Optical Assembly for Repetitive Coupling and Uncoupling

• US 20090110347A1
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cinch Connectivity Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cinch Connectors Incorporated (Bel Connector Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jacobsson, Claes
• Granted Patent: US 9,791,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/16
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/32 having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/327 with angled interfaces to reduce reflections
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3504 Rotating, tilting or pivoting the waveguides, or with the waveguides describing a curved path rotary joint G02B6/3628
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/381 of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3846 with fibre stubs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3853 Lens inside the ferrule lensed connectors G02B6/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3874 using tubes, sleeves to align ferrules
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3877 Split sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3878 comprising a plurality of ferrules, branching and break-out means

Abstract

There is provided an optical assembly (100) comprising an optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) and a lens arrangement (120). The lens arrangement (120) is spatially disposed relative to the fiber arrangement (220, 230) so as to be capable of providing an axial substantially collimated beam of radiation in response to receiving radiation from the optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) and capable of providing a focused beam of radiation to the optical fiber arrangement (220, 330) in response to receiving substantially collimated radiation to the lens arrangement (120). The assembly (100) further comprises a configuration of elements (110, 130, 200, 260) for spatially disposing the optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) relative to the lens arrangement (120). The configuration of elements (110, 130, 200, 260) provides for independent adjustment of relative lateral position between the optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) and the lens arrangement (120) in relation to axial position of the optical fiber arrangement (220, 230) relative to the lens arrangement (120). Such independent adjustment assists in fabrication of the assembly (100).

Claims

1. An optical assembly comprising an optical fiber arrangement operable to detachably receive an optical fiber terminated by a ferrule, a lens arrangement, said lens arrangement being spatially disposed relative to the fiber arrangement so as to be capable of providing an axial substantially collimated beam of radiation in response to receiving radiation from the optical fiber arrangement and capable of providing a focused beam of radiation to the optical fiber arrangement in response to receiving substantially collimated beam of radiation to the lens arrangement, said assembly further comprising a configuration of elements for spatially disposing the optical fiber arrangement relative to the lens arrangement.

2. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said configuration of elements provides for positional adjustment during manufacture of the optical fiber arrangement relative to the lens arrangement.

3. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuration of elements is operable to provide for independent adjustment of relative lateral position between the optical fiber arrangement and the lens arrangement in relation to axial position of the optical fiber arrangement relative to the lens arrangement.

4. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said adjustment of relative lateral position is provided by a plurality of the elements being provided with mutually abutting surfaces so disposed to accommodate lateral adjustment of the fiber arrangement relative to the lens arrangement.

5. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said adjustment of relative axial position is provided by a plurality of the elements being provided with mutually abutting surfaces so disposed to accommodate axial adjustment of the fiber arrangement relative to the lens arrangement.

6. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the mutually abutting surfaces are accessible at an exterior region of the assembly for enabling adjustment of the relative lateral position when the assembly is in an assembled state.

7. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the mutually abutting surfaces are accessible at an exterior region of the assembly for enabling adjustment of the relative axial position when the assembly is in an assembled state.

8. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the portion of the mutually abutting surfaces is disposed so as to allow for relative immobilization of the abutting surfaces for rendering permanent a given relative positioning of the lens arrangement relative to the fiber arrangement.

9. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the elements are fabricated from materials susceptible to being fused or bonded for achieving said relative immobilization.

10. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the elements are fabricated from one or more of:

metal, plastics material, ceramic, sintered material, glass, silica, sapphire, materials with optically refractive properties.

11. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fiber arrangement comprises a fiber stub with associated ferrule spatially disposed between the lens arrangement and the optical fiber for conveying radiation to and/or from the assembly.

12. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein an end of the fiber arrangement facing towards said lens arrangement is spatially spaced apart therefrom, namely not abutting thereto, to provide an increased diameter to the beam of radiation.

13. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein an end of the fiber arrangement facing towards said lens arrangement is abutted to the lens arrangement.

14. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the elements are adapted to allow for repetitive cycles of mating/unmating of the optical fiber with its associated ferrule relative to the fiber stub whilst ensuring axial alignment thereof for enabling optical radiation to be substantially coupled therebetween.

15. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the lens arrangement and fiber stub are provided with antireflection coatings for reducing optical reflection thereat.

16. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembly further comprises an optical isolator in optical series with the fiber arrangement and the lens arrangement.

17. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the fiber stub is provided with polished optical end faces whose planes are substantially perpendicular relative to a central optical axis of the fiber stub.

18. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the fiber stub is provided with one or more obliquely formed optical end faces whose planes are substantially non-perpendicular relative to a central optical axis of the fiber stub.

19. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lens arrangement comprises at least one of:

an aspherical lens, a spherical ball lens, a configuration comprising a plurality of lenses, a graded-refractive index lens.

20. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

(a) the lens arrangement comprises an aspherical or ball lens;

(b) the fiber arrangement comprises a fiber stub having an outer ferrule, said fiber stub and its ferrule being operable to mount within a split sleeve and to be attached to a first element of a configuration of elements;

(c) the configuration of elements includes a second element thereof which is operable to support the aspherical or ball lens and function in cooperation with a third element to provide for axial adjustment of the assembly during manufacture; and

(d) the configuration of elements is disposed such that the first and third elements function in cooperation to provide for lateral adjustment of the assembly during manufacture.

21. An optical coupler comprising a plurality of optical assemblies, each optical assembly being as claimed in claim 1, the optical coupler being provided with a plurality of optical fibers for conveying optical radiation thereto and/or therefrom via the plurality of optical assemblies.

22. An optical switching network comprising a plurality of optical assemblies, each optical assembly being as claimed in claim 1, said plurality of optical assemblies being provided with a beam steeling arrangement for steering directions of collimated beams of radiation in operation via said plurality of optical assemblies, thereby selectively directing optical radiation via one or more of said assemblies and thereby selectively through the network.

23. A system comprising one or more of chassis elements, processing boards and packplane boards, said system including one or more assemblies as claimed in claim 1 for coupling optical radiation between one or more of the chassis elements, the processing boards, the backplane boards and to an environment external thereto.

24. A method of adjusting relative alignment of a lens arrangement to a fiber arrangement of an optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, said method comprising steps of:

(a) providing optical radiation to the fiber arrangement for propagation to the lens arrangement for emission therefrom as a beam of radiation;

(b) adjusting elements of the assembly for ensuring that the beam is laterally aligned relative to an optical axis of the lens arrangement; and

(c) adjusting elements of the assembly for ensuring that the beam is substantially collimated.

25. A method of adjusting relative alignment of a lens arrangement to a fiber arrangement of an optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, said method comprising steps of:

(a) providing substantially axially to the lens arrangement a beam of substantially collimated optical radiation to the lens arrangement for propagation therethrough to the fiber arrangement;

(b) adjusting elements of the assembly for adjusting relative lateral positioning of the lens arrangement relative to the fiber arrangement so as to achieve a maximum coupling of radiation conveyed in the beam to the fiber arrangement; and

(c) adjusting elements of the assembly for adjusting axial position of the lens arrangement relative to the fiber arrangement so as to achieve a maximum coupling of radiation conveyed in the beam to the fiber arrangement.

26. A method as claimed in claim 24 said method comprising an additional step of mutually immobilizing the adjusted elements to fix adjustment of the assembly.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein such mutual immobilization involves mutually fusing or binding the adjusted elements.

28. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the method is performed automatically.