Apparatus for inspecting collimator

Details Apparatus for inspecting collimator Apparatus for inspecting collimator

2002-07-19

2004-05-25

Pham, Hoa Q. (Department: 2877)

Optics: measuring and testing

Lens or reflective image former testing

Reexamination Certificate

active

06741339

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for inspecting a collimator.
2. Description of the Related Art
A collimator refers to a device for optical communication, which transforms light, which enters by a light source into a parallel ray. The collimator is usually used, as a component, in a variety of equipment including optical communication equipment, semiconductor equipment, etc.
A typical collimator, as shown in
FIG. 1
, comprises a pigtail
12
and a GRIN (gradient index) lens
14
, both being arranged on a mutual coaxial line, a glass tube
15
receiving and supporting the pigtail
12
and the GRIN lens
14
, and a tubular metal sleeve
16
protecting the glass tube
15
on the outside thereof.
In the pigtail
12
formed of glass is provided a pair of fibers
13
a
and
13
b
forming an incoming channel of a predetermined light in one end of the pigtail
12
, through which the light enters. In the other end of the pigtail
12
is formed a predetermined sloping side
12
a.
One end of the GRIN lens
14
disposed coaxially relative to the pigtail
12
is formed as a sloping side
14
a
corresponding to the predetermined sloping side
12
a
of the pigtail
12
. The sloping side
12
a
of the pigtail
12
and the sloping side
14
a
of the GRIN lens
14
are slopingly disposed oppositely to each other.
To manufacture a collimator
10
with this configuration, a GRIN lens
14
is fixedly inserted into a glass tube
15
. One end of the GRIN lens
14
, on which a sloping side
14
a
is formed, is inserted into the glass tube
15
and the other end thereof is disposed so as to be exposed to the outside of the glass tube
15
with a predetermined distance of the exposed GRIN lens
14
.
If the GRIN lens
14
is supportedly received in one side of the glass tube
15
, a pigtail
12
is inserted from the other side thereof. One end of the pigtail
12
, on which the predetermined sloping side
12
a
is formed, is received within the glass tube
15
and then the pigtail
12
is slopingly displaced so as to be opposite to the sloping side
14
a
of the GRIN lens
14
already having been supportedly inserted within the glass tube
15
.
At this time, the predetermined sloping side
12
a
of the pigtail
12
is slopingly disposed relative to the sloping side
14
a
of the GRIN lens
12
through an aligning process so as to comply with predetermined conditions for optical properties. Thereafter, if the collimator
10
is in compliance with some predetermined conditions, the pigtail
12
is fixed within the glass tube
15
.
If the GRIN lens
14
and the pigtail
12
are supportedly received within the glass tube
15
, the glass tube
15
is inserted into the tubular metal sleeve
16
. Then, the glass tube
15
and the metal tubular sleeve
16
are coated with epoxy resins
17
, and the glass tube
15
and the tubular metal sleeve
16
are fixedly combined with each other. With these processes, manufacture of the conventional collimator
10
is completed.
However, in a conventional art, no separate apparatus for inspecting the collimator
10
manufactured through the above-described processes is available, thereby causing the product reliability of the conventional collimator to decrease accordingly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an apparatus for inspecting properties of a collimator by inspecting the collimator in part, thereby allowing the product reliability to increase.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
This and other objects of the present invention may be achieved by providing an apparatus for inspecting a collimator including a pigtail formed with first and second fibers, a GRIN lens disposed coaxially relative to the pigtail, and a glass tube supporting the pigtail and the GRIN lens in a single unit, to inspect optical properties of the collimator, the apparatus comprising an inspection table; a gripping part provided on the inspection table, gripping the collimator subject to inspection; a light supplying part transmitting a predetermined optical signal to the first fiber; a light receiving part connected to the second fiber, receiving an optical signal returned from the second fiber, after entering the first fiber; a measuring part calculating a value of the predetermined optical signal which entered the first fiber and a value of the optical signal returned from the second fiber; and an image displaying part displaying a value obtained from the measuring part.
The measuring part may deduct the value of the optical signal returned from the second fiber from the value of the predetermined optical signal which entered the first fiber, to obtain a value of return loss.
The apparatus may further comprise a total reflection mirror positioned coaxially relative to the collimator at a predetermined distance from the collimator and totally reflecting the predetermined optical signal which entered the first fiber.
The measuring part may deduct a value of the optical signal returned from the second fiber after being totally reflected by the total reflection mirror from the value of the predetermined optical signal which entered the first fiber, to thereby obtain a value of reflected insertion loss.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5004346 (1991-04-01), KuMichael
patent: 5090802 (1992-02-01), Longhurst
patent: 5148233 (1992-09-01), Imamura et al.
patent: 5841591 (1998-11-01), Zhu et al.
patent: 6168319 (2001-01-01), Francis
patent: 6459478 (2002-10-01), Schmidt et al.
patent: 6646730 (2003-11-01), Hwang et al.

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