Optical waveguides – With optical coupler – Input/output coupler
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-20
2004-11-30
Lee, John D. (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With optical coupler
Input/output coupler
C385S134000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06826328
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2002-7984, filed Feb. 14, 2002, in the Korean Industrial Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated hereby by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a soldering apparatus and a method for a collimator.
2. Description of the Related Art
A collimator is an optical communication device collimating a ray emitted from a light source. The collimator is employed as a component of equipment such as optical communication equipment, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, etc., which use parallel light.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, a collimator
10
generally includes a pigtail
12
and a GRIN (gradient index) lens
14
which are coaxially arranged, a glass tube
15
to accommodate and support the pigtail
12
and the GRIN lens
14
, and a metal sleeve
16
to protect the glass tube
15
. The pigtail
12
is made of glass, and a fiber
13
forming a path of an incident ray is connected therethrough from one end part of the pigtail
12
. An inclined part
12
a
is formed on the other end part of the pigtail
12
and has a predetermined inclination angle. Further, the GRIN lens
14
is provided with an inclined part
14
a
on one end thereof which is in correspondence with the inclined part
12
a
of the pigtail
12
.
To manufacture the collimator
10
in accordance with the above configuration, the GRIN lens
14
is first inserted into the glass tube
15
, and fastened therein. The end part of the GRIN lens
14
formed with the inclined part
14
a
is located inside the glass tube
15
, and the other end part thereof protrudes out of the glass tube
15
via a predetermined length.
After the GRIN lens
14
is accommodated in and supported by one side of the glass tube
15
, the pigtail
12
is inserted in the other side of the glass tube
15
. The end part of the pigtail
12
formed with the inclined part
12
a
is accommodated inside the glass tube
15
and faces the inclined part
14
a
of the GRIN lens
14
which is also accommodated inside the glass tube
15
.
After the pigtail
12
is inserted in the glass tube
15
, the inclined part
12
a
of the pigtail
12
is aligned to obtain desired optical properties. The pigtail
12
is then fastened inside the glass tube
15
. Thereafter, the glass tube
15
accommodating and supporting the GRIN lens
14
and the pigtail
12
is inserted into the metal sleeve
16
. Then the glass tube
15
is fastened onto the metal sleeve
16
by applying an epoxy resin
17
to one end of the metal sleeve
16
to complete the manufacturing of collimator
10
.
The completed collimator
10
is used as an individual component. However, as shown in
FIG. 2
, a collimator assembly
1
made by soldering a pair of completed collimators
10
and
10
′ inside a housing
20
having a tube shape, is employed as a component of communication equipment.
Conventionally, the collimator assembly
1
has been manufactured manually. For example, each of the pair of collimators
10
and
10
′ is inserted into opposite sides of the housing
20
, and then soldered inside the housing
20
. Consequently, manufacturing the collimator assembly
1
in this way takes a large amount of time, thereby decreasing productivity and reliability of the collimator assembly
1
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a soldering apparatus and a method for a collimator, in which a collimator assembly is automatically soldered, thereby reducing an amount of time taken to manufacture the collimator assembly and increasing reliability of the collimator assembly.
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.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an apparatus to solder a plurality of collimators into a housing formed with a plurality of through holes spaced from each other at a predetermined distance along a longitudinal direction thereof. The apparatus includes a housing accommodating part to accommodate the housing, a housing dispensing unit including a housing chucking part to chuck the housing accommodated in the housing accommodating part, and a housing carrying part to carry the housing chucking part to a predetermined soldering position. The apparatus also includes a plurality of collimator grip units including grip parts, each to grip the plurality of collimators, and moving near to and distant from each other relative to the soldering position to insert the plurality of collimators into the housing moved to the soldering position. The apparatus includes a soldering unit disposed adjacent to the soldering position to solder the plurality of collimators into the housing through the through holes of the housing.
According to an aspect of the invention, the plurality of collimator grip units include a first grip unit having a first grip part to grip a first collimator, and a first lifting part to move the first grip part to the soldering position. The plurality of collimator grip units also include a second grip unit disposed facing toward the first grip unit, and having a second grip part to grip a second collimator, and a second moving part to move the second grip part to the soldering position.
According to an aspect of the invention, the soldering unit includes a soldering part disposed adjacent to a respective one of the through holes of the housing, a soldering rod provided at the soldering part and disposed between a respective one of the collimators and the housing by passing through the respective through hole of the housing, and a heating part combined to the soldering part and heating the soldering rod.
According to an aspect of the invention, the soldering part is disposed inclined toward the longitudinal direction of the housing.
According to another aspect of the invention, the apparatus further includes a soldering unit carrying part to move the soldering unit along the longitudinal direction of the housing.
According to another aspect of the invention, the apparatus further includes a control part to automatically control the housing dispensing unit, the collimator grip unit, and the soldering unit, and the soldering unit carrying part.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a method to solder a plurality of collimators into a housing formed with a plurality of through holes spaced from each other at a predetermined distance along a longitudinal direction thereof. The method includes dispensing the housing to a predetermined soldering position, inserting the plurality of collimators into the housing moved to the soldering position, and soldering the plurality of collimators to the housing through the through holes of the housing.
According to an aspect of the invention, the soldering includes inserting a soldering rod into the through holes of the housing at an inclined position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6023542 (2000-02-01), Pan et al.
patent: 6167175 (2000-12-01), Zheng et al.
patent: 6396980 (2002-05-01), Liu et al.
patent: 6485190 (2002-11-01), Zheng
patent: 6674942 (2004-01-01), Chang et al.
patent: 2004/0013363 (2004-01-01), Lee et al.
Hwang Myeon-soon
Kim Byung-gon
Park Tai-hwan
Sun Hong-suk
Lee John D.
Stahl Mike
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