Synthetic resin structures for light conduction and production thereof

Claim 2

A synthetic resin structure for conducting light having a lens action as claimed in claim 1, in which said copolymer is selected from copolymers of methacrylic acid and ethylene, said first metal is cesium, said second metal is sodium, and said constant a is positive.

Claim 3

A synthetic resin structure for conducting light having a lens action as claimed in claim 1, in which said copolymer is a copolymer of itaconic acid and ethylene, said first metal is rubidium, said second metal is lithium, and said constant a is positive.

Claim 4

A process for producing a synthetic resin structure for conducting light having a lens effect which comprises steps of: preparing a transparent barlike or fiberlike body, said body having a uniform index of refraction radially relative to a center axis toward a side surface of the body, said body comprising (1) a copolymer of an Alpha -olefin and a Alpha , Beta -ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, and (2) ions of a first metal ion in a uniform concentration distribution and in ionic bond with carboxylic groups of said acid; and causing the body to contact a source of ions of a second metal different from said first metal in ionic polarizabilities thereof at a temperature at which the ions of said first and said second metals can diffuse within said body thereby to diffuse the ions of said second metal into the body through the side surface and to diffuse the ions of said first metal toward the side surface thereby to produce concentration distribution of the ions within said body such that the concentrations of ions of said first metal and said second metal respectively decreases and increases both from the center axis toward the side surface, whereby said concentration distribution effectively creates within the body a refractive index distribution wherein, the refractive index in any cross section perpendicular to said center axis varies in conformance substantially with the equation n n0(1-ar2), wherein no is the refractive index at said center axis, n is the refractive index at a distance r from the center axis, and a is a constant.

Claim 5

A process for producing a synthetic resin structure for conDucting light having a lens action as claimed in claim 5, in which said step of preparing comprises causing a copolymer of an Alpha -olefin and an Alpha , Beta -ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid to react with an ionic metal compound selected from the group consisting of salts, hydroxides, methoxides, and ethoxides of metals including at least one metal selected from the group consisting of alkaline metals and other metals which can take the form of monovalent ions, said alkaline metals and other metals being readily diffusable within the body, and said source of the ions of said second metal is a member selected from the group consisting of salts, hydroxides, methoxides, and ethoxides of metals including at least one metal selected from the group consisting of alkaline metals and other metals which can take the form of monovalent ions, said alkaline metals and other metals being readily diffusable within the body.

Claim 6

A synthetic resin structure for conducting light having a lens effect comprising a transparent barlike or fiberlike body; said body comprising (1) a copolymer of an Alpha -olefin and an Alpha , Beta -ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, (2) ions of a first metal and (3) ions of a second metal different from said first metal in ion polarizabilities thereof, ions of both metals being in ionic bond with carboxylic groups of said carboxylic acid; said body having a concentration distribution of ions such that the concentration of the first metal ions decreases progressively from a center axis toward a side surface of the body and the concentration of the second metal ions increases progressively from said center axis toward said side surface; said concentration distribution effectively creating within the body a refractive index distribution such that the refractive index in any cross section perpendicular to said center axis varies in conformance substantially with the equation n n0(1-ar2), wherein no is the refractive index at said center axis, n is the refractive index at a distance r from the center axis, and a is a constant, whereby said refractive index distribution produces said lens effect.

Claim 7

A synthetic resin structure for conducting light having a lens action as claimed in claim 7, in which ions of said first and said second metals are selected from the group consisting of ions of alkaline metals and monovalent metals.

Claim 8

A synthetic resin structure for conducting light having a lens action as claimed in claim 7, in which said copolymer is selected from copolymers of methacrylic acid and ethylene, said first metal is cesium, said second metal is sodium, and said constant a is positive.

Claim 9

A synthetic resin structure for conducting light having a lens action as claimed in claim 7, in which said copolymer is a copolymer of itaconic acid and ethylene, said first metal is rubidium, said second metal is lithium, and said constant a is positive.