EP1005660A1 - Systeme de distribution de lumiere a fibres optiques et procede de fabrication et d'illumination - Google Patents

Systeme de distribution de lumiere a fibres optiques et procede de fabrication et d'illumination

Info

Publication number
EP1005660A1
EP1005660A1 EP99904441A EP99904441A EP1005660A1 EP 1005660 A1 EP1005660 A1 EP 1005660A1 EP 99904441 A EP99904441 A EP 99904441A EP 99904441 A EP99904441 A EP 99904441A EP 1005660 A1 EP1005660 A1 EP 1005660A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
optical fiber
light
pitch
distribution system
wraps
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP99904441A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1005660A4 (fr
Inventor
Richard E. Albrecht
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Remote Source Lighting International Inc
Original Assignee
Remote Source Lighting International Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Remote Source Lighting International Inc filed Critical Remote Source Lighting International Inc
Publication of EP1005660A1 publication Critical patent/EP1005660A1/fr
Publication of EP1005660A4 publication Critical patent/EP1005660A4/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
    • G02B6/0005—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being of the fibre type
    • G02B6/001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being of the fibre type the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/26—Optical coupling means
    • G02B6/28—Optical coupling means having data bus means, i.e. plural waveguides interconnected and providing an inherently bidirectional system by mixing and splitting signals
    • G02B6/2804—Optical coupling means having data bus means, i.e. plural waveguides interconnected and providing an inherently bidirectional system by mixing and splitting signals forming multipart couplers without wavelength selective elements, e.g. "T" couplers, star couplers
    • G02B6/2852—Optical coupling means having data bus means, i.e. plural waveguides interconnected and providing an inherently bidirectional system by mixing and splitting signals forming multipart couplers without wavelength selective elements, e.g. "T" couplers, star couplers using tapping light guides arranged sidewardly, e.g. in a non-parallel relationship with respect to the bus light guides (light extraction or launching through cladding, with or without surface discontinuities, bent structures)
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems

