Abstract: An optical transmission system for coupling light from LED mounted on circuit boards includes a flexible light pipe that is bonded to a lens unit at one end and receives a fitting base at the other end. The lens unit is made to be pressed into and held in a hole in a panel and receive the light pipe through its rear structure. The fitting base may be shaped to be plugged into a circuit board over a board mounted LED or have the LED contained therein with leads to be soldered into a circuit board metal traces. The lens unit and fitting can be standardized and inventoried in large quantities to be assembled to meet a variety of instrumentation requirements in display panel.

Abstract: A screw retaining spacer includes an outer rigid plastic core and a softer elastic inner core defining a through-hole. The inner core has a plurality of ridges that resiliently grasp the shaft of a screw inserted into the through-hole. Accordingly, screws assembled with these spacers remain assembled. The spacer can be standardized and inventoried in large quantities to meet a variety of screw sizes and tolerance.