SIDE LIGHTING OPTICAL CONDUIT

摘要

An optical fiber conduit (32) comprising an optical fiber core (22) surrounded by a cladding (24) with a reflective material or holder and/or reflector (34) attached adjacent to or in contact with the cladding (24) covered optical fiber core (22) along its longitudinal length and includes a plurality of illuminators (28-30) that are formed by uniform cuts (41) in the optical fiber core (22) emit reasonably even light perpendicularly along the length of the conduit (32) outwardly. The light pattern can be made to emit various beam patterns from very narrow to very wide by altering the shape of the optical fiber core (22). The cut optical fiber is embedded in a clear environmentally protective coating to protect the cuts (41) from dust and moisture and to maintain the alignment of the holder and/or reflector (34) with optical elements (106) and the optical fiber core (22).