Optical fiber cap and automotive interior ceiling using same

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of automotive interiors, and particularly relates to an optical fiber cap and an automotive interior ceiling using the same. The bottom of the optical fiber cap is a smooth end, the outer diameter of the optical fiber cap is gradually increased from the end to the top to form a conical part, a columnar part is arranged above the conical part, and a flat bonding part is arranged above the columnar part; the optical fiber cap has a hollow structure, the top is open, and a blind end is formed at the bottom of the columnar part or the conical part. According to the automotive interior ceiling using the optical fiber cap, the optical fiber is installed in the blind tube of the optical fiber cap, the optical fiber cap is installed on the ceiling, only the smooth end of the optical fiber cap is exposed from the front face of the ceiling, and the problem that the optical fiber pricks hands is solved. The conical part enables the size of the end to be close to or smaller than the diameter of the optical fiber, and the appearance is better.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of automobile interior decoration, and relates to automobile interior starry sky ceiling technology, specifically a fiber optic cap and an automobile interior ceiling made of the same. Background Art

[0002] The starry sky ceiling is made by assembling optical fibers on the car interior ceiling, using optical fibers to guide light to create the effect of a sky full of stars or shooting stars.

[0003] The usual practice of starry sky ceiling modification is to punch through holes in the parts of the ceiling where light spots are needed, and the optical fibers extending from the optical machine pass through these through holes and emerge from the front of the ceiling. On the back of these through holes, the optical fibers are fixed with glue, and then the excess optical fibers are trimmed from the front to make them as flush with the ceiling surface as possible.

[0004] In order to achieve a good touch, the ceiling fabric is usually equipped with a sponge layer. When the finger brushes over it, the fabric will sink slightly, so even if the optical fiber is trimmed flush with the ceiling surface, there will be a scratching feeling. When the finger presses, the fabric sinks significantly, and the optical fiber will feel prickly.

[0005] In addition, optical fibers are usually trimmed and shaped, so that their ends are not smooth and easily prickly, especially when the optical fibers extend beyond the ceiling fabric. Even if they do not prick, they affect the touch. If the optical fibers do not extend beyond the fabric in order to improve the touch, the light will be blocked by the fabric, reducing the viewing angle.

[0006] Currently, there is a solution: adjust the size of the holes in the fabric to make it larger than the diameter of the optical fiber. Even if the optical fiber is lower than the fabric, it will not be blocked by the fabric. However, holes that are too large will affect the visual experience.

[0007] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a starry sky ceiling that can simultaneously ensure the brightness of the optical fiber, the appropriate touch of the ceiling surface, and the aesthetics of the ceiling. Utility Model Content

[0008] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the utility model intends to provide a fiber optic cap and a car interior starry sky ceiling using the fiber optic cap. The fiber optic cap can overcome the prickly feeling when touching the ceiling and ensure the aesthetics of the ceiling without affecting the viewing angle.

[0009] The technical solution of a fiber optic cap of the utility model is:

[0010] A fiber optic cap comprises an end, a conical portion, a columnar portion and a bonding portion, wherein the outer diameter above the end gradually expands to form the conical portion, the columnar portion is above the conical portion, and the bonding portion is arranged above the columnar portion; the fiber optic cap has a fiber optic assembly cavity with an opening at the top, and a blind end is formed at the bottom of the columnar portion or the upper middle portion of the conical portion.

[0011] Furthermore, the outer diameter of the end is less than or equal to the diameter of the optical fiber.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, a guide portion is further provided above the bonding portion, the guide portion is a hollow structure with a trumpet-shaped inner wall, and is a part of the optical fiber assembly cavity.

[0013] Furthermore, the generatrix of the inner wall of the guide portion is formed by smoothly connecting curves with different curvatures, the generatrix at the top end of the guide portion has a small curvature radius, and the generatrix at the bottom end of the guide portion has a large curvature radius.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the diameter of the conical portion at the connection between the conical portion and the columnar portion is larger than the diameter of the columnar portion, thereby generating a step.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the connection between the conical portion and the columnar portion is smooth.

[0016] Furthermore, an annular protrusion is provided at the upper middle portion of the columnar portion.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the optical fiber assembly cavity is provided with a first lateral opening near the blind end.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, a second lateral opening is provided at a position of the optical fiber assembly cavity close to the bonding portion.

