3m Innovative Properties Company

Shinichi Irie

Kenji Matsumoto

Kengo Imamura

Yukio Nojiri

Atsushi Udagawa

Kanji Matsumoto

A side lighting optical fiberhaving a corecontaining a first light scattering agent, and a clad disposed generally concentric to the core and containing a second light scattering agent, such that light transmittance of the cladat wavelength of 550 nm is in the range of 70-90%.

Side lighting optical fiber

A lighting apparatus includes at least two light-emitting elements, the light-emitting elements having at least two light-emitting zones which are disposed in a regular pattern throughout the entire length and allow light to be emitted in different light-emission intensities, each of the light-emitting elements allowing light to be emitted in continuous sequence from the light-emitting zones in one direction, wherein adjacent light-emitting elements are positioned with a predetermined distance deviation.

Delineator lighting apparatus

A light fiber comprising (a) a tubular clad having a predetermined length and (b) a solid core formed by reacting a filler material with which the clad is filled, the clad and the core being closely contacted with each other by shrinkage of the clad, characterized in that: the clad is expandable under pressure, shrinkage of the clad is initiated before the completion of the reaction of the filler material and is carried out in conformity with volume reduction of the core, which accompanies the reaction of the filler material, and the number of air gap between the clad and the core, which is measured per length of 10 m, is 3 or less.

Light fibers and methods for producing the same

An optical fiber comprising a core capable of transmitting light incident from one end in the lengthwise direction toward the other end, the core consisting of a polymer of a polymerizable stock material that contains a polymerizable hydroxy monomer with a hydroxyl group in the molecule, wherein the content of the polymerizable hydroxy monomer is 0.5 to 9 wt % with respect to the total of the polymerizable stock material, and the minimum dimension (R) in the direction orthogonal to the lengthwise direction of the core and the glass transition temperature (T ) of the core have a relationship represented by the following Inequality 1:117/R&plus;23<T <1050/R &plus;39 where the unit of R is mm, and the unit of T is &deg; C.

Optical fiber

A light-illuminating rod comprises a flexible rod member formed from a light piping plastic material and a light diffusible reflective film which is fixedly bonded to part of the outer periphery of the rod member along the longitudinal direction thereof. The light diffusible reflective film comprises a light-transmittable polymer and light diffusible reflective particles dispersed in the polymer. The light-transmittable polymer contains from 10 to 100% by weight of an adhesive polymer based on the total amount of the light-transmittable polymer. The light-transmittable polymer further contains from 2 to 90% by weight of a dispersible polymer having hydrophilic functional groups within the molecule based on the total amount of the light-transmittable polymer. In one embodiment, the light diffusible reflective particles contain from 10 to 100% by weight of an inorganic material based on the total amount of the light diffusible reflective particles.

Light-illuminating rods

A light fiber of directional side light extraction type capable of keeping the sectional shape as desired, reducing the undesirable light leakage to the outside through the light diffusive and reflective portion and extracting a highly directional and a highly bright light, and a process for manufacturing the same. Said object can be attained by co-extruding a resinous material only, and a material obtained by light scattering fine particles with a resinous material to disperse them therein so as to form a light diffusive and reflective film in a desired portion at least on the inner periphery of the clad.

Light fiber and a method for producing the same

To provide a side light extraction type light fiber capable of extracting light having high brightness at a viewing angle. Means for solving: a light fiber comprising: a core ( ) in the center portion, and a cladding arranged around the core, characterized in that the cladding comprises: (i) a light diffusive layer ( ) comprising a light diffusive portion made of a light diffusive material containing, as a binder, a polymer having a refractive index smaller than that of the core, which is provided in closely contact with the core in a wall thickness of 1 to 300 &mgr;m in a circumferential direction, and (ii) a protective layer ( ) made of a light transmitting resin material, which is formed to integrate with the light diffusive layer and covers the light diffusive layer.

The present invention relates to a light-illuminating rod, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to handle the light-illuminating rod while the rod is being deflected or install it while it is being bent. A light-illuminating rod comprising (a) a flexible rod member and (b) a light diffusible reflective film which is fixedly bonded to part of the outer periphery of the rod member along the longitudinal direction thereof and which comprises (i) a light-transmittable polymer and (ii) light diffusible reflective particles dispersed in the polymer, the light-transmittable polymer of the light diffusible reflective film having a storage modulus of 1.0&times;10 to 1.0&times;10 dyne/cm .

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Yamato, Japan

Shinichi Irie