Methods, apparatus and articles for systems comprising optical fibers, in particular for feeding an optical signal into an optical fiber through the buffer thereof and for withdrawing an optical signal from an optical fiber through the buffer thereof. Preferably this is achieved with the aid of an optical coupling means which contacts and conforms to the surface of the buffer at a bent portion of the fiber. The coupling means can for example be a resiliently deformable material such as a polysiloxane. In a preferred aspect, the invention provides an apparatus and method for axially aligning, and preferably joining, the ends of optical fibers. The apparatus comprises means for holding two fibers so that the fiber ends are approximately abutting and axially aligned, adjacent means for passing an optical signal into one of the fibers through the buffer thereof, and adjacent means for withdrawing that signal from the other fiber through the buffer thereof. At least one of the holding means is movable to maximize the withdrawn optical signal and thus to align the fibers. The invention also includes novel splices which can be made in this way and novel splicing aids for use in the method.

Claims

42 · 5 independent · depth 4

42 granted claims

›1.independentA method of withdrawing an optical signal from a core of an optical fiber, the fiber comprising the core, a cladding, and a buffer, comprising the ste…+16

›2.↳ 1The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether the intensity of the withdrawn optical signal part exceeds a predetermined l…d2+1

›4.↳ 1The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using the withdrawn signal part to modify another variable.d2

›5.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the optical fiber is bent about a radius between 1.5 mm and 15 mm.d2+1

›7.↳ 1The method of claim 1, the optical coupler being transparent and having an index of refractor of at least 1.35.d2

›8.↳ 1The method of claim 1, further cmprising correlating (1) the bend radius of the optical fiber and (2) the optical coupler such that a value of the wit…d2+1

›10.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein the optical coupler includes a solid material.d2+4

›15.↳ 1The method of claim 1, the optical fiber comprising a cylindrical glass core surrounded by a cylindrical glass cladding surrounded by a cylindrical po…d2

›16.↳ 1The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of feeding the withdrawn signal part directly into an optical detector.d2

›17.↳ 1The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of feeding the withdrawn signal part into a second optical fiber.d2

›18.independentA method of feeding an optical signal into a core of an optical fiber, comprising the steps of: bending a portion of the optical fiber having a core, …+12

›19.↳ 18The method of claim 18, a bend radius of the bent portion of the optical fiber being between 1.5 and 15 mm.d2+1

›21.↳ 18The method of claim 18, wherein the optical coupler includes a solid material.d2+3

›25.↳ 18The method of claim 18, wherein the optical coupler is transparent and has a refractive index of at least 1.35.d2

›26.↳ 18The method of claim 18, wherein an angle between the optical signal and the tangent to the fiber at the point of signal impact is at most 20.degree..d2

›27.↳ 18The method of claim 18, wherein the optical fiber comprises a cylindrical glass core surrounded by a cylindrical glass cladding surrounded by a cylind…d2+3

›28.independentAn apparatus for withdrawing an optical signal from a core of an optical fiber, comprising: an optical fiber comprising a core, a cladding, and a buff…+3

›35.independentAn apparatus for feeding an optical signal into a core of an optical fiber, comprising: an optical fiber including a core, a cladding, and a buffer at…+4

›40.independentA telecommunication system, comprising: an optical fiber comprising a core, a cladding, and a buffer, the buffer having a refractive index greater tha…+2

Classifications

2 codes

USPC · US Patent Classification

350/320350/96.15

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