Side-emitting optical fiber system and assembly with light-emitting jacket members

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9857515-B2
Application number	US-201514807420-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2015
Priority date	Jul 28, 2014
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A side-emitting optical fiber system and an assembly are disclosed that utilize a side-emitting optical fiber and light-emitting jacket members operably disposed about the outer surface of the side-emitting optical fiber. The light-emitting jacket members receive side-emitted light having an input wavelength. Each light-emitting jacket member receives the side-emitted light and converts it to light having a different wavelength that the input wavelength. This converted light is then emitted from the light-emitting jacket members, thereby providing side-emitted light of different colors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A side-emitting optical fiber system, comprising:
a side-emitting optical fiber having an outer surface;
a first light source optically coupled to the side-emitting optical fiber and configured to input first guided light of a first input wavelength λ 0 into the side-emitting optical fiber to generate side-emitted light having the first input wavelength λ 0 ; and
at least one light-emitting jacket member operably disposed adjacent the outer surface of the side-emitting optical fiber and configured to receive the side-emitted light and in response emit light having an emission wavelength λ′ that is different from the first input wavelength λ 0 , wherein the at least one light-emitting jacket member comprises a tube configured to slide over and cover a portion of the outer surface of the side-emitting optical fiber.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one light-emitting jacket member comprises luminophore light-converting elements.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the luminophore light-converting elements comprise phosphors.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said at least one light-emitting jacket member comprises at least a first and a second region, said at least first and second regions of the at least one light-emitting jacket member respectively emitting light of at least first and second wavelengths that differ from each other and from the input wavelength.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one light-emitting jacket member comprises a plurality of light-emitting jacket members, and wherein two or more of the plurality of light-emitting jacket members have different emission wavelengths λ′.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the tube is slidably removable from the portion of the outer surface of the side-emitting optical fiber.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the tube is cylindrical.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the cylindrical tube has an annular cross-sectional shape.

9. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a coupling optical system operably arranged between the first light source and a proximal end of the side-emitting optical fiber and configured to couple the first guided light into the side-emitting optical fiber to form the first guided light.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one light-emitting jacket member comprises a plurality of light-emitting jacket members, the system further comprising:
a second light source that is optically coupled to the side-emitting optical fiber and that emits second input light having a second input wavelength λ′ 0 that is different from the first input wavelength λ 0 of the first light source; and
wherein at least one of the plurality of light-emitting jacket members is responsive to the first input wavelength λ 0 and at least another one of the plurality of light-emitting jacket members is responsive to the second input wavelength λ′ 0 from the second light source.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one light-emitting jacket member comprises a polymer with phosphor light-converting elements incorporated into the polymer.

12. The side-emitting optical fiber system according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one light-emitting jacket member is configured to include at least first and a second light emitting region, said at least first and second regions of the at least one light-emitting jacket member respectively emitting light of at least first and second wavelengths that differ from each other and from the input wavelength.

13. A side-emitting fiber assembly for use with a first light source that emits first input light having a first input wavelength λ 0 , comprising:
a side-emitting optical fiber having a proximal end, a distal end, and an outer surface; and
at least one light-emitting jacket member operably disposed relative to the outer surface and having light-converting elements that emit light of an emission wavelength λ′ that is different from the first input wavelength λ 0 when irradiated by the first input light, wherein the at least one light-emitting jacket member comprises a tube configured to slide over and cover a portion of the outer surface of the side-emitting optical fiber.

14. The assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one light-emitting jacket member comprises a plurality of light-emitting jacket members, and wherein two or more of the plurality of light-emitting jacket members have different emission wavelengths λ′.

15. The assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the tube is slidably removable from the portion of the outer surface of the side-emitting optical fiber.

16. The assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the light-converting elements comprise phosphors.

17. The assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one light-emitting jacket member comprises a polymer.

18. The assembly according to claim 13 , further comprising at least one non-light-emitting jacket member operably disposed relative to the outer surface of the side-emitting optical fiber.

19. A method of emitting light of different colors from a side-emitting optical fiber having an outer surface comprising:
generating within the side-emitting optical fiber side-emitted light that has an input wavelength and that exits the outer surface of the side-emitting optical fiber;
receiving the side-emitted light with at least first and second light-emitting jacket members operably arranged relative to the outer surface, wherein the at least first and second light-emitting jacket members respectively comprise first and second tubes configured to slide over and cover a portion of the outer surface of the side-emitting optical fiber; and
in response to receiving the side-emitted light, the at least first and second light-emitting jacket members respectively emitting light of at least first and second wavelengths that differ from each other and from the input wavelength.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the generating of the side-emitted light includes optically coupling input light of the input wavelength from a light source into the side-emitting optical fiber.

21. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the at least first and second light-emitting jacket members respectively include at least first and second light-converting elements that differ from one another.

22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the at least first and second light-converting elements comprise different phosphors.

23. A method of emitting light of different colors from a side-emitting optical fiber having an outer surface, the method comprising:
generating within the side-emitting optical fiber side-emitted light that has an input wavelength and that exits the outer surface of the side-emitting optical fiber;
receiving the side-emitted light with at least one light-emitting jacket member configured as a tube and operably arranged relative to the outer surface and configured to slide over and cover a portion of the outer surface of the side-emitting optical fiber; and
in response to receiving the side-emitted light, the at least one light-emitting jacket member emitting light of at least one wavelength having an emission wavelength λ′ that is different from the first input wavelength λ 0 .

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Tyagi Vineet

Classifications

• G02B6/001 Primary

  the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre · CPC title

• G02B6/0003

  the light guides being doped with fluorescent agents · CPC title