Laser light scanning luminous fabric and method for light emission of optical fiber fabric

Abstract

To provide a laser light scanning luminous fabric and a method for light emission of an optical fiber fabric that can emit light in various different patterns, while achieving higher brightness, downsizing, and power saving.SOLUTION: The laser light scanning luminous fabric includes: an optical fiber fabric in which optical fibers that emit light from side surfaces when light is applied are woven; a laser light source that emits laser light; and an optical scanning device that scans the laser light. The laser light scanning luminous fabric can radiate laser light scanned one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally by the optical scanning device onto a plurality of optical fibers woven in the optical fiber fabric.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a light-emitting fabric using optical fibers. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, light-emitting fabrics using optical fibers have been well known as light decorations used in automotive interior materials and the like (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). These light-emitting fabrics can emit light in any color or pattern by irradiating light from a light source onto the end of an optical fiber woven into the fabric and causing the optical fiber to emit light from its side. Conventional light-emitting fabrics generally use LEDs as the light source.

[0003] However, conventional light-emitting textiles that use the above-mentioned LEDs as light sources employ a method in which optical fibers are woven in a three-layer structure, the ends of the optical fibers in each layer are converged, and RGB light is incident on the ends of the converged optical fibers in each of the three layers to emit light of any color. However, this method limits the variety of light-emitting patterns because the optical fibers in each layer can only emit light of the same color tone.

[0004] Furthermore, the conventional light-emitting textiles mentioned above have the problem that increasing the output of the LEDs to achieve higher brightness requires a cooling device, which results in a larger light source device. While it is possible to increase brightness by arranging multiple LEDs in parallel, even when this method is used to increase brightness, the individual LEDs are still large in volume, making it difficult to make the light source device compact. This makes it difficult to use in applications where compactness is required.

[0005] Furthermore, conventional light-emitting textiles that use the LED as a light source not only consume a lot of power from the surface light source, but also have poor coupling efficiency when transmitting light from the LED to the optical fiber, making it difficult to achieve power savings. This leads to high power consumption, which can lead to problems such as high electricity bills and rapid battery drain. Furthermore, increasing the size of the battery to enable longer use makes it difficult to make the device more compact. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6621311 [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-214691 A [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-10864 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention aims to solve the problems of the above-mentioned conventional technology, and in summary, to provide a laser light scanning light-emitting fabric and a light-emitting method for optical fiber fabric that can be emitted in a variety of variations, and that can also achieve high brightness, miniaturization, and power savings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, the inventor has constructed a laser light scanning light emitting fabric including an optical fiber fabric woven with optical fibers that emit light from the side when light is incident on them, a laser light source that emits laser light, and an optical scanning device that scans the laser light, and has configured the fabric so that laser light scanned one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally by the optical scanning device can be irradiated onto multiple optical fibers woven into the optical fiber fabric (the effects will be described later).

[0009] In the present invention, a plurality of optical fibers extending from the end of the optical fiber fabric are bundled together to form a focusing end, and the laser light is scanned to match the end face shape of the focusing end, thereby enabling efficient light incidence.

[0010] In the present invention, by adopting a configuration in which the threads at the end of the optical fiber fabric are arranged in a continuous line, light can be incident without forming a focused end.

[0011] In the present invention, by providing a coupling optical system that controls the spot diameter or the incident angle of the laser light emitted from the laser light source, it is possible to improve the coupling efficiency in the light guide section.

[0012] In the present invention, by using a color-tone variable laser light source that can change the color of the light emitted as the laser light source, it is possible to increase the variation of light emission patterns.

[0013] In the present invention, by providing a light source control device that controls the output and color of the laser light source, it is possible to emit light in different colors and brightness, and it is also possible to dynamically change the color and brightness.

[0014] In the present invention, a method of illuminating the optical fiber fabric can be adopted in which a laser beam is scanned and incident on each optical fiber woven into the optical fiber fabric, causing each optical fiber to emit pseudo-simultaneous light or blinking light. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The laser beam scanning light-emitting fabric of the present invention can be scanned with a laser beam to make the light enter each optical fiber, so that the light-emitting fabric can emit multicolor light by changing the color tone and brightness of the laser beam. In addition, the variation of the light-emitting pattern can be easily increased by changing the scanning speed of the laser beam.

