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:
Mar. 16, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 21, 1998
Thomas D Snyder, Raleigh, NC (US);
Ericsson Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC (US);
Abstract
Disclosed is a one piece lightguide structure having at least two lightguides, one of which can be movable with respect to the other. In a preferred embodiment, the lightguides are interconnected by a restricted light path structure, in a preferred embodiment, a light dissipating spring which mechanically interconnects the two lightguides but serves to restrict any light transmitted from one lightguide to the other. The light path restriction is created by dispersing any light transmitted along the spring, reflecting light back towards the originating lightguide, trapping light in various larger cross-sectional area portions or varying combinations of all three. In a preferred embodiment, a light dissipating spring comprising the three large cross-sectional areas connected in series between a fixed lightguide and a movable lightguide by smaller cross-section portions which serve to mechanically interconnect two lightguides.