Patent · US Expired

Optical fiber coupler and method for preparing same

US5404415A · kind A · utility

115Cited by
4References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 25, 1994
Grant dateApr 4, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 25, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/2835
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In an optical fiber coupler comprising a plurality of optical fibers bundled together and a light-coupling portion which is formed by partially fusing and drawing these bundled fibers and which permits branching of light rays incident upon one of these fibers into the other fibers at a predetermined branching ratio, the optical fiber coupler has a difference between the branching ratio thereof determined immediately after the fusing and drawing operation and that determined after accommodating the coupler in a protective case and then adhering it to the case, equal to or less than 5%. Such an optical fiber coupler can be produced by bundling a plurality of optical fibers 1 and 2, fusing and drawing a part of the bundled optical fibers with heating, fixing the relative positions of these optical fibers 1 and 2 immediately after the fusing and drawing operation and then accommodating in and fixing to a protective case. If the foregoing difference in the branching ratio is not more than 5%, the difference between the branching ratios determined after the fusing and drawing operation and determined after the coupler is subjected to a thermal shock test is reduced to a level of not more…

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