[0016] Furthermore, since the laser beam scanning light-emitting fabric of the present invention uses a laser beam light source, which is a point light source, it is easy to achieve high brightness while keeping the light source device small, without increasing its size. In addition, by using a laser beam light source to increase the coupling efficiency of the light guide section, power consumption is reduced, making it easy to use for long periods of time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a laser beam scanning light-emitting fabric according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2]1 is an enlarged schematic view showing a laser beam scanning light-emitting fabric according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a photograph showing the light-emitting state of the laser light scanning light-emitting fabric according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the focusing end of an optical fiber in a laser light scanning light-emitting fabric according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a coupling optical system in a laser beam scanning light-emitting fabric according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a coupling optical system in a laser beam scanning light-emitting fabric according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a coupling optical system in a laser beam scanning light-emitting fabric according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] "First embodiment" A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7. In the drawings, reference symbol A denotes a laser beam scanning light-emitting fabric, and reference symbol 1 denotes an optical fiber fabric. Reference symbol 2 denotes a laser light source, and reference symbol L denotes laser light emitted from the laser light source. Reference symbol 3 denotes an optical scanning device, and reference symbol 4 denotes a coupling optical system.

[0019] "Lighting device configuration" [1] Basic configuration of lighting equipment The basic configuration of the lighting device A of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lighting device A of this embodiment is configured such that a plurality of optical fibers 11 woven into an optical fiber fabric 1 are optically connected to a laser light source 2, and an optical scanning device 3 is attached which performs one-dimensional or two-dimensional scanning of laser light L emitted from the laser light source 2, so that the scanned laser light L is irradiated onto the plurality of optical fibers 11. In this way, scanning of the laser light L can cause the optical fiber fabric 1 to emit light in a variety of colors and emission patterns, and high-speed scanning of the laser light L can also cause pseudo-simultaneous emission as shown in Figure 3.

[0020] The photograph in Figure 3 shows the state in which the optical fibers 11 woven on the right and left sides of the optical fiber fabric 1 are focused separately, and scanned laser light L is incident on the focused bundle F of the optical fibers 11 woven on the right side of the fabric, causing the right half of the optical fiber fabric 1 to emit light.

[0021] [2] About optical fiber fabrics [2-1] Optical fiber fabric structure Next, each component of the lighting device A will be described. First, the weave of the optical fiber fabric 1 can be a weave in which the woven optical fibers 11 are pulled out from the end or middle of the woven fabric, or a weave in which the optical fibers 11 are lined up at the end of the woven fabric. As for the specific weave, a known weave can be used depending on the application and light emission pattern of the lighting device A, and for example, a weave such as a plain weave, twill weave, or satin weave that is common for woven fabrics can be used. Furthermore, as a method for weaving the optical fibers 11 into the woven fabric, a weaving method using a rapier loom, a jacquard loom, a dobby loom, or the like (for example, JP 2019-108647 A) can be used.

[0022] [2-2] Optical fiber The optical fibers 11 of the optical fiber fabric 1 can be side-emitting optical fibers 11 having a core layer and a cladding layer with different refractive indices, which emit light by leaking from the side when light is incident from the end or side. The side-emitting optical fibers 11 can be made of a resin fiber, a quartz fiber, or the like, but synthetic resin optical fibers 11 are preferred because they are flexible, have excellent bending shock resistance, and are less likely to break during weaving of the optical fiber fabric 1. Examples of such synthetic resin optical fibers 11 include those using an acrylic resin, polycarbonate resin, polystyrene resin, or polyolefin resin for the core layer and a fluorine-based resin for the cladding layer, which has a refractive index lower than that of the core layer. The diameter of the optical fibers 11 is preferably small, ranging from 0.1 mm to 3.0 mm, and more preferably from 0.15 mm to 1.0 mm, in consideration of the weaving ability and design of the optical fiber fabric 1.

[0023] [2-3] Threads other than optical fiber The yarns other than the optical fibers 11 used for the warp, weft, and inserting yarns of the optical fiber fabric 1 are not particularly limited, and can be selected from synthetic resin fibers such as polyester, polyamide, and polyethylene, regenerated fibers such as rayon and cupra, and natural fibers such as cotton, silk, and hemp. Furthermore, the yarns other than the optical fibers 11 can be selected from multifilament yarns, monofilament yarns, spun yarns, and the like.

