Signal coupler for buffered optical fibers

Claim 2

A signal coupler for a buffered optical fiber which comprises: a terminator body having a keyway slot therein; a soft, transparent, polymeric rod of cross-section at least as great as a buffered fiber, the rod being disposed in the keyway slot; rigid backing means disposed adjacent the polymeric rod in the keyway slot; a rigid key having regularly spaced protrusions on a surface thereof inserted into the keyway slot in a vicinity of the rod to press the buffered fiber against the rod; and compression means for urging that surface of the key having the protrusions against the buffered fiber to force it into contact with the polymeric rod and induce optical coupling between the fiber and the rod.

Claim 3

The signal coupler of claim 1 which further comprises an optical detector adjacent one end of the rod to detect a signal coupled into the rod from the fiber.

Claim 4

The signal coupler of claim 1 which further comprises a light source adjacent one end of the rod to inject a signal into the rod for coupling into the fiber.

Claim 5

The signal coupler of claim 1 wherein the compression means additionally comprises means for varying the force exerted on the fiber.

Claim 6

The signal coupler of claim 1 wherein the backing means is of U-shaped cross-section and the rod lies at the bottom of the U.

Claim 7

The signal coupler of claim 5 wherein the backing means is polymeric and of a lower refractive index than the rod.

Claim 8

The signal coupler of claim 1 wherein the rod has a hardness of between 30 and 90 Shore A.

Claim 9

The signal coupler of claim 1 wherein the rod comprises a silicone.

Claim 10

The signal coupler of claim 1 wherein the backing means comprises a fluoropolymer.

Claim 11

The signal coupler of claim 1 which has a buffered optical fiber inserted therein.

Claim 12

A terminator for an optical fiber cable comprising a buffered optical fiber, which comprises: (i) a signal coupler for a buffered optical fiber which comprises: a terminator body having a keyway slot therein; a soft, transparent, polymeric rod of cross-section at least as great as the buffered fiber, the rod being disposed in the keyway slot; rigid backing means disposed in the keyway slot; a rigid key having regularly spaced protrusions on a surface thereof inserted into the keyway slot in a vicinity of the rod to press the buffered fiber against the rod; and compression means for urging that surface of the key having the protrusions against the buffered fiber to force it into contact with the polymeric rod and induce optical coupling between the fiber and the rod; and (ii) means for terminating the cable in such a way that the buffered optical fiber enters the signal coupler.

Claim 13

A terminator for an optical fiber cable comprising a buffered optical fiber, which comprises: (i) a signal coupler for a buffered optical fiber which comprises: a terminator body having a keyway slot therein; a soft, transparent, polymeric rod of cross-section at least as great as the buffered fiber, the rod being disposed in the keyway slot; rigid backing means disposed in the keyway slot; a rigid key having regularly spaced protrusions on a surface thereof inserted into the keyway slot in a vicinity of the rod to press the buffered fiber against the rod; and compression means for urging that surface of the key having the protrusions against the buffered fiber to force it into contact with the polymeric rod and induce optical coupling between the fiber and the rod; and (ii) means for terminating the cable in such a way that the buffered optical fiber enters the signal coupler.

Claim 14

A tap for a buffered optical fiber, the tap having an open position in which it does not operate on the fiber and a closed position in which it does operate on the fiber, comprising: (i) a signal coupler for a buffered optical fiber which comprises: a terminator body having a keyway slot therein; a soft, transparent, polymeric rod of cross-section at least as great as the buffered fiber, the rod being disposed in the keyway slot; rigid backing means disposed in the keyway slot; a rigid key having regularly spaced protrusions on a surface thereof inserted into the keyway slot in a vicinity of the rod to press the buffered fiber against the rod; and compression means for urging that surface of the key having the protrusions against the fiber to force it into contact with the polymeric rod and induce optical coupling between the fiber and the rod; the coupler having an open position in which the compression means does not urge the key against the fiber and a closed position in which the compression means does urge the key against the fiber to induce optical coupling between the fiber and the rod; (ii) detection means adjacent an end of the rod for detecting an optical signal which is coupled into the rod when the coupler is closed; (iii) bending means through which the fiber passes; and (iv) injecting means for injecting an optical signal into the bent position of the fiber when it is maintained in a bent configuration by the bending means.

Claim 15

A tap for a buffered optical fiber, the tap having an open position in which it does not operate on the fiber and a closed position in which it does operate on the fiber, comprising: (i) a signal coupler for a buffered optical fiber which comprises: a terminator body having a keyway slot therein; a soft, transparent, polymeric rod of cross-section at least as great as the buffered fiber, the rod being disposed in the keyway slot; rigid backing means disposed in the keyway slot; a rigid key having regularly spaced protrusions on a surface thereof inserted into the keyway slot in a vicinity of the rod to press the buffered fiber against the rod; and compression means for urging that surface of the key having the protrusions against the fiber to force it into contact with the polymeric rod and induce optical coupling between the fiber and the rod; the coupler having an open position in which the compression means does not urge the key against the fiber and a closed position in which the compression means does urge the key against the fiber to induce optical coupling between the fiber and the rod; (ii) detection means adjacent an end of the rod for detecting an optical signal which is coupled into the rod when the coupler is closed; (iii) bending means through which the fiber passes; and (iv) injecting means for injecting an optical signal into the bent position of the fiber when it is maintained in a bent configuration by the bending means.

Claim 16

The tap of claim 12 in which the bending means and injecting means are movable relative to one another between an open position in which the fiber is not sharply bent and a closed position in which the fiber is relatively sharply bent to enable the injecting means to inject an optical signal into the fiber.

Claim 17

The tap of claim 13 which further comprises a coupling means which, when the bending means and injecting means are in the closed position, will (a) conform to the surface of the fiber, (b) lie in the path of an optical signal from the injecting means, and (c) increase the proportion of an optical signal from the injecting means which is coupled into the fiber.

Claim 18

The tap of claim 14 wherein the coupling means comprises a resiliently deformable material.

Claim 19

The tap of claim 13 wherein the bend radius of a fiber when the bending means and injecting means are in the closed position is 1.5 to 15 mm.

Claim 20

The signal coupler of claim 1 wherein the spacing between the protrusions of the key surface is 0.5 to 5 mm.

Claim 21

The signal coupler of claim 17 wherein the spacing between the protrusions is 1.0 to 2.5 mm.