Patent · US Expired

Optical fiber tapping coupler

US5235657A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
17References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 14, 1992
Grant dateAug 10, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 14, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/4289
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical tapping coupler for a cable including at least one optical conductor (1) constituted by a step-index glass fiber which is covered by a plastic covering. First means (3 & 4, 5 & 6, 7, 8, 12) enable a determined position and a determined curvature to be given to a portion of each optical conductor of the cable, with each optical conductor being dissociated from the rest of the cable at the tapping location. Second means (21, 22) enable one end of each auxiliary optical conductor (30) to be mechanically brought against a respective cable optical conductor, with a small angle of incidence, in the region in which the cable conductor presents the determined curvature. Optical-index-matching third means are provided between the end of each auxiliary optical conductor and the cable optical conductor against which the end is positioned. The invention is used in particular for multi-station local network buses.

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