[0024] [2-4] Optical fiber focusing In this embodiment, a plurality of optical fibers 11 extending from an end of the optical fiber fabric 1 are bundled to form a bundled end F. Regarding the bundling of the optical fibers 11, in this embodiment, the plurality of optical fibers 11 are inserted into a sleeve S of a predetermined shape as shown in Fig. 4 to form a bundled end F in which the end faces of the optical fibers 11 are aligned flush with one another. However, the method for bundling the optical fibers 11 is not particularly limited, and any known method can be used. Furthermore, the shape of the end face of the bundled end F in which the plurality of optical fibers 11 are bundled is not particularly limited. However, when performing two-dimensional scanning with laser light L, it is preferable to use a square or rectangular end face shape as shown in Fig. 4(a) and (b), which facilitates light scanning. For one-dimensional scanning, it is preferable to use a bundled end F in which the optical fibers 11 are aligned in a row, as shown in Fig. 4(c).

[0025] [2-5] Yarn arrangement at the edge of the woven fabric Furthermore, by continuously arranging the woven optical fibers 11 at the end (fabric end) of the optical fiber fabric 1, it is possible to form the bundled end F of the optical fibers 11 by arranging the threads of the fabric without performing end processing using a sleeve or the like. For example, it is possible to adopt a structure in which the end faces of the optical fibers 11 are arranged in a row at the end of a single-ply fabric, or a structure in which the end faces of the optical fibers 11 are arranged in multiple rows at the end of a multi-ply fabric.

[0026] [3] Laser light source [3-1] Types of laser light sources Regarding the laser light source 2, in this embodiment, a low-power and small semiconductor laser (LD) capable of emitting laser light L in the wavelength range of visible light (380 nm to 780 nm) is used, but the type of laser is not particularly limited, and various types of semiconductor lasers, solid-state lasers (YAG lasers, fiber lasers, etc.), gas lasers, liquid lasers, etc. can be used. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a low-power semiconductor laser with low power consumption is used in continuous wave (CW) mode, but a pulsed laser can also be used if necessary.

[0027] [3-2] Laser light source output In this embodiment, the maximum irradiation output of the laser light source 2 used is 0.28W for the three RGB units combined, but from the standpoints of light-emitting performance and power saving, it is preferable that it be 1mW or more and 1W or less. From the standpoint of user safety, it is desirable that the laser light emitted through the side portion of the optical fiber fabric is adjusted to correspond to Class 1 based on laser safety standards. While conventional LED light sources are surface light sources, the present invention is characterized by high-speed scanning of laser light, which is a high-brightness point light source, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0028] [3-3] Multicolor emission In this embodiment, a color-tone variable laser light source capable of changing the color of the light emitted is used as the laser light source 2. This makes it possible to change the emission color and emission pattern. In this embodiment, the color-tone variable laser light source uses one that changes the color tone by changing the intensity ratio of the laser light emitted from three laser light sources with different RGB wavelengths, but the color modulation method is not particularly limited, and for example, a wavelength-variable laser light source that changes the wavelength of light can also be used.

[0029] It is preferable to use a multi-color light emitting type laser light source 2, which can increase the variety of light emission patterns. This allows full-color light emission, which previously required the use of multiple LED light sources, to be achieved with a single laser light source 2, thereby making it possible to make the lighting device A more compact and energy-efficient. Note that if full-color light emission is not the goal, a monochromatic light emitting type laser light source 2 can also be used.

[0030] [3-4] Laser light source control By providing a light source control device 21 that controls the output and color of the laser light source 2, the brightness and emission color of the wavelength-tunable laser light source can be controlled (see FIG. 2). This makes it possible to adjust the brightness of each optical fiber 11 in the optical fiber fabric 1, and switch the color scheme and emission pattern. In addition, the output and color tone of the laser light source 2 can be automatically and sequentially changed at a predetermined timing using a control program.

[0031] [4] Optical scanning device [4-1] Types of optical scanning devices In this embodiment, a MEMS mirror is used for the optical scanning device 3, but the invention is not limited to this as long as it is capable of one-dimensional or two-dimensional scanning of the laser light L; for example, a polygon scanner, a galvanometer scanner, or a resonant scanner can also be used. The optical scanning device 3 can also be integrated with the laser light source 2. When using multiple laser light sources 2 with different wavelengths, it is desirable to use a multiplexer to multiplex the multiple laser beams into a single laser beam, and then input the laser beam to the optical scanning device 3. There are no restrictions on the type of multiplexer used.

