Patent ID: 8724942
Filing Date: 2014-05-13
Classification: F21V,G02B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A light-coupling optical system, comprising: a transparent sheet having substantially parallel opposite upper and lower surfaces and a first refractive index; an index-matching polymer layer disposed in contact with the lower surface of the transparent sheet and having a second refractive index substantially the same as the first refractive index; at least one light-diffusing optical fiber having a silica based glass core, a cladding surrounding the core, and a length, the glass core having randomly arranged voids configured to provide substantially spatially continuous light emission from the glass core and out of the cladding and into the transparent sheet along at least a portion of the length wherein the randomly arranged voids are situated only in an annular portion within the core, the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber being at least partially disposed within the index-matching polymer layer along the portion of the length providing substantially spatially continuous light emission into the transparent sheet; at least one light source optically connected to the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber and that emits light into the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber, with the light traveling therein as guided light which scatters therefrom as scattered light; and wherein the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber is arranged so that the scattered light travels within the transparent sheet and the index-matching layer via total internal reflection and is scattered out of the upper surface of the transparent sheet by at least one scattering feature of the transparent sheet.