Rotary-joint device providing for an optical waveguide transmission
AssigneeThomson-CSF
InventorsRobert Pressiat, Guy de Corlieu, Marcel Malard, Luigi d'Auria
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The rotary-joint device has the design function of maintaining accurate positioning of the ends of optical fiber conductors during relative rotation of external bodies to which the joint is coupled. The device comprises a male ferrule and a female ferrule so arranged as to form a shaft rotatably mounted within a sleeve with a close but compliant fit, an abutment device for limiting the axial displacement of the sleeve, means for centering the ends of the conductors, and means for securing said ferrules to external connector bodies so as to form a rigid coupling and a semi-rigid coupling respectively.
Claims7
A rotary-joint device providing for an optical waveguide transmission between two bodies which are relatively rotatable about a common axis of rotation comprising:
- a male ferrule with a cylindrical portion and a female ferrule with an internally bored cylindrical portion having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the cylindrical portion of the male ferrule to form a shaft rotatably mounted within a sleeve with a close but compliant fit therebetween permitting rotational displacement and relative axial displacement.
- one end of optical waveguide conductors placed along an axis of the ferrules to ensure that corresponding end faces of the optical waveguide conductors are disposed in opposed parallel relation centered on the axis,
- an abutment device for limiting displacement along the axis of the sleeve and controlled by the ferrules utilized,
- means for mechanically coupling the ferrules respectively to said bodies so as to permit rotational motion of said ferrules about said axis,
- a rigid assembly for the coupling means coupling one of the ferrules to one of the external bodies,
- a semi-rigid assembly for coupling the other ferrule to the other body,
- resilient means for the abutment device for extending a pressure on the sleeve and bringing the sleeve to an abutment position corresponding to a minimum value of interface between the optical waveguide conductors, and
- means for lubricating contacting surfaces during rotation and entailing use of a liquid having a refractive index adapted to optical coupling within the interface and sealing elements,
- whereby the rotary joint is isolated from variations in relative positioning of the two bodies as a result of mechanical play, centering and optical coupling is maintained for the optical waveguide conductors notwithstanding any axial displacements and defects in misalignment and off-center displacement arising during rotation between the ferrules.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.