Amphenol Corporation

Thomas Clifford Olson

Eric Walter

Albert Brunsting

A variable attenuator includes a rotatable actuator and cam arrangement arranged to vary a length of an air gap between ends of fibers in a transmission line. The cam arrangement includes a cylindrically shaped cam member having an end surface cut to fit a curve representing normalized attenuation-to-gap-length data, the cam follower(s) being fitted in a sliding member that holds the end of the optical fiber and moves it relative to a fixed end of another fiber connector member. The cam surface includes multiple identical cam surface sections extending less than 180&deg; around the cam to define movement of the cam follower(s) and the sliding member between a maximum position and a minimum position. The cam surface sections may be connected by ramps that permit a pair of cam followers to move from the maximum position to the minimum position and back in a continuous path that allows an actuator to be turned beyond the maximum and minimum positions and automatically reset without damage to any of the components of the attenuator.

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Naperville, IL, United States of America

Thomas Clifford Olson