Patent ID: 8128267

Claim:
A light source comprising a light engine with at least one LED or at least one laser light-emitting element for generating and in-coupling light into at least one light guide comprising an elongated glass fiber or rod having a long axis, wherein the light guide has as an out-coupling structure for out-coupling light, said out-coupling structure having a plurality of chevron pieces stacked along the long axis, the chevron pieces attached adjacent to one another with an adhesive and forming an out-coupling length of the light guide, each of said stacked chevron pieces forming chevron like lines between said plurality of said stacked chevron pieces, each of said chevron like lines between said plurality of stacked chevron pieces emitting light by refraction through an adhesive retaining adjacent tapered ends of said plurality of said stacked chevron pieces, wherein the out-coupling structure extends along the out-coupling length and over the entire circumference of the out-coupling length of the light guide, wherein the light guide and the out-coupling structure are dimensioned and configured for directing out-coupled light in a direction perpendicular to the long axis of the light guide into a designated secondary optical system, and wherein the designated secondary optical system has at least one reflector or at least one lens having an axis perpendicular to the long axis of the light guide.