[0032] [4-2] Control of optical scanning device The scanning range and scanning speed of the laser light L by the optical scanning device 3 can be arbitrarily controlled by a control device. This allows the laser light L to be scanned in accordance with the shape of the end face of the convergent end F of the optical fiber 11. For example, if the end face of the convergent end F has a planar shape in which the optical fibers 11 are arranged vertically and horizontally in multiple rows, the laser light L can be scanned two-dimensionally in accordance with the end face. Alternatively, if the end face of the convergent end F has a linear shape in which the optical fibers 11 are arranged in a single row, the laser light L can be scanned one-dimensionally in accordance with the end face. By scanning the laser light L in accordance with the arrangement of the optical fibers 11 in this manner, light loss at the connection between the laser light source 1 and the optical fiber 11 can be reduced, thereby efficiently introducing light. Furthermore, the control device of the optical scanning device 3 and the light source control device 21 of the laser light source 2 can be linked in accordance with the light emission pattern. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the control device of the optical scanning device 3 and the light source control device 21 are linked, and the laser light L is projected onto the convergent end F of the optical fiber 11 based on image or video data created in advance. At this time, the control device of the optical scanning device 3 and the light source control device 21 are linked together so that light of an arbitrary color based on the above image or video is incident on an arbitrary fiber 11.

[0033] [5] Coupling optical system [5-1] Optical system configuration The laser light L emitted from the optical scanning device 3 can be directly irradiated onto the end face of the optical fiber 11, resulting in the smallest possible configuration (see FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 5, the incident angle of the laser light L differs between the center and end of the convergence end F of the optical fiber 11. Therefore, to reduce the unevenness of the light emission of the optical fiber fabric 1, it is necessary to control the output of the laser light source 2 according to the incident angle of the laser light L. If it is necessary to align the incident angles of the laser light L, a coupling optical system 4 (see FIG. 6) can be provided between the optical scanning device 3 and the optical fiber 11 to control the incident angle of the laser light L and guide it to the end face of the optical fiber 11 while reducing optical loss. Note that "coupling" in this specification refers to a mechanism for coupling light emitted from a light source to an optical fiber while reducing optical loss. This coupling optical system 4 reduces light leakage at the connection between the optical fiber 11 and the laser light source 2, thereby reducing the unevenness of the light emission of the optical fiber fabric 1.

[0034] The coupling optical system 4 in FIG. 6 is characterized in that the distance between the optical scanning device 3 and the focusing end F relative to the lens 41 is equal to the focal length (f1) of the lens 41, so that the chief ray of the laser light L passing through the lens 41 is parallel to the optical axis. The coupling optical system 4 shown in FIG. 7 is characterized in that, compared to the coupling optical system 4 in FIG. 6, two new lenses 41 are added to form a bilaterally telecentric optical system in the direction of travel of the optical axis, and the NA of the laser light L incident on the focusing end F can be controlled by the focal lengths (f1·f2·f3) of the three lenses 41 shown in FIG. 7. Specifically, the magnitude of the NA depends on the focal lengths (f1·f2·f3) of the three lenses 41 shown in FIG. 7. Specifically, by increasing the ratio of f1 to f2 (f2 / f1), the beam diameter of the laser light L incident on the lens 41 (the lens on the right side in FIG. 7) that focuses the light at the focusing end F increases, thereby increasing the NA. Furthermore, the NA increases by reducing the focal length f3 of the lens 41 that focuses light at the focusing end L. The ability of the optical fiber 11 to capture light is determined by the numerical aperture NA of the optical fiber 11, so it is desirable that the NA of the coupling optical system 4 be smaller than the numerical aperture NA of the optical fiber 11. The numerical aperture NA of the optical fiber 11 is an intrinsic value determined by the specifications of the optical fiber 11.

[0035] By increasing the NA of the coupling optical system 4, the amount of light incident obliquely on the end face of the optical fiber 11 increases, and the number of times of total reflection per unit distance inside the optical fiber 11 increases, so the amount of light near the focusing end F increases, but the attenuation rate of light propagating inside the optical fiber 11 increases. It is desirable to select the numerical aperture NA of the optical fiber, the length of the optical fiber fabric 1, and the NA of the coupling optical system 4 according to the intended use.

