Optical energy beam transmission path structure
AssigneesMitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Cable Industries, Ltd.
InventorsTakeshi Satake, Tokuji Hayashi, Masayoshi Hachiwaka, Masakatsu Kimura, Koichi Suzuki, Takeji Akutsu, Yoshimasa Tsukamoto, Isao Shirasu
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Abstract
The present invention provides an optical energy beam transmission path structure comprising at least one pair of optical fibers each having a connection end, and at least one fiber connector for connecting the connection ends of the paired fibers substantially coaxially. A small axial air gap is formed between the connection ends of the paired fibers, and an annular clearance is formed immediately around the connection end of the glass body of each fiber.
Claims19
An optical energy beam transmission path structure comprising:
- at least one pair of optical fibers each having a glass body with a connection end;
- and at least one fiber connector for connecting the connection ends of the paired fibers substantially coaxially in directly facing relation;
- the fiber connector including a pair of ferrules in which the paired fibers are respectively held inserted, the paired ferrules respectively having front ends held in contact with each other;
- wherein the front end of each ferrule is formed with a tip opening in which the connection end of a corresponding fiber glass body is located, the connection end of the corresponding fiber glass body being slightly retreated into the tip opening so that a small axial air gap is fomed between the connection ends of the paired fibers when the respective front ends of the paired ferrules are held in contact with each other, the tip opening being diametrically larger than the corresponding fiber glass body to form an annular clearance immediately around the connection end of the corresponding glass body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.