The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 01, 1997
Filed:
Dec. 22, 1994
Brett M Kingstone, Orlando, FL (US);
Super Vision International, Inc., Orlando, FL (US);
Abstract
A fiber optic cable suitable for lateral illumination lighting installations has a central core, wrapped perimetrically with angularly distributed bundles of optical fibers and covered with a transparent sheath. In one form, the core includes an outer cylindrical surface of reflective material that deflects inwardly directed lateral emissions back outwardly so they can contribute usefully to the visible light. In another form, the core may be reflective or non-reflective and include material enabling the cable to be bent or formed into various shapes. In still another form, the cable includes in combination an outer channel of opaque material with cutout designs formed in the channel for lateral illumination to shine through. In manufacture, the bundles are wound about the core by a cabling machine which simultaneously extrudes the sheath about the winding. In a modified embodiment, a cable includes an arcuate cutout that mates with a complementary track of a mounting strip. In another form of the modified embodiment, the fiber bundles are provided directly within at least one reflective channel formed integrally within the mounting strip.