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:
Mar. 24, 1998
Filed:
Dec. 12, 1996
James R Bylander, Austin, TX (US);
James B Carpenter, Austin, TX (US);
Donald G Doss, Round Rock, TX (US);
Douglas P Hills, Cedar Park, TX (US);
Richard A Patterson, Georgetown, TX (US);
Laura A Weller-Brophy, Austin, TX (US);
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
An optical module for interconnecting two or more optical fibers has a microreplicated waveguide element which is integrally formed on the same substrate with a splice element. In one embodiment, the module has three plates, a bottom plate, a cover plate, and a top plate, all contained within a common housing. The bottom plate has fiber-receiving grooves and fiber alignment grooves at its ends, the fiber alignment grooves being aligned with waveguide channels formed on the central portion of the bottom plate. The cover plate is used when forming the cores of the waveguide channels, to force residual curable, waveguide material into flow channels adjacent the waveguide channels, and this material, when cured, adheres the bottom and cover plates together. The top plate is used to clamp fibers which are held in the fiber alignment grooves, with the center of the fibers aligned with the core of the waveguide channels. The module housing includes wedges which may be independently actuated to secure the fibers, in a remateable fashion, to either end of the module.