Fiber optic terminator apparatus and method
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJames K. Guy, Donald J. Berg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fiber optic terminator apparatus for terminating unused optical fibers or optical fiber bundles. The apparatus forms a heat sink having two half portions, with each half portion including an involute-shaped cavity. The involute-shaped cavities are further formed as a mirror image pair. The heat sink also includes a bore for receiving an output end of an optical fiber or optical fiber bundle. Optical energy transmitted from the output end is reflected repeatedly between the two mirror image involute-shaped cavities to thus prevent the optical energy from being reflected back into the output end of the optical fiber or optical fiber bundle.
Claims18
A termination apparatus for terminating unused optical fibers to prevent reflection of optical energy transmitted through said optical fibers upstream back into said optical fibers, said apparatus comprising:
- a heat sink having an opening for communicating with an output end of an optical fiber;
- and
- said heat sink including an involute shaped cavity formed within said heat sink for reflecting optical energy away from said output end of said optical fiber.
A termination apparatus for terminating unused optical fibers to prevent reflection of optical energy transmitted through said optical fibers upstream back into said optical fibers, said apparatus comprising:
- a heat sink having an opening for communicating with an output end of an optical fiber;
- said heat sink including an involute shaped cavity disposed within said heat sink for reflecting optical energy away from said output end of said optical fiber;
- and
- wherein said involute includes an antireflective coating for absorbing said optical energy.
A termination apparatus for terminating unused optical fibers to prevent reflection of optical energy transmitted through said optical fibers upstream back into said optical fibers, said apparatus comprising:
- a heat sink having an opening for communicating with an output end of an optical fiber;
- and
- said heat sink including a hollow internal portion comprising a pair of involute shaped cavities arranged as a mirror image pair, with a central longitudinal axis of said mirror image pair being aligned with a coaxial center of said optical fiber, said involute shaped cavities operating to reflect optical energy received from said output end of said optical fiber away from said output end of said optical fiber to prevent said optical energy exiting said output end from being reflected back into said output end.
A method for terminating an unused optical fiber to prevent reflection of optical energy exiting from an output end of said optical fiber back into said output end, said method comprising:
- placing said output end in communication with an opening in a heat sink, wherein said opening is in communication with an involute shaped cavity formed within said heat sink;
- and
- using said involute shaped cavity to reflect said optical energy exiting from said output end of said optical fiber away from said output end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.