# US 12,181,700 B2 · Optical fiber illumination device

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- Number: US 12,181,700 B2
- Document ID: US12181700B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/756,118
- Filed: 2020-12-01
- Published: 2022-12-29
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2019-12-03
- Assignees: Sumita Optical Glass, Inc.
- Applicants: Sumita Optical Glass, Inc.
- Inventors: Nobuhito Takahashi; Hideaki Takaku
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181700B2

## CPC

- G02B 6/0006: {Coupling light into the fibre (in general G02B6/4298)}
- F21S 43/245: emitting light from one or more of its major surfaces
- G02B 6/001: {the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre}
- G02B 6/04: formed by bundles of fibres (G02B6/24 takes precedence)
- F21W 2111/00: Use or application of lighting devices or systems for signalling, marking or indicating, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
- F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED

## Abstract

Provided is an optical fiber illumination device in which optical fibers produced without using a special method is used and the amount of light emitted from the side surface is improved. An optical fiber illumination device 1 includes: an optical fiber bundle 10 having a plurality of optical fibers, a resin jacket 101 that covers a bundle of the plurality of optical fibers and emits light, a first end, and a second end, the first end and the second end being polished; and a first light source placed close to the first end so as to emit light in a range of angles larger than an angular aperture of the plurality of optical fibers toward the optical fiber bundle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optical fiber illumination device comprising:
an optical fiber bundle having a plurality of optical fibers, a resin jacket that covers a bundle of the plurality of optical fibers and emits light, a first end, and a second end, the first end and the second end being polished;
a first light source placed close to the first end being free of a condenser lens therebetween so as to emit light in a range of angles larger than an angular aperture of the plurality of optical fibers toward the optical fiber bundle; and
a second light source placed close to the second end being free of a condenser lens therebetween so as to emit light in a range of angles larger than the angular aperture of the plurality of optical fibers toward the optical fiber bundle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The optical fiber illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the first light source comprises a plurality of first light sources, and
each of the plurality of the first light sources is placed close to each of the plurality of divided first ends.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The optical fiber illumination device according to claim 1,
wherein the second light source comprises a plurality of second light sources, and
each of the plurality of the second light sources is placed close to each of the plurality of divided second ends.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The optical fiber illumination device according to claim 1, wherein a numerical aperture of the plurality of optical fibers is 0.75 or more.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The optical fiber illumination device according to claim 1, wherein a numerical aperture of the plurality of optical fibers is 0.80 or more.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The optical fiber illumination device according to claim 1, wherein a numerical aperture of the plurality of optical fibers is 0.85 or more.