Patent EP0296756A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0170511A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0170511A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical fibre splicing
Assignee: Balfour Beatty PLC
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Filing: 1985-07-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-07-29
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for injecting light into the core of a buffer coated optical fibre, especially a buffer coated single mode optical fibre, suitable for use when monitoring fusion splicing of optical fibres comprises a body 1 of perspex having at least three faces, an arcuate contact face 2 adapted to bear against a smoothly curved length of buffer coated optical fibre F, an entry face 3 through which light emitted by a light source S is injected into the body in a direction towards the contact face, and a reflecting face 4 which reflects injected light in a direction towards the contact face. Light injected through the entry face 3 is directed and reflected towards the smoothly curved contact face 2 from where it will pass through the buffer coating and cladding of an optical fibre F against which the body bears into the core of the optical fibre. The body is inexpensive and operates efficiently with an inexpensive light emitting source.
Inventors
- 👤 Sanjiv Saha
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 03:37
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01M; G01M11/00; G01M11/30; G01M11/35; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/36; G02B6/38; G02B6/3801; G02B6/3803; G02B6/42; G02B6/4201; G02B6/4256; G02B6/4257; G02B6/4259; G02B6/4286; G02B6/4287; G02B6/4289; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S359/00; Y10S359/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
186 words
Apparatus for injecting light through a buffer coated optical fibre into the core thereof, characterised in that the apparatus comprises a body (1) which is made of a substantially rigid transparent material and which has at least three faces, a first or contact face (2) which is of substantially arcuate shape and which is adapted to bear against a smoothly curved length of buffer coated optical fibre (F), a second or entry face (3) through which light emitted by a light source (S) can be injected into the body in a direction towards said contact face and a third or reflecting face (4) which will reflect injected light in a direction towards said contact face, the inclinations of said faces relative to one another being such that at least a major proportion of light injected through the entry face into the body will be directed or reflected towards a part of the length of said smoothly curved contact face from where it will pass through the buffer coating and cladding of an optical fibre against which said body bears into the core of the optical fibre.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
186 words
Apparatus for injecting light through a buffer coated optical fibre into the core thereof, characterised in that the apparatus comprises a body (1) which is made of a substantially rigid transparent material and which has at least three faces, a first or contact face (2) which is of substantially arcuate shape and which is adapted to bear against a smoothly curved length of buffer coated optical fibre (F), a second or entry face (3) through which light emitted by a light source (S) can be injected into the body in a direction towards said contact face and a third or reflecting face (4) which will reflect injected light in a direction towards said contact face, the inclinations of said faces relative to one another being such that at least a major proportion of light injected through the entry face into the body will be directed or reflected towards a part of the length of said smoothly curved contact face from where it will pass through the buffer coating and cladding of an optical fibre against which said body bears into the core of the optical fibre.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the smoothly curved contact face (2) of the substantially rigid body has a radius of curvature in the range 3.0 to 10.0mm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the smoothly curved contact face (2) is of such an arcuate length that it subtends an angle at its centre of curvature lying within the range 60 to 85°.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the smoothly curved contact face (2) of the substantially rigid body has a radius of curvature of 4.5mm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that the smoothly curved contact face (2) subtends an angle at its centre of curvature in the range 80 to 85°.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
b. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the entry and reflecting faces (3,4) are each of substantially planar form and are contiguous the one with the other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, characterised in that the angle between the entry and reflecting faces (3,4) lies within the range 80 to 90°.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
b. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the substantially rigid body (1) is made of perspex or other substantially rigid transparent plastics material.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
168 words
A method of effecting local injection of light into a buffer coated optical fibre using the apparatus claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the method comprises effecting a smooth curve in a part of the length of an optical fibre (F) and placing the smoothly curved contact face (2) of the substantially rigid body (1) of the apparatus into facial contact with the smoothly curved length of optical fibre so that the optical fibre and the smoothly curved contact face are in interfacial contact throughout the length of the smoothly curved contact face, and injecting light from a light source (S) through the entry face (3) of the substantially rigid body into the body where part of the light is reflected by said reflecting face (4) towards said smoothly curved contact face from where at least a major proportion of the light entering the substantially rigid body passes through the buffer coating and cladding of the optical fibre into the optical fibre core.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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