METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING OF A LUMINOUS INDICATOR BOARD WITH OPTICAL FIBRE

PROCEDE ET APPAREIL DE FABRICATION D'UN PANNEAU LUMINEUX A FIBRE OPTIQUE

English Abstract

A method to make a display board (8) illuminated by light fibres (11), in
which method a display board illustrating different figures is produced by
arranging the illuminating ends of the light fibres into wanted spots onto the
surface of the display board. Board perforation and feeding the light fibres
(11) into holes (13) as well as cutting off the light fibres are carried out
in successive steps using the same coordinate controlled punching and feeding
device (4, 5, 6, 7).

French Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé de fabrication d'un panneau d'affichage (8) illuminé par des fibres optiques (11) dans lequel on produit un panneau d'affichage représentant différentes figures en plaçant les extrémité lumineuses des fibres optiques aux endroits voulus sur la surface de celui-ci. On perfore ensuite le panneau et on insère des fibres optiques (11) dans des orifices (13) avant de couper les fibres, et ce au moyen d'un même dispositif de perforation à commande coordonnée et d'alimentation en fibres (4, 5, 6, 7).

Claims

CLAIMS
1. A method to make a display board (8) illuminated by light
fibres (11), in which method a display board illustrating
different figures is produced by perforating the board by
means of a coordinate controlled punching machine, further by
arranging the illuminating ends of light fibres onto the
surface of the display board by means of a feeding device and
further the feeding device is shifted over to the next hole,
characterized in that
- light fibre (11) is led from the reel (5) to the feeding
device,
- light fibre (11) is put into a punched hole (13) by means
of feeding device, is further threaded through it to the
backside of the board to a desired length and cut off with a
cutting device (7,9) substantially close to the front surface
of the board (8).
2. A method according to patent claim 1 characterized in that
light fibres illmuninated by the same light source ar cut off
as short as possible and combined into fibre bundles on the
board (8) underside, where light is steered to the fibres
in the fibre bundle.
3. A method according to patent claims 1 and 2 characterized
in that, for securing the cut off light fibres (11) into the
hole (13), an adhesive film (10) fixed to the the board
surface and to which the light fibre (11) adheres is used.
4. A method according to patent claims 1 and 2 characterized
in that the light fibre is fixed by crimp connection to the
hole in the board.
5. A method according to patent claims 1 and 2 characterized
in that the light fibre is fixed by spray glueing to the hole
in the board.

6. A method according to patent claims 1 and 2 characterized
in that the light fibre is fixed to the hole in the board by
heating/melting, for instance using a hot cutting device for
cutting off the fibre.
7. A method according to any of the above patent claims 1 - 6
characterized in that for moving the punching, feeding and
cutting device ( 4, 5, 6, 7 ) on the bord surface a coordinate
controlled transfer gear is used.
8. An apparatus for realizing the method according to claim 1
characterized in that said apparatus comprises of a light
fibre reel (5), a device (4,5,14) for feeding said reel led
light fibre (11), feeding automation system for controlling
the lenght of the fibre threaded through the board via hole
(13), a light fibre cutting device (7,9) and necessary means
for making a hole (13) fixed to an attachment part (3) or a
similar part controllably movable at the coordinate level.
9. An apparatus according to patent claim 8 characterized in
that the hole (13) punching device can be used in place of
the light fibre feeding and cutting device (6).
10. An apparatus according to patent claim 8 or 9 characterized
in that it can be programmed to make punched figures in
board (8) and to place light fibres of certain length into
holes produced.

Description

WO96/09616 1~I/rl,I'C 111
~Z ~3~0
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING OF A
LUMINOUS INDICATOR BOARD WITH OPTICAL FIBRE
The invention relates to a method according to patent claim 1
and to making a display board illuminated with light fibres
according to patent claim 8.
Previously known are display boards accomplished with light
f ibres, where the light f ibres have been, by hand, threaded
into holes drilled in advance, fastened into the holes and cut
to size so that they reach from the light source, often placed
behind the board, to the board. Production of such boards is
often time-taking and expensive, because the number of light
f ibres to be handled amounts to hundreds . Further, the worker
is exposed to glue vapor in f ixing the light f ibres to the
board .
The method and apparatus according to this invention solve the
actual problem in a surprising way and the invention is
characterized in what is presented in the enclosed patent
claims .
The ma jor advantages of this invention can be considered the
the level of automation, which is reached by using a locally
steered transfer gear, as for instance a coordination table,
the transfer motions of which can be ~-uy~ -~. Thus it is
possible to drill with the apparatus holes for any illuminated
f igure in the board and repeat the movements in order to in-
stall the ligth f ibres into respective holes; By means of an
adhesive film to be fixed on the board underside, each light
f ibre can be secured by simple means each into its matching
hole; As light fibre feeding apparatus the wire feeding device
of a wire welding machine applicable to the procedure can be
applied without changes; For light fibre cutting a simple
short-motion electric device can be used.

