Fiber optic mechanical splice having grooves for dissipating index matching material impurities

• US 5,400,426 A
• Filed: 08/19/1993
• Issued: 03/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siecor Technology, Inc. (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Siecor Corporation (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: de Jong, Michael, Knecht, Dennis M., Throckmorton, Rodney A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian
• Application Number:
  US08/108,970
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 385/95, 385/70, 385/75, 385/97, 385/98, 385/99, 385/65, 385/80, 385/83
• US Class Current: 385/95
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3636 the mechanical coupling means being grooves G02B6/3652 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3652 the additional structures being prepositioning mounting areas, allowing only movement in one dimension, e.g. grooves, trenches or vias in the microbench surface, i.e. self aligning supporting carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3696 by moulding, e.g. injection moulding, casting, embossing, stamping, stenciling, printing, or with metallic mould insert manufacturing using LIGA or MIGA techniques shaping the mould surface by machining B29C33/38; moulding techniques B29C39/00, B29C43/00, B29C45/00, B29C48/00, B29C59/00; stamping, printing or embossing techniques B81C1/00444; surface micromachining using LIGA B81C2201/032
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3801 Permanent connections, i.e. wherein fibres are kept aligned by mechanical means splices by bonding G02B6/255; fusion splices G02B6/2551
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/382 with index-matching medium between light guides provisionally see G02B6/4212

Abstract

Disclosed is a fiber optic mechanical splice having one or more grooves transverse to the groove in which the optical fibers lie to dissipate air trapped in index matching material from the junction point of the optical fibers.

Claims

1. A fiber optic mechanical splice, comprising an elongate support member having first and second grooves in the surface thereof, but said grooves not extending through the thickness of the support member, the second groove in communication with and transverse to the first groove;

a separate lid covering the support member and the first and second grooves;

first and second optical fibers lying in the first groove between the support member and the lid, said optical fibers spliced to each other end-to-end at a junction point but not fused to each other by melting; and

,

an index matching material surrounding the junction point of the two optical fibers.

2. A splice as described in claim 1, further comprising a third groove in the surface of the support member, but said third groove not extending through the thickness of the support member, said third groove in communication with and transverse to the first groove, the junction point being between the second and third grooves.

3. A splice as described in claim 1, further comprising a third groove in the surface of the lid, but said third groove not extending through the thickness of the lid, such third groove being transverse to and adjacent to the first groove, the junction point being between the second and third grooves.

4. A splice as described in claim 1, further comprising means for urging the support member and lid toward each other.

5. A fiber optic mechanical splice, comprising:

an elongate support member having a first groove in the surface thereof;

a separate lid covering the support member and the first groove, the lid having a second groove in the surface thereof, but said second groove not extending through the thickness of the lid, the second groove being transverse to and adjacent to the first groove;

first and second optical fibers lying in the first groove between the support member and the lid, said optical fibers spliced end-to-end to each other at a junction point, but not fused to each other by melting; and

,

an index matching material surrounding the junction point of the two optical fibers.

6. A splice as described in claim 5, further comprising a third groove in the surface of the lid, but not extending through the, thickness of the lid, the third groove adjacent to and transverse to the first groove, the junction point being between the second and third grooves.

7. A splice as described in claim 6, further comprising means for urging the support member and the lid toward each other.