Patent ID: 6863428
Filing Date: 2005-03-08
Classification: G02B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An illumination device comprising: a light guide including a light guide core having an optically smooth surface for propagating light therethrough and a light emitting region extending along a portion of the core wherein said light guide is a light fiber, the light emitting region including: at least one light extraction structure located along the optically smooth surface of the light guide core, said light extraction structure including an optically reflective surface extending into the light guide core and oriented to reflect light at an angle less than a critical angle necessary for light to propagate through the light guide core; and a diffuse reflective material disposed around at least a portion of the light guide to direct at least a portion of the light reflected by the light extraction structure back through the light guide core so that light is emitted through the light emitting region of the optically smooth surface.