Branching device
First Claim
1. A branching device for branching a light component out of an optical waveguide, said device comprising first, second and third optical waveguides;
- means for positioning the first and second optical waveguides as a pair of waveguides with the axis of the first and second waveguides being on a common waveguide axis and a gap between the end surfaces thereof;
a beam divider means being disposed in the gap and including a layer extending obliquely to the common waveguide axis for reflecting out a portion of the light transmitted by one of said pair of waveguides as a light component;
focusing means including a focusing lens being positioned to receive said light component and focusing the light component in real terms at a point; and
means for supporting the third optical waveguide with an end surface arranged at said point, said means for positioning including a carrier for supporting said first and second waveguide, said carrier including a support member and a pair of cylindrical carrier members, said support member being a sleeve member having a wall provided with an aperture at a position to enable the reflected light component to pass from the sleeve member, each of said carrier members receiving one of said waveguides with the axis of the waveguide being parallel to the axis of the carrier member, each of said carrier members consisting of a transparent material at least at the end adjacent to the end surface of the waveguide, and said sleeve member receiving said cylindrical carrier member with their axes aligned.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A branching device for optical waveguides by which a component of light is coupled out of the main light path which is formed by a first and second waveguide into a subsidiary third waveguide comprises a simplified construction which reduces material costs as well as assembly costs. For this purpose, the invention provides that between two coaxially aligned optical waveguides there is arranged only one beam divider reflector which is in the form of a coating or layer and that in the region of the group of light beams which is emitted from the end surface of one of the waveguides and is reflected by the beam divider reflector there is a gradient lens which focuses the end surface of the one waveguide onto the end surface of a third waveguide.
21 Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A branching device for branching a light component out of an optical waveguide, said device comprising first, second and third optical waveguides;
- means for positioning the first and second optical waveguides as a pair of waveguides with the axis of the first and second waveguides being on a common waveguide axis and a gap between the end surfaces thereof;
a beam divider means being disposed in the gap and including a layer extending obliquely to the common waveguide axis for reflecting out a portion of the light transmitted by one of said pair of waveguides as a light component;
focusing means including a focusing lens being positioned to receive said light component and focusing the light component in real terms at a point; and
means for supporting the third optical waveguide with an end surface arranged at said point, said means for positioning including a carrier for supporting said first and second waveguide, said carrier including a support member and a pair of cylindrical carrier members, said support member being a sleeve member having a wall provided with an aperture at a position to enable the reflected light component to pass from the sleeve member, each of said carrier members receiving one of said waveguides with the axis of the waveguide being parallel to the axis of the carrier member, each of said carrier members consisting of a transparent material at least at the end adjacent to the end surface of the waveguide, and said sleeve member receiving said cylindrical carrier member with their axes aligned. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
- means for positioning the first and second optical waveguides as a pair of waveguides with the axis of the first and second waveguides being on a common waveguide axis and a gap between the end surfaces thereof;
Specification