JP2002311255A - Optical fiber device for illumination and production method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical fiber for illumination, with which the loss of lightness on an emission end face can be reduced. SOLUTION: In the optical fiber device for illumination composed of an optical fiber 19 bundling optical fiber bundles 27 bundling dozens of fine diameter optical fibers and a fixing tool 25 for fixing the bundled optical fiber bundle 19 while spreading and diffusing it over a desired area, the end face of the fixing tool 25, where the end face of the optical fiber bundle 27 is exposed, forms a secondary light source surface.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical fiber device for illumination, which is used in an illumination optical system and has a small decrease in illuminance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a light source has been installed at a place distant from a microscope or an illumination device of an inspection device, and light from the light source is guided by an optical fiber cable in which a number of thin optical fibers are bundled, and used for illumination of a microscope or an inspection device. A lighting device using an optical fiber cable is known. As a result, miniaturization of the illumination device and reduction of the influence of heat generation of the light source on the microscope and the inspection device are realized. Fiber optic cables used in such lighting devices are:
As shown in FIG. 4, an entrance end face 31 and an exit end face 33 having the same optical effective diameter are used. In the case of FIG.
The light condensed by the collimator lens 37 and incident on the incident end face 31 of the optical fiber cable 39 is guided through the optical fiber cable 39 and is emitted from the emission end face 33.
The emitted light is spatially separated from the emission end face 33, enters a light diffusion plate 41 disposed integrally with the emission end face 33, is scattered, and has a uniform brightness as shown in FIG. 43 is formed. By making the area of the secondary light source surface 43 twice or more the optical effective diameter of the emission end surface 33,
The uniformity and brightness of the illumination light on the object surface are ensured.

[0003]

The optical fiber device 45 for illumination shown in FIG. 4 requires the formation of the secondary light source surface 43, and the light diffusion to make the brightness on the secondary light source surface 43 uniform. It is necessary to use the plate 41. As a result, the illumination optical fiber device 45 of FIG.
1 due to the light scattering loss and the light attenuation due to the space provided between the emission end face 33 and the light scattering plate 41,
There is a problem that the brightness of the secondary light source surface 43 becomes dark.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to reduce the attenuation of brightness on a secondary light source surface and obtain bright illumination light on an object surface. An object of the present invention is to provide a lighting optical fiber device and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0005]

To achieve the above object, an illumination optical fiber device according to the present invention is a lighting optical fiber device in which a number of thin optical fibers are bundled. It is characterized by a different optical effective diameter.

Further, the optical fiber device for illumination according to the present invention is characterized in that the thin optical fibers are uniformly distributed and fixed on the end face having the large optical effective diameter.

Further, the optical fiber device for illumination of the present invention is characterized in that the optical fibers are composed of a plurality of fiber bundles, each of which is bundled in units of several tens.

[0008] The illumination optical fiber device of the present invention is characterized in that the optical fiber bundle is arranged rotationally symmetrically.

Further, in the optical fiber device for illumination of the present invention, the optical fiber bundles are fixed such that their optical axis directions are aligned in substantially the same direction, and the end face of the optical fiber bundle faces the end face side. It is characterized by:

Further, the optical fiber device for illumination according to the present invention is characterized in that the optical fiber bundle is fixed such that the optical axis direction is substantially perpendicular to the end face.

Further, the optical fiber device for illumination of the present invention is characterized in that it is made of glass containing quartz glass as a main component.

Further, in the present invention, a method of manufacturing an optical fiber device for illumination, wherein the end face of each of the optical fibers and / or the plurality of optical fiber bundles is processed by plasma processing using a radical reaction. I will provide a.

Further, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an optical fiber device for illumination, characterized in that the end face on the side having a large optical effective diameter is processed by plasma processing using a radical reaction.

[0014]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an optical system of a lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic explanatory view including a partial cross section of the illumination optical fiber of FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an optical fiber end face distribution on a secondary light source surface of the illumination optical fiber of FIG.

The illuminating device 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a light source section 3, an illuminating optical fiber device 5, a collector lens group 7, a reflecting mirror 9, and a condenser lens 11. In the light source unit 3, the light from the light source 13 is condensed on the incident end face 17 of the illumination optical fiber device 5 by the condenser lens 15.
The light collected on the incident end face 17 is the optical fiber cable 1
9, and is emitted at an emission end surface (secondary light source surface) 21. Illumination light from the secondary light source surface 21 is condensed by the collector lens group 7 and irradiates the reflection mirror 9, the direction of the optical axis is changed by the reflection mirror 9, enters the condenser lens 11, and is condensed on the object surface 23. Illuminate an illuminated object (not shown). Here, the case where the reflecting mirror 9 is provided has been described. However, even in the case of a linear type having no reflecting mirror 9, illumination is performed in a similar manner.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic explanatory view of the optical fiber device 5 for illumination shown in FIG. The optical fiber device 5 for illumination includes an optical fiber cable 19 in which a plurality of optical fiber bundles 27 in which dozens of small diameter optical fibers are collected are bundled.
And a fixing jig 25 for expanding and dispersing the bundled optical fiber bundle 27 to a desired area and fixing the bundle. One end face of the optical fiber cable 19 is the incident end face 1
7 is used. On the other hand, the end face on the emission side has the optical fiber bundle 27 expanded by the fixing jig 25,
Used as the secondary light source surface 21.

FIG. 3 is an example schematically showing the distribution of the end faces of the optical fiber bundle 27 on the secondary light source surface 21 of the optical fiber device for illumination 5 shown in FIG. An example is shown in which dozens of optical fibers (for example, about 0.1 mm in diameter) having a small diameter are collected and an optical fiber bundle 27 having a diameter of several millimeters is arranged in a rotationally symmetric manner.

