Automatic apparatus for cleaving optical fiber waveguides
US7090414B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 23, 2004 |
| Grant date | Aug 15, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 17, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B6/25
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus and method for cleaving an optical fiber waveguide comprises a support base, a fixed fiber support including a fixed fiber base and a self-aligning fiber holder, a fiber pull tension assembly including a tension assembly base and a rotatable pull clamp, a tension spring, and a scribing knife assembly. The self-aligning fiber holder and the pull clamp support the fiber in an adjustable tension applied by the tension spring. The knife assembly comprises a blade carriage reciprocally driven on a linear slide by a motor drive assembly through a crank and a crank actuator. On the blade carriage is mounted a scribing blade borne on a blade arm that is upwardly biased. A guide pin on the blade arm engages a generally parallelogram-shaped guide track in the fixed fiber base. The guide track has an upper track and a lower track. During forward motion of the blade carriage, the guide pin travels in the lower track, thereby depressing the blade arm. Throughout the rearward motion of the carriage, the blade arm remains in an upper position, wherein the scribing blade engages the fiber with a scribing force and scribes it. Preferably the scribing force is adjustable. The carriage f…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.