Definitions

  • This invention relates to optical fiber devices and methods of manufacture and, more specifically, to side light emitting optical fiber devices and methods of manufacture.
  • Optical fibers a special case of optical waveguides, have found a large number of applications in transferring at low losses electromagnetic waves and particularly visible and infrared light over long distances. Such uses are common in fields as varied as telecommunication and laser surgery. In most of these cases the design goals for the optical fibers is to minimize optical losses of the carried beam through the optical fiber, and thus the materials used are usually glasses with minimal optical losses. When short distances are contemplated, polymers having higher optical losses are often used.
  • the higher index of refraction of the cladding causes conversion of core modes (light propagation mode) to cladding modes to occur at the proximal end or the composite guide, thus sharply depleting the beam intensity as the light traverses the full length of the guide. Furthermore, the use of particles and bubbles suspended within the cladding causes excessive absorption of the light in the transmitting medium (particularly the cladding itself). Orcutt attempts to overcome the lack of light extraction control by including in the core refracting discontinuities or "light extraction” cuts through the cladding to the core and spacing these as a function of the distance from the light source. This approach is difficult to implement and furthermore, creates a series of pin point light sources along the guide and does not allow for continuous light extraction. Mori (U.S. Pat.
  • Mori uses discrete light outlets on a light conducting member.
  • the former patent he uses discrete diffusing elements without consideration to their quantitative light extraction capabilities
  • U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,123 he uses light scattering discrete elements and simply increases their number as he approaches the distal end of the light conductor.
  • the disadvantages of Mori's light extraction systems include discontinuity of the light sources in that the appearance of the device includes a plurality of concentrated light sources, and the great difficulty in correctly spacing and sizing the extraction elements to provide for controlled light extraction from the light guide. Furthermore, the manufacturing and assembly of the devices of Mori is awkward and costly.
  • Cheslak U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,701 which is incorporated by reference in it's entirety herein, also uses pinpoint elements to extract light from an optical fiber in conjunction with a panel. Cheslak uses angular recesses and does not provide for means to control quantitatively the light extraction, and as a result, the illumination from the downstream (distal) recesses is progressively lower.
  • Hed U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,795, which is incorporated by reference in it's entirety herein, discloses making controlled light emissions from optical fibers that is not discrete. Hed discloses making a triangular zone in the surface of the optical fiber through which the percentage of light emitted is controlled.
  • Hed also discloses having a rectangular zone in the surface and controlling the percentage of light emission by the use of a cladding with changing indexes of refraction. To modify the optical fibers in this manner is difficult is difficult in practice, especially for longer lengths of optical fibers.
  • an optical fiber light distribution system comprises a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber.
  • the first optical fiber has a side surface, an axis, and a length.
  • the second optical fiber is wrapped about the side surface such that the second optical fiber defines a plurality of wraps about the first optical fiber.
  • the plurality of wraps have a pitch, wherein the pitch is a distance between corresponding points of adjacent wraps measured parallel to the first optical fiber axis.
  • the first optical fiber may have a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the second optical fiber.
  • the pitch varies along the first optical fiber length. The pitch may increase or decrease along the length of the first optical fiber length in some aspects of the invention.
  • cladding is disposed on a portion of the side surface of the first optical fiber.
  • a light source functionally connected to the first optical fiber.
  • the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are sized and arranged to emit a substantially even amount of light along a length of the optical fiber light distribution system for a predetermined intensity of light entering the first optical fiber.
  • a securing system at least partially surrounds the first and second optical fibers.
  • a process for manufacturing an optical fiber light distribution system comprising the step of providing a first optical fiber having a side surface, an axis, and a length
  • the process also comprises the step of wrapping a second optical fiber about the side surface such that the second optical fiber defines a plurality of wraps about the first optical fiber and the plurality of wraps have a pitch
  • the pitch of the plurality of wrapped fibers made according to the process varies along the length of the first optical fiber, and may increase or decrease along it's length.
  • the first optical fiber may have a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the second optical fiber.
  • cladding may be applied to a portion of the surface of the first optical fiber.
  • a light source may be functionally connected to the first optical fiber.
  • an illumination process comprises the steps of providing an optical fiber light distribution system and directing light to the system.
  • the optical fiber distribution system has been previously described.
  • the light is directed to the first optical fiber in the system and portions of the light being transmitted therethrough are extracted by the second optical fiber.
  • Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional side view of an optical fiber light distribution system according to an embodiment of the invention
  • Figures 2A and 2B show cross-sectional views demonstrating differences in contact area between an optical fiber applied to a surface of a relatively hard core fiber versus a relatively soft core fiber; and Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an optical light distribution system with cladding partially disposed on a surface of the core fiber.
  • an optical fiber light distribution system 10 comprises a first optical fiber, or core fiber, 12 and a second optical fiber, or wrapped fiber, 14.
  • the wrapped fiber 14 operates as The core fiber 12 has an outside surface 16.
  • the wrapped fiber 14 is wrapped about the surface 16 to form a plurality of wraps 18.
  • adjacent wraps 18a are separated by a pitch 20a.
  • Pitch is a distance between corresponding points of adjacent wraps measured parallel to the core fiber axis 22.
  • adjacent wraps 18b shown to the right side of Figure 1, are separated by a pitch 20b.
  • the pitch 20a is greater than the pitch 20b.
  • Light 24 is shown entering the core fiber 12 in an axial direction from the left.
  • a transmitted light 26 is shown exiting the core fiber in an axial direction to the right.
  • Emitted light 28 is shown being emitted from the wrapped fiber 14. In the shown embodiment, although emitted light 28 is shown graphically emitting in a downward direction, the emitted light 28 radiates from portions of the wrapped fiber 14 that are in contact with the core fiber 12 when there is transmitted light present at the surface 16 of the core fiber.
  • the light 24 entering the core fiber 12 is equal to the transmitted light 26 plus the emitted light 28 minus energy losses.
  • the wraps 18 emit the light 28 as a result of the wraps being in contact with the surface 16 of the core fiber 14. Where the wraps 18 contact the surface 16, the total internal reflection (TIR) of the core fiber 12 is frustrated. The frustrated TIR results in light leaking out of the core fiber 12 and into the wraps 18. Once the light is in the wraps 18, it gets diffused into the surroundings as emitted light 28.
  • the pitch 20 of the plurality of wraps is shown to decrease from left to right.
  • the pitch 20 decreases from left to right to have an increasing percentage of the transmitted light 24 removed from the core fiber 12 as emitted light 28.
  • the increasing percentage of light 24 removal compensates for the reduction in transmitted light 24 remaining in the core fiber 12 as the light passes through it.
  • the system 10 is designed to produce an even amount of emitted light 28 along the length of the system for a predetermined intensity of light 24.
  • the amount of emitted light 28 being produced along the length of the system 10 may increase, decrease, or vary.
  • the invention encompasses other means for increasing the percentage of light 24 directed through the surface 16, into the wrapped fiber 14, and ultimately becoming emitted light 28.
  • Different materials for the fibers 12 and 14 with different indexes of refraction will influence the amount of light 24 removed from the core fiber 12.
  • the type of material used for the core fiber 12 will have an influence on the amount of emitted light 28 produced.
  • Core fiber 40 shown in Figure 2a is comprised of a harder material than core fiber 50 of Figure 2b.
  • a wrapping fiber 42 is shown placed against a surface 44 and without any significant deformation of the wrapping core fiber.
  • the wrapping fiber 42 has a contact area 46 against the surface 44 and a contact angle 48 is formed.
  • a wrapping fiber 52 is shown placed against a surface 54.
  • the wrapping fiber 52 has a contact area 56 against the surface 54 and a contact angle 58 is formed. Due to the softness of the core fiber 50, the surface 54 is deflected and deformed in contrast to contact region 46 of the harder core fiber 40. The reduced deformation of the harder core fiber 40 results in a smaller contact area 46 and contact angle 48 compared to the contact area 56 and contact angle 58 of the more deformed and softer core fiber 50. With the increase in contact area, there is an increase in the frustration of the TIR. Additionally, the deflections in the side wall of the soft core fiber 50 increase the reflected angle of the light passing along the fiber. The differences in the deformation of the core fibers have the net effect of a decrease in the numerical aperture and an increase in the amount of light being extracted from the softer core fiber 50 and a resulting increase in emitted light.
  • an optical fiber light distribution system 60 has a core fiber 62, a wrapped fiber 64, a partial cladding 66 and a casing 68.
  • the wrapped fiber 64 is wrapped around the core fiber 62 as in system 10.
  • the cladding 66 is disposed on a portion 70 of a surface 72 of the core fiber 62.
  • the disposition of the cladding 66 results in a contact angle 74 of the wrapped fiber 64 with the surface 72 of the core fiber 62.
  • the cladding 66 inhibits light leaking from the core fiber 62 to the wrapped fiber 64. The less leakage of light, the more light that can pass through the core fiber 62 to be used at a more distant location.
  • the casing 68 is a light transmitting cover surrounding the core fiber 62/casing 66/wrapped fiber 64 arrangement.
  • Other embodiments of the invention may not have a casing or may have another means for protecting the system 60.
  • Other embodiments of the invention may have other means for controlling the emission of light from an optical fiber light distribution system.
  • An example of such a means is that the cross section of the core fiber may have any shape or size and may vary in shape and size along the length of the core fiber.
  • securing system for holding the wrapped fibers in place.
  • the securing system is the casing 68 shown in Figure 3.
  • the securing system is adhesive to adhere the wrapped fiber to the core fiber and/or the cladding if present.
  • a frame work secures the fibers in place.
  • Other embodiments of the invention may have other suitable securing systems.
  • a light source is functionally connected to the core fiber of an optical fiber light distribution system.
  • the optical fibers may be comprised of any suitable, light transmitting fibers.
  • any of the optical fibers may be comprised of a plurality of light transmitting fibers.
  • an optical fiber light distribution system is manufactured by providing a first optical fiber having a side surface, an axis, and a length. Then, a second optical fiber is wrapped about the side surface such that the second optical fiber defines a plurality of wraps about the first optical fiber and the plurality of wraps have a pitch, wherein the pitch is a distance between corresponding points of adjacent wraps measured parallel to the first optical fiber axis.
  • Embodiments of the invention include manufacturing any of the different embodiments of the optical fiber light distribution systems disclosed herein or equivalents thereto.
  • a portion of an optical fiber light distribution system is potted in a material, such as room temperature vulcanizing material (RTV).
  • the potting may serve at least two purposes. First, potting secures the plurality of wrapping in place. Second, if the potting material and the two fibers have significantly the same index of refraction, and the outer surface of the potting material is smooth, light passing through the potting material region is not extracted by the wrapping fibers in that region. As a result, potting the wrapped core fiber has a result similar to partially cladding the core fiber in limiting the extraction of light.
  • the potting material may cover a constant angular contact area of the outer surface along the length of the system, for example the contact area may define continuous 180 degree section of the wrapped core fiber. In other embodiments of the invention, the contact area of the potting material may vary over the length of the core fiber, providing another means for varying the percentage of light extracted from the core fiber over the length of the system.
  • an optical fiber light distribution system is used for illumination purposes by providing any of the different embodiments of the optical fiber light distribution systems disclosed herein or equivalents thereto and directing light through the core fiber.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Light Guides In General And Applications Therefor (AREA)
  • Optical Couplings Of Light Guides (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un système (10) de distribution de lumière à fibres optiques comprenant une première et une seconde fibres optiques. La première fibre optique présente une surface latérale, un axe et une longueur. La seconde fibre optique est enroulée autour de la surface latérale de manière à définir une pluralité de spires (18) autour de la première fibre optique. La pluralité de spires (18) présente un pas (20a). Le pas (20a) exprime la distance entre des points correspondants de spires adjacentes (18) mesurée parallèlement à l'axe de la première fibre optique. Lorsque l'on fait passer de la lumière (24) à travers la première fibre optique, des fractions de lumière sont extraites par des portions de la seconde fibre optique en contact avec la première fibre optique. Le pourcentage de lumière extraite par la seconde fibre optique à partir de la première fibre optique augmente lorsque le pas de la pluralité de spires (18) diminue. De plus, des premières fibres optiques plus malléables, qui subissent plus de déformation, présentent une surface de contact accrue avec la seconde fibre optique. On peut utiliser le gainage ou l'enrobage pour empêcher l'extraction de lumière. Un procédé de fabrication du système de distribution à fibres optiques comporte l'étape d'enroulement de la seconde fibre optique autour de la première fibre optique. Un procédé d'illumination comporte l'étape de diriger de la lumière à travers le système de distribution de lumière à fibres optiques.
EP99904441A 1998-01-29 1999-01-29 Systeme de distribution de lumiere a fibres optiques et procede de fabrication et d'illumination Withdrawn EP1005660A4 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US7302898P 1998-01-29 1998-01-29
US73028P 1998-01-29
PCT/US1999/001962 WO1999039225A1 (fr) 1998-01-29 1999-01-29 Systeme de distribution de lumiere a fibres optiques et procede de fabrication et d'illumination

