US4765816A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for making optical fiber couplers
Assignee: McDonnell Douglas Corp
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Filing: 1987-10-23
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Granted: 1988-08-23
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Expires: 2007-10-23
Abstract
Abstract There is provided by this disclosure a method and apparatus for making fiber optic couplers that is comprised generally of the steps of stretching a fused optical fiber pair at a predetermined rate to produce first a tapered section, second a constant diameter cylindrical section, and third a final tapered section. The two optical fibers are placed in juxtaposition under a predetermined load, heated to a predetermined temperature until they fuse together to form a single entity having a predetermined width, length and circular cross section. The two moveable platforms apply a predetermined tensile load to the fibers and move the fibers past a heat source in a controlled manner to form the different sections.
Inventors
- 👤 Harvey C. Bjornlie
- 👤 Timothy E. Clark
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 00:41
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/26; G02B6/28; G02B6/2804; G02B6/2821; G02B6/2835; G02B6/255; G02B6/2552
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of making fiber optic couplers, comprising: (a) mounting and aligning two optical fibers in juxtaposition on two movable platforms at a predetermined tension; (b) injecting a light signal input to the optical fibers and connecting output detectors to the optical fibers establishing an optical circuit for monitoring the manufacturing process to establish a predetermined coupling ratio; (c) heating the fibers until they are fused to a predetermined width, length and generally circular cross section; (d) moving the two platforms in the same direction but at different speeds to stretch the optical fibers to form a coupler having a reducing tapered end, expanding tapered end and a constant diameter cylindrical midsection.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of making fiber optic couplers, comprising: (a) mounting and aligning two optical fibers in juxtaposition on two movable platforms at a predetermined tension; (b) injecting a light signal input to the optical fibers and connecting output detectors to the optical fibers establishing an optical circuit for monitoring the manufacturing process to establish a predetermined coupling ratio; (c) heating the fibers until they are fused to a predetermined width, length and generally circular cross section; (d) moving the two platforms in the same direction but at different speeds to stretch the optical fibers to form a coupler having a reducing tapered end, expanding tapered end and a constant diameter cylindrical midsection.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method of making fiber optical couplers is recited in claim 1 wherein the reducing tapered end is formed by controlling speeds S 1 and S 2 of the two movable platforms according to the equation: S.sub.1 /S.sub.2 =1+tan (wt).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method of making fiber optic couplers as recited in claim 2 wherein the constant diameter midsection is formed by controlling the speeds S 1 and S 2 of the two movable platforms to create a reduced diameter d 1 of the fibers from the original diameter d o according to the equation: S.sub.1 /S.sub.2 =D.sub.o.sup.2 /D.sub.1.sup.2.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method of making fiber optic couplers as recited in claim 3 wherein the expanding tapered end is formed by controlling the speeds S 1 and S 2 of the two movable platforms according to the equation S.sub.1 S.sub.2 =D.sub.o.sup.2 /D.sub.1.sup.2 -tan (wt).
Claim 6
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of making an optical fiber having a tapered end, comprising: (a) mounting and aligning an optical fiber on two movable platforms at a predetermined position; (b) injecting a light signal input to the optical fiber and connecting an output detector to the optical fiber for monitoring the taper forming process; (c) Heating the optical fibers until the melting temperature is generally reached; (d) moving the platforms in the same direction but at different speeds to form first a reducing tapered section and second an expanding tapered section; and (e) cleaving the optical fiber between the reducing tapered section and the expanding tapered section to form optical fibers having tapered ends.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of making an optical fiber having a tapered end, comprising: (a) mounting and aligning an optical fiber on two movable platforms at a predetermined position; (b) injecting a light signal input to the optical fiber and connecting an output detector to the optical fiber for monitoring the taper forming process; (c) Heating the optical fibers until the melting temperature is generally reached; (d) moving the platforms in the same direction but at different speeds to form first a reducing tapered section and second an expanding tapered section; and (e) cleaving the optical fiber between the reducing tapered section and the expanding tapered section to form optical fibers having tapered ends.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method of making tapers in optical fibers as recited in claim 5 wherein the reducing taper is formed by controlling the speeds S 1 and S 2 of the two movable platforms according to the equation S.sub.1 /S.sub.2 =1+tan (wt).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method of making tapers in optical fibers as recited in claim 5 wherein the expanding tapered is formed by controlling the speeds S 1 and S 2 of the two movable platforms according to the equation: S.sub.1 / S.sub.2 =D.sub.o.sup.2 /D.sub.1.sup.2 -tan (wt).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
143 words
Apparatus for making fiber optic couplers, comprising: (a) mounting means for mounting at least two optical fibers for fusing on two movable platforms; (b) heating means for heating the fibers to a predetermined temperature; (c) programmable control means connected to the movable platforms and the heating means for controlling the heating means and the movable platforms for fusing and stretching the fibers to predetermined dimensions; (d) measuring means and temperature monitoring means in close proximity to the optical fibers for measuring temperature and dimensions of the optical fibers in the region of heating and stretching; and (e) optical circuit means for inputting a light signal to the optical fibers and detecting the output of the fibers connected to the programmable control means to establish a predetermined coupling ratio of the optical fibers during the fusing and stretching of the fibers to predetermined dimensions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
143 words
Apparatus for making fiber optic couplers, comprising: (a) mounting means for mounting at least two optical fibers for fusing on two movable platforms; (b) heating means for heating the fibers to a predetermined temperature; (c) programmable control means connected to the movable platforms and the heating means for controlling the heating means and the movable platforms for fusing and stretching the fibers to predetermined dimensions; (d) measuring means and temperature monitoring means in close proximity to the optical fibers for measuring temperature and dimensions of the optical fibers in the region of heating and stretching; and (e) optical circuit means for inputting a light signal to the optical fibers and detecting the output of the fibers connected to the programmable control means to establish a predetermined coupling ratio of the optical fibers during the fusing and stretching of the fibers to predetermined dimensions.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-08-23 | 1992-02-22 | 1992-08-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-08-23 | 1996-02-22 | 1996-08-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-08-23 | 2000-02-22 | 2000-08-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |