Lightpipe network with optical devices for distributing electromagnetic radiation

A lightpipe merge device for merging light travelling through a branch lightpipe line with light travelling from a first segment in a main trunk lightpipe line to a second segment in the main trunk lightpipe line, said lightpipe merge device comprising an optical mixing means connected between the first and second segments of the main trunk lightpipe line for transmitting light therebetween, said optical mixing means having a first optical window in optical communication with the first segment of the main trunk lightpipe line and a second optical window in optical communication with the second segment of the main trunk lightpipe line, and an optical merge means for transmitting light from the branch lightpipe line to the interior of said optical mixing means, said optical merge means including a tapered rod means having a first end section which projects into said optical mixing means at an angle such that the angular divergence of light entering the interior of said optical mixing means from said tapered rod means does not increase relative to the light transmitted between the first and second segments of the main trunk lightpipe line, said first end section of said tapered rod means terminating in a third optical window oriented in substantially parallel fashion with respect to said first and second optical windows, said tapered rod means including a fourth optical window of greater cross sectional area than said third optical window and a body tapering inwardly from said forth to said third optical window.

A lightpipe divider apparatus for receiving light from a main trunk lightpipe line and for distributing the light so received among a plurality of branch lightpipe lines, said lightpipe divider apparatus comprising:

• (a) a housing structure having a cavity formed therein;
• (b) a first collimating lens means mounted within said cavity for receiving light from the main trunk lightpipe line and for directing light so received toward one end of said cavity in the form of a parallel light beam, said collimating lens means including a stem having an optical window means positioned adjacent said main trunk lightpipe line to permit the entry of light into said first collimating lens means, a curved lens face spaced from said optical window means, and a lens body which flares outwardly from said stem and extends to said curved lens face;
• (c) reflecting means positioned within said cavity for receiving said parallel light beam and for respectively redirecting portions of said parallel light beam toward the plurality of branch lightpipe lines;
• and
• (d) a plurality of additional collimating lens means mounted within said cavity for respectively receiving said portions of said parallel light beam and for respectively focusing said portions so received into the plurality of branch lines, each said additional collimating lens means including a stem having an optical window means positioned adjacent to one of said plurality of branch lightpipe lines, a curved lens face spaced from said optical window means, and a lens body which flares outwardly from said stem and extends between said stem and said curved lens face.

A light pipe switch device for use in directing substantially all light from a main trunk lightpipe line to any selected one of a plurality of branch lightpipe lines in a lightpipe network, said lightpipe switch device comprising:

• (a) a first supporting structure having a plurality of optical output channels formed therein to communicate respectively with associated branch lightpipe lines in the plurality of branch lightpipe lines;
• (b) a plurality of output lens means respectively disposed within said plurality of optical output channels to focus light respectively into the associated branch lightpipe lines;
• (c) a second supporting structure mounted for movement relative to said first supporting structure, said second supporting structure having an optical input channel means formed therein to align with a selected one of said plurality of optical output channels in response to the movement of said second supporting structure relative to said first supporting structure;
• and
• (d) optical means within said optical input channel for receiving light from the main trunk lightpipe line and for redirecting substantially all light so received through said selected one of said plurality of optical output channels and into the individual output lens means associated therewith, said optical means including reflecting means mounted in fixed position within said optical input channel and an input lens means mounted inside said optical input channel in fixed position relative to said first supporting structure for collimating and directing light from the main trunk lightpipe line toward said reflecting means mounted within said optical input channel.

An optical coupler apparatus comprising:

• (a) a lightpipe assembly including a plurality of optical fiber bundles surrounded by at least one layer of protective material, each of said plurality of optical fiber bundles including a plurality of optical fibers, each having a core material surrounded by at least one layer of cladding material, said plurality of optical fibers being loosely arranged in a first region of said lightpipe assembly and being brought into contact with one another, and the cladding material between adjacent optical fibers removed in a second region of said lightpipe assembly, and the core material from said plurality of optical fibers being fused into a single rod element in a third region of said lightpipe assembly;
• (b) a hollow inner sleeve structure which receives said lightpipe assembly and which surrounds at least said second and third regions of said lightpipe assembly;
• (c) a hollow outer sleeve structure which surrounds at least a portion of said hollow inner sleeve structure to define a cavity therebetween, said cavity having a volume sufficient to receive said layer of protective material in said lightpipe assembly while said hollow inner sleeve surrounds said second and third regions of said lightpipe assmebly;
• (d) an optical mixing means mounted within said hollow inner sleeve structure to receive light from said single rod element and to uniformly disperse light so received throughout the cross-sectional area of said hollow inner sleeve structure;
• and
• (e) a lens means mounted within said hollow inner sleeve structure to receive light from said optical mixing means and to focus light so received into a light beam which exits from said hollow inner sleeve structure along an optical axis such that the intensity of said light beam is greatest at said optical axis.

A lightpipe socket structure for removably receiving a male optical coupler of an optical device and for transmitting light from a light source to the male optical coupler only after the male optical coupler has been received by said lightpipe socket structure, comprising:

• (a) a female optical coupler including a sleeve portion having a central bore into which the male optical coupler is inserted,
• (b) beam forming means for receiving light from the light source and for directing light in the form of a beam along a predetermined path which angularly intersects the central longitudinal axis of said central bore;
• (c) light redirecting means mounted for reciprocating movement along the central longitudinal axis of said central bore and operative to redirect said beam from said beam forming means toward said female optical coupler, said light redirecting means including a first optical window means for receiving said beam from said beam forming means, a second optical window means aligned with said central bore in said female optical coupler for passing light into said central bore, and optical means for transmitting said beam from said first optical window means to said second optical window means;
• (d) biasing means for contacting said light redirecting means to normally bias said light redirecting means to a first position wherein said first optical window means is out of the path of said beam;
• and
• (e) actuating means extending from said light redirecting means for contacting said male optical coupler when said male optical coupler is inserted into said central bore to move said first optical window means to a second position in the path of said beam.