Optical fiber having hermetically sealable section
AssigneeUniphase Telecommunications Products, Inc.
InventorsPaul E. Dunn, Geary R. Carrier, Anthony C. Boncore, Jr.
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Abstract
An optical fiber having a core, a cladding layer, a buffer layer, and a midsection for forming a hermetic seal to the fiber. First and second sections of a length of the optical fiber are separated by the midsection that includes a jacket hermetically sealed to the fiber, the jacket having a hermetically sealable outer surface. First and second stress relief joints are formed between the jacket and the buffer layers of the first and second sections of the length of the fiber. A method is disclosed for fabricating the optical fiber having a hermetically sealable section.
Claims24
An optical fiber article having a core and cladding layer disposed about the core, the article comprising
- a first optical fiber length having a first buffer layer disposed about said cladding layer, said first buffer layer terminating in a first buffer layer endwall;
- a second optical fiber length having a second buffer layer disposed about said cladding, said second buffer layer terminating in a second buffer layer endwall;
- a fiber midsection length having a metallic layer disposed about said cladding layer;
- a jacket having inner and outer hermetically sealable surfaces, said jacket disposed about said fiber midsection length so as to overlap said first and second buffer layers;
- a hermetic sealing joint formed between said inner surface of said jacket and said metallic layer;
- and
- first and second stress relief joints formed between said jacket and said first and second buffer layers.
An hermetic package for providing an hermetic environment internal to the package and for providing optical communication between the internal environment of the package and an environment external to the package, comprising
- a housing for hermetically enclosing the internal environment of the package, the housing including at least one metallic wall having a passage therethrough bounded by passage walls;
- an optical fiber having a core and cladding layer disposed about the core, the optical fiber having a first length external to the package and including a first buffer layer length disposed about said cladding along said first length, a midsection passing through said passage and hermetically sealed to said passage walls, and a second length internal to said housing and including a second buffer layer disposed about said cladding layer along said second length.
A method of providing a length of optical fiber having a hermetically-sealable midsection, comprising the steps of:
- providing a length of optical fiber having a core, a cladding layer disposed about the core and a buffer layer disposed about the cladding layer;
- forming a gap in the buffer layer to expose a length of said cladding layer having a continuous outer surface, bounded by first and second buffer layer end walls of first and second buffer layer sections of said fiber;
- adhering a layer of metal to at least a portion of said outer surface;
- disposing a jacket about said gap, said jacket having first and second ends overlapping said first and section buffer layer sections, the jacket having an outer surface and a bore therethrough bounded by an inner surface, said inner and outer surfaces including at least portion suitable for forming hermetic seals;
- forming a hermetic sealing joint between said inner surface of said jacket and said layer of metal;
- and
- forming first and second stress-relief joints between the jacket and said first and second buffer layer sections.
An optical fiber article comprising a core, a cladding layer disposed about said core, and a buffer layer disposed about said cladding layer, said fiber including a fiber midsection relieved of said buffer layer and including a metallic layer disposed on said cladding layer;
- a jacket having an inner surface forming a hermetic seal with said metallic layer, an outer hermetically sealable surface, and first and second jacket end portions overlapping said buffer layer;
- and
- first and second stress relief joints formed, respectively, between said first and second jacket end portions and said buffer layer.
A method of providing a package for housing an optical device for communicating an optical signal via an optical fiber passing through and hermetically sealed to a wall of the package, comprising the steps of:
- providing a length of optical fiber having a core, a cladding layer disposed about the core and a buffer layer disposed about the cladding layer;
- forming a gap in the buffer layer to expose a length of said cladding layer having a continuous outer surface, bounded by first and second buffer layer end walls of first and second buffer layer sections of said fiber;
- adhering a layer of metal to at least a portion of said outer surface;
- disposing a jacket about said gap, said jacket having first and second ends overlapping said first and section buffer layer sections, the jacket having an outer surface and a bore therethrough bounded by an inner surface, said inner and outer surfaces including at least portion suitable for forming hermetic seals;
- forming a hermetic sealing joint between said inner surface of said jacket and said layer of metal;
- and
- forming first and second stress-relief joints between the jacket and said first and second buffer layer sections;
- forming an aperture passing through the wall of the package;
- and
- forming a second hermetic sealing joint between the jacket and the package.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.