GB2189638A - An illuminating device - Google Patents

Abstract

A light transmission fibre illuminating device comprises a transparent body 1 provided with a bottom recess (11) containing inorganic particles with fluorescent, phosphorescent, luminescent or reflective glass properties joined together by filling the spaces between the particles with oil, and a transparent closure cap 6 having one or more optical fibres 3 located therein wherein the front end of the optical fibre in the cap can rely on the illuminated and reflective glass (silicated) inorganic particles with transparent oil to increase strength of light. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An illuminating device The present invention relates to an illuminating or illumination device for use with optical fibres and particularly, one which can increase the illuminating area and increase the brightness of the device.

Light transmission fibre or optical fibre is capable of transmitting light from one end along the fibre to the other end and, no matter how curved the fibre is, one can see the transmitted light of the illuminated end at the non-illuminated end. Besides the invention is capable of making use of multiple light transmission fibres to transmit light of the light source along various routes (different light transmission fibres) to different positions.

This kind of technique is frequently used in computer indications that require plentiful transformation.

Moreover, the installation of a color transparent plate is proposed that can transform light from light source into light of different colors which are transmitted by different light transmission fibres to a fixed position. This kind of arrangement is frequently provided as a decoration for christmas trees. However, hitherto use of the such known illumination devices utilizing the front end of light transmission the optical fibre as the illuminating surface, results in the illuminated area being too small while the dispersion or scattered angle is too small so that one cannot readily see the illumination light from different positions around the front end of the optical fibres-while one only being able to see light illuminated right at the light transmission front end.

The present invention can make use of the light transmission fibre to transmit weaker light of small area and can advantageously enlarge illuminating area and increase brightness, for various decoration or computer indication usages.

According to the present invention there is provided an illuminating device comprising a transparent body having a recess containing fluorescent and/or phosphorescent and/or luminescent and/or reflective light transmitting light enhancing particles and also containing a light transmitting liquid, a transparent closure means for the recess and to which closure means an optical fibre is juxtaposable so that light transmitted from said fibre to said particles has its scattered angle, illuminating area and intensity of illumination increased.

The invention will be described further by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view from below and a part-sectional, part elevational view of a transparent lighting component of an illumination device without light scattering particles, and Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a lighting apparatus according to the present invention and incorporating: A transparent, light transmitting body 1 e.g.

of glass or plastics material is illustrated in Fig. 1 and has an opening or recess 11 in the bottom surface thereof for receiving light enhancing particles 2 and an oil (not shown in Fig. 1). The transparent body 1 is illustrated as being of polygonal shape which is preferred, although any other suitable shape may be selected. In Fig. 2, the recess 11 is illustrated as being filled with light enhancing inorganic particles 2 or the like with a light transmitting oil being filled between the surfaces of particles 2.

A light transmitting fibre or optical fibre 3 is secured at one end in a transparent cap 6 located in the mouth of recess 11 of each transparent body 1 and closing the bottom part of body 1. The other end of optical fibres 3 are disposed above a rotary transparent plate 5 having differently or variously coloured sections and a light source 4 therebeneath so as to illuminate the particles in each body 1 via the optical fibres 3 and plate 5. Thus light of various colours can be transmitted along different light transmission fibres into the recess 11 of transparent bodies 1. Further by absorption of light of the inorganic particles 2 (and possibly also an oil of similar light enhancing characteristics) such emit strong light in all directions to provide an illuminated device providing large illuminated area and a strong and wide angled light source.

For examples of the light enhancing particles, i.e. fluorescent and/or phosphorescent and/or luminescent particles 2 and/or reflective glass particles complexes of calcium fluoride, barium fluoride or zinc sulphate are the preferred choice for the light or enhancing and/ or reflective particles 2. There is no limitation to the kind of oil and proportion of the oil and florinated calcium or like. Additionally more than one optical fibre 3 may be located in a transparent cap 6.

