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US 5,138,676 AGranted
Miniature fiberoptic bend device and method
AssigneeAster Co., Ltd.
InventorsDavid W. Stowe, Paul W. Fitzgerald, Frederick J. Gillham
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AssigneeAster Co., Ltd.
InventorsDavid W. Stowe, Paul W. Fitzgerald, Frederick J. Gillham
Estimating the term…
Bends in optical fibers can be miniaturized by reducing the diameter of a section of the fiber in the region where bending is desired to a condition in which the optical properties of the fiber have reduced bend-loss sensitivity. In one aspect of the invention, radii of curvature less than 100 microns (.mu.) and very low optical power loss are achieved. A fiber with such specially reduced diameter may also be twisted about its longitudinal axis to a greater degree than a comparable length of larger diameter fiber. Any optical fiber can be processed by redrawing and/or chemical means to allow such bending or twisting. Bend or twist tolerant regions thus formed may be packaged separately or built integrally into a wide range of fiber optic components, networks, or systems with significant space savings, added performance features and mechanical flexibility.
A fiber optic path defined by an optical fiber having a solid transparent core and, over the main length of the fiber, a solid transparent outer clad layer, a portion of said clad layer of index of refraction less than that of said core such that said fiber conducts light by internal reflection attributable to the difference in index of refraction between said core and said portion of said solid clad layer, a selected region of the length of said fiber being exposed to an external environment having an index of refraction substantially lower than that of said solid clad layer, said fiber in said selected region being reduced in diameter in a manner to cause said fiber to conduct light by internal reflection attributable at least in part to the difference in index of refraction at the interface between the exterior of said fiber and said external environment whereby light energy can be transmitted through said region with substantially lower bend-loss than that of the main length of said fiber, said fiber in said region being oriented differently from an adjacent portion of the main length of the fiber without substantial light loss attributable to said orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.