Optical fiber coupler-distributer, and method of manufacture

Claim 1

An optical fiber coupler-distributer of the type comprising: firstly a first pair of optical fibers each having a polished and chamfered side at one end, said ends being positioned adjacent to each other in such a manner as to define a common end face of substantially the same cross section as that of a single fiber; and secondly another fiber, or another pair of fibers similarly disposed to define a second common end face, disposed in end-to-end optical co-operation with the said first pair by means suitable for fixing the fibers in said disposition, the coupler-distributer further including the improvement whereby the means for fixing the fibers in said disposition comprise a rigid plate together with retaining means for keeping the fibers pressed against the rigid plate.

Claim 9

A method of manufacturing an optical-fiber coupler-distributer comprising: (a) preparing at least two lengths of optical fiber by polishing chamfers in their sides and by cleaving them in their chamfered zones to obtain plane end faces perpendicular to the axes of the fibers and having shiny mirror type surfaces; (b) positioning two lengths of chamfered fiber side-by-side so that their chamfered sides are in contact and so that their end faces combine to constitute a common light-transmitting end face having a shiny mirror type surface of substantially the same cross section as a single fiber; and (c) fixing the pair of fibers thus prepared in an end-to-end disposition with another optical fiber or with another pair of similarly prepared optical fibers in such a manner as to put the respective end faces into optical co-operation with each other; the method including the improvement wherein: step (b) consists in inserting the chamfered ends of the fibers side-by-side in a groove in a surface of a support and filled with a transparent index-matching liquid medium, the support, at least in the vicinity of said surface, being made of a material which is soft relative to the fibers and which is elastically deformable, the said surface of the supprot being held in contact with a lapped transparent rigid plate and the relative positions of the chamfered fibers being adjusted to obtain the said common end face; and step (c) comprises inserting another fiber or another pair of fibers into the groove via its other end until contact is made with the end face of the first pair of fibers, and holding the set of fibers in this position.

Claim 10

A method of manufacturing an optical-fiber coupler-distributer comprising: (a) preparing at least two lengths of optical fiber by polishing chamfers in their sides and by cleaving them in their chamfered zones to obtain plane end faces perpendicular to the axes of the fibers and having shiny mirror type surfaces; (b) positioning two lengths of chamfered fiber side-by-side so that their chamfered sides are in contact and so that their end faces combine to constitute a common light-transmitting end face having a shiny mirror type surface of substantially the same cross section as a single fiber; and (c) fixing the pair of fibers thus prepared in an end-to-end disposition with another optical fiber or with another pair of similarly prepared optical fibers in such a manner as to put the respective end faces into optical co-operation with each other; the method including the improvement wherein: step (b) consists in inserting the chamfered ends of the fibers side-by-side in a groove in a surface of a support and filled with a transparent index-matching liquid medium, the support, at least in the vicinity of said surface, being made of a material which is soft relative to the fibers and which is elastically deformable, the said surface of the supprot being held in contact with a lapped transparent rigid plate and the relative positions of the chamfered fibers being adjusted to obtain the said common end face; and step (c) comprises inserting another fiber or another pair of fibers into the groove via its other end until contact is made with the end face of the first pair of fibers, and holding the set of fibers in this position.