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US 5,204,927 AGranted
Method and apparatus for making a fiber optical coupler
AssigneePolaroid Corporation
InventorsAland K. Chin, Jeffrey E. Bisberg
Life of this patent
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AssigneePolaroid Corporation
InventorsAland K. Chin, Jeffrey E. Bisberg
Estimating the term…
In one embodiment, a process for manufacturing an optical fiber coupler of the invention utilizes a rotating drum that has a sloted portion or stacking slot for receiving multiple lengths of fiber in a stack. A support for the input ends of the fibers is in the form of a block which is secured to the surface of the drum in spaced relation with the slot. The block has a plurality of shallow, parallel spaced apart grooves in parallel alignment with the stacking slot. An end of the fiber is initially threaded preferably into the stacking slot and then sequentially located alternately in vacant grooves in the support. As the drum is rotated, a positioner operates to move the fiber transversely in the direction parallel to the drum axis so as to align the fiber in each respective one of the grooves and the slot for each rotation of the drum. The process continues until all the grooves are all occupied and the stacking slot is filled with a corresponding number of fiber lengths. The stacked output ends of the fibers are secured together by an appropriate adhesive and the input ends of the fibers are likewise secured in the grooves of the block by an appropriate adhesive. The fibers are severed at the input and output ends to allow for removal of one or more devices from the drum. The invention also includes the apparatus for performing the process and the resulting optical fiber coupler.
A method for stacking and laterally positioning corresponding portions of lengths of optical fibers in an array in which a first end of each fiber is stacked in a first direction in a circumferential slot of a drum and a second end of each fiber is located laterally adjacent each other in a second direction transverse of the first direction, said second end being secured in a body having adjacent grooves therein for receiving a corresponding fiber end comprising the steps of:
A method for manufacturing a fiber optic coupler formed of a plurality of fibers stacked in an adjacent array in a first direction in a circumferential slot of a drum at one end of the coupler and secured in spaced apart relation side-by-side in a second direction at an opposite end of the coupler in a grooved support comprising the steps of:
Apparatus for manufacturing a fiber optic coupler formed of a plurality of optical fibers joined at one end in a stack and secured at an opposite end to a grooved support in side-by-side relationship in a direction transverse to the stacking direction comprising:
A method for stacking and laterally positioning corresponding portions of lengths of optical fibers in an array in which a first end of each fiber is stacked in a first direction in a circumferential slot of a drum and a second end of each fiber is located laterally adjacent each other in a second direction transverse of the first direction, said second end being secured in a body having means for receiving corresponding fiber ends side by side comprising the steps of:
A method for manufacturing a fiber optic coupler formed of a plurality of fibers stacked in an adjacent array in a first direction at one end of the coupler and secured in side-by-side in a second direction at an opposite end of the coupler in a support comprising the steps of:
Apparatus for manufacturing a fiber optic coupler formed of a plurality of optical fibers joined at one end in a stack and secured at an opposite end to a support in side-by-side relationship in a direction transverse to the stacking direction comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.