[0019] The utility model also provides an automobile interior ceiling using the aforementioned fiber optic cap, which includes a ceiling, a fiber optic cap, an optical fiber and an optical machine. The fiber optic cap is installed on the ceiling, and the blind end is exposed from the front of the ceiling. The light output end of the optical fiber is inserted into the fiber optic cap, and the light input end of the optical fiber is connected to the optical machine. Beneficial Effects

[0020] Compared with the sharp edges produced by fiber optic trimming in the starry sky ceiling in the prior art, the fiber optic cap produced by the injection molding process in the utility model has a smooth end, which solves the biggest risk of pricking the hand with the fiber optic. If a simple sleeve structure is directly used, it will generally cause the diameter of the fiber optic cap to expand, and it will look like a large black hole in the extinguished state, and the appearance will deteriorate. Due to the presence of the tapered part, the size of the end can be reduced, close to or even smaller than the fiber diameter, alleviating or even avoiding the problem of the diameter increasing due to the fiber optic cap.

[0021] The guide part of the utility model adopts a trumpet shape, which firstly makes the optical fiber assembly easy without precise alignment, secondly has a funnel effect after the optical glue is dripped, and reduces waste, and finally ensures that the optical fiber avoids stress concentration when it is bent under force, or light leakage caused by too small bending radius.

[0022] The optical fiber is bent under stress near the fiber cap, and the bottom of the bell mouth is the position with the greatest stress. A larger curvature radius is used here, such as 15-30 times the fiber diameter, to avoid excessive bending and light leakage of the optical fiber. A smaller curvature radius is used in the middle and upper part of the bell mouth, such as 3-5 times the fiber diameter, to reduce the height of the bell mouth.

[0023] The use of a columnar part can avoid the cone part being too long, resulting in a large top diameter, or a large difference in wall thickness, resulting in insufficient local strength. The columnar part and the cone part are designed to be stepped. After the fiber cap is assembled, the step is stuck in the back glass fiber layer of the ceiling frame to prevent the fiber cap from falling off. An annular protrusion is set in the middle and upper part of the columnar part to prevent the fiber cap from falling off.

[0024] A first lateral opening is provided at the bottom of the optical fiber assembly cavity to exhaust air and allow the optical glue to enter the cavity more easily. A second lateral opening is provided below the bonding portion and near the bonding portion to allow the overflowing glue to enter the glass fiber layer, making the bonding of the optical fiber cap more secure; or solidify under the glass fiber layer to prevent it from falling off. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the existing ceiling;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the first optical fiber cap structure of the present application;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the second optical fiber cap structure of the present application;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the third optical fiber cap structure of the present application;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth optical fiber cap structure of the present application;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the ceiling structure of this application;

[0031] In the figure: 1. Fiber cap; 11. End; 12. Conical portion; 13. Columnar portion; 14. Adhesive portion; 15. Guide portion; 16. Annular protrusion; 17. Step; 21. Fiber assembly cavity; 22. Bell mouth; 23. First lateral opening; 24. Second lateral opening; 3. Fiber; 4. Ceiling frame; 41. Lower fiberglass layer; 42. Foam layer; 43. Upper fiberglass layer; 44. Fabric; 5. Optical glue. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Comparison Example

[0033] The existing structure of the starry sky roof, such as Figure 1There is a fiber hole on the ceiling, which penetrates the ceiling frame and fabric. The optical fiber's light-emitting end enters from the back of the ceiling and exits from the front of the ceiling. The optical fiber is fixed with glue from the back of the ceiling, and the optical fiber exiting from the front is finally trimmed to be flush with the ceiling fabric.

[0034] The light input end of the optical fiber is connected to an optical machine (not shown). The brightness provided by the optical machine is transmitted to the ceiling surface through the optical fiber to obtain circular light spots.

[0035] Optical fiber is generally made of PMMA, which is very brittle. After trimming, it will have very sharp edges, which will scratch your hand when touched. Example 1

[0036] In order to improve the problem of sharp edges of trimmed optical fibers being prickly, an injection molding process is used to produce optical fiber caps, such as Figure 2 shown.

[0037] In order to prevent pricking, the fiber cap has a smooth end 11, the diameter of which is basically the same as that of the optical fiber. Above the end 11 is a tapered portion 12 with a gradually increasing diameter. Only when the diameter is large enough can a cavity 21 for assembling the optical fiber be designed inside. When the diameter reaches the requirement, it does not need to be further expanded, but the height still does not meet the requirement, so a columnar portion 13 is provided above the tapered portion 12. The sum of the heights of the columnar portion 13 and the tapered portion 12 is basically the same as the sum of the thicknesses of the ceiling frame 4 and the fabric 3, so that the end 11 of the fiber cap is just exposed from the front of the ceiling.

