Abstract: A plastic light conduit of cross-linked polymer material having good light transmitting characteristics, without voids or noticeable bubbles, is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method of manufacture and an apparatus, involving progressive heating of reactive monomer mixture in a tube which is submerged in a progressive reactor utilizing cold oil to maintain a cold, non-reacting zone, and hot water to create a hot zone that causes reaction, while simultaneously carrying away the excess exothermic heat of reaction.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a heat shrink clad core optical conduit and to an optical conduit having either a thermoplastic, thermoset or liquid, light transmitting core surrounded by, preferably a fluoropolymer cladding which is in turn surrounded by a tight-fitting, finish polymer jacket which may be either transparent or translucent, and is preferably made of a polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, acrylic or silicone material. Numerous fillers and inserts may be used in the finish jacket polymer and the finish jacket polymer may be formed into various shapes. Bondable jacket materials may be used. The preferred method of forming the manufacturing jacket around a heat shrinkable fluoropolymer cladding is by extruding a low extrusion temperature polymer over a heat shrink clad in its expanded form into which an increased interior pressure is maintained to prevent shrinkage during the extrusion process.

Abstract: A flexible, clad, monofilament optical conduit having a flexible light transmitting polymeric core having a relatively high refractive index which is surrounded by a shrunk, heat shrinkable cladding having a relatively low refractive index in comparison to that of the core and which has a relatively small, uniform gap between the outer periphery of the core and the inner periphery of the heat shrinkable cladding, and a method of manufacture whereby a plurality of such conduits are simultaneously produced by polymerization of the conduit core forming material within a length of unshrunken heat shrinkable material which in turn is contained within a relatively thick, durable protective tubing and removal of the relatively thick protective tubing subsequent to polymerization and then shrinking the heat shrinkable material to form a relatively uniform gap between the core and the clad.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a heat shrink clad core optical conduit and to an optical conduit having either a thermoplastic, thermoset or liquid, light transmitting core surrounded by, preferably a fluoropolymer cladding which is in turn surrounded by a tight-fitting, finish polymer jacket which may be either transparent or translucent, and is preferably made of a polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, acrylic or silicone material. Numerous fillers and inserts may be used in the finish jacket polymer and the finish jacket polymer may be formed into various shapes. Bondable jacket materials may be used. The preferred method of forming the manufacturing jacket around a heat shrinkable fluoropolymer cladding is by extruding a low extrusion temperature polymer over a heat shrink clad in its expanded form into which an increased interior pressure is maintained to prevent shrinkage during the extrusion process.