Light Guide Holder With Elastic Clamping for Fast Fiber Mounting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of optical fibers in lighting devices is time-consuming and complicated due to their flexible nature, often resulting in a wavy appearance, and there is a need for a stable and cost-effective method to position them close to a transparent pane for optimal lighting effects.
Innovation Solution
A holding device with a first holding body part featuring an elongated recess and a second elastically deformable part that clamps the optical fiber without adhesives, allowing for mechanical fastening by expanding the opening to insert the fiber and then returning to its original shape to secure it.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If optical fibers are manually installed in lighting devices, then they can be positioned in the housing, but the installation process becomes time-consuming and complicated with wavy appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The holding body is pre-formed with an opening that can be elastically expanded to a larger size than the recess, allowing the optical fiber to be inserted before the opening returns to its original smaller size, thereby preliminarily preparing the insertion path to simplify the installation process and prevent wavy appearance
Solution Approach 2:
The holding body utilizes elastic deformation to dynamically change the opening size from a larger expanded state during insertion to a smaller original state for securing the fiber, enabling the installation process to be both simple and efficient while maintaining fiber positioning stability
2Illumination intensity
If optical fibers are positioned close to the transparent pane for optimal lighting effects, then lighting quality improves, but stable positioning becomes difficult without adhesives
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces adhesive bonding with a mechanical clamping system where the holding body's opening, when returned to its original size after expansion, securely holds the optical fiber in position near the transparent pane, achieving both optimal lighting effect and reliable positioning without adhesives
3Reliability
If adhesives are used to mount optical fibers, then positioning stability improves, but cost increases and environmental friendliness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes adhesive bonding with a purely mechanical clamping mechanism where the elastic holding body physically secures the optical fiber through its opening, eliminating the need for adhesives and achieving mounting stability through mechanical force alone, thereby reducing costs and improving environmental compatibility
4Reliability
If the holding body opening is always small to secure the fiber, then clamping reliability improves, but fiber insertion becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The holding body dynamically changes the opening size by elastic deformation, expanding to a larger size to facilitate easy fiber insertion and then returning to its original smaller size to provide reliable clamping, thereby resolving the contradiction between insertion ease and clamping reliability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables stable, cost-effective, and adhesive-free mounting of optical fibers close to a transparent pane, ensuring reliable clamping and preventing wavy installation issues.
Implementation Method 1
the second holding body part is designed in such a way that it is elastically deformable by external force, and the second holding body part is connected to the first holding body part in such a way that, by elastic deformation of the second holding body part, the width of the opening is increased
Implementation Method 2
after the external force is removed, the holding body essentially returns to its basic shape, so that the enclosing sections encompass the light guide inserted into the recess and the light guide is clamped by the enclosing sections
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 2a~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a holding device (1) for an elongated optical fiber body (2), comprising a holding body (10) having a light guide receptacle (11) for the optical fiber body (2). The holding body is formed from two holding body parts, the first holding body part (20) being formed from a first plastic as a soft component, and the second holding body part (21) being formed from a second plastic as a hard component. The holding body parts (20, 21) are firmly connected to one another.The first holding body part (20) has the optical fiber receptacle (11), which is designed as an elongated recess, wherein the first holding body part (20) has two surrounding sections (20d, 20e) which delimit the recess on opposite sides, and wherein the optical fiber receptacle (11) has an opening (11') which is formed on a side (20') of the first holding body part (20) facing away from the second holding body part (21) and is delimited by the two surrounding sections (20d, 20e). In a basic form of the holding body (10), the opening (11') has a width (w).The second holding body part (21) is designed such that it is elastically deformable by the application of external force, and it is connected to the first holding body part (20) in such a way that, through elastic deformation of the second holding body part (21), the width (w) of the opening (11') is increased with respect to the basic shape of the holding body (10), in which no external force acts, by spreading apart the two enclosing sections (20d, 20e) of the first holding body part (20) such that the light guide body (2) can be inserted into the light guide receptacle (11). After the external force is removed, the holding body (10) essentially returns to its basic shape, so that the enclosing sections (20d, 20e) encompass the light guide (2) inserted into the recess, and the light guide is clamped by the enclosing sections (20d, 20e).