Line-of-light illuminating device

Claim 2

A line-of-light illuminating device, comprising: a light source; an elongated optical lightpipe which receives light from said light source and transmits said light through internal reflection, said lightpipe being isosceles triangular in cross-section with an apex at the point at which the equilateral sides of the isosceles triangle join, said lightpipe having an emission portion; and an integral optical lens, located at one side of said emission portion of said lightpipe and extending substantially parallel to said emission portion for receiving and focusing said internally-reflected light into a collimated line-of-light beam, said emission portion of said lightpipe having a reflective surface formed at the apex thereof being opposite from said one side thereof for receiving said internally-reflected light striking said reflective surface and reflecting said light in a substantially perpendicular direction therefrom to said integral optical lens.

Claim 3

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 1 wherein said lightpipe and lens are of a unitary construction.

Claim 4

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 2 wherein said lightpipe and lens are formed together in a single injection molding process.

Claim 5

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 1 wherein said reflective surface has a configuration of an elongated thin line.

Claim 6

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 4 wherein the apex of said emission portion of said lightpipe is grooved and metallized to form said reflective surface.

Claim 7

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 1 wherein said lightpipe has an elongated main body with a longitudinal axis and a pair of spaced opposite ends, said main body having an input end surface at one of said opposite ends for receiving light.

Claim 8

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 1 wherein said integral optical lens is a segment of a single cylindrical lens.

Claim 9

The device of claim 1 wherein said optical lens has a central axis spaced from and extending generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said lightpipe and spaced from and extending generally parallel to said reflective surface for receiving the reflected light from said reflective surface and focusing the light into a collimated line-of-light.

Claim 10

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 1 wherein said integral optical lens is a series of segments of spherical lenses aligned along said one side of said emission portion.

Claim 11

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 1 wherein said emission portion of said lightpipe and said lens have a unitary teardrop cross-sectional shape.

Claim 12

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 1 wherein said emission portion of said lightpipe and said lens have a unitary snow-cone, cross-sectional shape.

Claim 13

A line-of-light illuminating device, comprising: an elongated optical lightpipe having an elongated main body with a longitudinal axis and a pair of spaced opposite ends, said main body of said lightpipe having an input end surface at one of said opposite ends for receiving light, said main body of said lightpipe having a triangular cross-sectional shape for transmitting the received light via internal reflection from said input end surface at one of said opposite ends toward another of said opposite ends; means defining a reflective surface along an apex of an emission portion of said main body of said lightpipe and adjacent to said other opposite end thereof, for receiving the light transmitted by internal reflection from said input end surface and reflecting the light in a generally perpendicular direction from said reflective surface; and an integral optical lens disposed on a side of said emission portion of said main body of said lightpipe being opposite from the apex, said lens having a central axis spaced from and extending generally parallel to said longitudinal axis of said main body of said lightpipe and spaced from and extending generally parallel to said reflective surface for receiving the reflected light from said reflective surface and focusing the light into a collimated line of light.

Claim 14

A line-of-light illuminating device, comprising: an elongated optical lightpipe having an elongated main body with a longitudinal axis and a pair of spaced opposite ends, said main body of said lightpipe having an input end surface at one of said opposite ends for receiving light, said main body of said lightpipe having a triangular cross-sectional shape for transmitting the received light via internal reflection from said input end surface at one of said opposite ends toward another of said opposite ends; means defining a reflective surface along an apex of an emission portion of said main body of said lightpipe and adjacent to said other opposite end thereof, for receiving the light transmitted by internal reflection from said input end surface and reflecting the light in a generally perpendicular direction from said reflective surface; and an integral optical lens disposed on a side of said emission portion of said main body of said lightpipe being opposite from the apex, said lens having a central axis spaced from and extending generally parallel to said longitudinal axis of said main body of said lightpipe and spaced from and extending generally parallel to said reflective surface for receiving the reflected light from said reflective surface and focusing the light into a collimated line of light.

Claim 15

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 2 wherein said lightpipe and lens are of a unitary construction.

Claim 16

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 13 wherein said lightpipe and lens are formed together in a single injection molding process.

Claim 17

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 14 wherein said emission portion of said main body of said lightpipe and said lens have a unitary teardrop cross-sectional shape.

Claim 18

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 14 wherein said emission portion of said main body of said lightpipe and said lens have a unitary snow cone cross-sectional shape.

Claim 19

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 13 wherein said integral lens is a single segment of a cylindrical lens.

Claim 20

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 13 wherein said reflective surface on said main body of said lightpipe has the configuration of an elongated thin line.

Claim 21

The line-of-light illuminating device of claim 19 wherein said emission portion of said main body of said lightpipe is grooved and metallized to form said reflective surface.