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1005660A1 true EP1005660A1 (fr) 2000-06-07
EP1005660A4 EP1005660A4 (fr) 2000-09-27

Family

ID=22111276

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99904441A Withdrawn EP1005660A4 (fr) 1998-01-29 1999-01-29 Systeme de distribution de lumiere a fibres optiques et procede de fabrication et d'illumination

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1005660A4 (fr)
WO (1) WO1999039225A1 (fr)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0152493A1 (fr) * 1984-02-02 1985-08-28 Kei Mori Elément lumineux
EP0520368A2 (fr) * 1991-06-27 1992-12-30 Poly-Optical Products, Inc. Panneau à fibres optiques amélioré pour éclairage par l'arrière et procédé en points pour sa réalisation
US5738433A (en) * 1995-09-13 1998-04-14 Sparks; Kevin D. Lighted fishing pole

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4389085A (en) * 1978-02-22 1983-06-21 Kei Mori Lighting system utilizing the sunlight
US5452186A (en) * 1994-03-30 1995-09-19 Ford Motor Company Light distribution system
US5631994A (en) * 1995-08-23 1997-05-20 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Structured surface light extraction overlay and illumination system
US5836669A (en) * 1996-01-17 1998-11-17 Troy Investments, Inc. Remote illumination and light apportionment in appliances

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0152493A1 (fr) * 1984-02-02 1985-08-28 Kei Mori Elément lumineux
EP0520368A2 (fr) * 1991-06-27 1992-12-30 Poly-Optical Products, Inc. Panneau à fibres optiques amélioré pour éclairage par l'arrière et procédé en points pour sa réalisation
US5738433A (en) * 1995-09-13 1998-04-14 Sparks; Kevin D. Lighted fishing pole

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See also references of WO9939225A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1999039225A1 (fr) 1999-08-05
EP1005660A4 (fr) 2000-09-27

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