Side-Emitting Light Guide Structure for Uniform Flexible Illumination

The light guide is divided into a light-conducting core and a separate scattering cladding that can move independently. The cladding is segmented into multiple sections that can accommodate bending without creating air gaps, as each section can shift relative to the core to maintain continuous contact.

The scattering cladding is designed as a flexible thin-walled structure that can deform with the light-conducting core during bending. This flexible cladding maintains intimate contact with the core even when the light guide is bent, preventing air gap formation while allowing the light guide to be fastened to substrates using clamps.

The cladding is segmented into multiple sections that can move independently relative to the light-conducting core. This segmentation allows the cladding to maintain contact with the core during bending while permitting the necessary relative movement to accommodate flexibility.

The coupling between the cladding and the light-conducting core is made dynamic rather than static. The cladding can adjust its position and contact pressure in response to bending, maintaining optical coupling when needed while allowing movement when bent, thus achieving both uniformity and flexibility.

Multiple light-conducting fibers are merged into a single bundled structure with a common scattering cladding. This combining approach increases the total luminous flux while avoiding the complexity of managing separate claddings for each fiber, as the single cladding serves all fibers simultaneously.

The scattering cladding serves multiple functions: it scatters light from all fibers in the bundle, maintains structural integrity of the bundled fibers, and provides the flexible outer layer that enables bending. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity despite using multiple fibers.