| 摘要 |
Optical transmission devices suitable for use in constructing lightpipe networks are disclosed. The optical transmission devices include an optical coupler arrangement (1, 34, 72, 73) for connecting a lightpipe to other optical transmission or utilization devices with minimum interface losses. A lens element for collimating light (71, 92) may be secured to the optical coupler arrangement (1, 34, 72, 73), and two collimating lenses (84, 85) together with associated optical couplers (83, 86) may be combined to form an angular divergence reducer light travelling along lightpipes, lightpipe gates (184, 203, 214) for interrupting the flow of light along lightpipes, lightpipe switches (221-265) for directing light from a primary lightpipe to any selected one of a plurality of secondary lightpipes, and lightpipe merge devices (320-332, 360-385) for merging the flow of light from two lightpipes are all interconnected to form a light distribution system. Lightpipe diodes (300-312, 340-352) for insuring unidirectional light flow, lightpipe wall sockets (266-288) and terminators (400, 410) for capping the ends of lightpipes, optical intensity meters (290- 297) for measuring light intensities inside lightpipes and lightpipe dissipaters (390-395) for dissipating excess light are added to the light distribution system to provide a complete lightpipe network (415-457) which safely and efficiently supplies electromagnetic radiation from a source of electromagnetic radiation through various main trunk and branch lightpipe lines to utilization devices.
|
