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US 5,009,482 AGranted
Method and apparatus for fabricating a pigtailed lens assembly
AssigneeMicrodot Inc.
InventorThomas C. Lincoln
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for fabricating pigtailed lens assemblies employing iterative micropositioning and empirical means to accurately align an optical fiber with an axis of a spherical lens at the focal point thereof, whereupon the fiber is fused to the lens by a laser beam directed through the lens along the alignment axis.
Claims12
An apparatus for joining an optical fiber to a spherical lens comprising
- means for retaining said spherical lens so as to allow a light beam to pass through said lens along a first axis thereof;
- means for directing a low intensity light beam through said lens along said first axis thereof;
- means for micropositioning an end of said optical fiber in contiguity with said lens and colinear with said first axis thereof, whereby said low intensity beam is directed into said optical fiber by said lens;
- means optically coupled with said fiber for detecting the amount of said low intensity beam directed into said fiber by said lens;
- and
- means for directing a high intensity light beam through said lens along said first axis thereof, the intensity of said high intensity beam as focused by said lens being sufficient to fuse said fiber to said lens.
3 more elements
A method for joining an optical fiber to a spherical lens along an optical axis of said lens comprising
- directing a low intensity light beam through said lens along a first axis thereof;
- positioning an end of said optical fiber proximate with said lens and substantially collinear with said first axis whereby a portion of said low intensity beam is directed by said lens into said optical fiber;
- detecting the amount of said low intensity beam directed into said optical fiber;
- micropositioning said optical fiber relative to said lens to maximize the detected amount of said low intensity beam and to place said fiber in contiguity with said lens;
- and
- directing a high intensity light beam along said first axis, said high intensity beam being focused by said lens to fuse said optical fiber to said lens.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.