[0038] Above the columnar portion 13 is a flat bonding portion 14, which is also cylindrical in shape, but not very thick and has a large bottom area, so that the optical fiber cap can be bonded to the back of the ceiling.

[0039] The cavity 21 of the optical fiber cap is opened from the top and becomes a blind end at the bottom of the columnar portion 13 or the upper middle portion of the tapered portion 12 . Example 2

[0040] In order to improve the problem of sharp edges of trimmed optical fibers being prickly, an injection molding process is used to produce optical fiber caps, such as Figure 3 shown.

[0041] In order to prevent pricking, the fiber cap has a smooth end 11, the diameter of which is basically the same as that of the optical fiber. Above the end 11 is a tapered portion 12 with a gradually increasing diameter. Only when the diameter is large enough can a cavity 21 for assembling the optical fiber be designed inside. When the diameter reaches the requirement, it does not need to be further expanded, but the height still does not meet the requirement, so a columnar portion 13 is provided above the tapered portion 12. The sum of the heights of the columnar portion 13 and the tapered portion 12 is basically the same as the sum of the thicknesses of the ceiling frame 4 and the fabric 3, so that the end 11 of the fiber cap is just exposed from the front of the ceiling.

[0042] Above the columnar portion 13 is a flat bonding portion 14, which is also cylindrical in shape, but not very thick and has a large bottom area, so that the optical fiber cap can be bonded to the back of the ceiling.

[0043] The guide portion 15 is disposed above the bonding portion 14 , and a bell mouth 22 is disposed in the middle of the guide portion 15 .

[0044] The guiding function of the guide portion 15 is achieved by the bell mouth 22, and the shape of the outer contour is not important. However, injection molded products generally keep the same wall thickness as much as possible, so the outer contour is also designed to be bell-shaped, but this is not necessary.

[0045] The bell mouth 22 is connected to the cavity 21 of the optical fiber cap as a whole, and becomes a blind end at the bottom of the columnar portion 13 or the upper middle portion of the conical portion.

[0046] The bell mouth 22 is a curved surface formed by the rotation of the busbar. The busbar of the bell mouth 22 can also be designed as an arc with a uniform radius of curvature, which is tangent to the busbar of the cavity 21, thereby avoiding stress concentration of the optical fiber at the junction of the bell mouth 22 and the cavity 21.

[0047] The busbar of the bell mouth 22 can also be designed to have a large curvature radius at the bottom and a small curvature radius at the top. On the one hand, it can better transition smoothly with the cavity 21 to avoid stress concentration at the junction of the bell mouth 22 and the cavity 21 when the optical fiber is bent under force. On the other hand, the smaller curvature radius at the top can better achieve the bending of the glass fiber to avoid the height of the guide part 15 being too high. For example, the busbar of the bell mouth 22 can have a gradually changing curvature or a discontinuously changing curvature, such as two or three tangent arcs. For example, two tangent arcs of 5 times and 15 times the diameter of the optical fiber, or three tangent arcs of 3 times, 9 times, and 27 times the diameter of the optical fiber.

[0048] A second lateral opening 24 is provided below the bottom surface of the bonding portion 14 and near the bottom surface. The opening can be used to exhaust air, allowing the optical adhesive to flow downward more easily, or in the case of optical adhesive overflow, the optical adhesive can enter the back glass fiber layer of the ceiling or below the back glass fiber layer from the second lateral opening 24 to play a role in bonding or riveting. Example 3

[0049] In order to improve the problem of sharp edges of trimmed optical fibers being prickly, an injection molding process is used to produce optical fiber caps, such as Figure 4 shown.

[0050] In order to prevent pricking, the fiber cap has a smooth end 11, the diameter of which is basically the same as that of the optical fiber. Above the end 11 is a tapered portion 12 with a gradually increasing diameter. Only when the diameter is large enough can a cavity 21 for assembling the optical fiber be designed inside. When the diameter reaches the requirement, it does not need to be further expanded, but the height still does not meet the requirement, so a columnar portion 13 is provided above the tapered portion 12. The sum of the heights of the columnar portion 13 and the tapered portion 12 is basically the same as the sum of the thicknesses of the ceiling frame 4 and the fabric 3, so that the end 11 of the fiber cap is just exposed from the front of the ceiling.

