Bicc Plc

Bicc Public Limited Company

Bicc Public Limited

Philip C Longhurst

Richard Grigsby

An optical fiber connector-part comprises a housing in which an optical conductor extends between two oppositely disposed ends of the housing, at least one of which ends constitutes a plug or a socket. An integrated optical chip is disposed within the housing and constitutes a part of the optical conductor. Preferably, the housing is a molded plastics body and the integrated optical chip is at least partially encapsulated in the molded plastics material. The connector-part provides for ready reconfiguration of modularized optical systems.

Multi-part optical fibre connectors

In effecting an end-to-end fusion splice between two optical fibres, the optical fibres are introduced into opposite ends of two support members so that parts of the optical fibres protrude from the members. The fibres are secured in the members and the protruding parts are cut to form tails of predetermined lengths. The support members are then arranged in axial alignment and one is caused to move axially towards the other until the end faces of the protruding tails are spaced a predetermined distance apart. Fusion splicing is then effected, the support members are permanently secured together and mechanical protection for the fusion splice is provided.

Method of and apparatus for effecting an end-to-end fusion splice

An optical fibre connector-part comprises a body of moulded plastics material having two oppositely disposed ends, at least one of which ends is adapted to make a plug and socket connection with an end of another optical fibre connector-part. At least one optical conductor is disposed within and extends between the two oppositely disposed ends of the plastics body and has permanently optically connected therein at least one discrete passive integrated optical chip for effecting at least one passive fibre optic function. At least one permanent optical connection between the optical conductor and the optical chip is wholly encapsulated within the moulded plastics material of the body so that an optical signal is accurately transmittable between the optical conductor and the optical chip.

An optical measurement system is disclosed which enables rapid and repeatable measurement of insertion and return loss of each fiber in sequence of a multi-fiber connector 15 connected to an optical fiber ribbon 16 to be obtained without disturbing either the light source 17, 18 or detector components 19, 20 of the system. The system comprises a multi-channel optical switch 1 for connection to a light source 17, 18; 1.times.2 bi-directional splitters 2 each of which is optically coupled between one of the channels of the multi-channel optical switch and one fiber of a master multi-fiber connector 3, of which the geometry is known, for mating with a multi-fiber connector to be tested and, for connection to at least one detector for monitoring and recording the power reflected at the interface between a pair of optical fibers interconnected by the mating of the master multi-fiber connector and the multi-fiber connector under test, and a splitter 11 to which each of the bi-directional splitters 2 is also optically coupled.

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Bunbury, United Kingdom

Philip C Longhurst