Wos6/09616 ~2 n o 3 ~ O r.~
In the following the invention is disclosed with reference to
the enclosed drawing, where
Fig. 1 is a diagonal view of a device placing the light
f ibres onto the display board .
Fig. 2 a feeding and cutting device.
Fig. 3 is a sectional and enlarged view of cutting.
Figure 1 shows a coordination table formed by means of longi-
tudinal guides 1 and transverse guides 2, on which table
attaching part 3 can be moved above display board 8. Previ-
ously, the coordination table is known in itself and it
includes l~LUyL in~ devices, by neans of which movements and
stops to be done with the apparatus on the X-Y level can be
determined in advance. Accordinly, the motions of attachment
part 3 can be programmed in advance on board 8 surf ace, in
order to drill holes 13, for instance. Holes 13 are drilled so
that the wanted illuminated figure is produced when the light
f ibre ends are put into the holes . In the second stage the
same holes are travelled over again while feeding the light
f ibres into them . Accuracy of the repeated procedure is re-
tained if the board is not released from its brackets during
and between different steps. In the picture, there is on
attachment part 3 a light fibre feeding and cutting device
with a light f ibre reel 5 and under protecting cap 4 the
rotating motors required for reel 5 rotation, if it is
n~ c~:Ary. On the underside of attAI ~ part 3 there is a
f eeding tip 7, a cutting blade and a blade moving device 7 .
Figure 2 illustrates the feeding procedure and cutting. As
light fibre feeding device the wire feeding device of a wire
welding machine equipped with feeding rolls 14 is used. The
feeding device body 15 is partly cross-cut. Light fibre 11
comes from reel 5, travels through feeding tip 6 and goes
through the board 8 hole 13 and is fed as long as the wanted
length of it extrudes from display board 8 underside. When a
drill has been fastened to the apparatus in place of feeding
tip 6 in order to make the holes and when the same X-Y level

WO96/09616 22 ~ 11 3 ~ O r.l/r~1~ 111
transfers are done for the second time, the light fibre
threaded through the feeding tip hits hole 13, exactly. When
the hole is drilled an adhesive film 10 fastened on the board
underside, the light fibre bursts through the film forming a
collar section into it and the glue inside the collar adheres
to the light fibre, becomes cured and secures the light fibre
into the hole. Electric cutting device 7 cuts off the light
fibre before the apparatus shiftes over to the next hole. The
length of the light fibre can also be ~roy~ ?d in the
automation system of feeding and transfer.
Figure 3 illustrates cutting head 6 in a bigger scale and the
groove in it for blade 9 motion. The cutting blade can, of
course, be placed still much closer to the board surface. In
tip 6 there is a groove at least in blade 9 inlet direction so
tha cutting may work and the tip portion would steer the light
ibre as far as possible toward hole 13. It is also easy to add
a device into the tip, which af ter cutting would push the
light fibre ever closer to the board surface, for instance.
In one embodiment the attachment part 3 can be both a f eeding
tip 6 and a hole drilling device at the same side by side.
Thereby, one of them or both can be in a seprate transf er gear
and can then be shifted to focusing position in attachment
part 3 so that they are working in proper X-Y level position.
Another: ` ~rlir ~ is that both of them have a fixed position
in attachment part 3, but the X-Y transfer automation knows
the difference between their fixed coordinates and observes it
when the apparatus is moved to the drilling position and the
light fibre feeding position. On using adhesive film it is
advantageous to do the holes at f irst and then apply the
adhesive film on the board underside and finally feed the
ligth f ibre into the holes .

Wo 96/09616 2 2 o ~ O PCT/F194/00411
When the illuminated figure is formed of a number of fibres of
different colors or fibres divided into groups of one color
illuminating at different times, it is advantageous to cut the
f ibres into bundles of one group each, which have a small
fibre length and an own light source per fibre bundle. Then
only the cables supplying power to a certain group are con-
nected to the light source of that group from the control
unit .
The ligt f ibre can also be f ixed to the board by spray glue-
ing or dimensioning the hole narrow for the fibre by crimp
connection or, for instance, by melting fibre into the hole
with a hot cutting blade while cutting off the fibre.

Representative Drawing