Optical fiber light display

{
  "publication_number": "US4206495A",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A",
  "title": "Optical fiber light display",
  "abstract": "A light display made from a plurality of optical fibers. The fibers are secured to a tube and extend outwardly therefrom, the tube being mounted for reciprocation about an axis extending through the tube and longitudinally of the fibers. In one embodiment, the tube has an arm extending laterally therefrom and a rod coupled to the outer periphery of a rotatable member causes the arm to move back and forth along a curved path to reciprocate the tube and thereby the fibers as the member rotates in one direction. In a second embodiment of the light display, the tube is carried by one of a pair of relatively shiftable members each having a coil thereon so that a voltage applied to the coil of the other member will induce a voltage in the coil of the one member to thereby cause reciprocation of the one member relative to the other member about an axis through the members due to the alternating current \"hum\" responsive to the inductive coupling between the coils.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A light display comprising: a plurality of optical fibers; a tubular member having a closed end, the fibers being secured to the closed end of the tube and extending outwardly therefrom with the inner ends of the fibers being in light communication with the interior of the tube; means mounting the tube for reciprocation about an axis extending through the tube and longitudinally of the fibers; means coupled with the tube for reciprocating the same about said axis through an arc less than 360°; and means defining a light source in the tube for directing light onto the inner ends of the fibers so that the light will travel through the fibers to the outer ends thereof.",
    "2. A light display as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tube is mounted for reciprocation about a generally vertical axis.",
    "3. A light display as set forth in claim 2, wherein the closed end of the tube is at the upper extremity thereof, the fibers extending upwardly from the tube.",
    "4. A light display as set forth in claim 2, wherein the closed end of the tube is at the lower extremity thereof, the optical fibers extending downwardly from the tube.",
    "5. A light display as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tube has an arm extending laterally therefrom, and means coupled with the arm for moving the same along a curved path between a pair of limit positions.",
    "6. A light display as set forth in claim 5, wherein said moving means comprises a rotatable member having an outer periphery, and a rod connecting the arm to the member adjacent to the outer periphery thereof and means coupled with said member for rotating the same in one direction.",
    "7. A light display as set forth in claim 1, wherein said moving means includes an upper part, a lower part, and yieldable means interconnecting the parts for allowing the lower part to reciprocate relative to the upper part about an axis extending through the parts, and means coupled with the lower part for shifting it relative to the upper part.",
    "8. A light display as set forth in claim 7, wherein each of the parts has a coil therein, the coils being inductively coupled with each other, the coil in the upper part adapted to be coupled to a source of alternating current, whereby a secondary voltage will be induced in the coil in the lower part and the lower part will reciprocate relative to the upper part due to the inductive coupling between the coils.",
    "9. A light display as set forth in claim 8, wherein the tube extends downwardly from the lower part, the light source being in the tube and electrically coupled with the coil of the lower part.",
    "10. A light display as set forth in claim 1, wherein said moving means comprises a motor, there being means coupled to the motor for applying external control signals thereto for energizing the motor.",
    "11. A light display as set forth in claim 10, wherein said applying means comprises a microphone for receiving external sounds.",
    "12. A light display as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lengths of the fibers are different from each other.",
    "13. A light display as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lengths of the fibers are the same.",
    "14. A light display comprising: a base plate; a tube; a bearing mounting the tube on the base plate for rotation about a generally vertical axis; a drive motor carried by the base plate and having a drive shaft; a drive member coupled to the drive shaft of the motor and rotatably mounted on the base plate in spaced relationship to the tube, said drive member being rotated when said motor is energized; a rod coupled at one end thereof to the drive member in spaced relationship to its axis of rotation, the opposite end of the rod being coupled to the tube for moving the latter back and forth about said axis through an arc less than 360° in response to the rotation of the drive member in one direction; a light source in the tube near the upper end thereof; and a plurality of optical fibers secured to the upper end of the tube and extending upwardly therefrom, the lower ends of the fibers being in light communication with the light source in the tube, whereby light will travel through the optical fibers to the outer ends thereof.",
    "15. A light display as set forth in claim 14, wherein is provided means responsive to external sounds for applying signals to the drive motor.",
    "16. A light display comprising: a tube having a lower closed end; a plurality of optical fibers secured to the lower end and extending downwardly therefrom, the upper ends of the fibers being in light communication with the interior of the tube; a lower member having a first electrical coil thereon, the upper end of the tube being coupled to the lower member; a light bulb carried by the lower member and extending into the tube, the first coil being electrically connected to the light bulb; an upper member adapted to be coupled to a fixed support, the upper member having a second coil thereon, the coils being inductively coupled with each other; and a layer of yieldable material interconnecting the upper and lower members to permit the lower member to reciprocate relative to the upper member about a generally vertical axis through the members, the second coil adapted to be coupled to a source of alternating current to cause a voltage to be induced in the first coil as a voltage is applied to the second coil."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This invention relates to improvement in light displays of the type using fiber optics and, more particulary, to an improved light display having optical fibers which reciprocate and thereby provide unique light paterns at the outer ends of the outer optical fibers.\n\nUse of optical fibers to provide unique visual effects has been known in the past. For the most part, these have been limited to devices which rotate slowly in one direction causing the fibers merely to move slowly without any vibration due to their flexibility.\n\nAnother type of optical display is disclosed in pending U.S. application, Ser. No. 693,384, filed June 7, 1976 entitled \"Rotatable Light Display\". In this disclosure, optical fibers are secured to a tube which rotates only in one direction about a generally vertical axis either continuously or in response to external control signals, such as sounds. This particulary light display gives a unique effect; however, the effect is limited in the sense that the tube rotates only in one direction and as a result, the fibers themselves move only in one direction to provide a particular visual effect. Because of this limitation, a need has arisen for another type of light display which permits the optical fibers to reciprocate and thereby give other unique effects not capable of being acheived with the prior devices mentioned above.",
  "cpc": [
    "G02B 6/4298",
    "F21S 10/005",
    "Y10S 362/80",
    "Y10S 362/811"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "F21S 10/00",
    "G02B 6/42"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Robert E. McCaslin"
  ],
  "filing_date": "1978-04-24",
  "publication_date": "1980-06-03",
  "grant_date": "1980-06-03",
  "priority_date": "1978-04-24",
  "application_number": "US-89918178-A",
  "family_id": "25410581",
  "cited_by_count": 55,
  "citations": [
    "US4097917A"
  ]
}