Stone Slab Optical Embedding for Smooth Light Transmission
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Stone slabs with embedded optical elements face challenges in transmitting light through their thickness without external optical bundles and maintaining a smooth, aesthetically pleasing surface, while also ensuring easy handling and storage.
Innovation Solution
The integration of optical elements, such as fiber optic cables, within the stone slab's particulate mineral mix, allowing light to be transmitted between the front and rear surfaces through total internal reflection, with the optical elements being parallel and equal in length to the slab thickness, and completely surrounded by the mix, enabling light transmission without external connections and maintaining a smooth surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If optical elements are embedded within the stone slab, then light transmission through the slab is achieved, but the optical elements may protrude from the surface affecting aesthetics
Solution Approach 1:
The optical elements are nested within the stone slab structure, with the slab material completely surrounding the optical elements between their first and second ends. This nesting approach allows the optical elements to be embedded deep enough to prevent protrusion while maintaining light transmission capability, resolving the contradiction between achieving light transmission and maintaining surface smoothness.
2Illumination intensity
If optical elements extend beyond the slab surfaces, then light transmission is facilitated, but handling and storage become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The optical elements are completely embedded within the stone slab with no portion extending beyond the front or rear surfaces. This nesting configuration allows the slab to be handled and stored like a conventional stone slab without the complications of protruding optical elements, while still achieving light transmission through the embedded optical elements.
3Shape
If optical elements are completely surrounded by particulate mix, then surface appearance is maintained, but light transmission may be blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The stone slab exhibits local quality variation where the particulate mineral mix completely surrounds the optical elements in the interior regions, maintaining surface smoothness, while the optical elements remain exposed at the front and rear surfaces to enable light transmission. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction between surface appearance and light transmission.
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
This solution allows for visually appealing light transmission through the slab, facilitating handling and storage by embedding optical elements within the slab, ensuring they do not protrude externally, and maintaining a polished surface appearance.
Implementation Method 1
allowing light to be transmitted between the front and rear surfaces through total internal reflection
Data Source
AI summary
This document describes systems and process for forming processed slabs having embedded optical elements.