Patent · US Expired

Optical fiber bundle having an aligned optical fiber array and method of fabricating the same

US6243520A · kind A · utility

26Cited by
11References
42Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 16, 1999
Grant dateJun 5, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 16, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/3672
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical fiber bundle having an aligned fiber array includes a plurality of optical fibers each of which has first and second ends and an axial fiber center. The optical fiber bundle has a first common end proximate to which the optical fibers are secured in place by a first array fixture such that a fiber segment adjacent the first end of each optical fiber protrudes from the first array fixture. Each fiber segment of a selected plurality of fiber segments belongs to at least one microspacer neighborhood that includes at least two fiber segments secured in contacting engagement with a precision microspacer installed between the at least two fiber segments such that the axial fiber centers at the first ends of the at least two fiber segments are maintained in predetermined array positions with respect to one another.

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