Luminous Data Cable Structure for Low-Glare Damage Indication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing luminous data cables face issues with excessive heat generation, glare, and safety hazards due to bending or impact, which are not effectively detected externally.
Innovation Solution
A luminous data cable design featuring a wrapping sleeve with a plastic optical fiber, frosted layer, and light sensor, providing external support, glare reduction, and impact detection through a frosted layer breakage indicating damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a light strip is used to emit light in the data cable, then the data cable can provide visual indication, but heat generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the light strip (electrical/thermal system) with a plastic optical fiber system that transmits light from the joint rather than generating it along the cable. This substitution eliminates the heat generation issue while maintaining visual indication capability, as the optical fiber merely transmits light without significant heat production.
2Illumination intensity
If an optical fiber is used to emit light, then light emission is achieved, but the light is too dazzling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a frosted layer specifically at the outer surface of the optical fiber where light exits. This local modification diffuses the light only at the emission point, reducing glare in that specific area while maintaining the optical fiber's light transmission properties in its core structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The frosted layer modifies the optical properties of the fiber surface by scattering light, effectively changing how the light appears from intense and direct to diffuse and softened. This optical transformation reduces the dazzling effect while preserving the visual indication function.
3Ease of operation
If the data cable is made flexible for easy handling, then ease of operation improves, but the cable becomes vulnerable to bending damage that is hard to detect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a light sensor in the joint that continuously monitors the light transmission through the optical fiber. When the fiber is damaged due to bending or impact, the light transmission changes, and the sensor detects this change, providing immediate feedback through a different colored light indication. This allows real-time detection of damage while maintaining cable flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical fiber serves multiple functions: it provides visual indication of cable status (normal operation), and simultaneously acts as a sensor for detecting bending or impact damage. This multi-functionality enables the same component to address both the flexibility requirement and the damage detection requirement.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the frosted layer is made thick to reduce glare, then glare reduction improves, but the structural integrity and responsiveness to impact decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the thickness of the frosted layer to a specific range that balances light diffusion and structural responsiveness. The layer is thick enough to effectively scatter light and reduce glare, but thin enough to maintain structural integrity and allow the layer to break or change properties when subjected to significant impact, enabling damage detection.
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
The design offers enhanced protection, glare reduction, and safety alerts via a frosted layer breakage, ensuring user safety and cable integrity.
Implementation Method 1
the inner wire rod includes a plastic optical fiber provided at one in in the wrapping sleeve that is close to the data cable
Implementation Method 2
a frosted layer provided between the plastic optical fiber and the transparent layer
Implementation Method 3
two sides of an inner of the first joint of the data cable is provided with a light sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A luminous data cable is provided, which includes a data cable, a wrapping sleeve configured to protect the data cable, and an inner wire rod configured to emit light. Two ends of the data cable are respectively connected with a first joint and a second joint of the data cable. The wrapping sleeve is a hollow structure, several wrapping sleeves are wrapped around an outside of the data cable. The inner wire rod is arranged along an axial direction inside the wrapping sleeve, staggered positions of the several wrapping sleeves are fixed by a support sleeve, the data cable is wrapped with multiple sets of wrapping sleeves to provide an external support and protection for the data cable; by providing the inner wire rod inside the wrapping sleeve to provide a prompt for the data cable.