Method of providing a 1xN fiber optic coupler
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsWilliam J. Miller, Daniel A. Nolan, Gregory E. Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fiber optic coupler is formed by assembling a coupler preform having two concentric glass tubes having a gap between them. The shape and/or size of the inner tube relative to the shape and/or size of the outer tube is such that a plurality of output optical fibers can be equally spaced in the gap. An input optical fiber is disposed in an aperture in the inner tube. The input and output fibers extend through the midregion of the resultant coupler preform. The midregion is heated to collapse it about the fibers, and the central portion of the midregion is stretched to reduce the diameter over a predetermined length.
Claims16
A method of making a fiber optic coupler comprising the steps of
- assembling a coupler preform having inner and outer concentric glass tubes having a gap therebetween said coupler preform having a midregion, a first optical fiber disposed in the aperture in said inner tube, a plurality of optical fibers disposed within said gap and equally spaced about the axis of said inner tube, said first fiber and said plurality of fibers extending through the midregion of the resultant coupler preform,
- collapsing the concentric glass tubes of said coupler preform at said midregion onto said fibers, and
- stretching the central portion of said midregion to reduce the diameter thereof wherein said collapsing and said stretching position said optical fibers to provide coupling of optical transmissions in said first fiber with said plurality of fibers.
A method of making a fiber optic coupler comprising the steps of
- providing an inner glass tube having first and second ends and an axially disposed aperture,
- inserting a portion of a first optical fiber into said axially disposed aperture, the remainder of said first fiber extending from said first end of said inner tube,
- providing an outer glass tube having an aperture,
- inserting said inner tube into the aperture of said outer tube, a gap existing between said inner and outer tubes,
- inserting the ends of a plurality of optical fibers into said gap, the device so formed constituting a coupler preform, said coupler preform having a midregion, said first fiber and said plurality of fibers extending through the midregion of said coupler preform,
- collapsing said glass tubes of said coupler preform at said midregion onto said fibers, and
- stretching the central portion of said midregion to reduce the diameter thereof wherein said collapsing and said stretching position said optical fibers to provide coupling of optical transmissions in said first fiber with said plurality of fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.