Fiber optic terminus grinding and polishing machine
AssigneeHughes Aircraft Company
InventorNorbert L. Moulin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A grinding and polishing machine (11) which includes a grinding section (15), a polishing section (17), a fixture (19) and a fixture bearing assembly (21). Fiber optic termini (169) are retained in the fixture (19) so that distal ends (185) of optical fibers (177) and end faces (181) can be ground by a grinding abrasive (80) and polished by a polishing abrasive (91). The distal ends (185) and the end faces (181) prevent contact between the fixture (19) and the grinding abrasive (80) and the polishing abrasive (91).
Claims14
An apparatus for smoothing ends of fiber optic termini wherein each of the fiber optic termini includes an optical fiber and an end face with a projecting segment of the optical fiber extending beyond the end face and terminating in a distal end, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a supporting structure;
- (b) a first abrasive carrier for carrying a first abrasive;
- (c) means for mounting the first abrasive carrier on the supporting structure for rotation about a first axis;
- (d) a fixture having a wall, said fixture including means for mounting the termini with the termini projecting from the wall of the fixture such that the end faces of the termini are spaced outwardly from the wall and the projecting segments of the optical fibers extend beyond the wall;
- (e) means for mounting the fixture on the supporting structure for
- i. linear movement parallel to said axis toward and away from said abrasive carrier, and
- ii. oscillatory movement relative to said abrasive carrier while adjacent thereto;
- and
- (f) motorized means for moving the fixture, with its wall facing said abrasive carrier, toward said abrasive carrier while oscillating the fixture reletive to said carrier, and stopping said movement before said fixture comes into contact with the abrasive on said carrier whereby the projecting segments can be substantially abrasively removed without abrading said fixture.
An apparatus for successively grinding and polishing the ends of fiber optic termini wherein each of the fiber optic termini includes an optical fiber and an end face, with a projecting segment of the optical fiber extending beyond the end face and terminating in a distal end, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a supporting structure;
- (b) first and second abrasive carriers and an abrasive carried by each;
- (c) means for mounting the first and second abrasive carriers on the supporting structure for rotation about first and second spaced apart parallel axes;
- (d) a fixture having a wall, said fixture including means for mounting the termini with the termini projecting from the wall of the fixture such that the end faces of the termini are spaced outwardly from the wall and the projecting segments of the optical fibers extend beyond the wall;
- (e) means for mounting the fixture on the supporting structure for
- i. linear movement parallel to said axes toward and away from said abrasive carriers,
- ii. pivotally swinging movement between positions adjacent said abrasive carriers, and
- iii. oscillatory movement relative to each of the abrasive carriers while adjacent thereto;
- and
- (f) motorized means for successively oscillating the fixture relative to the respective abrasive carriers while translating the fixture parallel to said axes of rotation at a controlled rate of speed, whereby the projecting segments can be ground and polished at a controlled rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.