JPH08122543A - Optical path expanding parts - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To expand the light, which is made incident from a narrow optical fiber bundle, to a thick uniform light beam by constituting the optical fiber bundle which has one end bundled and fixed and has the other end dispersed in many bar-shaped bodies, which are not related to optical transmission, and bundled and fixed. CONSTITUTION: The optical fiber bundle has one end formed into a narrow end part 3, where the optical fiber bundle is bundled and fixed as it is, and has the other end formed into a thick end part 4 where the optical fiber bundle is dispersed in many bar-shaped bodies 6, which are not related to optical transmission, and is bundled and fixed in this state. Either plastic optical fibers or glass optical fibers can be used as optical fibers 1. The optical fiber bundle may be bundled or tangled in the intermediate part between the narrow end part 3 and the thick end part 4. The narrow end part 3 is connected to a light source, and a rod 5 made of a polymethyl methacrylate is connected to the thick end part 4, and light is made incident from the narrow end part side and is emitted from the front end of the rod 5, thus irradiating a light reception plate in the front with a very uniform circular spot-light.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical path expanding component used for expanding the optical path of light emitted from an optical fiber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When an illuminating body having a large area of emitted light is manufactured by using an optical fiber, from the viewpoint of handleability and manufacturing cost, it is necessary to reduce the number of used optical fibers as much as possible to form a thin fiber bundle. Is proposed. As a means for achieving such an object, a method of enlarging the light emitted from the optical fiber bundle by arranging a resin rod having a lens or a taper at the tip of the optical fiber bundle has been conventionally known. ing.

[0003]

However, although the optical paths can be expanded to some extent by these methods, uniform diffusion of light cannot be achieved, and light is not emitted to the peripheral portion as compared with the central portion of the optical path. Was enough. The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides an optical path expanding component that achieves uniformized expanded light.

[0004]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The gist of the present invention is to expand an optical path comprising an optical fiber bundle focused and fixed in a state in which one end is focused and fixed and the other end is dispersed in a large number of rod-shaped bodies that do not participate in optical transmission. The optical-path expanding component is a component, and a transparent resin rod is connected to an end of an optical fiber bundle that is focused and fixed in a dispersed state in a large number of rod-shaped bodies that do not participate in the light transmission.

In the following description of the present invention, an end portion on which an optical fiber bundle is directly focused and fixed is referred to as a "narrow end portion".
In addition, an end portion where the optical fiber bundle is focused and fixed in a state of being mixed with a rod-shaped body that does not participate in light transmission is referred to as a “thick end portion”.

In the present invention, as the optical fiber, either plastic or glass can be used.

There are no particular restrictions on the material, shape, or thickness of the large number of rod-shaped members that are not involved in optical transmission in which the optical fiber bundles are dispersed at the thick ends. "Not involved in optical transmission" means that the optical path expansion component of the present invention does not exhibit an optical transmission function, and the rod-shaped body itself originally has an optical transmission function. May be. Therefore, the same rod as the optical fiber of the present invention can be used.

The optical fiber bundle at the intermediate portion between the thin end portion and the thick end portion may be simply kept in a bundled state or may be in a entangled state as shown in FIG. By making the intermediate portions intertwined with each other, even if incident light entering from the narrow end portion has unevenness, it is possible to reduce unevenness of the emitted light.

Examples of the resin used for the transparent resin rod include known transparent resin materials such as polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, polystyrene and silicone resin.

[0010]

The present invention will be described with reference to the following examples.

Example 1 Optical fiber 100 having an outer diameter of 0.75 mm and a length of 500 mm
Prepare a bundle of books, and at one end of the bundle, 500 optical fibers similar to this optical fiber (length 30 mm) are mixed and aligned so that both fibers are substantially evenly dispersed. It was inserted into a 21 mm cylinder and was focused and fixed with an adhesive to form a thick end. Then, the middle portion of this optical fiber bundle was entangled as shown in FIG. 1, and the other end was inserted into a cylinder having an inner diameter of 8.6 mm and was converged and fixed with an adhesive to form a narrow end portion.

It was confirmed that 100 fibers were dispersed well by connecting the thin end to a light source and emitting light from the thick end.

Next, the thick end has a diameter of 22 mm and a length of 130.
A mm polymethylmethacrylate rod was connected, light was incident from the narrow end side, and light was emitted from the tip of the rod. The front light-receiving plate was irradiated with a circular spot light with very few spots.

[0014]

The optical-path expanding component of the present invention is capable of expanding light incident from a thin optical fiber bundle into uniform light of a thick size.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an optical path expanding component of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AB of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Optical fiber 2 Entangled part of the middle part of an optical fiber 3 Thin end part 4 Thick end part 5 Transparent resin rod 6 Rod-like body not involved in optical transmission

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Yojiro Watanabe 2-1, Ushikawa-dori, Toyohashi-shi, Aichi Sanryo Rayon Co., Ltd. Toyohashi Works (72) Inventor Masahiro Tanaka 4-chome, Ushikawa-dori, Toyohashi-shi, Aichi Address 2 Sanryo Rayon Co., Ltd. Toyohashi Plant

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An optical path expanding component comprising an optical fiber bundle, one end of which is focused and fixed, and the other end of which is focused and fixed in a state of being dispersed in a large number of rod-shaped bodies that are not involved in optical transmission. 2. An optical path enlarging component comprising a transparent resin rod connected to an end of an optical fiber bundle which is fixed and focused in a dispersed state in a large number of rod-shaped bodies not involved in optical transmission according to claim 1. .