Patent · US Expired

Optical waveguide plug connection

US4998797A · kind A · utility

24Cited by
7References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 7, 1990
Grant dateMar 12, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 7, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/3814
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical waveguide plug connection for the transmission of high continuous wave light powers from an incoming optical waveguide into an outgoing optical waveguide comprises a metallic plug housing equipped with a metallic centering element. The incoming optical waveguide and the outgoing optical waveguide project into the centering element, the end faces of the two optical waveguides being arranged opposite each other. The width of the gap is approximately in the range of from 5 to 30 micrometres. The core diameter of the outgoing optical waveguide is approximately one third larger than the core diameter of the incoming optical waveguide. The gap is filled with gas. The plug housing is connected to a housing of large surface area which dissipates heat. Using this plug connection, continuous wave powers of up to some 100's of watts in the case of visible to infrared laser light can be transmitted with a high degree of coupling without danger to the end faces of the coupling connection.

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