The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 14, 1989
Filed:
Jan. 13, 1987
Kenneth M Clark, Irvine, CA (US);
Bruce Coutts, Costa Mesa, CA (US);
ITT Corporation, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
A system is provided for positioning a pair of electrodes on either side of the end portion of an optical fiber extending through a contact, to establish an arc through a cross-aperture in the contact and across the fiber to melt the fiber into a lens, which assures close control of the arc and which prolongs the life of the electrodes. The tips of the electrodes are positioned to lie slightly within opposite ends of the cross-aperture, to avoid establishing an arc between the electrodes which passes around the contact instead of through the cross-aperture. The electrodes are spaced apart by at least about eight times the diameter of the optic fiber, to avoid deposition of vapors from the heated optic fiber onto the electrodes. The cross-aperture extends to the tip of the contact, so the contact can be moved along its axis to a position where the electrodes lie on opposite sides of the fiber end portion.