Patent · US Expired

Branching device

US4285571A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
4References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 20, 1979
Grant dateAug 25, 1981
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 20, 1999

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/2817
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A branching device for optical waveguides by which a component of light is coupled out of the main light path which is formed by a first and second waveguide into a subsidiary third waveguide comprises a simplified construction which reduces material costs as well as assembly costs. For this purpose, the invention provides that between two coaxially aligned optical waveguides there is arranged only one beam divider reflector which is in the form of a coating or layer and that in the region of the group of light beams which is emitted from the end surface of one of the waveguides and is reflected by the beam divider reflector there is a gradient lens which focuses the end surface of the one waveguide onto the end surface of a third waveguide.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.