Bent optical fiber couplers and opto-electrical assemblies formed therefrom

An optical coupler comprising:

• a coupler body having a top surface, bottom surface and a central fiber guide channel formed in the top surface, the central fiber guide channel sized to accommodate a fiber ribbon and having a convex curved surface and input and output ends;
• an optical fiber guide formed integral with the coupler body and arranged at the channel output end of central fiber guide channel and having a plurality of holes open to the bottom surface and defining an input/output (I/O) end;
• a fiber ribbon comprising a plurality of optical fibers with respective end portions and proximal end faces, with the fiber ribbon disposed in the central fiber guide channel so as to have a bend, and to position end portions of the optical fibers within the fiber guide holes so that the fiber end faces are disposed at the coupler I/O end, wherein the optical fibers have an attenuation increase of less than or equal to 5 dB at a wavelength of 1550 nm when subject to one turn around a 10 mm diameter mandrel;
• and
• a clamp having a concave surface that covers the fiber ribbon within the central fiber guide channel and that serves to secure the fiber ribbon therein.

A method of producing an optical coupler, comprising:

• providing an optical fiber with an end portion;
• disposing the optical fiber in a central fiber guide channel of a coupler body so as to form a bend in the optical fiber;
• positioning the fiber end portion within a hole of an end fiber guide of the coupler body so that the fiber end portion extends from an end of the end fiber guide;
• and
• laser processing the fiber end portion that extends from the end of the end fiber guide to form a fiber end face.