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US 6,606,439 B2Granted
Light-illuminating rods
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsYukio Nojiri, Kanji Matsumoto, Shinichi Irie
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Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsYukio Nojiri, Kanji Matsumoto, Shinichi Irie
Estimating the term…
A light-illuminating rod comprises a flexible rod member formed from a light piping plastic material and a light diffusible reflective film which is fixedly bonded to part of the outer periphery of the rod member along the longitudinal direction thereof. The light diffusible reflective film comprises a light-transmittable polymer and light diffusible reflective particles dispersed in the polymer. The light-transmittable polymer contains from 10 to 100% by weight of an adhesive polymer based on the total amount of the light-transmittable polymer. The light-transmittable polymer further contains from 2 to 90% by weight of a dispersible polymer having hydrophilic functional groups within the molecule based on the total amount of the light-transmittable polymer. In one embodiment, the light diffusible reflective particles contain from 10 to 100% by weight of an inorganic material based on the total amount of the light diffusible reflective particles.
A light-illuminating rod comprising (a) a flexible rod member formed from a light-piping plastic material and (b) a light diffusible reflective film which is fixedly bonded to part of the outer periphery of the rod member along the longitudinal direction thereof and which comprises (i) a light-transmittable polymer and (ii) light diffusible reflective particles dispersed in the polymer, wherein said light-transmittable polymer contains from 10 to 100% by weight of an adhesive polymer based on the total amount of said light-transmittable polymer and wherein said light-transmittable polymer further contains, in addition to said adhesive polymer, from 2 to 90% by weight of a dispersible polymer having hydrophilic functional groups within the molecule based on the total amount of the light-transmittable polymer.
A light-illuminating rod comprising (a) a flexible rod member formed from a light-piping plastic material and (b) a light diffusible reflective film which is fixedly bonded to part of the outer periphery of the rod member along the longitudinal direction thereof and which comprises (i) a light-transmittable polymer and (ii) light diffusible reflective particles dispersed in the polymer, said light-transmittable polymer of the light diffusible reflective film having a storage modulus of 1.0×104 to 1.0×108 dyne/cm2 as measured by viscoelastic spectrometer, wherein said light-transmittable polymer contains from 10 to 100% by weight of an adhesive polymer based on the total amount of said light-transmittable polymer, wherein said light-transmittable polymer further contains, in addition to said adhesive polymer, from 2 to 90% by weight of a dispersible polymer having hydrophilic functional groups within the molecule based on the total amount of the light-transmittable polymer, and said light diffusible reflective particles contain from 10 to 100% by weight of an inorganic material based on the total amount of the light diffusible reflective particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
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The light guides being of the fibre type: the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre
Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating: core or cladding made from organic material, e.g. polymeric material
Optical elements, systems or apparatus
Term ended 8 Apr 2019 (estimated)
1. Field of Utilization in Industry
The present invention relates to a light-illuminating rod, and in more detail to a light-illuminating rod comprising a rod member which is made of a flexible plastics and which can pipe the light allowed to impinge on one end thereof in the longitudinal direction toward the other end thereof, and a diffusible reflective film fixedly bonded to the surface thereof, and capable of being advantageously utilized as a linear illuminator. The light-illuminating rod can be handled while being deflected, and it may be fixedly installed in a deflected state.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view in the longitudinal direction showing a preferred embodiment of a light-illuminating rod according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the line II—II of the light-illuminating rod in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the measurement of illuminance.
1—rod member
2—light diffusible reflective film (diffusible film)
3—clad layer