A display panel such as an automobile instrument panel is formed ... a fiber optic ribbon which extends through the depression, which ribbon is remotely energized by a lamp to illuminate the depression. A clear plastic envelope for supporting the ribbon within the depression is assembled to the ribbon and the assembly is inserted into the slot ...

A woven fiber-optic sheet (1) has warp strands (2) formed by sheathed bundles of fine optic-fibers (4). The fibers (4) of each strand (2) are broken pseudo-randomly, different ones at different locations along its length so that light transmitted into the strands (2) from a source (7) escapes from the various locations (8) to radiate through the transparent sheathing (5). Decorative effect is intensified by periodic light-color change being a rotating multi-color filter (9) to distribute different colors to different strands (2).

Light-emitting fibres positioned side-by-side with outputs positioned in various positions down each strand, used to create an optical display