Bell Communications Research, Inc.

Other

At&t Bell Laboratories

Bell Telephone Laboratories

Lyn Curtis

William C Young

Virendra S Shah

Derek D Mahoney

A smooth, oblique-angled endface fracture of an optical fiber 39 useful in low reflectance, low insertion loss mechanical splices is achieved by creating tensile stress in the fiber and scoring the fiber at an angle to its longitudinal axis. Tension may be applied by bending the fiber with a flexible platen 16 to which it is affixed, and the scoring may be accomplished by scribing the fiber surface with a sharp point or impressing a notch into the fiber with a blade 28.

Oblique fracturing of optical fibers by angled scoring

A smooth, oblique-angled endface fracture of an optical fiber 20 useful in low reflectance, low insertion loss mechanical splices is achieved by tensioning the fiber while it is in contact with the abrupt edge 23 of an anvil 22 and applying a shearing force to the fiber at a point closely offset from the anvil edge and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fiber.

Oblique fracturing of optical fibers by offset shearing

Continuously variable attenuation between the substantially abutting ends of two optical fibers is provided by varying the angle formed between the fiber ends. In the disclosed embodiment, the ends of two optical fibers are abutted and biased against a fiber receiving member. The varying angle is then formed by displacement of the receiving member.

Optical attenuator

A two-piece tool for circumferentially scoring an optical fiber (11). Retaining member (21) has a substantially flat end surface (26) beyond which a portion (13) of the optical fiber protrudes perpendicularly. The scoring ring holder (28) floatably mounts a scoring ring (30). When the retaining member is inserted into the scoring ring holder, the portion (13) of the optical fiber extends into the scoring ring. A preselected relative orbital motion between the retaining member and scoring ring holder causes the scoring ring to revolve about the optical fiber scoring a line about the fiber circumference.

Optical fiber scoring tool

In a disconnectable low-loss optical connector for optical fiber light guides, the fiber is precisely located in the body of the connector form in a molding die cavity. The portion of the cavity that forms the mating surface of the molded connector body corresponds to a frustum of a cone whose axis is a reference point for determining the exact location of the fiber. The fiber is placed in a sleeve-like member to form a subassembly around which the connector body is molded. One end of the member has a port located in the tip of the frustum of the molding cavity and aids in the precise formation of the mating surface. When the molding cavity is filled to form the molded connector body, gas pockets which form and produce voids in the molding material are accepted in a flow of filler material and prevented from interfering with the formation of the mating surface. The fiber which protrudes out of the tip of the mating surface is then cut and polished to form the junction end. If a shortened, modified sleeve-like member is used instead of the first-mentioned member during the molding process, the fiber may be terminated at a device encapsulated during the connector formation. This device may be either a light source or light detector so that the connector includes a means of interfacing conventional electronic circuitry with the light wave milieu.

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Fair Haven, NJ, United States of America

Lyn Curtis