[0051] An annular protrusion 16 is provided in the middle and upper part of the columnar portion 13. After the optical fiber cap is assembled on the ceiling, the annular protrusion 16 is located below the glass fiber layer on the back side of the ceiling, and can prevent the optical fiber cap from falling off.

[0052] Above the columnar portion 13 is a flat bonding portion 14, which is also cylindrical in shape, but not very thick and has a large bottom area, so that the optical fiber cap can be bonded to the back of the ceiling.

[0053] The guide portion 15 is disposed above the bonding portion 14 , and a bell mouth 22 is disposed in the middle of the guide portion 15 .

[0054] The guiding function of the guide portion 15 is achieved by the bell mouth 22, and the shape of the outer contour is not important. However, injection molded products generally keep the same wall thickness as much as possible, so the outer contour is also designed to be bell-shaped, but this is not necessary.

[0055] The bell mouth 22 is connected to the cavity 21 of the optical fiber cap as a whole, and becomes a blind end at the bottom of the columnar portion 13 or the upper middle portion of the conical portion.

[0056] The bell mouth 22 is a curved surface formed by the rotation of the busbar. The busbar of the bell mouth 22 can also be designed as an arc with a uniform radius of curvature, which is tangent to the busbar of the cavity 21, thereby avoiding stress concentration of the optical fiber at the junction of the bell mouth 22 and the cavity 21.

[0057] The busbar of the bell mouth 22 can also be designed to have a large curvature radius at the bottom and a small curvature radius at the top. On the one hand, it can better transition smoothly with the cavity 21 to avoid stress concentration at the junction of the bell mouth 22 and the cavity 21 when the optical fiber is bent under force. On the other hand, the smaller curvature radius at the top can better achieve the bending of the glass fiber to avoid the height of the guide part 15 being too high. For example, the busbar of the bell mouth 22 can have a gradually changing curvature or a discontinuously changing curvature, such as two or three tangent arcs. For example, two tangent arcs of 5 times and 15 times the diameter of the optical fiber, or three tangent arcs of 3 times, 9 times, and 27 times the diameter of the optical fiber.

[0058] A first lateral opening 23 is provided at the bottom of the cavity 21 . The opening can function as an exhaust so that the optical adhesive can flow downward more easily to the bottom of the cavity 21 . Example 4

[0059] In order to improve the problem of sharp edges of trimmed optical fibers being prickly, an injection molding process is used to produce optical fiber caps, such as Figure 5 shown.

[0060] In order to prevent pricking, the fiber cap has a smooth end 11, and the diameter of the end is basically equivalent to that of the optical fiber. Above the end 11 is a tapered portion 12 with a gradually increasing diameter. Only when the diameter is large enough can a cavity 21 for assembling the optical fiber be designed inside. When the diameter reaches the requirement, it continues to expand, and then, a columnar portion 13 with a slightly smaller diameter is provided on the tapered portion 12. The sum of the heights of the columnar portion 13 and the tapered portion 12 is basically equivalent to the sum of the thicknesses of the ceiling frame 4 and the fabric 3, so that the end 11 of the fiber cap is just exposed from the front of the ceiling. Between the tapered portion 12 and the columnar portion 13, a step 17 is generated. The step 17 has the same function as the annular protrusion 16 in Example 3. After the fiber cap is assembled on the ceiling, it is located under the glass fiber layer on the back of the ceiling, which can prevent the fiber cap from falling off. Since the bottom of the step 17 is smooth, the installation process will be easier than the annular protrusion solution.

[0061] Above the columnar portion 13 is a flat bonding portion 14, which is also cylindrical in shape, but not very thick and has a large bottom area, so that the optical fiber cap can be bonded to the back of the ceiling.

[0062] The guide portion 15 is disposed above the bonding portion 14 , and a bell mouth 22 is disposed in the middle of the guide portion 15 .

[0063] The guiding function of the guide portion 15 is achieved by the bell mouth 22, and the shape of the outer contour is not important. However, injection molded products generally keep the same wall thickness as much as possible, so the outer contour is also designed to be bell-shaped, but this is not necessary.

[0064] The bell mouth 22 is connected to the cavity 21 of the optical fiber cap as a whole, and becomes a blind end at the bottom of the columnar portion 13 or the upper middle portion of the conical portion.

[0065] The bell mouth 22 is a curved surface formed by the rotation of the busbar. The busbar of the bell mouth 22 can also be designed as an arc with a uniform radius of curvature, which is tangent to the busbar of the cavity 21, thereby avoiding stress concentration of the optical fiber at the junction of the bell mouth 22 and the cavity.

