JPH05151808A - Illumination device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain bright emission over the total length of even a long photo- conductor by arranging light source devices at both ends of the photo-conductor, and making light incident from both the ends of the photo-conductor. CONSTITUTION:An illumination device 1 comprises a photo-conductive tube 2 and light source devices 3, 13 arranged to be connected to both ends of the conductive tube 2. The conductive tube 2 is sealed with a liquid-state substance of good permeability as a core material in a transparent synthetic resin-made hollow flexible tube, and an end part of this tube is sealed with a glass or resin plate to secure a base 4. Light from lamps of the devices 3, 13 is respectively converged to an end face of the tube 2, arranged before the lamp, by a reflector to make light incident from both the ends of the tube 2, and since the light is incident from the both ends even in the vicinity of the midst of the long tube 2, the light is brightly emitted over the total length without decreasing brightness. In this way, since the long tube 2 can be used in a condition that it is brightened by bright emission over the total length, in the case of using a short tube 2 successively arranged, generation of a dark part can be prevented even in the vicinity of each final end.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical device for emitting light from a rod-shaped or flexible tube-shaped light guide.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 3, a light source device 22 is connected to an end of an optical conduit 21 in which a liquid material having a good light-transmitting property is enclosed as a core material in a hollow flexible tube made of transparent synthetic resin. There is an optical device 20 that causes light to be incident on one end of a light pipe from a light source device to cause the entire light pipe to emit light. The diameter of the light pipe 21 is, for example, 14 mm, and the diameter of the core material portion is 12 m.
The length and the length are freely set to several tens of cm to several tens of m, and such an optical device is used as, for example, illumination or illumination.

The light source device 22 has a lamp such as a halogen lamp and a reflector housed in a box, and collects the light from the lamp on the end face of the light pipe and makes the light incident on the light pipe. ing.

[0004]

However, in such a light device, as the length of the light pipe becomes longer, the light becomes darker toward the tip and the brightness becomes insufficient. For example, the above light pipe using a halogen lamp of 150 w is used. In the case of, the light pipe having a length of 5 m or more could not be used as an illumination. Further, when a lamp having a large lamp power is used for the light source device, the light source device becomes large in size, the amount of heat generated from the lamp increases, the temperature of the light source device rises, and the temperature of the end portion of the light pipe rises, which adversely affects the light pipe. In addition, a lamp with a large lamp power generally has a long arc length, so the light-collecting property is poor,
Therefore, even if a lamp having a high lamp power is used, the amount of light incident on the end of the light pipe does not increase.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical device that emits bright light over its entire length, even with long light guides.

[0006]

In order to achieve this object, the present invention has the following constitution. That is, in an optical device using a light guide, light source devices are arranged at both ends of the light guide, and light is made incident from both ends of the light guide.

[0007]

The light is incident on both ends of the light guide from the light source devices arranged on both ends of the light guide, and even a long light guide emits bright light over the entire length.

[0008]

Embodiment 1 As shown in FIG. 1, an optical device 1 comprises an optical conduit 2 and light source devices 3 and 13 connected to both ends of the optical conduit. The optical conduit 2 is formed by enclosing a liquid material having a good light-transmitting property as a core material in a hollow flexible tube made of transparent synthetic resin, and the end is sealed with glass or a resin plate and the base 4 is fixed. Has been done. There are various sizes of the light pipe 2, but for example, the diameter is 14 mm and the diameter of the core material portion is 12 mm.

As shown in FIG. 2, a lamp 5 including, for example, a halogen lamp or a metahalide lamp, and a bowl-shaped reflector 6 having an open front are arranged in the light source device 3. A heat ray cut filter 7 that absorbs heat rays from the lamp 5 is arranged in front of the lamp, and a ballast for the lamp 5, for example, an electronic ballast is arranged on the opposite side of the partition wall 8 as necessary. The partition wall 8 has a cooling fan 9
Are arranged. The base 4 portion at the end of the light pipe 2 is inserted into the mounting portion 10 of the light source device 2 and fixed with the screw 11.

In the light source device 13, two sets of lamps and reflectors similar to those of the light source device 3 are arranged back to back so that the light pipes can be connected in the front-back direction. When the light source device 13 is used, the light pipes can be extended one after another. If the extension is not necessary, the light source device 3 may be connected to both ends of the optical conduit 2. The length of one light pipe depends on the conditions such as the lamp to be used, but is 40
A long one such as m can also be used.

When the lamps 5 of the light source device 3 and the light source device 13 are turned on, the light from the respective lamps 5 is condensed by the reflector 6 on the end face 12 of the light pipe 2 arranged in front of the lamp 5. Light is incident from both ends of the light pipe 2, and even in the vicinity of the center of the long light pipe, light is incident from both ends, so that the brightness is not lowered and light is emitted over the entire length.

In the embodiment, as the light guide, an optical conduit consisting of a tube containing a liquid core material is used. However, the light source device of the present invention is not limited to this, and is a linear or bent transparent material. A linear or curved rod-shaped body made of synthetic resin such as acrylic resin, a glass rod, or a translucent rubber can also be used as the light guide.

[0013]

In the optical device of the present invention, since light is incident from both ends of the light guide, it is possible to use a long light guide in a state of brightly emitting light over the entire length, and therefore, a light guide having the same length and a short length can be used. In the case where they are sequentially arranged and used, a dark portion inevitably occurs near each end thereof, but this does not occur in the optical device of the present invention. It is also easy to install the light source device. Moreover, even if the length of the light guide is the same, it is suitable for the case where it is desired to increase the brightness.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an optical device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a light source device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a conventional optical device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Optical device 2 Optical conductor (optical conduit) 3 Light source device 5 Lamp 6 Reflector 13 Light source device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An optical device using a light guide, wherein light source devices are arranged at both ends of the light guide so that light is incident from both ends of the light guide.