Conversion kits for curved-angle cleaving of optical fibers

• US 5,842,622 A
• Filed: 04/26/1996
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Company
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Wiegand, Gordon, Afflerbaugh, Martin G., Mansfield, Charles M., Zochowski, Suzanne T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada, Rinaldi I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOODS, RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US08/638,121
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 225/95, 225/96, 225/96.5, 225/97, 225/103, 225/104, 225/105
• US Class Current: 225/96.5
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/25 Preparing the ends of light guides for coupling, e.g. cutting
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3822 with beveled fibre ends
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/12 With preliminary weakening
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/16 Transversely of continuously fed work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/18 Progressively to or from one side edge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/325 With means to apply moment of force to weakened work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/386 Clamping supports

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and conversion kit for curved-angle cleaving of optical fibers, and a curved-angle end-face of a resulting optical fiber. The method requires fixing first and second portions of the optical fiber and introducing a flaw into the optical fiber between the first and second portions. Then, a substantially concentrated force is applied to the optical fiber between the flaw and the first portion of the optical fiber, on a side of the optical fiber opposite the flaw, in order to cause the optical fiber to cleave with a curved-angle cleave. Another embodiment of the method applies a substantially concentrated force to the fiber before introduction of the flaw. The apparatus includes first and second pairs of optical fiber clamps separated by a first predetermined distance, a flaw-producing device that produces a flaw in a fiber clamped between the clamps, and a force-applying device that applies a substantially concentrated force to the fiber at a second predetermined distance from the first pair of clamps, the flaw-producing device being located between the force-applying device and the second pair of optical fiber clamps at a third predetermined distance from the force-applying device. The conversion kit is useable to convert an existing square-angle optical fiber cleaver into a curved-angle optical fiber cleaver.

Claims

1. A conversion kit for converting a square optical fiber cleaver into a curved-angle optical fiber cleaver, said square optical fiber cleaver including, first and second pairs of optical fiber clamps separated a first predetermined distance, a flaw producing device for introducing a flaw in a side of an optical fiber held in said optical fiber clamps, and a distributed force cleaving hammer for applying a distributed cleaving force to said optical fiber from an opposite side of said flaw to effect square cleaving of said optical fiber, said conversion kit comprising the combination of:

an extended pair of optical fiber clamps adapted to replace said first pair of optical fiber clamps such that a distance between said extended pair of optical fiber clamps and said second pair of optical fiber clamps is less than said first predetermined distance; and

a concentrated force cleaving hammer adapted to replace said distributed force cleaving hammer and to apply a substantially concentrated cleaving force to said optical fiber from said opposite side of said flaw at a point between said flaw and said extended pair of optical fiber clamps, to effect curved-angle cleaving of said optical fiber.

2. The conversion kit of claim 1, said extended pair of optical fiber clamps comprising clamp spacing shims in combination with said first pair of optical fiber clamps.

3. The conversion kit of claim 2, further comprising flaw producing device spacing shims adapted to shift said flaw producing device in a longitudinal direction of said optical fiber to shift a location of said flaw.