Optical Fiber Lighting Apparatus Scattered Light Reflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical fiber lighting apparatuses have poor light guide efficiency due to unused light emitted from LEDs that does not strike the lenses, resulting in insufficient bright illumination.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a semiconductor laser as an exciting light source, a single optical fiber, a wavelength conversion unit (phosphor unit) to generate wavelength-converted light, and a reflecting member to redirect scattered light back onto the fiber bundle, enhancing light guide efficiency by utilizing otherwise wasted light.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If only lenses are used at the light incident portion to guide light from LEDs to the fiber bundle, then the structure is simple, but light guide efficiency is poor and illumination brightness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful loss of scattered light into a beneficial resource by using a reflecting member to redirect previously wasted light back onto the fiber bundle incident end, thereby improving light guide efficiency and illumination brightness without additional light sources
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a reflecting member as an intermediary optical element between the wavelength conversion unit and the fiber bundle incident end. This mediator captures scattered light and redirects it toward the fiber bundle, enabling efficient utilization of light that would otherwise be lost
2Loss of energy
If light emitted from LEDs does not strike the lenses, then the structure is simpler, but the light is not utilized and efficiency is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the waste of unutilized scattered light into a beneficial contribution to illumination by implementing a reflecting member that redirects this previously lost light onto the fiber bundle, thereby improving overall light utilization efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The optical system serves itself by using the reflecting member to redirect its own scattered light back into the useful optical path, eliminating the need for additional external light sources or complex optical components
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution significantly improves light guide efficiency, achieving brighter illumination by effectively redirecting and utilizing previously wasted light, thereby enhancing the overall performance of the optical fiber lighting apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a wavelength conversion unit that receives the exciting light exiting from the first optical fiber to generate a wavelength converted light having a wavelength different from that of the exciting light
Implementation Method 2
a reflecting member that reflects, of reflected scattered light and/or the wavelength converted light generated by the wavelength conversion unit, at least part of light that has not directly struck the incident region of the second optical fiber, toward an incident region of the second optical fiber
Data Source
AI summary
An optical fiber lighting apparatus includes an exciting light source, a first optical fiber, a second optical fiber, a wavelength conversion unit, and a reflecting member. The first optical fiber guides the exciting light emitted from the exciting light source. The wavelength conversion unit receives the exciting light exiting from the first optical fiber to generate a wavelength-converted light having a wavelength different from that of the exciting light. The second optical fiber guides at least part of the wavelength-converted light generated by the wavelength conversion unit. The reflecting member reflects, of the reflected scattered light and/or the wavelength-converted light generated by the wavelength conversion unit, at least part of light that has not directly struck the incident region of the second optical fiber, toward the incident region of the second optical fiber.