[0036] 7, the coupling optical system 4 is configured with three lenses 41 arranged at a predetermined interval, and the laser light L emitted from the laser light source 1 is made incident with a spot diameter smaller than the diameter of the end face of the optical fiber 11. Furthermore, the coupling optical system 4 causes the main ray of the laser light L to be uniformly incident on the end face of the optical fiber 11 at an angle of 90°, so that the laser light L is uniformly coupled into the optical fiber fabric 1 with little optical loss.

[0037] In this embodiment, the lens 41 of the coupling optical system 4 is configured from three single-convex lenses, but is not limited to this and can be configured by combining multiple concave and convex lenses and arranging them at a predetermined interval depending on the purpose. Also, in this embodiment, the spot diameter of the laser light L is matched to the diameter of the end face of one optical fiber 11, but it can also be matched to the size of the end faces of multiple optical fibers 11.

[0038] [5-2] Light attenuation rate confirmation test In this embodiment, the attenuation rate of light was measured for an optical fiber fabric 1 using optical fibers 11 with a diameter of 0.25 mm using a three-color RGB laser light source 2, an optical scanning device 3 using a MEMS mirror, and a coupling optical system 4 shown in FIG. 7 . The result was 24% at a point 40 cm from the end of the optical fiber fabric 1. When an LED light source was used as the light source for the same optical fiber fabric 1, the attenuation rate was 42%, confirming that the configuration of this embodiment can reduce light attenuation along the length of the optical fiber fabric 1. The attenuation rate is expressed as (B0-B1) / B0×100(%), which is the ratio of the difference between the light amount B0 at the end of the optical fiber fabric on the light incident side and the light amount B1 at a point 40 cm away from the end of the fabric, to the light amount B0 at the end of the optical fiber fabric on the light incident side. B0 and B1 are the light amounts emitted from the side of the optical fiber fabric.

[0039] [5-3] Confirmation test of light coupling efficiency In this embodiment, the light intensity was measured when light was incident on an optical fiber fabric 1 using optical fibers 11 with a diameter of 0.15 mm. The remaining configuration was the same as in the confirmation test described in [5-2] above. The light intensity measured immediately before the light was incident on the focal end F was 33 mW for the LED light source and 1.4 mW for the laser light source 2 (hereinafter referred to as the scanning laser light source) that irradiates the light by passing it through the optical scanning device 3. In this state, the light intensity B0 measured at the end side of the optical fiber fabric 1 on the light incident side was 9 μW for the LED light source and 8.9 μW for the scanning laser light source. While the light source output of the LED was approximately 23 times higher, the light emission from the end side of the optical fiber fabric 1 was equivalent, and it was confirmed that the coupling efficiency of the scanning laser light source was more than 20 times higher than that of the LED light source. When a similar test was performed on an optical fiber fabric 1 using optical fibers 11 with a diameter of 0.25 mm, the coupling efficiency of the scanning laser light source was 15 times higher than that of the LED light source. It was found that the smaller the diameter of the optical fiber 11, the better the coupling efficiency of the laser scanning light source compared to the LED light source.

[0040] [5-4] Control of coupling optical system The spot diameter and incident angle of the laser light L produced by the coupling optical system 4 can be controlled by a control device that changes the spacing between the lenses 41, and the spacing between the lenses 41 can also be automatically controlled so that the spot diameter and incident angle are optimal in accordance with the diameter of the optical fiber 11 used and the shape of the end face of the focusing end F.

[0041] [6] Lighting patterns and control methods for lighting devices [6-1] Pseudo simultaneous emission Next, the light emission patterns and control method of the lighting device A of this embodiment will be described. First, in a pattern in which each optical fiber 11 woven into the optical fiber fabric 1 emits light pseudo-simultaneously, the optical scanning device 3 scans the laser light L at high speed and irradiates the focal end F. As a result, the high-speed scanned laser light L is sequentially incident on the end face of the optical fiber 11, and by emitting light continuously at high speed, it is possible to make each optical fiber 11 appear to be emitting light simultaneously. In order to make it appear as if they are emitting light simultaneously, if the cycle in which each optical fiber 11 woven into the optical fiber fabric 1 emits light once is defined as one frame, then it is preferable that the frame rate be 10 fps (frames per second) or higher (24 fps or higher is more preferable, and 60 fps or higher is even more preferable).

