Method of making fiber coupler having integral precision connection wells
US4915467A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 12, 1988 |
| Grant date | Apr 10, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 12, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC03B37/01211
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An optical fiber coupler is formed by providing a glass tube having a longitudinal aperture. Two contiguous carbon tubes are disposed within the longitudinal aperture which is thereafter collapsed thereon. A glass capillary tube is formed by removing the carbon tubes. The tube can be stretched, overcoated with additional glass, and again stretched to form a precision capillary tube which is severed into coupler-length tubes. Two optical fibers, which are shorter in length than the aperture of a coupler-length tube, are centered in that aperture. The midregion of the resultant assembly is heated and collapsed about central portions of the fibers. The central region of the resultant coupler preform is heated and drawn to reduce the diameter thereof. The end regions of the aperture, which are not diminished in size by the aforementioned processing, function as receptacles into which optical fibers can be inserted to make connection to the coupler.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.