Fibre

• US 5,619,602 A
• Filed: 11/01/1995
• Issued: 04/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Optoskand AB (Coherent Corp.)
• Original Assignee: ROFIN-SINAR Laser GmbH (Coherent Corp.), Permanova Lasersystem AB (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Inventors: Vilhelmsson, Kennet, Roos, Sven-Olov, Sandstrom, Ulf
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, HUNG NHAT
• Application Number:
  US08/551,410
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 385/31, 385/34, 385/43, 385/77, 385/78, 385/84, 385/92, 385/93, 385/139, 385/38, 385/140, 385/126
• US Class Current: 385/31
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3813 for transmission of high energy beam coupling high energy sources and light guides G02B6/4296
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3814 with cooling or heat dissipation means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4296 coupling with sources of high radiant energy, e.g. high power lasers, high temperature light sources

Abstract

An optical fiber cable for high power laser radiation transmission comprises a fiber having a core and a surrounding cladding, a rod provided at at least one of contact ends of the core and fused to an end surface of the core the rod having larger diameter than that of the core, and a reflector provided at this end of the fiber, the rod being designed to conduct rays entering outside the fiber towards an area where they can be absorbed without causing any damage, to conduct rays not linked into the fiber towards the reflector.

Claims

1. An optical fiber cable for high power laser radiation transmission comprising:

a light absorbing area;

a fiber having a core and a cladding;

a rod provided at at least one of the ends of the fiber and fused to an end surface of the core, said rod being substantially cylindrical and having a diameter larger than that of the fiber;

a reflector provided at a distance from said rod along the fiber core for reflecting light entering outside the fiber core and through said rod to said light absorbing area; and

a glass capillary surrounding said fiber and in optical contact with the cladding of the fiber and located between the reflector and the rod.

2. An optical fiber cable according to claim 1 wherein the circumferential surface of the rod is substantially parallel to the longitudinal extend of the fiber.

3. An optical fiber cable according to claim 1, wherein the reflector is partly absorbing.

4. An optical fiber cable according to claim 1, further including a temperature sensor provided in the vicinity of the reflector.

5. An optical fiber cable according to claim 1, further including a radiation-proof transmitting material whose refractive index is higher than, or substantially equal to, that of the cladding, said material being in optical contact with the cladding in a part of the area between the reflector and the rod at the short side of the core.

6. An optical fiber cable according to claim 1, wherein the rod at the contact end of the core is made of a material having substantially the same refractive index as the core and is in optical contact therewith.

7. An optical fiber cable according to claim 1, wherein the core and the rod at the contact end thereof are made of quartz glass.

8. A method for transmitting a high power laser radiation by an optical fiber cable including a core and a cladding, said method comprising the steps of:

a) fusing a substantially cylindrical rod having a diameter larger than that of the core to an end surface of the core at at least one of contact ends of the core;

b) providing a reflector at a distance from said rod along the fiber core, and

c) providing a glass capillary around said fiber between the reflector and the rod;

d) reflecting light entering outside the fiber core and through the rod to a light absorbing area.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the core and the rod at the contact end thereof are made of quartz glass.

10. A method according to claim 8, comprising the further step of providing a temperature sensor in the vicinity of the reflector.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the rod at the contact end of the core is made of a material having substantially the same refractive index as the core and being in optical contact therewith.