As shown in FIG. 2, the fixing tool 25 for the optical fiber bundle 27 is used to fix the optical fiber bundle 27 to the secondary light source surface 21.
And a buffer region 25b required to hold the optical fiber bundle 27 without difficulty. Thus, the fixing jig 25 of the optical fiber bundle 27 and the optical fiber cable 19
Are integrally configured to form the optical fiber device 5 for illumination.

As an example of the jig 25 for fixing the optical fiber bundle 27, the holding area 25a is a member having a hole for inserting the optical fiber bundle 27 into a dedicated member (for example, glass or plastic material), and Optical fiber bundle 27
And fix it with an adhesive or the like. Then, the buffer area 25
The optical fiber bundle 27 of b is gradually gathered and bundled so as not to apply an excessive force, and the optical fiber bundle 27 is covered and protected by a protective member such as resin.

Alternatively, the separated optical fiber bundles 27 are uniformly dispersed in a solution of resin or the like so as to be parallel to each other, and then the resin or the like is solidified and the optical fiber bundle 27 is fixed. Is cut substantially perpendicularly to its optical axis to form a holding region 25a, and then the buffer region 2
5b may be provided to bundle the optical fiber bundle 27.

With such a configuration, the optical fiber device for illumination 5 of the present embodiment can irradiate light over a wide range by expanding the diameter of the output end face 21 as compared with the diameter of the incident end face 17. become.

The optical fiber bundle 27 fixed to the fixing jig 25 is polished at its end face together with the members of the fixing jig 25,
The end face of the optical fiber bundle 27 is exposed, and the secondary light source surface 2 is exposed.
It is set to 1. Therefore, the end face of the optical fiber bundle 27 is 2
It is possible to obtain a bright illumination optical fiber device 5 that is exposed to the secondary light source surface 21 and has no light scattering or attenuation due to resin or the like.

The processing of the end face can be performed by a plasma processing machine in addition to the conventional mechanical polishing and etching. A plasma processing machine capable of processing an end face of an optical fiber is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-63791.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the secondary light source surface 21 is processed into a plane, but when a plasma processing machine is used, it can be processed into an arbitrary shape. Further, it is also possible to form an end face having a lens function for each optical fiber or for each optical fiber bundle 27.
In this case, the divergent solid angle of the end face of the optical fiber can be controlled.

In the above embodiment of the present invention, the distribution of the optical fiber bundle 27 on the secondary light source surface 21 is described as being rotationally symmetric, but the distribution of the optical fiber bundle 27 on the secondary light source surface 21 depends on the illumination condition required on the object surface. The distribution of the 21 optical fiber bundles 27 can be changed. For example, linear, cross, radial,
Various arrangements such as a rectangular shape are also possible.

In the above description, the case of the optical fiber bundle 27 has been described. However, it goes without saying that the same effect can be obtained even if individual fine optical fibers are disintegrated.

Further, as the optical fiber used in the present embodiment, an optical fiber made of a glass material containing quartz glass having a small light loss as a main component can be used.

[0029]

As described above, in the optical fiber device for illumination of the present invention, the area of the exit end face is enlarged as compared with the entrance end face to make the secondary light source face. The lighting becomes much brighter than the light source surface.

In the method of manufacturing an optical fiber device for illumination according to the present invention, by using plasma processing for the end face processing, the end face processing can be performed with less distortion as compared with the conventional mechanical processing. Alternatively, processing such as imparting a lens function to the end face shape of each optical fiber bundle can be performed as necessary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an illumination optical system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic explanatory view including a partial cross section of an optical fiber for illumination according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an example of an optical fiber distribution on a secondary light source surface of the illumination optical fiber shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic explanatory view of a conventional illumination optical fiber.

5 shows a secondary light source surface of the illumination optical fiber shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Illumination device 3 Illumination part 5, 45 Optical fiber device for illumination 7 Collector lens group 9 Reflection mirror 11 Condenser lens 13, 35 Light source 15, 37 Condensing lens 17, 31 Incident end face 19, 39 Optical fiber cable 21, 43 Secondary light source surface 23 Object plane 25 Fixing jig 25a Holding area 25b Buffering area 27 Optical fiber bundle 33 Outgoing end face 41 Light scattering plate

Claims (9)

[Claims] An illumination optical fiber device comprising a plurality of thin optical fibers bundled, wherein both end faces of the illumination optical fiber device have different optical effective diameters. 2. The optical fiber device for illumination according to claim 1, wherein the end surfaces of the plurality of thin optical fibers are uniformly distributed and fixed on the end surface side having the large optical effective diameter. 3. The optical fiber device for illumination according to claim 1, wherein said optical fiber comprises a plurality of optical fiber bundles, each of which is bundled in units of several tens. 4. The optical fiber device for illumination according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber bundle is arranged in a rotationally symmetrical manner. 5. The optical fiber bundle according to claim 1, wherein respective optical axis directions are aligned in substantially the same direction, and an end face of the optical fiber bundle is fixed to the end face side. The optical fiber device for illumination according to 3 or 4. 6. The optical fiber device for illumination according to claim 1, wherein said optical fiber bundle is fixed such that each optical axis direction is substantially perpendicular to said end face. 7. The optical fiber device for illumination according to claim 1, wherein said optical fiber is made of glass containing quartz glass as a main component. 8. A method for manufacturing an optical fiber device for illumination, wherein the end face of each of the optical fibers and / or the plurality of optical fiber bundles is processed by plasma processing using a radical reaction. 9. A method of manufacturing an optical fiber device for illumination, wherein the end face processing on the side having a large optical effective diameter is performed by plasma processing using a radical reaction.