Electro-optic light coupling of optical fibers

• US 3,208,342 A
• Filed: 09/18/1962
• Issued: 09/28/1965
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1962
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arthur H. Nethercot Jr
• Original Assignee: Arthur H. Nethercot Jr
• Inventors: Nethercot, Arthur H. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US04/224,385
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• US Class Current: 385/40
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3131 in optical fibres

Claims

1. APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLABLY COUPLING LIGHT FROM ONE CONDUCTOR TO ANOTHER, COMPRISING:

(A) A FIRST AND SECOND LIGHT CONDUCTOR POSITIONED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO, BUT SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER OVER RESPECTIVE PORTIONS OF THEIR LENGTHS;

(B) MEANS FOR INTRODUCING LIGHT INTO THE FIRST CONDUCTOR;

(C) A TRANSLUCENT COUPLING MEDIUM POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID CONDUCTORS IN INTIMATE CONTACT THEREWITH, SAID COUPLING MEDIUM HAVING A LOWER INDEX OF REFRACTION THAN THAT OF EITHER OF SAID CONDUCTORS;

(D) AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLABLY VARYING THE INDEX OF REFRACTION OF SAID COUPLING MEDIUM RELATIVE TO THAT OF THE LIGHT CONDUCTORS, WHEREBY THE QUANTITY OF LIGHT TRANSFERRED FROM SAID FIRST CONDUCTOR TO SAID SECOND CONDUCTOR WILL VARY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHANGES IN THE RELATIVITY OF THE RESPECTIVE INDICES OF REFRACTION.