Optical circuit having legs in a stacked configuration and an associated fabrication method

An optical circuit comprising:

• a main body comprising:
• a flexible substrate;
• and
• a plurality of optical fibers mounted upon said substrate, said optical fibers arranged in a plurality of groups proximate an edge of said substrate with each group including at least one optical fiber;
• and
• a plurality of legs extending outwardly from said main body in a stacked configuration in which at least one leg overlies another leg, each leg comprising said optical fibers of a respective group and a matrix material for binding said optical fibers of the respective group together, said matrix material of at least one leg comprising a coating such that the respective leg is independent of the flexible substrate.

An optical circuit comprising:

• a main body comprising:
• a flexible substrate;
• and
• a plurality of optical fibers mounted upon said substrate and arranged in a plurality of groups proximate an edge of said substrate with each group including at least one optical fiber;
• and
• a plurality of legs including first, second and third legs extending outwardly from said main body, each leg comprising said optical fibers of a respective group and a matrix material for binding said optical fibers of the respective group together, said legs disposed in a stacked configuration with said first and second legs transitioning so as to overlie said third leg at different locations along a length of said third leg.

A method of fabricating an optical circuit comprising:

• providing a main body comprising a flexible substrate and a plurality of groups of optical fibers proximate an edge of and adhered to the flexible substrate, each group including at least one optical fiber;
• positioning a first group of optical fibers so as to overlie a second group of optical fibers;
• and
• coating the first group of optical fibers with a matrix material once the first group of optical fibers is positioned to overlie the second group of optical fibers.