Alcatel N.v.

Klaus Herse

Friedemann Mohr

Horst Ohnsorge

Manfred Kaiser

Dieter Kuppers

Kate Hiepe-Wohlleben

A multiway fiber-optic connector is disclosed having two axially connectable support members (6, 7) by which the end faces of the respective optical waveguides are held together, several axial grooves in which the ends of the optical waveguides are received so as to be in alignment, and a guide member (8) into which the two support members (6, 7) are inserted and in which they are guided along two sidewalls of a prism-like interior space. The end of each optical waveguide is mounted in a holding device (42, 43) contained in a recess (48) of the respective support member (6, 7). This recess (48) has an axial guide edge (49) for the holding device (42, 43). The exact positions of the optical waveguides are determined by the distances between the guide edge and two bearing surfaces (50, 51) of the support member (6, 7).

Multiway connector for optical waveguides

For short-distance communication systems, particularly for optical-waveguide links in the subscriber area, it is proposed to operate the standard single-mode optical waveguide for long-distance applications, which is optimized for the wavelength range from 1300 nm to 1600 nm, with optical transmitters and optical receivers whose operating wavelengths lie clearly below the cutoff wavelength of the optical waveguide. By means of a suitable stable laser-waveguide coupling, it is ensured that single-mode operation is achieved, which is necessary to transmit digital signals at high bit rates. The increased loss of the optical waveguide at 800 nm can be accepted because of the relatively short length of subscriber lines. Both unidirectional and bidirectional transmission over a single optical waveguide using wavelength-division or modal multiplexing is possible.

Growing community of inventors

Weil der Stadt, Germany

Klaus Herse