PASPOL LIGHT GUIDE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING PASPOL LIGHT GUIDE

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a Paspol light guide includes disposing a plurality of light guides adjacent to one another so that the light guides form a light-guide bundle, disposing an at least partially light-transparent fabric along at least one partial section of the light-guide bundle, sheathing the light-guide bundle by the fabric so that the fabric forms a fabric sleeve, and closing the fabric sleeve along its longitudinal side. When viewed in a cross-section, the fabric sleeve forms a flag protruding from the light-guide bundle.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a Paspol light guide, the method comprising: disposing a plurality of light guides adjacent to one another so that the light guides form a light-guide bundle; disposing of an at least partially light-transparent fabric along at least one partial section of the light-guide bundle; sheathing the light-guide bundle by the at least partially light-transparent fabric, so that the at least partially light-transparent fabric forms a fabric sleeve, wherein viewed in cross-section, the fabric sleeve forms a flag protruding from the light-guide bundle, the flag being configured to attach the Paspol light guide; and closing the fabric sleeve along its longitudinal side.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjacent disposing of the light guides is allowed such that the light guides are guided by a common guide-guiding device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sheathing of the light-guide bundle by the at least partially light-transparent fabric is achieved by a sleeve-guiding device, the sleeve-guiding device including a bundle-guide for guiding the light-guide bundle and a fabric-guide for guiding the at least partially light-transparent fabric, and wherein the at least partially light-transparent fabric at least regionally sheathes the light-guide bundle after passing-through of the sleeve-guiding device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the flag of the fabric sleeve comprises both transverse-side end regions of the at least partially light-transparent fabric, wherein the fabric sleeve is closed in a region of the flag.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising separating the Paspol light guide subsequent to the closing of the fabric sleeve, so that the Paspol light guide having defined length is manufacturable.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising connecting the Paspol light guide to a light source by a closure element, the closure element connected to a longitudinal end of the Paspol light guide.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising stamping at least one light guide of the light guides of the Paspol light guide by a stamping unit before the adjacent disposing of the light guides such that roughening of the at least one light guide in at least one partial region of a surface of the at least one light guide is achieved.

8. The method according claim 1, wherein at least two light guides forming the light-guide bundle are disposed adjacent to one another and are connected to one another.

9. A Paspol light guide comprising: a plurality of light guides disposed adjacent to one another so that the light guides form a light-guide bundle; and a fabric sleeve encasing the light-guide bundle and fixedly closed along its longitudinal side, the fabric sleeve comprising an at least partially light-transparent fabric, wherein viewed in a cross-section, the fabric sleeve forms a flag protruding from the light-guide bundle, the flag being configured to attach the Paspol light guide.

10. The Paspol light guide according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the light guides of the light-guide bundle has a different cross-section than the other light guides of the light-guide bundle.

11. The Paspol light guide according to claim 9, wherein a cross-sectional surface of an interior of the fabric sleeve has a size A, and a summed cross-sectional surface of all light guides has a common size B, wherein the following applies: $B/A=0.5.Math.1.$

Description

DRAWINGS

[0057] In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0058] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a Paspol light guide manufactured according to a method of the present disclosure;

[0059] FIG. 2 is a system for manufacturing a Paspol light guide according to a method of the present disclosure; and

[0060] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a Paspol light guide manufactured according to a method of the present disclosure.

[0061] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0063] FIG. 1 provides a schematic view of a Paspol light guide 1 manufactured according to a method of the present disclosure.

[0064] In FIG. 1, five individual light guides 2 and a fabric 10 designed as a fabric band can be seen as an example. Any number of light guides 2 can be used.

[0065] The five light guides 2 are disposed adjacent to one another so that they form a light-guide bundle 3. Laterally, along the longitudinal side of the light-guide bundle 3, the partially light-transparent fabric 10 is disposed along a partial section of the light-guide bundle 3. The fabric 10 is then laid around the light-guide bundle 3 such that it sheathes it and forms a fabric sleeve 13 surrounding the light guide 2. A subsequent fixed closing of the fabric sleeve 13 consequently forms the Paspol light guide 1.

[0066] FIG. 2 provides a system for manufacturing a Paspol light guide according to a method of the present disclosure .

[0067] The basic design of FIG. 2 corresponds to that of FIG. 1, with the difference being only three light guides 2 are used.

[0068] The three light guides 2 are wound as strand material on coils 4, and for the method are unwound therefrom in a defined length. The fabric 10 configured as a fabric band can also be provided unwound from a coil.

