An illuminating device having optical light guide formed as fibre bundle

Claim 2

An illuminating device including a light source (9), an optical light guide formed as a fibre bundle (1) for conducting illuminating light from the light source (9) to an object to be illuminated, and a light source lens (10) for directing said illuminating light from the light source (9) to said fibre bundle (1), characterized in that an optical reflecting body (17) made of transparent optical material (17") and having a peripheral reflecting portion is mounted on the incidence end surface (4) of said fibre bundle-(1), and in that, when light intensity distribution of the bright spot image (12) of the light source (9) formed by the light source lens (10) is one having a peak value, said lens (10) and said optical reflecting body (17) are determined to satisfy the formula: in which: S = air equivalent length between bright spot image (12) and incidence surface (18) of the optical reflecting body (17) and is positive when measured in a direction from the end surface (18) towards the fibre bundle (1), d = length of' the optical reflecting body (17), n = reflective index of the optical reflecting body (17), α = angle of marginal ray (19) relative to the optical axis, and r = effective radius of the fibre bundle (1).

Claim 3

An illuminating device including a light source (9), an optical light guide formed as a fibre bundle (1) for conducting illuminating light from the light source (9) to an object to be illuminated, and a light source lens (10) for directing said illuminating light from the light source (9) to said fibre bundle (1), characterized in that an optical reflecting body (17) made of transparent optical material (17") and having a peripheral reflecting portion is mounted on the incidence end surface (4) of said fibre bundle (1), and in that, when light intensity distribution of the bright spot image (12) of the light source (9) formed by the light source lens (10) is one having a peak value, said lens (10) and said optical reflecting body (17) are determined to satisfy the formulae: and in which: S = air equivalent length between bright spot image (12) and incidence end surface (18) of the optical reflecting body (17) and is positive when measured in a direction from the end surface (18) to the fibre bundle (1), d = length of the optical reflecting body (17), h = refractive index of the optical reflecting body (17), α = angle of marginal ray (19) relative to the optical axis, r = effective radius of the fibre bundle (1), h = height of upper side ray (20) on the incidence end surface (18) of the optical reflecting body (17), k height of the marginal ray (19), and r - radius of the optical reflecting body (17).

Claim 4

An illuminating device including a light source (9), an optical light guide formed as a fibre bundle (1) for conducting illuminating light from the light source (9) to an object to be illuminated, and a light source lens (10) for directing said illuminating light from the light source (9) to said fibre bundle (1), characterized in that an optical reflecting body (17) made of transparent optical material (17") and having a peripheral reflecting portion is mounted on the incidence end surface (4) of said fibre bundle (1), and in that, when light intensity distribution of the bright spot image (12) of the light source (9) formed by the light source lens (10) is one having a peak value, said lens (10) and said optical reflecting body (17) are determined to satisfy the formulae: and in which: S = air equivalent length between bright spot image (12) and incidence end surface (18) of the optical reflecting body (17) and is positive when measured in a direction from the end surface (18) to the fibre bundle (1), d = length of the optical reflecting body (17), h = refractive index of the optical reflecting body (17), α = angle of marginal ray (19) relative to the optical axis, r = effective radius of the fibre bundle (1), h = height of upper side ray (20) on the incidence end surface (18) of the optical reflecting body (17), k height of the marginal ray (19), and r - radius of the optical reflecting body (17).

Claim 5

An illuminating device including a light source (9), an optical light guide formed as a-fibre bundle (1) for conducting illuminating light from the light source (9) to an object to be illuminated, and a light source lens (10) for directing said illuminating light from the light source (9) to said fibre bundle (1), characterized in that an optical reflecting body (17) made of transparent optical material (17") and having a peripheral reflecting portion is mounted on the incidence end surface (4) of said fibre bundle (1), and in that, when light intensity distribution of the bright spot image (12) of the light source (9) formed by the light source lens (10) is substantially flat, said lens (10) and said optical reflecting body (17) are determined to satisfy the formula: in which: _ I = height of bright spot image (12), S = air equivalent length between bright spot image (12) and incidence end surface (18) of the optical reflecting body (17) and is positive when measured in a direction from the end surface (18) towards the fibre bundle (1), d = length of the optical reflecting body (17), n = refractive index of the optical reflecting body (17), α= angle of marginal ray (19) relative to the optical axis, and r = effective radius of the fibre bundle (1).