[0066] The busbar of the bell mouth 22 can also be designed to have a large curvature radius at the bottom and a small curvature radius at the top. On the one hand, it can better transition smoothly with the cavity 21 to avoid stress concentration at the junction of the bell mouth 22 and the cavity 21 when the optical fiber is bent under force. On the other hand, the smaller curvature radius at the top can better achieve the bending of the glass fiber to avoid the height of the guide part 15 being too high. For example, the busbar of the bell mouth 22 can have a gradually changing curvature or a discontinuously changing curvature, such as two or three tangent arcs. For example, two tangent arcs of 5 times and 15 times the diameter of the optical fiber, or three tangent arcs of 3 times, 9 times, and 27 times the diameter of the optical fiber. Example 5

[0067] The starry sky ceiling produced by the optical fiber cap of the present application has a cross-sectional view as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown. The ceiling includes a ceiling frame 4 and a fabric 44. The ceiling frame 4 includes an upper glass fiber layer 43, a foam layer 42 and a lower glass fiber layer 41. When drilling holes on the ceiling, the hole diameter can be equivalent to the diameter of the end of the fiber optic cap 1. During assembly, it can be smoothly installed in place with the help of the guidance of the tapered part, and the annular protrusion can prevent the fiber optic cap 1 from falling out. The fiber optic cap 1 and the ceiling frame 4 can be fixed by this matching relationship, or they can be bonded by applying glue under the bonding part 14 (apply the glue around the fiber optic hole on the back of the ceiling in advance). Add optical glue 5 to the bell mouth of the fiber optic cap, then insert the optical fiber 3, and then cure the optical glue 5 to bond the optical fiber 3 and the fiber optic cap 1 together.

[0068] The bonding part of the fiber cap is pasted to the back of the ceiling, and the end just emerges from the fabric, and the optical fiber 3 is inserted into the fiber cap 1 from the back. The surface of the end is smooth and round, so there is no problem of pricking your hand. Even if you press it with your fingertips, it is a little bit uncomfortable, but not prickly. In addition, the tapered structure is adopted, so the diameter of the end is small, and it looks about the same size as the optical fiber 3, without causing the exposed area to be too large and look too ugly. The smooth curve of the flare guides the optical fiber from straight to curved, avoiding optical fiber breakage and light leakage caused by stress concentration.

Claims

1. An optical fiber cap, characterized in that: It includes an end, a conical portion, a columnar portion and a bonding portion. The outer diameter of the end gradually expands to form the conical portion, the columnar portion is above the conical portion, and the bonding portion is arranged above the columnar portion. The optical fiber cap has an optical fiber assembly cavity with an opening at the top, and a blind end is formed at the bottom of the columnar portion or the upper middle portion of the conical portion.

2. The optical fiber cap according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the end is less than or equal to the diameter of the optical fiber.

3. The optical fiber cap according to claim 1, characterized in that: A guide portion is also provided above the bonding portion. The guide portion is a hollow structure with a trumpet-shaped inner wall, and is a part of the optical fiber assembly cavity.

4. The optical fiber cap according to claim 3, characterized in that: The generatrix of the inner wall of the guide portion is formed by smoothly connecting curves with different curvatures. The generatrix at the top end of the guide portion has a small curvature radius, and the generatrix at the bottom end of the guide portion has a large curvature radius.

5. The optical fiber cap according to claim 1, wherein: At the connection between the conical part and the columnar part, the diameter of the conical part is larger than the diameter of the columnar part, thereby forming a step.

6. The optical fiber cap according to claim 1, wherein: The connection between the conical portion and the columnar portion is smooth.

7. The optical fiber cap according to claim 6, characterized in that: An annular protrusion is also provided at the middle and upper part of the columnar part.

8. The optical fiber cap according to claim 1, wherein: The optical fiber assembly cavity is provided with a first lateral opening near the blind end.

9. The optical fiber cap according to claim 1, wherein: The optical fiber assembly cavity is provided with a second lateral opening at a position close to the bonding portion.

10. An automobile interior ceiling, characterized in that: It comprises a ceiling, a fiber optic cap as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, an optical fiber and an optical machine, wherein the fiber optic cap is mounted on the ceiling, with the end exposed from the front side of the ceiling, the light output end of the optical fiber is inserted into the fiber optic cap, and the light input end of the optical fiber is connected to the optical machine.

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