Optic fiber contact
First Claim
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1. Optic fiber connection apparatus comprising:
- a contact having forward and rearward end portions, opposite sides, and an axis, and having a hole extending along said axis for receiving an optical fiber which has a front end, said contact forward end portion having a cross-aperture which extends substantially perpendicular to said axis and which intersects said hole to receive a lens lying at the front end of an optic fiber which extends through said hole, said contact forward end portion including a front end for coupling to an external optical device;
said cross-aperture extending through said contact between its opposite sides to pass an electric arc that can melt the end of an optic fiber to form a lens;
said contact forward end portion being formed of a dielectric material having a melting temperature above 1600°
C., to allow an arc to pass through most of the length of the cross-aperture without shorting out the arc or melting the contact.
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Abstract
An optic fiber connection system is provided which enables the forming of a lens or bead at the end of an optic fiber by an electric arc established between a pair of electrodes, which avoids degradation of the electrodes with use. The contact has a forward portion with a hole along its axis for receiving the optic fiber, and a cross aperture extending perpendicular to the hole to receive the end of the optic fiber. The forward portion of the contact is formed of a ceramic or other high melting temperature dielectric, to allow the electrodes to be widely spaced to avoid their degradation, without shorting out the electric arc.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. Optic fiber connection apparatus comprising:
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a contact having forward and rearward end portions, opposite sides, and an axis, and having a hole extending along said axis for receiving an optical fiber which has a front end, said contact forward end portion having a cross-aperture which extends substantially perpendicular to said axis and which intersects said hole to receive a lens lying at the front end of an optic fiber which extends through said hole, said contact forward end portion including a front end for coupling to an external optical device; said cross-aperture extending through said contact between its opposite sides to pass an electric arc that can melt the end of an optic fiber to form a lens; said contact forward end portion being formed of a dielectric material having a melting temperature above 1600°
C., to allow an arc to pass through most of the length of the cross-aperture without shorting out the arc or melting the contact. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In an optic fiber connection system wherein an optic fiber extends through a hole at the axis of a contact into a cross-aperture at the front of the contact, and the optic fiber has a forward end that forms a lens of greater diameter than the rest of the fiber and that lies in the cross-aperture, the improvement wherein:
said contact includes a ferrule with a hole along said axis and with a forward end, and also includes a bushing mounted on the forward end of said ferrule, said bushing having a hole along said axis which is of smaller diameter than the hole in said ferrule and which closely surrounds said fiber, said bushing forming said cross-aperture, said bushing being formed of a dielectric material which has a melting temperature greater than the melting temperature of said optic fiber. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. Optic fiber connection apparatus for holding an optic fiber having a front end forming a lens of greater diameter than the rest of the optic fiber, comprising:
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a contact having forward and rearward end portions, opposite sides, and an axis, and having a hole extending along said axis with said optic fiber front end lying in said hole, said contact forward end portion having a cross-aperture which extends substantially perpendicular to said axis and which intersects said hole, said lens of said optic fiber lying in said cross-aperture; said cross-aperture extending through said contact between its opposite sides to pass an electric arc for initially melting a most forward end of the optic fiber into said lens; said contact forward end portion being formed of a dielectric material having a melting temperature greater than the melting temperature of said optic fiber, and the width of said contact along said cross-aperture being greater than eight times the diameter of said optic fiber. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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Specification