The inventor has tried to fill in light spreading material, such as glass powder into recess 11 of transparent body 1, using light optical fibre 3 with one end secured as cap 6 to close opening to recess 11 as the illuminating device. However, although this device can split the light transmitted thereto via the optical fibre 3, observation of transparent body 1 revealed that the light emitted is rather weak and the border of recess 11 will create black iines (incapable of reflecting light). This is due to the fact that the scattering material can only split light while does not provide enhancing properties (illuminated or silicated properties).Besides, the present invention provides the capability of injecting transparent oil (not indicated in diagram) after filling of particles 2 into recess 11 in order to fill up the space between the particles, whereupon the tran sparent cap 6 is fixed in position while achieving the effectiveness of increasing the strength and illuminating area of the light.

According to the above, the present invention rely on the light enhancing particles as mentioned to increase the strength of light while eliminating cut surfaces by filling the empty spaces between the particle with transparent oil to thereby obtain an illuminating device with a strong, scattered light without black lines.

In conclusion, the present invention is different from the common illuminated device that use the ends of optical fibres as the illuminating surface. The present illuminating device which, increases the strength, illuminated area and scattered angle of light, is particularly effective and also, the complete structure disclosed in the present invention provides a progressive and inventive step.

The particles 2 at least and possibly also the oil will be fluorescent material or phosphorescent material in that they can take in the light of an external light source and emit such in the form of light, becoming another light radiator, therefore are such as increase the brightness and can enlarge the illuminating area. For example, the phosphoric powder can, during a dark night, absorb a weak light, such as moonlight, and then send out a clear and brighter light. Furthermore, glass (silicated) particles 2 must be such as to permit light to pass through and also to reflect the light.

The particles 2 might also be referred to as illuminated or silicated inorganic particles and, providing such exhibit the requisite characteristics may be salts of silicic acids which may be complex compositions.

Claims (13)

1. An illuminating device comprising a transparent body having a recess containing fluorescent and/or phosphorescent and/or luminescent and/or reflective light transmitting light enhancing particles and also containing a light transmitting liquid, a transparent closure means for the recess and to which closure means an optical fibre is juxtaposable so that light transmitted from said fibre to said particles has its scattered angle, illuminating area and intensity of illumination increased.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the light enhancing particles are selected from the group comprising salts of silicic acid, calcium fluoride, barium fluoride, zinc sulphate and reflective light transmitting glass or like.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the light transmitting liquid is an oil.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, in which the oil fluorescent phosphorescent or luminescent.

5. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which the recess is closed by means of a closure cap having passage means therein for location of one or more optical fibres.

6. An illumination apparatus including one or more devices as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, and wherein the end of at least one optical fibre is located in each said cap, further including a light source for illuminating the other end or ends of said optical fibre or fibres.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which a rotatable disc with coloured sectors is disposed between the light source and the free end of said optical fibre or fibres.

8. An illumination body substantially as herein described. with reference to Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.

9. An illumination device substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

10. An illumination apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.

11. An illuminating device for light transmission fibre comprising: a transparent body provided with illuminated or silicated (glass) inorganic particles and oil, a transparent cap and light transmission fibre, wherein the bottom of transparent body is provided with an opening containing the inorganic particles with illuminated (fluores6ent or luminescent) or silicated property (transparent and reflective glass or like) stuck with transparent oil, and the transparent cap which covers up the opening of the transparent body, has the front end of the light transmission fibre fixed therein so that, in use, light transmitted to the front end of the light transmission fibre can rely on said particles stuck with transparent oil to increase the scattered angle, the illuminated area and the strength of light.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11, that make use of the illuminating device of the light transmission fibre, transparent oil is injected after filling-in inorganic particles into the opening of the transparent body to fill in the space between the particles whereupon the transparent cap is secured.

13. A device as claimed in claim 11, in which one, two or more light transmission fibres are secured in a transpqrent cap.