Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Optical fiber to a nonfiber optical device connector
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-03
2001-01-23
Ullah, Akm E. (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Optical fiber to a nonfiber optical device connector
C362S554000, C385S147000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176624
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a method for optical fiber use, in which light that is generated by means of a light generating apparatus is being led by exploiting an optical fiber, wherein the light generating apparatus has at least light generating means, such as a lamp and an objective assembly and/or like to direct light towards the end of the optical fiber, for leading of the same further by the optical fiber.
In the purpose described above a usual manner of operating has been such, that the type of lamp unit described above is being cooled by an air flow occurring through the same. In this connection flow has been led usually directly from the air space surrounding the lamp unit, that is why this type of cooling has a limited effect, because the cooling influence depends first of all always on the temperature of the surroundings. Under particularly warm circumstances and, because the lamp unit is situated generally in the warmest circumstances that means in connection with the roof, a cooling adequately efficient may not be achieved under all circumstances. This is why lamps having very small lamp luminosities must be used, so that the actual input end for light of the optical fiber would not get damaged because of overheating. Thus particularly light generating apparatuses operating by optical fiber are nowadays very underdeveloped from such point of view, that luminosities of lamps must be kept at a disproportionately low level because of the reasons mentioned above.
E.g. from an International Patent application WO 89/03539 on the other hand a device is known earlier, that is formed of a means achieving light, that is in other words carried out by a ray of light being led inside the device by means of optical fiber, of receiving means for the ray of light and of an objective assembly between the above for directing the ray of light from the end of the optical fiber to the receiving means. Next to the end of the optical fiber there has been placed an amplifier or e.g. a laser, whereby the ray of light passing through the same is being led further by means of objectives e.g. to a PIN-diode acting as the receiving means. The light diodes being used with high frequences require constant temperatures to achieve adequate reliability, that is why the laser amplifier has been connected to the frame of the device by means of a Peltier-unit.
Operating of the device mentioned above is first of all opposite in relation to the light generating apparatus described in the beginning in such respect, that the optical fiber is being used as a light source to lead light to the light diode. In addition to that the laser being used particularly in this connection requires cooling as described above, which has been carried out by fixed constructions by exploiting thermal conductivity so that the intermediate frame supporting the laser unit is connected to the casing of the device by means of a Peltier-element. With the type of solution above it is not possible to achieve an adequate cooling efficiency in the purpose described in the beginning, that would be directed exactly enough particularly to the end of the optical fiber, which is just the most critical point under optical fiber lighting use because of the high temperatures being directed to the same.
The method according to the invention is aimed to achieve decisive improvement in the problems described above and thus to raise essentially the prior art. To achieve this aim the method according to the invention is primarily characterized by, that particularly for cooling of the input end for light of the optical fiber the same is being cooled by convectivity so, that an air flow being cooled by means of a cooling device preferably based on Peltier-phenomenon is being directed towards the same.
As the most important advantages of the method according to the invention may be mentioned simplicity of construction and use of the same, reliability and efficiency, that are crucial requirements for a light generating apparatus, that is both technically advantageous and economically competitive as well. The method according to the invention enables first of all significantly higher lamp luminosities than the present ones, because the cooling air flow thanks to convectivity and particularly when e.g. Peltier-phenomenon is being exploited may be aimed very accurately to the critical point with adequately simple and advantageous arrangements in practice. In this case in connection with the apparatus there has been arranged a cooling space operating by Peltier-unit, that is arranged to the same e.g. removably or that is arranged integrally to the same, whereby the cooling air flow being achieved therein is being directed directly to the input end for light of the optical fiber by exploiting suitable guiding assemblies and therefrom furthermore from an opening existing in the wall separating the actual lamp space via an other space of the apparatus or in other words via the lamp space and the space including e.g. electronics controlling the above out from the apparatus through an exhaust blower existing at the other end of the apparatus. With the arrangement in question it is thus possible to achieve a very efficient convective cooling, thanks to which in the purpose above it is possible to reach optimal luminosities in supplying of light because in this connection it is not requested to limit luminosities particularly because of excessive warming up of the end of the optical fiber, but instead all possible lighting effect may be taken advantage of. A concrete advantage of convective cooling, that may be noticed furthermore is the fact, that under tests in practice lamp luminosities have increased manyfold when compared to optical fiber lighting devices, that are carried out by traditional ventilation.
In the dependent claims related to the method according to the invention advantageous embodiments of the method have been presented.
The invention relates to a light generating apparatus exploiting the method as well, that has been described in more detail in the characterizing part of the independent claim directed to the same. The primarily characterized features of the light generating apparatus are presented in the characterizing part of the corresponding claim.
As the most important advantages of the light generating apparatus according to the invention may be mentioned simplicity, reliability and the efficiency of the same, in which case also the construction of the same is very simple particularly thanks to a cooling device operating advantageously by e.g. Peltier-phenomenon. The apparatus consists advantageously of a cooling space and an actual lamp space, that are separated from each other by means of intermediate wall, whereby the cold side of the Peltier-unit is connected to the internal walls limiting the cooling space in a way, that an air flow coming from outside of the apparatus to the cooling space gets cooled when passing by the intermediate walls and is directed furthermore e.g. by suitable guiding assemblies directly towards the input end for light of the optical fiber. As an advantageous embodiment the light generating apparatus has furthermore advantageously at least one exhaust blower, that has been placed e.g. at the opposite end of the apparatus in relation to the cooling device in a way, that the cooling air flow passes through the light opening existing in the wall of the cooling space out from the apparatus as a flow-through via the actual lamp space and the electronics space being placed beside the same and advantageously separated from the same by means of an intermediate wall. In connection with the apparatus of the type in question it is furthermore possible to take advantage of e.g. a step motor operated filtering assembly, that is arranged to the same removably or in an integrated manner to change the wave lenght of light to be supplied into the optical fiber to achieve lighting with different colours, or other similar auxiliary equipments. As an advantageous embodiment the warm side of the Peltier-unit is coupled furthermor
Hatjasalo Leo
Johansson Reijo
Oy MTG-Meltron Ltd.
Pollock, Vande Sande & Amernick RLLP
Ullah Akm E.
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