[0042] [6-2] Full-color pseudo-simultaneous emission Next, in a pattern in which each optical fiber 11 woven into the optical fiber fabric 1 emits pseudo-simultaneous light in full color, in addition to the high-speed scanning of the optical scanning device 3, the light source control device 21 of the laser light source 2 sequentially changes the color tone of the laser light L at a predetermined time interval (for example, 10 μsec). This makes it appear as if each optical fiber 11 woven into the optical fiber fabric 1 is emitting light in multiple colors simultaneously.

[0043] Furthermore, by changing the color tone of the laser light L, the color pattern of the optical fiber fabric 1 in the emitting state can be changed sequentially (for example, a color pattern that emits red, blue, and white from the top can be changed to blue, white, and red). On the other hand, by adjusting the rate at which the color tone of the laser light L changes and the scanning speed of the laser light L, the color pattern of the optical fiber fabric 1 in the emitting state can be fixed in the same state. Furthermore, the color tone of the laser light L can be changed in a predetermined color tone and sequence, or can be changed randomly.

[0044] [6-3] Simultaneous illumination with brightness differences Next, in a pattern in which the optical fibers 11 woven into the optical fiber fabric 1 emit light at different brightnesses in a pseudo-simultaneous manner, in addition to the high-speed scanning of the optical scanning device 3, the output of the laser light L is sequentially changed at predetermined time intervals (for example, 10 μsec) by the light source control device 21 of the laser light source 2. This changes the brightness of the laser light L, making it appear as if the optical fibers 11 woven into the optical fiber fabric 1 are simultaneously emitting light at different brightnesses. Note that when full-color emission is desired, it is also possible to combine output changes that create brightness differences with color tone changes to change the color scheme.

[0045] [6-4] Time-delayed flashing Next, in a pattern in which the optical fibers 11 woven into the optical fiber fabric 1 are made to blink with a time lag, the scanning speed of the optical scanning device 3 is slowed down and the focused end F is irradiated. This causes the optical fibers 11 into which the laser light L is incident to emit light sequentially, making it possible to make each optical fiber 11 woven into the optical fiber fabric 1 blink sequentially with a time lag. This allows the optical fiber fabric 1 in an illuminating state to have a dynamic design. Furthermore, if a pulsed laser is used as the laser light source 1 and set to blink at a predetermined cycle, it is possible to make each optical fiber 11 blink sequentially even when the scanning speed is kept high.

[0046] [7] Applications of laser-scanned light-emitting fabrics The laser beam scanning light-emitting fabric A can be suitably used as an interior material for automobiles, but can also be used for other purposes, such as illumination and interior decoration, architectural interior materials, clothing, wallets, bags, other miscellaneous goods, guidance devices, signs, and various lighting devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1. Optical fiber fabric 11 Optical Fiber 2 Laser light source 21 Light source control device 3 Optical scanning device 4 Coupling optical system 41 Lens A. Laser-scanned light-emitting fabric L laser light F Focusing end S sleeve

Claims

1. The optical fiber woven fabric includes optical fibers that emit light from their sides when light is incident thereon, a laser light source that emits laser light, and an optical scanning device that scans the laser light, A laser light scanning type light emitting fabric, in which a plurality of optical fibers woven into the optical fiber fabric are irradiated with laser light scanned one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally by the optical scanning device.

2. 2. The laser light scanning light-emitting fabric according to claim 1, wherein a focused end is formed by bundling a plurality of optical fibers extending from an end of the optical fiber fabric, and the laser light is scanned in accordance with the end face shape of the focused end.

3. 2. The laser light scanning light emitting fabric according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of woven optical fibers are arranged continuously in the arrangement of threads at the end of the optical fiber fabric.

4. 3. The laser beam scanning light-emitting fabric according to claim 1, further comprising a coupling optical system for controlling a spot diameter or an incident angle of the laser beam emitted from the laser light source.

5. 3. The laser beam scanning light-emitting fabric according to claim 1, wherein a color-tone variable laser light source capable of changing the color of emitted light is used as the laser light source.

6. The laser light scanning light-emitting fabric according to claim 5, further comprising a light source control device for controlling the output and color of the laser light source.

7. A method for illuminating an optical fiber fabric, in which a laser beam is scanned and incident on each optical fiber woven in the optical fiber fabric, causing each optical fiber to emit pseudo-simultaneous light or blinking light.

Images