Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Structure surrounding optical fiber-to-fiber connection
Patent
1994-11-21
1996-08-27
Lee, John D.
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Structure surrounding optical fiber-to-fiber connection
385 59, 385 65, 385 83, G02B 638
Patent
active
055509436
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connecting device for optical fibres.
2. Description of the Related Art
When optical fibres are used as information carrying media, it is often necessary to join the fibres together and also to connect the fibres to light-transmitting and light-receiving units.
The present invention relates to a device for mutually connecting different kinds of fibres. Thus, the inventive connecting device can be used to join both plastic fibres and glass fibres.
A connecting device which is comprised essentially of an homogenous cylinder having a through-penetrating hole which extends along the cylinder axis is known to the art. At each end of the cylinder, there is provided a funnel-shaped recess which is symmetrical with respect to the cylinder axis and which leads to the throughpassing hole. The connecting device is made from a non-transparent material.
When using this known device, the ends of respective fibres are inserted into the funnel-shaped recess and then guided into the throughpassing hole, so as to meet one another within the device.
This known fibre-connecting device is expensive to manufacture and is encumbered with several decisive drawbacks. One drawback is that it is difficult to achieve sufficient precision with regard to the diameter of the throughpassing hole. The hole diameter should be precise to a tolerance of less than about 1 micrometer in order for the fibre ends to meet one another in the manner desired, i.e. with sufficient overlap of the fibre cores. Another drawback is that the connecting device is intended only for one single join. A further, serious drawback is that it is not possible to see or check the positions of the fibre ends in the fibre-connecting device.
These drawbacks are eliminated by means of the present invention, which provides a fibre-connecting device of high precision and of relatively inexpensive manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention relates to an optical fibre-connecting device which includes a passageway which is funnel-shaped at both ends thereof and with which an optical fibre is intended to be inserted from either end into the passageway, so that the optical fibres will meet therein. The connecting device includes a first silicon part which has etched in one flat surface thereof one or more grooves of V-shaped cross-section. The connecting device includes a second part which is made of transparent glass and which has a flat side which is intended to lie against the grooved surface of said first part, so as to form a channel of triangular cross-section, where a circle inscribed in said channel will have a diameter which only slightly exceeds the outer diameter of an optical fibre.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the exemplifying embodiments thereof and also with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an inventive connecting device;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of part of a connecting device;
FIG. 3 illustrates part of a connecting device according to FIG. 1 seen from above;
FIG. 4 is a side view of part of a connecting device and an adapter;
FIG. 5 illustrates the connecting device and adapter of FIG. 4 from above;
FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of the connecting device in which the device functions as a coupling unit;
FIG. 7 illustrates schematically a complete coupling unit which includes the connecting device; and
FIG. 8 illustrates one end of a so-called ribbon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 illustrates an optical fibre-connecting device 1 which includes a passageway 2 which is funnel-shaped at both ends 3, 4 thereof, where an optical fibre 5, 6 is intended to be inserted into the passageway from each end, as shown by the arrows, so that the optical fibres will meet in the passageway.
According to the invention, the connecting device includes a first silicon part 7 having a flat surface in
REFERENCES:
patent: 4475790 (1984-10-01), Little
patent: 4629284 (1986-12-01), Malavieille
patent: 4830456 (1989-05-01), Kakii et al.
patent: 4836638 (1989-06-01), Finzel
patent: 4950048 (1990-08-01), Kakii et al.
patent: 5146522 (1992-09-01), Pavlath
Elderstig H.ang.kan
Vieider Christian
Lee John D.
Stiftelsen Institutet For Mikroelektronik
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