Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for making optical fiber couplers

US4765816A · kind A · utility

17Cited by
7References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 23, 1987
Grant dateAug 23, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 23, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/2552
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

There is provided by this disclosure a method and apparatus for making fiber optic couplers that is comprised generally of the steps of stretching a fused optical fiber pair at a predetermined rate to produce first a tapered section, second a constant diameter cylindrical section, and third a final tapered section. The two optical fibers are placed in juxtaposition under a predetermined load, heated to a predetermined temperature until they fuse together to form a single entity having a predetermined width, length and circular cross section. The two moveable platforms apply a predetermined tensile load to the fibers and move the fibers past a heat source in a controlled manner to form the different sections.

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