Optical fiber having continuous spot-illumination

• US 5,901,267 A
• Filed: 05/15/1997
• Issued: 05/04/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jean Hway Lee
• Original Assignee: Jean Hway Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Jean Hway
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, HUNG NHAT
• Application Number:
  US08/856,766
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 362/32, 385/901, 385/102, 385/104, 385/109, 385/111, 385/115, 385/116
• US Class Current: 385/100
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/005 using light guides light guides specially adapted for lighting devices G02B6/0001
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/04 for Christmas trees
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0001 specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2817 using reflective elements to split or combine optical signals

Abstract

An optical fiber having continuous spot-illumination thereupon, wherein the continuous illumination spot are realized by cutting away a plurality of cladding from the fiber till exposes the core under the micro-windows and let the light wave guided within the core emit form those micro-windows, therefore, this fiber can provide uniform radial illumination in spot manner.

Claims

1. An optical fiber having continuous spot-illumination, said optical fiber comprising:

a core;

a cladding having a smaller refractive index than that of the core;

a plurality of micro-windows formed on the outer surface of the optical fiber by removing a plurality of cladding portion with a predetermined size from the optical fiber at a predetermined distance and exposing the core thereunder, while the sizes and the pitches of the micro-windows not influencing the strength and the illuminating uniformity of the optical fiber;

said optical fiber have a propagation loss of 0-300 dB/km;

a plurality of fiber having continuous illumination spot being incorporated into a transparent and flexible pipe in a manner that the micro-windows of each said optical fiber are staggered from each other to form a fiber cable for lighting purpose.