Claim 6

An illuminating device including a light source (9), an optical light guide formed as a-fibre bundle (1) for conducting illuminating light from the light source (9) to an object to be illuminated, and a light source lens (10) for directing said illuminating light from the light source (9) to said fibre bundle (1), characterized in that an optical reflecting body (17) made of transparent optical material (17") and having a peripheral reflecting portion is mounted on the incidence end surface (4) of said fibre bundle (1), and in that, when light intensity distribution of the bright spot image (12) of the light source (9) formed by the light source lens (10) is substantially flat, said lens (10) and said optical reflecting body (17) are determined to satisfy the formula: in which: _ I = height of bright spot image (12), S = air equivalent length between bright spot image (12) and incidence end surface (18) of the optical reflecting body (17) and is positive when measured in a direction from the end surface (18) towards the fibre bundle (1), d = length of the optical reflecting body (17), n = refractive index of the optical reflecting body (17), α= angle of marginal ray (19) relative to the optical axis, and r = effective radius of the fibre bundle (1).

Claim 7

An illuminating device including a light source (9), an optical light guide formed as a fibre bundle (1) for conducting illuminating light from the light source (9) to an object to be illuminated, and a light source lens (10) for directing said illuminating light from the light source (9) to said fibre bundle (1), characterized in that an optical reflecting body (17) made of transparent optical material (17") and having a peripheral reflecting portion is mounted on the incidence end surface (4) of said fibre bundle (1), and in that, when light intensity distribution of the bright spot image (12) of the light source (9) formed by the light source lens (10) is substantially flat, said lens (10) and said optical reflecting body (17) are determined to satisfy the formulae: and in which: I = height of bright spot image (12), S = air equivalent length between bright spot image (12) and incidence end surface (18) of the optical reflecting body (17) and is positive when measured in a direction from the end surface (18) towards the fibre bundle (1), d = length of the optical reflecting body (17), h = refractive index of the optical reflecting body (17), α = angle of marginal ray (19) relative to the optical axis, r = effective radius of the fibre bundle (1), h = height of upper side ray (20) on the incidence end surface (18) of the optical reflecting body (17), and r = radius of the optical reflecting body (17).

Claim 8

An illuminating device including a light source (9), an optical light guide formed as a fibre bundle (1) for conducting illuminating light from the light source (9) to an object to be illuminated, and a light source lens (10) for directing said illuminating light from the light source (9) to said fibre bundle (1), characterized in that an optical reflecting body (17) made of transparent optical material (17") and having a peripheral reflecting portion is mounted on the incidence end surface (4) of said fibre bundle (1), and in that, when light intensity distribution of the bright spot image (12) of the light source (9) formed by the light source lens (10) is substantially flat, said lens (10) and said optical reflecting body (17) are determined to satisfy the formulae: and in which: I = height of bright spot image (12), S = air equivalent length between bright spot image (12) and incidence end surface (18) of the optical reflecting body (17) and is positive when measured in a direction from the end surface (18) towards the fibre bundle (1), d = length of the optical reflecting body (17), h = refractive index of the optical reflecting body (17), α = angle of marginal ray (19) relative to the optical axis, r = effective radius of the fibre bundle (1), h = height of upper side ray (20) on the incidence end surface (18) of the optical reflecting body (17), and r = radius of the optical reflecting body (17).

Claim 9

An illuminating device according to any preceding claim, in which said light source lens (10) is axially displaceably mounted relative to the light source (14) to regulate the bright spot image.

Claim 10

An illuminating device according to any of claims 1 to 5, in which the numerical aperture of the optical reflecting body (17) is the same as or greater than that of said fibre bundle (1).

Claim 11

An illuminating device according to any of claims 1 to 5, in which the diameter of the optical reflecting body (17) is greater than the effective diameter of said fibre bundle (1).

Claim 12

An illuminating device according to any preceding claim, in which said optical reflecting body (17) and said fibre bundle (1) are adhered to one another by an adhesive having the same or a-similar refractive index as that of said optical reflecting body.

Claim 13

An illuminating device according to any preceding claim, in which both end surfaces of the optical reflecting body and the incident end surface of the fibre bundle are coated with a reflection-decreasing layer having the same or a similar refractive index as that of the optical reflecting body.