Optical waveguides – Accessories – Bushing structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-09
2001-09-18
Font, Frank G. (Department: 2877)
Optical waveguides
Accessories
Bushing structure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292615
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Optical communication systems have many advantages over older, more established technologies and are increasingly replacing those technologies in many applications. Optical fiber is the workhorse of the typical optical communication system, and the low loss, light weight, small size, flexibility and high intrinsic bandwidth of optical fiber help make optical communication systems more desirable than competing systems for the communication of both of digital and analog signals. Of course, there is more than fiber in an optical communication system. A typical system includes an optical transmitter that generates an optical beam and modulates the beam with an electrical information signal. The optical fiber, perhaps spanning a continent, then propagates the modulated optical signal to a receiver that demodulates the optical beam to recover the electrical signal. Optical fiber not only carries the signal on cross-continental journeys, but also interconnects the separately packaged components that make up a typical receiver, transmitter or repeater of the optical communication system. For example, included in a typical transmitter package are an optical beam generator and a modulator, each typically packaged separately, and which are in optical communication via short lengths of optical fiber.
Optical fiber feedthroughs are an important feature of each discrete package and of the overall transmitter package, providing a transition from the environment external to the package to the internal operating environment of the package. One important function of an optical fiber feedthrough is to prevent loads placed on the portion of fiber external to the package from being transferred to the fiber within the package, where the delicate transitions from fiber to the optical device can be readily damaged. For example, one standard becoming prevalent in the industry requires that the fiber external to a package can be loaded to 1 kilogram (kg) without substantially transmitting the load to the fiber core within the package, such that the optical interconnect to an optical device within the package is not adversely affected.
As is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, there are many known designs for optical fiber feedthroughs. However, such known feedthroughs are often unduly complex, may weaken the fiber, are time consuming to install, or do not adequately prevent the load applied to the fiber from being transferred to the delicate optical fiber interconnect within the package. A simple and economical optical fiber feedthrough for preventing selected loads from being transferred to the fiber within the package would be a welcome advance in the art.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, and to provide an improved optical fiber feedthrough.
Other objects will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in light of the following disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect, the invention provides an optical package assembly for housing an optical component within the package and including provision for communicating an optical signal from an environment exterior to the package to the optical component. The optical package assembly includes a package wall including a passage therethrough; a length of optical fiber including a buffer layer, the length of fiber extending along a longitudinal axis and through the passage for communicating the optical signal between the exterior and the interior of the package; and a volume of bonding agent adhering to the buffer layer and to a bonding surface integral with the package. In particular, the volume of bonding agent is disposed for asymmetrically securing the fiber to the package such that a load of less than approximately 1 kg applied to a first end of the length of fiber is not substantially transmitted to the other end of the length of fiber. The term “asymmetrically secured” refers to the distribution of forces acting on the buffer layer of the fiber, as described in more detail below.
According to another aspect, the invention provides an optical fiber feedthrough assembly for receiving a fiber including a buffer layer and for securing the fiber to a package. The fiber feedthrough assembly includes a feedthrough body, the feedthrough body defining a longitudinally extending passage therethrough and having a bonding surface and an outer surface for securing to the optical package; a length of optical fiber having a core and buffer layers, the length passing through the passage and along the bonding surface; and a volume of bonding agent for asymmetrically securing the fiber to the feedthrough body for reducing the transmission of force applied to a first end of the fiber to the second end thereof, the volume having an inner surface adhering to the buffer layer and an outer surface adhering to the bonding surface.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides an optical fiber feedthrough body extending along a longitudinal axis. The optical fiber feedthrough body includes a first section having an inner wall surface defining a longitudinally extending first passage therethrough and having a cylindrical outer surface and also includes a second section having a wall having an outer surface and a longitudinally extending inner bonding surface. The bonding surface raised relative to a portion of the first inner wall surface defining the first passage, and the center section wall corresponding to a least a first length of the center section extends less than fully circumferentially about the longitudinal axis. In addition, the feedthrough body includes a third section defining a second longitudinally extending passage therethrough and having a cylindrical outer surface. The passages and bonding surface are disposed for receiving a length of optical fiber through the passages and adjacent the bonding surface for bonding thereto.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of providing an optical fiber feedthrough for communicating an optical signal from a first side of a package wall to a second side thereof and such that loads of less than approximately 1 kg applied to one end of the fiber are not substantially transmitted to the other end of the fiber. The method includes the steps of providing a length of the optical fiber having a core and a buffer layer; providing a passage through the package wall; providing a bonding surface integral with the package wall and disposed for securing the length of fiber when the length extends through the passage; placing the length of fiber through the passage; providing a volume of bonding agent; and asymmetrically securing the fiber to the package wall such that loads of less than approximately 1 kg applied to a first end the fiber are substantially not transmitted to the core of the fiber at the other end of the fiber, the step of asymmetrically securing including disposing the bonding agent for adhering to the buffer layer and to the bonding surface.
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Lorenzen Frederick C.
Merritt Scott A.
Font Frank G.
McCormick Paulding & Huber LLP
Stafira Michael P.
Uniphase Telecommunications Products, Inc.
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