JPH0526282B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention Technical Field The present invention relates to a novel decorative lamp using light guides, and more particularly, to a decorative light having a novel configuration using light guides, and in particular to a decorative light having at least two flexible light guides having a large number of light leakage portions along the length thereof. a light guide;
a transparent flexible tube containing these light guides, the at least two light guides having light introduced into them from mutually different ends, so that at least A transparent tube in which two light guides are housed can be formed into any desired shape, and light can be emitted substantially uniformly over substantially the entire length of the tube to form any desired shape. This makes it possible to provide decorative lights.

Prior Art The present applicant first focused sunlight or artificial light using a lens system or the like, introduced it into a light guide, and transmitted it to any desired location through the light guide for illumination and various other uses. I suggested that it be provided. The present invention relates to a decorative lamp suitable for using the concentrated and transmitted sunlight as described above for illumination or other purposes.

FIG. 3 is a main part configuration diagram showing an example of a light source used in a decorative lamp according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a transparent flexible tube, and 2 is a tube disposed inside the tube 1 The light guide 2 is a flexible light guide, and a plurality of light leakage parts 3 are formed at desired intervals along the length of the light guide 2, and the light guide 2 is formed from one end or both ends of the light guide 2. The structure is such that the light introduced therein is radiated from these light leakage parts 3, 3, . . . .
Since the light guide 2 is very thin and flexible, it can be inserted into the transparent tube 1 no matter how it is bent. Therefore, the tube can be formed into any shape.

4 to 6 are enlarged detailed views showing specific examples of the light leakage portion shown in FIG. 3, respectively. In FIG. 4, a light guide rod or fiber made of quartz, plastic, etc. is used as the light guide 2. Then, a light scattering body 3' having a refractive index larger than that of the light guide is attached at a desired interval on the light guide rod or fiber 2, and the light is propagated within the light guide rod or fiber 2. Light is emitted through the light scattering body 3'. FIG. 5 shows an example in which an optical fiber is used as the light guide 2, the cladding layer 2a of the optical fiber is cut off at a desired interval, and light having a refractive index larger than the refractive index of the core part is inserted into the cut out part. A scatterer 3' is attached to the optical fiber so that the light propagating through the core 2b of the optical fiber is emitted to the outside through the light scatterer 3'. The core portion of the portion is cut out in a concave shape as shown in the figure, and the light propagated through the core portion 2b is leaked to the outside through these cut portions.

However, when light is emitted from the light guide as described above, when light is introduced from the direction of arrow A, the light emitted from the light leakage portion is
More in the direction of A′, less in the direction of arrow A″,
Unable to emit light evenly.

Purpose The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and has been made for the purpose of emitting light substantially uniformly from a transparent tube.

Configuration Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a light source used in a decorative lamp according to the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a decorative lamp according to the present invention. 2a and 2b are flexible tubes, 2a and 2b are flexible light guides, and 3a and 3b are light leakage parts formed on the light guides 2a and 2b as described above. Although what is shown in the figure is shown, the present invention is not limited to the light source section shown in FIG. can be understood. Therefore, in the present invention, at least two flexible light guides 2a and 2b are inserted into the transparent flexible tube 1, and one of the light guides 2a is inserted in the direction of arrow A. From there, the other light guide 2b is directed from the direction of arrow B.
That is, light is introduced into these two light guides 2a and 2b from opposite directions.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, it is also possible to provide a reflecting mirror at the end of the light guide, and in this way, the light that reaches the end can be It is reflected by a reflector provided at the end and travels in the opposite direction within the light guide, during which time it leaks out from the light leakage section in the same way as above, so that it can be introduced into the light guide more effectively. Light can be used. In addition, as mentioned above, the light propagating inside the light guide is leaked out from the light leakage parts one after another, so the amount of light emitted from the light leakage parts gradually decreases along the direction of travel of the light. , it gets dark near the end, so
In order to avoid this, for example, the distance between the light leakage parts may be gradually shortened along the direction of light propagation, and in this way uniform illumination can be achieved over the entire area. Alternatively, instead of shortening the interval between the light leakage parts, the leakage area of the light leakage parts may be gradually widened along the progress of the light, and furthermore, the thickness of the light scattering material attached to the light leakage parts may be increased. It is also possible to make the light gradually thinner along the direction of light propagation to reduce the attenuation of light due to the light scattering body and achieve uniform illumination.

Effects As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, a flexible light guide is used as a light source, and the light guide is formed into a flexible tube made of transparent material such as acrylic, plastic, or glass. The tube protects, supports and protects the light guide from dirt, and also facilitates cleaning of the tube itself. Further, the transparent tube can be bent into any shape, and therefore decorative lights with various shapes can be easily constructed.
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a decorative lamp having a novel shape can be formed by bending and using a large number of transparent tubes 1 through which light guides are inserted. Moreover, according to the present invention, at least two light guides are inserted into the tube of the transparent body and light is introduced into them from opposite directions, so that the light from the tube of the transparent body is distributed almost equally. This allows light to be emitted without directivity.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a main part configuration diagram showing an example of a light source part used in a decorative light according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a decorative light according to the present invention, and FIGS. FIG. 2 is a main part configuration diagram showing an example of a light source section of FIG. 1... Transparent tube, 2, 2a, 2b...
Light guide, 3, 3a, 3b...light leakage part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 having a transparent flexible tube and at least two flexible light guides inserted into the tube, each of the light guides having any desired shape along the length of the light guide. a plurality of light leakage parts spaced apart from each other, the at least two light guides are configured such that light is introduced from ends on different sides;
A decorative lamp characterized in that the flexible tube into which the flexible light guide is inserted is bent into any desired shape.