The randomness in the orientation of the abraded optical fiber may increase light loss and minimize light output from the emitting side of the fiber panel.

FIGS. 3B-3Dshow exemplary cross-sectional views of abraded fiber panels108. As shown inFIGS. 3B-3D, the optical fibers110may be arranged and abraded. The abrasions may be periodical and have a predetermined pattern. The light output from the fiber panel108is maximized.

Fine optics may be created on the surface of the optical fibers described herein using laser ablation. The optics may be configured to diffuse, focus, or direct the light. For example, inclusions such as found in a brightness enhancement film (BEF) may be added onto the optical fibers. The characteristics of the inclusions may be manipulated to provide a range of reflective and transmissive properties of the optical fiber110. For example, the optical fiber110may include an array of cavities having sizes and distributions determined based on the application.

FIG. 4is a schematic that shows a side view of a motor vehicle400according to one example. The motor vehicle400may include a power source402and an electrical control unit404.FIG. 4shows a headlamp assembly406, a front lamp assembly408, and a rear lamp assembly410. The front lamp assembly408can be separate from the headlamp assembly406or can be incorporated into the same assembly module. The rear lamp assembly410represents signaling functions, such as a combination brake lamp and tail lamp or a combination tail lamp and a turn signal lamp.

FIG. 5is a simplified block diagram of a vehicle environment500in which embodiments of the invention disclosed herein may be implemented. The vehicle environment500includes a vehicle501in communication with one or more external devices550by way of one or more external networks580. Vehicle501also includes various internal networks540for interconnecting several vehicle devices within the vehicle as will be discussed below. The vehicle environment500may also include one or more in-vehicle mobile device530. External devices550include any device located outside the vehicle501such that the external device must communicate with the vehicle and its devices by an external network580. For example, the external devices may include mobile devices, electronic devices in networked systems (e.g., servers or clients in a local area network (LAN), etc.), on board computers of other vehicles etc. In-vehicle mobile devices530are devices which are located within, or in the vicinity of the vehicle501such that the in-vehicle mobile device can communicate directly with internal networks540of the vehicle501. In-vehicle mobile devices530may also connect with external networks580.

Vehicle501includes vehicle devices integral with or otherwise associated with the vehicle501. In the embodiment ofFIG. 5, vehicle devices include one or more sensors503, one or more actuators505, one or more control units507, one or more media systems508, one or more displays509, one or more routers511, one or more antenna513, and one or more on board computers520. The one or more on board computers may generate signals having a desired duty factor to control one or more vehicle lights such as the light source104. As used herein, the term “vehicle device” is meant to encompass sensors, actuators, controllers, electronic control units (ECUs), detectors, instruments, embedded devices, media devices including speakers, a CD and/or DVD player, a radio, vehicle navigation systems (e.g., GPS) displays, other peripheral or auxiliary devices or components associated with the vehicle501.

Sensors503detect various conditions within (or in the immediate vicinity of) the vehicle501. For example, sensors503may be temperature sensors, photosensors, position sensors, speed sensors, angle sensors or any other sensor for detecting a diagnostic condition or other parameter of the vehicle501or its ambient environment. Sensors503may be passive or “dumb” sensors that provide an analog representative of the sensed parameter, or so called “smart” sensors with integrated memory and digital processing capability to analyze the parameter sensed within the sensor itself. Actuators505cause motion of some mechanical element of the vehicle in response to a control signal. For example, actuators505may be hydraulic actuators, pneumatic actuators or electrical/electronic actuators such as a stepper motor. Actuators505may be used to move vehicle lighting devices to implement intelligent light, for example. Actuators505may be used to move the fiber optic light panel device102.

Actuators505may also be “dumb” devices that react to a simple analog voltage input, or “smart” devices with built-in memory and processing capability. Actuators505may be activated based on a sensed parameter from sensors503, and one such sensed parameter may be a physical position of the actuator503itself. Thus, the sensors503and actuators505may be connected in a feedback control loop for diagnostic detection and control of the vehicle501.

On-board computer520is a vehicle device for providing general purpose computing functionality within the vehicle501. The on-board computer520typically handles computationally intensive functions based on software applications or “apps” loaded into memory. On-board computer520may also provide a common interface for different communication networks in the vehicle environment500. On-board computer520includes one or more processor521, one or more memory523, one or more user interface525(e.g., the operator interface described previously herein), and one or more network interface527.

In example embodiments, the operations for controlling the light source104may be implemented by logic encoded in one or more tangible media, which may be inclusive of non-transitory media (e.g., embedded logic provided in an ASIC, digital signal processor (DSP) instructions, software potentially inclusive of object code and source code to be executed by a processor or other similar vehicle device, etc.).

Multiple internal vehicle networks represented by540may exist in the vehicle501to provide communication pathways to various vehicle devices distributed throughout the vehicle501. An internal vehicle network540is a collection of nodes, such as vehicle devices, integrated with or otherwise linked to the vehicle and interconnected by communication means. Vehicle networks540typically include hard wired bus type networks, each providing communication pathways to particular vehicle devices distributed throughout a vehicle.FIG. 5shows four examples of such hard wired networks: Controller Area Network (CAN)541, Local Internet Network (LIN)543, Flexray bus545, and Media Oriented System Transport (MOST) network547.

Other hard wired internal networks such as Ethernet may be used to interconnect vehicle devices in the vehicle501. Further, internal wireless networks549, such as near field communications, Bluetooth, etc. may interconnect vehicle devices.

Users (driver or passenger) may initiate communication in vehicle environment500via some network, and such communication may be initiated through any suitable device such as, in-vehicle mobile device530, display509, user interface525, or external devices550, for example to activate the fiber optic light panel device102.

A system which includes the features in the foregoing description provides numerous advantages to users. In particular, using noncircular optical fibers to form the fiber panel help to prevent air gaps and bubbles in the final panel assembly.