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:
Apr. 17, 2001
Filed:
Nov. 29, 1999
William P. Walters, Peralta, NM (US);
Mark A. Fitch, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Paul Fournier, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Marc Farrell Harris, Tijeras, NM (US);
Pierre Bernard, Quebec, CA;
LightPath Technologies, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (US);
Abstract
A method is provided for fusion-splicing with a laser beam at least two optical components to a different optical component, the different optical component (e.g., an optical element such as a lens) having a surface that has a comparatively larger cross-sectional area than a surface of the other optical components (e.g., at least two optical fibers). The method comprises: (a) aligning the optical components along an axis; (b) turning on a directional laser heat source to form the laser beam; (c) directing the laser beam to be collinear with those optical components having a smaller cross-sectional area; (d) ensuring that the laser beam strikes the surface of the optical component having the larger cross-sectional area at normal or near normal incidence so that absorption of the laser beam is much more efficient on the surface; (e) adjusting the power level of the laser beam to reach a temperature equal to or higher than the softening temperature of the surface of the optical component having the larger cross-sectional area to form a softening region thereon, thereby achieving the fusion-splicing; and (f) turning off the laser.