[0069] A separate stamping unit 20 is respectively associated with the light guides 2 unwound by the coils 4, so that after they are guided through their respective stamping unit 20 the light guides 2 have an at least partially stamped surface, from which a light that is guidable through the light guide 2 is emitted. A stamping unit 20 comprises two stamping rollers 21 disposed axially parallel to each other. A light guide 2 to be stamped is guided between the radially outer sides of the stamping rollers 21, so that under pressure a rough surface of the stamping rollers 21 allows a stamping on the surface of the light guide 2.

[0070] The stamped light guides 2 are consequently guided in a common guide-guiding device 30, so that after the exit from the guide-guiding device 30, the light guides 2 are guided close to one another. This means that after the exit of the light guides 2 from the guide-guiding device 30, a spatially closely adjacent arrangement of the light guides 2 is compelled, so that starting from the exit from the guide-guiding device 30, they form the light-guide bundle 3.

[0071] The light-guide bundle 3 and the fabric 10 configured as a fabric band are subsequently inserted in a sleeve-guiding device 31. In the sleeve-guiding device 31, it is allowed that the light-guide bundle 3 is encased by the fabric 10. For this purpose, the sleeve-guiding device 31 forms a bundle-guide not depicted here, through which the light-guide bundle 3 is guided, and a fabric-guide not depicted here, through which the fabric 10 is guided. In the fabric-guide, a combining or a folding-together of the fabric 10 guided through it is allowed, and the bundle-guide guides the light-guide bundle 3 relative to the fabric 10 such that the combining or the folding-together of the fabric 10 takes place around the light-guide bundle 3, so that a sheathing of the light-guide bundle 3 is achieved by the fabric 10.

[0072] A light-guide bundle 3 thus emerges from the sleeve-guiding device 31, around which a not-yet-closed fabric sleeve 13 has been formed.

[0073] The light-guide bundle 3 including the not-yet-closed fabric sleeve 13 is subsequently guided into a welding unit 40, wherein the fabric sleeve 13 is fixedly closed using a welding process, e.g., by ultrasonic welds. Thus, without further intervention, in the sense of a reopening of the fabric sleeve 13, none of the light guides 2 can be moved out again from the interior of the fabric sleeve 13 in the transverse direction.

[0074] Thus, in FIG. 2, a Paspol light guide 1 is manufactured according to the form of the method disclosed herein.

[0075] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a Paspol light guide 1 manufactured according to a method of the present disclosure. As an example, the Paspol light guide 1 comprises a light-guide bundle 3 formed from seven light guides 2, which light-guide bundle 3 is disposed in the interior 14 of the fabric sleeve 13. All seven light guides 2 have the same cross-section. The section of the fabric sleeve 13 defining the interior 14, and the seven light guides 2 disposed therein, provide a circular design. The diameter of a light guide 2 corresponds to exactly one third of the diameter of the interior 14 of the fabric sleeve 13, so that a cross-sectional surface of the interior 14 of the fabric sleeve 13 has a size A, and a summed cross-sectional surface of all seven light guides 2 has a common size B, wherein in this example it applies that: B/A=0.777

[0076] The seven light guides 2 thus have an advantageously high proportion of the cross-sectional surface of the fabric sleeve 13, so that the entire component of the Paspol light guide 1 thus has a smallest possible installation space requirement, and it is provided that the light guides 2 cannot move too much in the fabric sleeve 13. An optimized-as-possible homogeneity is thereby provided in the light output of the Paspol light guide 1.

[0077] The fabric sleeve 13 also forms a radially protruding flag 15. This is comprised of a first transverse-side end region 11 of the fabric sleeve 13 and a second transverse-side end region 12 of the fabric sleeve 13, which protrude by the fabric 10 during the method step of the sheathing of the light-guide bundle 3.

[0078] The closing of the fabric sleeve 13 is achieved in the region of the flag 15. The first transverse-side end region 11 of the fabric sleeve 13 and the second transverse-side end region 12 of the fabric sleeve 13 are thus connected to each other. This can be achieved, for example, by welding, sewing, or gluing.

[0079] The flag 15 is provided so that the Paspol light guide 1 is attached by it to components such as interior panels.

[0080] Using constructively simple means, the method for manufacturing a Paspol light guide 1 provides a Paspol light guide 1 that provides an optimal appearance with wide application spectrum and an efficient installation.

[0081] Unless otherwise expressly indicated herein, all numerical values indicating mechanical/thermal properties, compositional percentages, dimensions and/or tolerances, or other characteristics are to be understood as modified by the word “about” or “approximately” in describing the scope of the present disclosure. This modification is desired for various reasons including industrial practice, material, manufacturing, and assembly tolerances, and testing capability.

[0082] As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”

[0083] The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the substance of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.