Process and apparatus for forming optical shuffles

US6868211B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Schott Glas · DE

Inventors

• Marten Walter · Engelstadt, DE
• William Hill · Southbridge, US
• Kai Olbricht · Ginsheim-Gustavsburg, DE
• Markus Schuster · Ann Arbor, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 28, 2003
• Grant date: Mar 15, 2005
• Expiry date: Feb 4, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/448
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A process for automatically forming optical shuffles, which included providing a plurality of spools are provided, which are each formed from at least one fiber. The free ends of the fibers are led up to a winding device and fixed to the latter in such a way that the fibers can be wound onto it in one and the same winding direction and lying approximately parallel to one another. The sections of the fibers coming from the spool are combined with one another in groups to form ribbons. A first length section of each ribbon is unwound from the associated spool and wound onto the winding device (input side of the shuffle). After the length section has been unwound, the spools or fiber-guiding devices connected downstream of the spools are reorganized, so that, in a direction running transversely with respect to the unwinding direction, the outgoing fibers assume different positions relative to one another than before. A second length section of all the fibers is unwound from the spools and wound onto the winding device, the fibers coming from one spool crossing the fibers coming from another spool and a shuffle section thus being formed. Finally, on the output side of the shuffle, a fu…